Pine Ridge | 18+

2

August stood in front of his bedroom window holding two duffel bags, mostly full of clothes, the journal resting on top of everything. He picked up his car keys and went downstairs, passing by his mom in the living watching TV. She looked up at him, eyeing the bags. "Where are you going?" August held the doorknob in his hand and looked at her. "Leaving. Like you wanted me to." She got up and walked over.

"Oh sweetie, I didn't mean it. Come sit with me, I'll make you dinner." She held his sweater sleeve, but he pulled away. "No, I think I should go. You have a good night." He opened the door and went outside into the snow. The sun was already starting to set behind the trees. "Where do you even plan on going? You don't have anywhere to stay." August got into his car and slammed the door. "I'll figure it out."

He started the car, pulled out of the driveway, and drove down the road until the house disappeared in his rearview mirror. He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. Something was upsetting him, he couldn't tell if it was the journal or if it was from his dad lying about where he was going every week. He pulled off to the side of the road once he had made it a few miles down the road, parking near a tunnel.

"This could just be a waste of time..." He grabbed the journal out of his bag and opened it with the necklace, looking at the note again. He set it gently aside before flipping to the first page. Dotted around each corner was a small symbol, completely unrecognizable. He started to skim through the book. "Wh... Demons? Monsters? Was Dad a druggie too?..." He just stared at the pages in confusion, flipping through the seemingly endless amounts of information. He closed the book and tossed it back into the passenger seat. "Jesus Christ..." He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face.

"3 years of... potential lies. Maybe even longer." He looked back over at the book, grumbling to himself. "This is so stupid... But, maybe I can just go talk to Dad." He put the car back in drive and pulled back onto the road, driving through the tunnel. "Hey Siri, give me directions to Pine Ridge." The phone beeped before the automated voice filled the car. "Okay. Estimated time - 7 hours." Christ.

                                                                                           ***

"Ready or not, here I come!" A girl giggled and looked around the forest. "I'm gonna find you!" She looked around at the soft dirt, looking for any indication of her passing by. Eventually, she set her sight on a set of small footprints running off into the trees. She looked back at the treeline, seeing her backyard just a few feet away before turning again and following the footprints. "I'm gonna find you, Lily!"

She ran deeper into the forest, darting around and looking at every tree. Her house disappeared in an instant, the tall pine trees surrounding her. "Lily? Where are you?" She slowed down to a brisk walk, looking around. "Lily, come on, my sister is gonna be mad at me for being so far out here!" She looked around before jumping slightly as she heard twigs snap just to her left. "Hello?"

"I'm over here, come find me!" It was Lily's voice, coming from somewhere close by. "Lily?" She started walking towards the voice. "I'm over here! Come find me, Vickie!" The voice began to grow distant like she was running off again. Vickie ran after her again, Lily's voice somehow getting further and further away in an unusually quick amount of time. "Lily, wait!" She ran for what felt like forever before the voice suddenly stopped. Vickie came to a halt and looked around.

There was nothing but tall pine trees surrounding her, she couldn't see her house anymore, nor a road. Not a single sign of civilization in sight, how far had seen run? It didn't seem possible that she could have gotten this far.

"Lily? I'm scared, let's just go back home..." The wind blew gently, rustling leaves around in the air. "Vickie, come find me." Lily's voice cut through the wind, however it sounded different, distorted even. "Lily...?" The wind fell silent as something began to snarl, its form hidden among the trees. Victoria looked towards the trees, seeing one that had two perfectly symmetrical branches poking out from the sides. She squinted, looking closer.