Darkness of the Woods

Chapter 21

Emily

"I'm almost there. Just a few more feet. Just around this bend." Emily told herself nervously. It wasn't every day that she had to go somewhere knowing it was trap, most likely. She's still hoping that it won't be, but let's face it. Who in their right mind would meet in the darkness of the woods for anything, unless it was trap. She walked on, trying to instill herself with courage. She did not want to go to the clearing. At all. That was the place that had changed her life into a nightmare just a day ago.

She was so nervous, so scared, of what might happen. She wishes that she could just turn back, but she was almost there already. Emily took a deep breath. In, out, in, out, in, out. No turning back now. Deep breath in, deep breath out. She can do this. She will do this.

Here she goes.

She enters the clearing. She walks into the center. She looks around, turning in a full circle, looking for any sign of a person, of a living human being. But no one was here. At least, no one she can see. It didn't help that it was pitch black a few feet in front of her, the dense forest trees protecting any would be attackers from view. This is not helping her keep calm what so ever.

Where is she?

Emily was growing increasingly worried, more worried than she already felt that is. She was beginning to feel like prey under the eyes of a lion. There was a prick on the back of her neck. Feeling eyes on her, she looks into the woods, but sees no one. Was it just her imagination? Or was there someone out there? Watching her? "Hello? Who's out there?" She shouts.

No one answers.

Smart move, Emily, just what a scared girl in all those horror movies do just before they die, she scowls at herself. But then she hears leaves rustling right in front and she starts to turn towards it. But just when she turns, she hears it again, but this time behind her. On the other side. She whirls around. Nothing is there. Its playing with her. It is probably not the right word, they would be best, but whoever or whatever it is that's stalking her feels more like an it. 

"Come out, bastards! I'm not scared!"

She's lying her heart out. But no one can hear her heart beating faster than a bullet train travels. And then a branch snaps. All noise stopped. No cricks singing no night animals rustle. It was like they were all holding their breath for the big finale. But this wasn't the end of the show.

She turns around. And there, right there, was a figure draped in a cloak. A cloak of the beautiful color of blue, a dark blue as dark and pretty as a sapphire. The figure, she wasn't sure whether it was female or male, was holding a stick in his or her gloved hand, having purposely broken it. "Who are you? What do you want?" Emily asked fiercely, but her mind was screaming at her to run.

"Don't try and act brave. I can hear your heart. Beating. Beating. Faster and faster." The voice was feminine, and sounded strangely familiar. Where had she heard it before? "You should have listened to the warning, to your dead Adam's lost voice."

Emily was wondering who it was. She just couldn't put her finger on that voice. And then it came to her. There was no mistaking it now. "P.......pu..put y...your cloak down." It sounded fearful even to her own ears.

The figure reached up and slowly lowered the cloak.

Emily's breath went away, leaving her gasping, "You? You killed him?"

The figure did not answer. Standing absolutely still.

She felt like this was a dream, no, a nightmare. Everything seemed to slow as Emily reached behind her at the slight bulge sticking out from her shirt, and pulled it out. She pointed it in front of her, placing her finger on the trigger. The entire time the figure stayed still, not even shifting. She breathed in. She breathed out. She breathed in. Pulled the trigger. She breathed out.

But she was too slow. The person she thought she had known, even just for a day,  was already there. And the look of calm evil was in her face. Nothing disturbed the peaceful exterior of her face. And then there was nothing.

Emily could see no more.......

             .......Emily wasn't even there anymore...............

                                  ..................Emily doesn't exist...

                                                 ........Never has...........Never will........

Alison

The Headmistress was on her way to the meeting, as it was now 12:10. Allison was finally walking into the darkness of the woods when she heard it. A gun shot. Coming from where she was headed. Alison took off running, forgetting the fact that she has wolf speed. Blurring her moving figure from all without fast moving eyes. When she remembered, she was already almost there so it didn't really matter.

She kept on running, and running. And then she was in the clearing. But there was nothing there. Nothing. No body, no sign of any living creature having ever been there. It was unnatural. Almost as though nothing would dare step into the perfectly shaped circle. Like it was cursed. How could she have missed it? The shot sounded only a second ago and then she was here. And then she noticed it.

There was something off with the floor of the woods. She knelt down and moved away some of the few leaves that dared to land in this cursed circle noticing the beginnings of some markings. Not yet finished. And then she felt a drop land on her. Has it started to rain? I don't remember the forecast saying it would, but then again it's not like they're never wrong.

She looked up but saw no rain. Instead she saw feet. Alison backed away and reached up to touch her face, finding blood on her fingers. On her face. She looked up and saw a girl she had never seen before.

"Emily." the name was whispered throughout the woods. Who said it? Was it herself? Or someone else? She did not know, but she had already started to back up and away. But it was too late.

If only she had known before, the betrayal. The look of peaceful evil in the faces of the figure or was it figures. 

She no longer knows...... 

                 .......She no longer remembers.....

      ............She no longer cares.... 

                            ................................She no longer exists.

Not as the teeth sunk in and held tight. Ending her life. Once and for all.