The car ride was, quite frankly, boring. Dakota would let her eyes drift to the passing buildings that slowly faded into trees as her father sped down the highway, which eventually turned to dirt and gravel. After the news was broken to the girl, her parents had wheeled out two suitcases of her clothes.
“You won’t need anything other than these where you’re going.” Dakota resisted at first, but her strength could only do so much, and she’d quickly given in and got into the car silently. Dakota didn’t know where she was going, and her mother’s dramatic ‘You come from the forest’ scare from earlier in the day still rung clear in her head, with a question mark dangling dangerously over the memory.
Dakota would’ve asked more questions, that is, if she wasn’t still angry at her parents. Assumptions ran wild in her head, thinking they were going put her in a sort of hospital for teenagers with no future and leave her to die, no longer wishing to see her final stages.
“Pull over here.” Dakota jumped at her mother’s voice, not expecting a break in the silence. “We’ll have to walk.”
“You think she can make it?” The car slowed, and veered to the right, where it finally stopped. Dakota squinted into the darkness, making out the silhouettes of high trees.
Sianna took in a breath, her chest heaving up and down as she calmed herself. “We’ll just have to have faith.”
“Mum, Dad, look!” Dakota gasped as there was a darting light retreating from the edge of the border where the trees met the road. The girl inched away from the window, biting the inside of her cheeks.
“They know we’re here.” The jingle of keys rang through the car as Dakota’s father killed the engine, followed by the unlatching of seatbelts. “Come on, Dakota, time for a walk.” Her father turned in his seat, smiling.
The girl shook her head furiously, digging her nails into the car seat. “No. I’m not going.”
“Don’t be a child, Dakota.” It was Sianna who spoke now, opening her door, which in turn lit the small globe in the front seat, illuminating the car. “We’ll be safe, I promise.” Dakota looked back outside, ignoring her parents as they exited the car. The light that flooded from the windows managed to create visibility to the border of trees- where she’d seen the light.
Nothing.
Slowly, out of pure pride, she exited the car. Dakota was competitive, and remaining in the car felt like a loss- admittance that she was scared. Still, as she stood between her two parents, it didn’t change that Dakota was absolutely terrified of the dark. Hugging herself to try and keep the heat in her wool jumper, she nervously let her eyes scan the darkness, as if something were going to jump out and attack.
“What about the light?” Dakota whispered, as if her voice would alert whatever it was she saw. Kane wrapped his arm around his daughter, pulling her close to help her stay warm.
“Just trust us, baby.”
“And the clothes?” Dakota glanced up at her father, who shrugged.
“We’ll send for them to be picked up in the morning.” Dakota’s mouth opened and closed a few times, wanting to ask who on earth they were going to send. They were out in the middle of nowhere, after all. Of course, a cough had to interrupt her conversation, and she covered her mouth and tried to fight her gag reflex.
Kane rubbed her back, trying to sooth her. “We have to get going.” Dakota didn’t know how she was going to make the hike, but she was going to try, regardless. So, with her mother leading, Dakota and her father breached the wall of trees.
