The Woods

•Chapter 2•

"Hey, Taylor, did you make sure to pack the tripod?." Allison asked turning to look at Taylor in the back seat.
"Yeah, I accidentally hit Lyndsey with it on the way out, so, pretty sure I got it." Taylor said glancing up from her phone. The four passengers all began laughing, it was the first time they'd had a good laugh since the accident. This trip was supposed to be their escape from it all, the doctors, the lawyers, the family. They'd wanted to take this trip for years, but always put it off, now, they thought, would be a great time. They had everything ready and planned, from the moment they arrived to the moment they left. Allison had planned it, never being able to do anything without a plan. They were ready for this, they had researched everything, they would go into the Elmore Woods and try to debunk some of the legends surrounding the forest.

"How long till we're there?" Lyndsey asked looking at Sonya through the rearview mirror.
"Just a little bit longer, maybe 10 miles, if that."
"Uugghhh, we've literally been in this car forever. I feel so contained and crowded. I bet this is what the Jews felt like."
"Oh my god Taylor!" Sonya, Allison, and Lyndsey said simultaneously.
"What?" Taylor asked laughing uncontrollably.
"I'm done with you Taylor." Sonya said turning the car at a sharp turn. There was a loud crash and Sonya stopped the car. "What was that?" She asked looking back and forth at her companions.
"Taylor, did you actually tie the tripod to the roof?" Allison asked looking disappointingly at Taylor.
"Yeah, I think, didn't you want me to use the bungee cords?"
"No Taylor there was a rope just for that."
"Oh." Taylor said as a look of confusion crept across her face. Allison and Lyndsey got out of the car and looked up the road to see their tripod laying broken to pieces.
"My god Taylor, can't you do anything right for once?!" Allison screamed getting back in the car.
"Calm down Allison, it'll be ok. I'm sure there's a store somewhere where we can buy another one." Lyndsey said moving toward the broken mass in the middle of the road.
"I'm sorry, I thought it was tied down." Allison exhaled deeply then looked back at Taylor. "I guess it'll be OK, come on Lyndsey! Let's go, we need to be there by 8!"
"OK! Just let me get this out of the road so it doesn't kill anyone." Lyndsey said moving the tripod to the side of the road.

They drove on for about 3 miles until they came to a small photographer's shop. "Look! There's a camera shop, stop and well get a tripod." Allison said sitting up straight in the seat. Sonya turned off into the small parking lot. The four got out of the car and made their way into the store. Ding! went the bell as they walked through the door. The shop was small and empty except 2 old men standing next to the cashier's counter. "Jeez, this place is a little creepy." Sonya whispered keeping a keen eye on the old men. "Let's just get the tripod and get out."
"Hey Lyndsey is this the one we had?" Taylor shouted from the back of the shop. They made their way to her, bobbing and weaving through shelves.
"Uh, yeah I think. Ok let's go." They placed the tripod on the counter, standing between the old men. A twenty-something year old came up to the counter. He was wearing a blue t-shirt under suspenders, his hair was long and tied in a bun on the back of his head and a full beard covered the bottom of his face. "This all?" He asked in a deep, husky voice. "Yeah." Lyndsey said. Taylor nudged Allison, smiling like a little kid in a candy shop. Hipsters were her favorite. One of the old men eyeballed Lyndsey and the tripod. "What y'all gonna do with that?" He asked not taking his eyes off her. "We're filming a documentary about Elmore Woods." She said coldly, wanting the conversation to end. The man's eyes suddenly turned hard and serious, all amusement gone from his eyes. "Elmore woods is a bad place, you girls would do good by staying away from there. There are bad things up there." The girls looked at each other skeptically.
"Old Harley here believes in all those old legends. Don't mind him. That'll be $24.16." Lyndsey handed the cashier the money and they all turned to go. Harley grabbed Taylor's arm and squeezed it hard. "You all better stay away from Elmore, I'm telling ya."
"Let go of her you old perv." Sonya said tugging at the old man's arm. He released Taylor and the girls drove off, leaving him and his warnings behind. Onward they drove till they came upon the sign of their destination, there in large, bold letters, Cooperville.