The Storm

The Storm

Everyone in school was talking about the “amazing” party a jock threw over the weekend and an eerie storm that appeared out of nowhere. I avoided people at all costs and didn’t have a single person ask me about the storm until fourth period.

“Hey Sebastian did you hear about that strange storm that happened out of the blue over the weekend? One second it was there and in the other it was poof, gone. What do you suppose it was?” A fellow student asked me.

            “Uh… yeah, yeah I did.” I replied edgily. “I… I don’t know, ask someone else.” I responded quickly.

I started to reminisce of what happened the other day with my friends in the woods that no one ever ventured into. I know that no one ever explored into those woods but why wouldn’t they? Could my friend’s actions be the cause of that storm? I mean we didn’t do anything, once we left that guys party we were walking home having a good time. I had my four friends with me; Annie, Galen, Ibi, and Vivian. That night there was a full moon lighting our path back to our houses we got a bright idea to take a short cut through the woods.

“Hey guys wanna cut through the woods?” Galen asked.

“Hell no! Do you ever wonder why no one goes in their even to just pass?” Annie protested.

“If anything happens we book it.” Ibi sided with Galen.

“I’m with Annie on this one, were not going in there.” Vivian told us.

“Suit yourselves we’ll be at our houses before its 11, if you wanna tag along your welcome to. Ibi, Galen if anything happens we meet at my house.” I stated.

“Why does Sebastian always find a way to convince us to tag along?” Annie whispered to Vivian.

We must have been at least half way through those woods before the girls started to get paranoid, I break from thought trying to remember the details.

“S-s-something’s not right.” Vivian stated

“What is it?” Galen asked leading the way and smirking at me.

“Ever since we’ve entered the forest it seems that it’s harder to breathe, it feels weird in this place I just have a bad feeling about being in here. That’s all.” Vivian replied.

“There’s nothing to worry about Vivian the woods is a lot denser than the open street, so that could be why it’s harder to breathe,” Ibi trying to reassure Vivian everything’s okay.

We started to walk silently until clouds started to form with thunder roaring not far behind and broke the silence.

            “Ahh!” Annie shrieked causing everyone else to jump.

            “Jesus, Annie can you get any louder?” Vivian sarcastically asked.

            “Wait guys do you ever remember the weather channel calling for rain tonight, because I don’t. From what I remember the moon was is to be the biggest this month and miraculously be clear.” I wondered out loud.

            “So the weatherman guessed the weather wrong, big whoop!” Galen replied a little coldly.

            “Let’s hurry it up so we don’t get poured on.” Ibi told us.

            Looking at the clock in front of the room I break from thought realizing I only had twenty minutes left of class.

We started running and of course it started to rain. We were tripping over branches slipping in mud. It turned dark very fast, almost pitch black and we only had the lightning bolts to light our way. We made it out of the woods and I only counted four silhouettes in front of me running down the street.

“Guys!” I yelled for my friends as each of them start to sprint toward me. “Where’s Annie?”

“Maybe she left for her house?” Ibi replied

“Or-“

“Don’t even say it, there’s no way.” I interrupted Galen.

“We’ll find out tomorrow in school if she’s okay, if you’re so confident that she’s okay then we will all see her tomorrow.” Vivian ensuring all of us that Annie’s all right.

RINNNNNNG

“The final bell” I whispered to myself. I start pushing people out of the way to be the first one out of the school and start to dial Ibi on my phone, “Ibi, I’m going to look for Annie in the woods. If you don’t hear from me you know where I am.” I hang up on my close friend and rush out of my school heading straight for the woods. Running along the road all that kept repeating in my mind was ‘God, I hope she’s okay.’ I stop in front of the woods to take a breather and tear off my backpack and cautiously venture forward. None of the woods looked familiar I felt as if I was going in circles and someone was following me. I ignored my gut and continued forward and noticed that there was a trail of blood on the dry leaves. I pick up my pace realizing that there was something behind me but ignored it. I turn past this large tree and see Annie sitting against it with her hand over her left shoulder.

“ANNIE!” I screamed for her in excitement tears running down my face and falling on my knees getting on the same level as her. “Are you okay?” She looked up at me slowly and had a worried look in her face. “What? I’m here I’m going to bring you home. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Th-the-there’s a-a creature,” Annie said barely able to get the words out.

            I turn around and see nothing, “Annie, there is no one here. There’s nothing to worry about. Can you walk?” Annie slowly gets up more blood coming from her left arm. “Annie, move your right hand off your arm.” On Annie’s left upper arm there are claw marks running down to her elbow. I rip off my jacket and wrap it around her arm. We start to head out of the woods I hear more leaves crunching from behind us. “Annie go up ahead I will meet you outside of the forest I’m going to go check what those noises were.” I whispered to her.

            Annie goes forward and I hide behind a tree and I could not believe what I saw! It was a demonic creature. It walked like a human but very tall and hunched over with what seemed like a black cloak and long claws as fingers. I was about to scream until Galen came over to me as silent as a ninja and covered my mouth. As we waited for a while for the thing to pass I whispered to Galen, “How did you know I was here? That thing is not far from Annie we got to save her!”

            “How I got here is not your concern right now we got to get out of here while that thing is looking for Annie. She’s already done for Sebastian there’s no use in getting yourself killed for one that is eminently about to die.”

            “Ahh” The loudest shriek that no one has ever heard came up further in the woods.

            “No no no no no no” I repeated rapidly. “ANNIE!” I start sprinting toward the noise with Galen closely following. We made it to Annie lying on the ground with the horrific creature looking straight at us with is deathly hood covering up its face. It had yellow eyes like a crows and a pale looking long face that was sticking out from the shadows of its cloak.

            I was wide eyed, speechless, frozen, and as it started to hover toward me I could hear Ibi and another man’s voice from behind the creature. All of the sudden a bolt of lightning comes down toward the creature and blinds everyone that was in the vicinity. Dazed I slowly move toward Annie to see if she is alive, as I stared into her lifeless blue eyes I refused to believe that she was dead.

As Ibi started to drag me away from Annie I broke free and fell on the ground weeping. “Guys what are we going to do? I’m not calling her parents and friends. Why did it have to end lie this? She was such a great person?” All of the sudden we heard Annie make some groans.

            “We thought you left us there for a moment Annie.” Galen remarked

            As she slowly came to her feet her back faced toward us. We all ran toward her to make sure she was okay and as I turn her around I see her eyes were no longer a beautiful ocean blue but a yellow sharp color.