Forest of Hearts

Chapter 4

A/N
This is not a chapter. I just wanted to... I'm kidding it actually is. I wouldn't do that to you guys. But still, I seriously want to thank everyone for reading and voting. I also want to ask you to comment as many songs that you think of that would go with this book. Think of songs with themes of romance, heart break, never ending love etc. Any thing about carnivorous plants too. I'm planning on making a Spotify playlist for this book.

Elle's POV

Tyler and I were outside in a meadow. It was the middle of spring and beautiful, orchid like, red flowers were all around us. We turned and looked into each other's eyes. He picked a flower and presented it. I took it and it seemed to hum something so I placed it closer to my ear and listened. It screamed! My blood ran cold. I tear open my eyelids, panting in the dark. WHAT. THE. HELL.

I sit up and grab my phone. 12:00. It was just a dream I tell myself, trying to calm down. I relax catching my breath until a second scream rips through the silence again. My body is as stiff as a board and I sit up straight hairs standing on end as the scream pierces my soul.

May next to me, sitting up on her makeshift bed. The scream comes again full power this time. I look over at May to see her reaction. She has the same expression of shock and confusion as me. May stumbles to her feet as I search through my bags for the pocket knife Dad got me for this trip. By the time I find it Mrs Evan and some other students are up. I follow May to the door, Mrs Evans behind us.

Outside I am only more confused by what I see. Daphne is holding onto the railing of the hotel as a serpentine vine is trying to pull her into the night by the ankles. Tyler and her brother are struggling to break its tendrils and set her free but they won't budge. I move forward hacking at them with my Swiss army knife. Her body falls, dangling from the railing of the balcony. Mrs Evans rushes forward and grabs her hand. Yohan and Tyler help Mrs Evans pull her up. The vines hiss through their flowers retreating.

"Fucking Hell we were just-" as soon as Yohan says 'just' a thorny vine lashes across his neck, while another slaps around his arm, both dragging him off the balcony. Mae screams and Tyler yells his name reaching forward. Yohan's foot catches on the railing, he looks me in the eye, struggling to breathe, scratching at the vine around his neck. I reach forward to cut him free but trip over another vine causing his to yank him back taking a piece of the wooden railing with him and disappearing into the darkness.

"Yohan!" Daphne and Tyler scream. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I see the vine I tripped over wrapping itself around Tyler's waist. Already having my knife out I slash it cutting with such ferocity I slice the corner of his shirt. I grab him by the collar and somehow throw him behind me, turning to look around wildly, knife at the ready. Before we can even process what's happened, there is different scream downstairs. Bianca? We all run inside and downstairs to the kitchen where some others were. I look past Bianca's pale face to see Mr Hammond is being pulling out one window by the vines. We jump into action, Tyler grabbing his feet pulling him back inside while my blade razors through one vine causing the others to release him. He mumbles his appreciation scrambling to his feet and away from the window.

"Get something to defend yourself!" I shout cutting down the middle of a thick vine as it attacks me. I'm struggle to think of what to do next when I get an idea.

"Quick... Get together! Form a circle!" I yell picking up a cleaver and chopping off a branch near the window, slamming it shut. I turn and toss the knife to Tyler. He catches it, eyes softening as he looks up at me before they hardening as he grips the cleaver. We gather in the center of the room and wait.

We stand waiting almost two minutes all holding our breath when...