The Deceased

Chapter Twenty Four - Feeling no feeling

"What if I get lost?" I ask Jane, staring ahead of me into the chasm of darkness I was about to fall into. The first time we hang out and she wants to play in a forest?

She giggles, I'll never get used to that high-pitched squeal. "Valerie," she pats me on the back. "I'm not going to kill you." 

"I think that would be the least of my problems in there. It looks pretty angry."

"The forest looks angry," she repeats back to me thoughtfully. "Never heard that one before. I've heard a lot of different things, but not that. Valerie has a touch of natural poetry."

This was by far the weirdest time I've spent with a friend in almost five years. "What do you mean by that?"

For a minute she looks unsure. I was unsure myself if she was putting this act on, but I still found myself intrigued.

"Well, it hasn't been on the news, and they think we don't all know it's a cover-up. Plus the victims haven't been locals so-"

"Wait," my head was spinning already. "You know I just moved here, right?"

Jane sighs, not a frustrated sigh, but like she understood. "I'll tell you the whole story another time, but the jist is people keep disappearing. And they're being found in here. No one knows who did it. I don't think they will ever be caught."

"So... people die in here, and you want to play hide and seek? That's just asking for it."

She watches me carefully, and slowly a smirk appears on her face. "I so had you, didn't I? Wow, you're gullible."

So she was joking. Or she claims she was joking. Either way I wasn't sure, and It's not like I could ask around. I only got here a few days ago, so it would make sense that Jane would have her fun while she can. "You know I still don't want to do this."

"Oh come on, Val." she teases, shoving her phone in her pocket. "It's been ages since I've had a nice game of hide and seek. Everyone is too chicken, and I like you."

I groan a noise of uncertainty for the next five minutes, wondering if this is really worth risking my life for Jane's long lost entertainment. I decide no, and start to turn away, but before I know it Jane has my arm and I'm following close behind her in the depths of the forest.

I start knawing on my lip.

"You're overthinking this," she says.

"How do you even expect me to find you? Forests are the capital for kidnappings or children getting lost."

She stops mid-stride and turns to me. "You have a dark side to you, don't ya? Anyway, this isn't the deepest forest, and if you look up at the sky you can tell by the direction of the sun."

"The sun changes position, Jane. What do you learn in science?  We can't even see it above all these trees."

"Don't mention that word in school, you'll be in with the nerds up the front by next week. Stick with me, I'll take you places."

"Like here? Then no thanks."

"Alright," she smirks, "I'll stay close. You turn around and count to fifty."

So I turn around and begin counting. Maybe it was the creepy story, or maybe the eerie feeling, but something about this forest was already scaring me. It would be great if Jane could just take me shopping or we could watch movies, but Jane doesn't strike me as someone who backs down, so I guess the only way I will get out of this is to get it over and done with.

How was I supposed to find her? Wherever I look are just... trees. About ten minutes of me being bored out of my mind, checking behind every single tree trunk, I hear a scream, and I freeze.