STAHP

★Chapter 23: The Truth (4)★

A/N: Sorry for being so late with this 🤷‍♀️

Jena POV

Wouldn't it be funny if I was the only person left wandering around this creepy forest at night as some unknown kidnapper is hunting me down (with a possible accomplice)? 

I wonder how David and Corinne are doing, I wonder if they have already found Jackson, I wonder if–

Wait, what was that noise?

I looked around, goosebumps began to form on me as I heard leaves rustling. Maybe I shouldn't go back and look for David and Corinne, maybe I should've stayed in that spot David told me to stay at. 

I just realized, all of our parents must be looking for us. Surely a picnic could last an afternoon and part of an evening. Aww shizzles...I left my phone at Confodent Jena INC., Barry B. Benson should've reminded me, talk about irresponsibility.

I shivered in nervousness, I looked around at my surroundings. The sun had set and the moon had risen. I could faintly see my way through the forest, but still barely.

I noticed something on one of the branches.

A bracelet.

I wonder whose it could be since it was very beautiful. I took a step closer to peer at it.

A Shrek bracelet with words carved into it. It had said:

Well it's no wonder you don't have any friends.

Wait...this was from the Shrek movie. This was Corinne's bracelet! Of course! A Shrek bracelet! She would never go anywhere without it. Ehh...it was probably nothing. Maybe she wanted to place it there for safe keeps. I put a little spring in my step and skipped away.

Just kidding. I'm not stupid. Corinne would never go anywhere without that bracelet, so that's why I took it with me and I knew which way to go and that direction was the direction ahead exactly where the bracelet was placed.

I walked forward. I wished I didn't, but I knew it was the right decision in order to find my friends...and Jackson. I think he is my friend. I don't know...he's kind of weird.

David POV

I know what you're thinking.

Yes, the illuminati is real.

Also...I know that I shouldn't have joined Jesse, but I had good reason for it. If you knew me a bit better then you would know that I am loyal to my friends and that I would never betray them. These past few weeks have been tough. It was getting harder and harder for me not to betray my friends.

If I don't do as Jesse says, he will hurt Cleo and my family. It was getting harder and harder to make decisions. It was either my best friends or Cleo and my family. I couldn't seem to find a way to save them both. Jesse told me that if I ever find a way to contact Cleo and my family and expose him and his notorious plans, he would hurt my friends, Cleo, my family, and me. 

I was forced into this. Jesse told me that one of his best methods for evil planning was getting an inside person. I never responded to him, I didn't understand why he told me that.

I refused to look at Jesse. Somehow, he looked just like Jackson, but the difference was that Jackson was my friend and Jesse was just a wannabe. Looking at Jesse was as painful as peeling off a hangnail. 

I was in a deep hole and couldn't seem to escape. I wanted to rush back to my friends and untie them and apologize endlessly, but Jesse had limited my visits with them. I was never alone with my friends and Jesse was always watching.