Fog Lines

Chapter 11: Jack.

 I raise my hand to my head and ask, "Uggghhh. What the hell was that?"

There is no response. Where was I last? National forest... in Tennessee? I think that's right. Struggling, I sit up and look around. Still in a forest. But the trail is now a large rocky path and the trees are... different? These aren't even oak trees, they're fur tree's. They're fucking huge. I rub my forehead and look around some more. Didn't Madd say something about how logging these things was really hard sometimes? Wait.... Where's Maddison? I quickly scramble onto my feet, almost falling in the process, and spin around. The trail was empty of people. Looking at it more closely, it was less of a trail and more of a road. A really shitty, really steep road at that. No sign of Madd. Shit.

From farther up the trail, I hear someone call, "Hey! I see someone!" I turn to see a girl walking towards me, carrying the rim of her lilac colored, floral dress in her hands.

I look at her and tilt my head slightly, "Hi?"

She lets go of part of her dress and sticks out her hand, "Hi, I'm Maleri."

I take her hand gingerly, noticing the patches of white skin on her hands and arms, and greet, "Jack," Before letting go. She was shorter than me by at least half a foot and had long straight black hair. From where she appeared, three more people walk down the trail. A tall African-American, a similar heighted blonde dude, and a short redhead. All male.

"Who is it?" the tall blonde asks.

"His name is Jack," Maleri replies, before gesturing to the three.

The African American waves slightly and says, "Lucas."

"I'm Milo," the tall blonde greets, holding his hand out, like Maleri.

I shake his hand as the ginger mumbles, "Quinn."

"So what are you doing out for, Jack?" Lucas asks.

I step back from the group and hesitate, "Umm. I'm not sure."

"You're not sure? Did you just come out to take a hike?" Maleri asks.

"Uhh... I don't know, I was with someone earlier," I reply. "Why are you guys out here?"

Maleri picks the hem of her dress back up and answers, "Quinn saw some strange lights on the side of the mountain, probably because he was high, so we're investigating."

"I was not high," the ginger mumbles.

I ignore his comment and ask, "Strange lights?"

The ginger perks up and starts to explain"Yeah, they were around this area. It was really early this morning when they happened. They were in blues and purples, like the aurora borealis, but on the mountainside."

"Yeah, we're thinking it might've come from our old friend's house. It's been abandoned since they left, so we're a little worried some blew it up," Milo explains walking past me.

Lucas walks past me as well and stops beside Milo. "It's a bit strange for someone to be up here alone? Didn't you say you were with someone?"

"I think. I don't know where they are though."

I see Lucas smirk, and he says, "Don't worry, we'll help you find them."

The two start walking down the trail. Maleri passes me and walks beside Lucas. I feel a tug on my coat and the ginger boy passes me.

"Come on. We got places to go."

I sigh and follow, walking beside ginger. "You guys are an odd group. So how'd you all meet?"

He chuckles lightly, and agrees, "Yeah, we're a weird pod. Our friend introduced us all when we were younger. She and Milo met in kindergarten and Maleri met her in 2nd grade. I met her in 5th grade, we had art together, and Lucas met her after he moved in with Maleri."
"Those two live together?"

"Step-siblings."

"Ahh. So you guys have known each other for awhile then. Makes sense on why you guys just decided to explore around here. Where are we going anyways?"

"Our friends old home. It connects to the logging road just a little farther down here. I didn't realize it at first, but the lights probably came from the house. It's angled to have a view over the prairie area, so it would have been possible for the lights to be seen from down there." He explains.

I nod my head and say, "Makes sense." So, that answers the question of what these guys are doing, but what am doing? The last thing I remember is being in the national forest Madd. Weren't we trying to get out of there? I look around the trail we are walking. It's a lot louder here than it was in the other forest. This forest also seems huge compared to the other one, as well as it's a lot steeper, the other one was almost flat. Where are we? The three in front of us turn off of the road and stop in front of a group of bushes.

"You can tell this hasn't been used in awhile," Lucas mutters, pulling back the bushes. Behind them was a small trail leading to a house.

Milo enters the trail, saying, "Not since they moved." Maleri and Ginger follow behind him while Lucas holds the bushes back.

"Come on, lost boy, we got places to go," Lucas jokes, gesturing towards the trail. I roll my eyes and enter the trail. The trail only lasts around twenty feet before we come up to a large gate. Without saying a word, Maleri unlatches the gate and opens it.

"Is this allowed?"Ginger asks.

"I don't know, was that a vine reference?" Lucas asks, rhetorically.

"What? No... oh... Nevermind," Ginger mumbles. As we walk towards the house, I notice a small figure sitting on the ground, facing away from us. As I get closer I notice that the figure looks familiar.

"Maddison?" I call out.

The person turns around slightly, and I hear them mumble, "Jack?"