Fear

Chapter 7

              I was alone in the forest at the crack of dawn, at least, I felt alone. I was wrapped in a thin coat, giving the thick ones to Ed and Carlos. They lay on the damp ground, the coats wrapped around them, covering them completely. I glanced over, trying not to get too close, but wanted to check if they were still alive. I sighed out of relief at the sight of their chests rising and falling.

I had fallen asleep some point of the night, but only for a couple of hours, unable to fully relax at all since last night. I still remembered the chills, almost felt them still. I remembered the screams of Rosie and Lucas, the sight of the house being burned to the ground. I remembered the letter from Mitch, which was folded in my cold slim hands. I remembered having hope, happiness, my family...which was gone. In the absence of my tears and sadness came numbness, and as I looked over to Ed and Carlos, the guilt all came rushing back.

I knew how it felt to lose your family, your home. But they had to hear the screams, they had to watch their childhood go up in flames.

All because of me.

I got up abruptly, tying my hair up and putting the hood of my coat on. Looking at the boys sleeping peacefully one last time, I ran deeper into the forest.

...

"You have no idea how worried we were!" Ed yelled, his arms dropping to his side. He and Carlos were both standing now, facing me. I sat against the tree trunk, sighing. I had gone for a small run to clear my thoughts, finding peace and solace in the quiet chilling wind. When I was back, they were already awake.

"Speak for yourself," Carlos remarked, reaching down to the bag next to me to eat some crackers. Crumbs dropped from his fingers, covering the fingers in a light layer. Ed scoffed.

"You're lucky you didn't get caught." Ed shook his head, gesturing to Carlos to hand over the food. I looked downwards, feeling guilty again from Ed's defeated tone.

"I'm sorry. Not just for this morning, for everything." I looked back to Carlos, who avoided my gaze. I closed the sides of my coat tighter together, the sudden rush of wind brushing past us. Ed sat across me, his head hanging down.

"It's...not your fault," Ed said sadly, creating a loud reaction from Carlos.

"Yes, it is, Ed," he started, his fists clenched and a cold expression on his face. "It absolutely is!" He faced me, his voice raising to a yell. I didn't say anything, none of us did for a bit. My gaze focused on the ground, seeing the remnants of dead leaves that were scattered throughout the forest. The dirt was barely visible through the widespread layer of various reds, oranges, and golds. Winter was approaching, I knew. Every day had seemed to get colder, and it wouldn't be possible for the three of us to survive in the forest. Whether we went to the magic town or not, we had to find somewhere to stay. Somewhere warm.

An abrupt rustling came from Ed, interrupting my thoughts. Carlos and I turned to him, watching intently. Ed had shaken his coat off, rummaging through the pockets, dumping them on the ground recklessly.

"What are you-" Carlos had started to say, but Ed had already found what he was looking for. A folded piece of paper was thrown in my direction, landing in my lap. I had a skeptical expression on my face, looking to the brothers for answers, if they had any. Carlos and Ed's green eyes were scarily similar, both mimicking the color of the forest's deep undergrowth. Their faces were both round-shaped, and their lips stretched thin and long. They almost looked like twins, except for their noses, which were completely different. Plus, Carlos was a year older.