Beware of the Neighborhood.

26 - Into the woods

This time... I really was trapped in my terrifying nightmare, the one where I had to run, run till my lungs burst, but I couldn't make my body move fast enough. My legs seemed to move slower and slower as I fought my way through the forest. I was running deep, deep into the forest & finally he found me. He tilted his head a little and smiled a friendly smile and slowly came forward to...KILL ME.

I had never imagined that my death would come this way. That I would die so suddenly, in the most inexplicable manner, out here, in the forest all alone. I stared without breathing across the forest into his dark eyes, he slowly took a step towards me, like a tiger on the prowl & this time I knew I won't be waking up...

As we had planned, Dexter had taken the bait and decided to follow me into the woods. As I ran home to grab a few things, Kevin, as decided, alerted Dexter; since the moment I was out and I started running down the street I heard his footsteps behind me. As a matter of fact, I was just at the end of the road over the edge of the woods when I turned and saw Dexter come out. He saw me almost as soon as I saw him and his eyes narrowed as he quickly decided to follow me. I began to run.

Without even a second thought, I plunged into the woods. As I fought my way through the dense, dark and damp forest, two thoughts flashed in my mind; was luring Dexter away from the house and into the woods extremely brave? or just downright stupid?

The woods gave me some advantages. I already had a head start. Moreover I had been into the woods with Kevin enough times to know just how to find my way out. The trees provided perfect cover. There were hundreds of places to hide if Dexter decided to shoot me.

However, on the downside I could see how entering the forest had been stupid. That was because in my damaged, drugged and deranged sate I had absolutely no idea where I was heading. I had no idea if I had lost Dexter or if he was still following me. I could no longer hear his footsteps and my only hope was that I had left him too far behind and that he had somehow decided to leave me alone after all. But that didn't mean I was not in danger.

Thrice I ran face first into a tree, worse still; the same tree!

I had no idea where I was heading. My vision was blurred, my hands were slick with blood and sweat and my broken shoulder had begun to ache. Moreover the pain reducing drug Dexter had given me was fading and already I could start feeling bruises forming on various parts of my body where I had been hurt.

Finally I somehow managed to stumble, drag and limp my way into the very heart of the woods; the clearing. This was the place where I had found Kevin after we had returned from meeting Richard Dawson. This was the place where Kevin had admitted he had feelings for me; the place where we had almost kissed. Somehow it felt as if that belonged to a whole different time altogether.

I took a deep ragged breath and the felt the whole world spinning out of control before my eyes. I realised that it would not be physically possible for me to run anymore, and I slowed down, leaning against a massive tree for support. I looked behind me; I was at one end of the clearing, surrounded by identical trees.

Had I come from that way? Or that? Or was it those trees? My brain frantically asked as I looked around.

The woods were eerily quiet, so much that the only sound I was hearing was my own ragged breathing. Dawn was approaching and there were pinpricks of light in the sky but the dark canopy created by the trees made it impossible for the sunlight to reach the ground.

Slowly I turned and rested by back against the tree; leaning heavily on the tree for support. I closed my eyes, taking in short breaths, trying to stay calm, and most importantly, awake!