The Forest by Elm Street

Chapter Six

 It was almost magnetic, the force that tugged me forward, guided me through turns. I had no idea where I was going.

My heart pounded in my ears, a steady thump that overpowered my footsteps. The air was colder, a slight breeze blowing my hair into my face. Above me, the wind seemed stronger, humming a tune of rustling leaves. I almost felt like I should be able to see dust in the narrow strips of sunlight, like I did in my grandmother's attic.

The forest became denser. The ground was a tangle of roots, and I walked in a zigzag pattern around trees, their bark smooth and grey, tainted by the lack of light.

Something felt ... off about the forest. Evil. Although I wasn't quite sure why it felt evil, or how something could even be described that way, I was certain that evil was the best way to describe the shiver in my bones that only intensified.

The wind grew stronger, whipping my hair across my eyes. It carried the scent of a thunderstorm. I had felt numb until then, when dread started filling my stomach.

For a moment, I felt like a horrible doom awaited me, reminding me of when I saw the red eyes. I whipped around, fear clenching my heart, to find -

A clearing, only about a dozen yards in circumference. In the center sat a fire pit, the grass around it torn out piled on the floor of a broken teepee made of thick, crumbling branches encircling a pole. It was peaceful. Not serene, but not quite lonely either. The wind seemed to die, the scent seemed to fade, as I walked around the clearing. There were no other signs of life, besides the pit and teepee. Maybe some brave kid had entered the forest, then grew up and deserted their childhood getaway.

Then I saw the picture.

I tore it off of where it was tapped, inside the teepee, studying it in my hands. The paper had gotten floppy, the colors dulled, but there was no doubt in my mind.

Brown hair hung over bright blue eyes.

A dark red polo.

A smile that bordered on a smirk.

It was Will.

It was Will.

It was Will's school picture.

All of a sudden, even the clearing felt too tight. I felt the wind again, slicing through my weak pajamas like a knife, but I felt my cheeks flush with a sudden heat. The smell got stronger, more intense with every second. It roared in my ears, blocking all thought with the pounding of my heart.

I ran.