Into The Woods

Chapter 2

       The music blares over the gym speakers and a rush of panic hits as am jostled by the crowd my mind flashing back to the night before. "Isaac? Are you ok?" Miley asked me concerned. "Y-yea just um kinda crowded in here. You see anywhere to sit?" I asked her. At the top row of the bleachers, Maya sits scribbling in a worn-out sketchbook. As you watch a couple of freshmen move to sit beside her. "Hissssssssss," Maya said. As the freshmen trip over themselves scrambling to get away from Maya. She glares after them and then notices me watching her. Maya nods to the empty bench for us to sit down. Is she inviting me to sit by her? I thought to myself.

       Maybe I could talk with Maya about what happened last night. She knows about all kinds of supernatural stuff. It could be nice to tell someone who believes me. "You go ahead Maya kind of scares me," Miley said shyly. "Are you sure?" I asked her laughing inside."Yea, I think I see a spot next to Mr Hunter. Oh and thanks for your help earlier, Isaac." Miley said to Isaac smiling. "Hey Miley I will catch up to you later," I climbed to the top row of the bleachers and sidled over to Maya's corner. You point to the empty spot right next to her. "Hey anyone sitting here?" I asked her smoothly. "Just my ghost friend but he is incorporeal so it doesn't count." I laughed until I realized that Maya wasn't laughing too.

     "What?" She asked me. "Uh sorry, I just can't tell if you're messing with me." I tried to explain. "It's all part of my mystique." I looked at the beach and then back at Maya with an expressionless face. I sit by Maya. "Bold move sitting in someone's lap before you are even introduced," Maya told me. "Maybe the ghost and I can grab coffee later," I told her trying to make a joke. For a while, we sit together in silence. While Maya scribbles in her sketchbook.

       "So you gonna tell me what you are so freaked out about? Or are you having fun dismembering that poor bench?" Maya asked while still looking in her sketchbook. "Huh?" I look down realizing that I have been picking splinters off the edge of the bleachers. "I do want to talk about it. It's just it's kind of a weird story." I stuttered a little. "Isaac look at me weird is my middle name," Maya said with an angered face. "Really?" I asked her. "Well no it's Shaundra. But if you tell that to anyone I will go to your house and hide eyeballs in your food." Maya said jokingly.

     "Where would you even get?" I asked nervously. "Next time you go to pour a bowl of cereal? Bloop eyeballs." Maya jokingly told me. "Noted, so what would you say if I told you that last night I saw some kind of monster?" I asked her Hypothetically. "Depends, what did this monster look like?" She asked me suspiciously. "Well, he looked like Antonio at least at first," I told her trying to describe the monster to her. "Whoa, plot twist keep going." She said feeling intrigued. "Once I figured out it wasn't Antonio, it attacked me. Then its face kind of melted off and underneath the skin was just dirt. Like I don't know." I told her.

       "A ghoul," Maya said. "A ghoul? What's that?" I asked her straight out. "A humanoid form usually crafted from dirt or clay, animated by a supernatural force. Sound like it fits the bill," Maya started explaining to me which was making me freak out even more. How did she know about this stuff was she a witch like they said? "I guess, the weirdest thing is that I woke up the next morning and it was gone. Why would it just attack me and leave?" I asked Maya needing more information. "Full disclosure, my knowledge of ghouls is like sixty percent Wikipedia and forty percent this dude named weirdofan95 who I met on a warlock forum. Maybe whatever power that animated the ghoul is temporary. Or maybe it was all a dream." Maya explained Hypothetically. I shuddered reaching up to feel my neck.

      "It was not a dream. Dreams don't leave bruises," I said to Maya. "They can actually. Some beings can enter or even affect your dreams. One of those could probably use your dreams to hurt you. You could also be under a curse or something. I have read a lot about cursed dreams," Maya made everything sound so eerie to me. "What, just for fun?" I asked trying to learn all I could before the thing showed up again. "Sure, let's go with that," Maya replied with a sideways smile. "Maya, how do you know all this stuff?" She just looked at me and smiled. "Well, there is this thing called the Internet," she said being a smart ass. "You know what I mean. It seems like you have been studying this for a while," I said questionably. "The world's a freaky place, Isaac. We learned that the hard way. I just wanna be ready the next time something happens," Maya said seriously.

     "Thanks, Maya I needed to talk to someone. But I didn't think anyone would believe me," I was happy to be able to tell someone about what happened to me and not have to be looked at as a crazy person. "Hmm, the jury is still out on me believing you. You could be making all this up to screw with me." I was shocked I thought she believed me. "Do people do that to you?" I needed her to believe me about this. "They try but my Kung fu is strong," we both laughed. "Well, thanks for listening without immediately dismissing me. It helps a lot," I thanked her I felt better. "Cool, glad to help. But I think I'm done now," she said suddenly. "Uh done with," I asked her. "Being nice see I have a whole bitter misanthrope thing going on. If people see us being all friendly they might think it's ok to talk to me," I just laughed a little. "Can't have that can we," I said smugly.

      "I would die," Maya said as I picked up my stuff and started edging toward the stairs. "Hey Isaac?" She called me. "Yea?" I replied. "You're not as big a tool as most people," she said with a smile. "Coming from you that means a lot," I said smiling back. "Yes, it does," I make my way down the bleachers as they continue to fill up. Looking for any place I could squeeze in. Finally, I spot one empty seat right next to a familiar figure slouching in the second row. "Oh crap," I quickly turn around desperately scanning the crowd for another open seat any seat but there aren't any. I consider trying to sneak back out the gym doors until someone shouts at me from a few rows up.

     "Hey, Isaac sit your stupid ass down unless you wanna watch from the garbage can," someone screamed at me. "I," I couldn't say anything. "Hello? You are blocking our view, and there is a spot right there," a girl yelled at me. Wincing I turn back around to see Ethan looking right at me. "Hey Ethan do you mind if?" I asked him "Knock yourself out," Ethan scoots over and I squeeze in beside him. "So, what's been up with you? We haven't talked since," I cut myself off. "Yea, I know," I sit and neither of us says another word. Down on the floor of the gym, a tall handsome guy with glasses walks up to a podium. "How are you doing Cascade High?" The students roar in response. The bleachers rumble and shake as the crowd pounds their feet on the wood.

     "Whoa, when did Andrew get so Popular?" I asked Ethan. "Shortly after hitting six feet discovering hair gel. Shortly before getting elected student body president," Ethan explained. Andrew waves to the cheering crowd flashing a smile. "Welcome back everyone. For those who don't know me already, I'm Andrew your student body president. I know everyone's a little salty that summer is over but trust me this is going to be one school year you will never forget. And on that note let's kick this pep rally off Cascade Warriors style." At Andrew's signal, several cheerleaders jump up from the bleachers bouncing and waving their pom poms in the air.