Wild Tree

Chapter 5.5:

Eve.

I was tired of waiting.

But I didn't have to wait long.

I pulled the sheets off of my position on the floor when there was a knock on my door, opening, I was met with Joanne's worried face.

'Hey Eve-uh' she looked down the hall. Somewhere from the time we had breakfast till now, she had decided to shower, wearing a Jean jumpsuit and baggy red and black striped long sleeve underneath. Her hair was in a rough bun. 'Marcus would like us all to meet outside?' She raised a brow slightly. 'It's weird I know, but he says it's important.'

I stared at her for a moment before nodding.

'Okay.' I didn't like the way my voice came out small. Joanne stared at me for a moment, her eyes observing my face.

'Are you okay?' She frowned.

'I'll tell you after.' I forced a small smile, knowing I wouldn't need to say anything after this.

She nodded and together we walked out the backyard and across the field.

'The mini forest?' Joanne nodded at my question, leading me into the forest. We walked a few minutes, stopping when we saw the others leaning against some of the trees.

'We're here.' Joanne called out.

Marcus turned to her with a nod, a smile far from his face.

Did he know?

' Well.' He cleared his throat. 'Actually August would like to tell us something.'

Everyone turned to him, their expressions curious.

I felt it already.

The darkness we had discovered coming to light.

August stared back at them, his face stoic. 'Tim told me that non of us-including himself- will be allowed to see Clark anymore.'

'What?' Marcy frowned, pushing herself off a tree she leaned on. Her hair was free from its usual bun, combed neatly down her back.

'It's true.' Tim shook his head. 'There was no room for discussion.'

'Why?' Diane scoffed, raising a brow.

'I wondered so myself.' August nodded. 'So I decided to check on him some nights ago.' He continued. 'I discovered that Clark wasn't actually being treated for anything, neither was he being referred to any hospital.'

The others were quiet, staring at August dumbfounded.

'What-' Marcus spoke slowly. '-do you mean?'

August stared at him, his gaze intense, before turning to me. 'Eve and I-' everyone turned to me, I stared at the ground, unable to meet their gaze. '-were equally confused, and so we decided to go again and find out when the doctors were present.' He said. 'And our discovery..' August sighed quietly. 'They're experimenting on him. They have been for years. And apparently, their experiments have been successful.' August turned to all of them. 'And we are next.'

The forest was quiet, the wind flowing gently in the air, the sun shined so brightly through the trees above.
It was all so picturesque.

With the only exception being the horror looming over us.

'I-I don't get it.' Stella whispered, her eyes were slightly wide, staring around her slowly. 'I don't.'

'It's true.' I found myself speaking up, my voice shaking. 'I heard everything.' The tears suddenly found a means of escape, I reached up to wipe them in frustration. 'We're experiments! And they know! Aunt Sarah! Aunt May! Uncle Toby! They all know!'