The Wishing Well ✔ [1]

04: drop to hell

00:58 AM
Somewhere in The Forest

"Careful, don't fall." Mason reminded, taking a step back.

Lane was the first to cross the wretched, unsafe, wooden bridge.

There was unfortunately no railing for her to hold on to, and just below her feet was a drop to hell. She attentively stepped one foot on the bridge, causing the boards to shift to the side. Then the other.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other side, urging her to move faster. The wooden boards creaked and groaned beneath her as if warning her to turn back.

A strong gust of wind shook the bridge violently, causing her heart to skip a beat and her eyes to widen. After waiting for it to regain its stability, she took a deep breath and continued forward.

"Finally," she sighed in relief as she leaped off the bridge.

Easton followed.

Then Mason.

Then Floyd.

Evie, however, appeared the most hesitant. She regarded the bridge with a strange look, one of her legs moving closer to the first step but then retreating.

"Evie you okay?" The owner of the voice could not be identified by her as a result of the fog.
She winced at the sound of screeching wood but pushed through it.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Her tone cautious and aware of the dangers that lie ahead.

When she finally made it through the rest of the group had already walked into the forest's thick fog. Except for Lane, who had offered to stay back.

"I'm sorry." Lane, confused by her apology, only offered a sincere expression in return. Evie continued, "I didn't mean to hold you guys up. I just-" She lowered her head, not having a good explanation as to why the sudden dread caught up to her.

Lane wrapped a hand around her shoulder, holding her closer, "It's not your fault."
I get that, Lane thought, I get scared a lot without a real explanation. So in a way, they were similar despite having nearly nothing in common.

Evie was a hard worker; always did and turned in her assignment on time. Whereas Lane often occupies her time with sleeping and contemplating her life decisions.

She would droop down onto the floor, bed, chair and just sit there, drowned away in her thoughts of madness.

It was hard for Lane to get her life together, intact, maybe it was fate that brought Evie back to her glum existence. To help her get her stuff together. To save her from driving to absolute isolation.

They caught on to the group faster than they'd expected, seeing that they didn't go very far. Ahead was another bridge. It looked better, newer.

Was that even possible? Why had someone put in all that effort to build an entirely new bridge leading into a cold, dismal area?

"There you are, I was starting to think you guys ditched us and went home." Mason cracked up, taking Evie away from Lane's comforting grasp.

Her arms dropped to her side, slowing down her movement. "I wish." She murmurs flatly. The image of blood couldn't evade her mind, even after being told by Easton to, "Forget about it. He probably just got injured and ran off." Although, his words don't match his frowned lips and clenched palms.

As they edged closer to the cliff's edge, the fog began to clear, briefly revealing the scenery below.

Floyd was setting up the rope, tying it to a lone tough tree verging on the edge. He tightens it so roughly, he could see blisters forming on his hands.

"So who's going down first?" Floyd asked, looking around the group, waiting for an answer.

Mason was the one to shake his head no. He would have gone, yes, if he had known what awaits him down there. But he couldn't. At least not when the misty air covered the majority of the undiscovered forest.

"I'll go." The attention now focuses on Lane who generously proposed her offer. "I mean if anyone else wants to, they can–"

Mason interrupts her, "No, no it's fine. You can go first." His lips curved up into a crooked smile.

"Okay..." She returns her sight to Floyd. "So, do I just jump or like?"

Floyd tilted his head, "Anything really. Just try to hold on to it as long as possible then let go."
Lane nodded, appreciating his suggestion.
"I'll see you guys down. Wish me luck." She said, disappearing into the forest's darkness.

Her feet landed on the forest floor with a splat. The sickening sound bounced off the surface, its faint echo traveled through the forest's atmosphere, eventually whispering back.

Lane's face contorted as the sound left her ear. She couldn't help but repeat the same phrase over and over again.

It's just a puddle.
It's just a puddle.
It's just a puddle.
It's just—

"What's the holdup?" Easton's voice arose, nudging her shoulder, breaking the state she was in.

She at last moved to walk—thankfully, the puddle hadn't made that splatting noise again—Catching up to him, she replied, "Nothing, sorry."

They maneuver their way towards the designated spot in total silence. While Lane accepted the sound of nothing, Easton grumbled in a barely audible voice.

Easton aggressively hit the flashlight onto his hand, struggling to turn the light on.
"Do you want me to–" The flashlight cracked, its pieces crumbling to the floor.

Easton pushed it out of the path, "I don't need your help, Lane." He stopped to look at her, eyes narrowed as his brow lowered. "I don't need anyone's help."

Lane stood frozen in her space, surprised by his sudden outburst. Though it wasn't very uncommon for him to randomly turn aggressive or rather defensive.