Broken blood

Amber

After the long day, me and Luke decide to go out into the trails past the industrial estate. This is where me and Luke like to sit and listen to music and talk about whatever it is that's happened in the day. We say this, but it's really to get out of the house.

Even though we're 18, we like to keep some essence of our childhood. There's some beauty in that.

At the top of the trail there's a lake, not many people in the town know about this spot. I think that's why me and Luke like it so much. Nobody is ever there. Just trees and a large lake. Me and Luke have been there at night and when there's a full moon the lake sparkles beneath it. I like to go alone sometimes.

As the sun begins to set, me and Luke decide to head back. By the time we get to the bottom of the trail it's already dark out.

Looking out onto the dark industrial estate, something begins to feel strange. I look behind me at the woods we just emerged from and I feel a sense of dread.

I try to act normal, knowing it's all in my head and begin talking to Luke. However, he notices I'm on edge.

"Are you scared Sam?" He chuckles. Luke isn't the compassionate type and our friendship is solely based around banter.

"Shutup." I reply, hitting him jokingly.

"You think there's ghosts or something? Following us out of the woods." He begins making ghost noises and imitating zombie movements.

I call him a dick and explain how I thought I had heard something.

Taking the mick (joking) further, he says "What, in here?" With a grin on his face and disappears into the trees.

I stand there watching and tell him to come back, still thinking this was silly. But Luke wasn't responding.

"Right that's enough Luke come out now." I hear a twig break. "Nice" I think "he's just trying to scare me"

"Ha ha, very funny Luke, come on I have to be in."

But no response again, worried now, I know I don't want to go in there but just as I think that Luke comes out screaming. Now this isn't the jokey scream I'd expect, because he runs past me and tells me to "run".

Feeling stubborn I stay still and look to see if he's joking. And what emerges makes my heart sink.

A man in a long black cloak. Followed by 4 others. I turn to look at Luke, but he's gone. Shit.

I look back at them to see them getting closer, surely they are just people on the trail. So I turn to go in the opposite direction, only to hit the chest of someone. I fall to the ground and look up.

"Wow." I utter.

A woman stood above me, her doll like face curiously looking back at me. She's nothing I had ever seen before. And looked no older than I.

"Ambrosia, we told you to stay home." The man in black says.

"Didn't feel like it." She replies, not taking her eyes off of me.

"We want this one." He scowls.

She grabs me, and quicker than I could blink puts me behind her. How...

"No father, this one's mine, go somewhere else." Tilting her head and staring him down, almost like some kind of animal protecting her cub.

"Fine!" He scoffs "Clean up after yourself."

I look at the woman, and as I look back at the others, they have disappeared.

Still grabbing my arm she drags me in front of her and begins examining my face. Touching my cheeks and hair, almost admiring me.

"Hey what are you doing." My cheeks turning red.

"Shhh." She places a single finger on my lip. Her big brown eyes staring into my soul and I instantly go silent.

"Listen, I've seen you" she says circling me slowly, almost sizing me up the way a snake does its prey. "I've seen you around, and I have big plans for you Sam."

"How do you know..." I'm cut off again.

"It doesn't matter Sam, you just need to listen to me, can you do that?" She asks.

As strange as this situation feels and it's definitely terrifying nonetheless, I feel warped by this woman.

I nod.

"Good." She places her hands on either side of my face. Her hands freezing to the touch. She gets closer and whispers in my ear "Meet me at the lake tomorrow night" she pulls away and smiles. I try to catch my breath.

She tells me to close my eyes and I do just that. And when I open them to ask questions, she's gone. My heart pounding... what just happened.