The New World

Chapter 2

      "Holy crap." Jake says, glancing at the dark forest with wide eyes.
"How did I let this happen! I'm supposed to keep us safe and I screw it up!" He kicks a tree and winces.

I place a hand on his shoulder and reply,
"Well, you can't keep track of everything. And kicking a tree won't help anything. It'll just hurt your foot."

Jake glances at the ground, clearly ashamed at his foolishness.
I give him a friendly nudge and say,
"Come on. Let's find our way out of here."

But as I glance back at the forest, all my fears come rushing back.
What could be hiding in the forest? I wonder. Will I ever escape?
Chase starts walking, choosing a direction at random.
Jake goes with him, closely followed by Alleigh.

I take a deep breath and follow them into the pitch Black Forest. The moon rises further as we walk, and every tree looks the same.
"There are no landmarks to follow." Alleigh whispers.
"How will we find our way out?"

Nobody speaks.

Alleigh's shoulders droop and she keeps walking. The silence grows with every step we take, until one moment.

"Guys!" Chase shouts. "A cave!"
Jake runs over and inspects it.
"It's empty." He says. "Maybe we could spend the night in it? At least until dawn. Who knows what could be out here."

I shiver as a thought rushes into my head.
Who knows what could be in there.

Jake gives me a quizzical look, but I shake my head. He shrugs and walks into the cave. I follow, Alleigh on my tracks. Chase takes the rear.

Please. I pray silently. Let us be safe. Just until morning.