The Forest

Chapter 5: Faith

The group buried Charlie's body and in the evening everyone gathered around the fire to discuss what happened earlier that day.
"What do we tell the rescuers?" -asked Zoey.
"About what?" -asked Bill.
"About the creature!" -said Zoey.
Bill simply looked away in denial.
"It's dangerous, it killed Charlie, we have to report this to someone." -said Zoey.
"To whom?" -asked Ethan.
"To rescuers." -said Sophia.
"Who told you that rescue is coming?" -asked Mason.
"Of course it's coming, somebody probably noticed that we are missing." -said Sophia.
"Has anyone even took a good look at that... thing?" -asked Grace.
"It looked like a giant scorpion to me." -said Josh.
"No, it was different, I saw a giant spider with a... well, maybe it was gigantic scorpio-spider." -said Ed.
"It was in the shadows of the mountains, it was hard to see it. But it looked like giant scorpion to me." -said Oliver.
"Same here." -said Bill.
"I won't be able to sleep tonight" -said Sophia.
"I don't think anyone will be able to sleep tonight." -said Oliver.
"Charlie...he was a..." -said Sophia but Tyler interrupted her in middle of her sentence.
"Charlie was a horny asshole, I'm not sad that hs's gone."
Everyone looked at him.
"Dude sit down and show some respect." -said Ed.
"None of us even knew Charlie, why would we be sad about his death?" -said Tyler.
Sophia stood up and slapped Tyler. In moment of anger Tyler raised his hand to hit her back but Bill jumped in and pushed Tyler back.
"Are you out of your mind kid?" -asked Bill.
"Me?" What about her?!" -shouted Tyler.
"If I see you raise your hand on her again I will beat the crap out of you. You hear me?" -asked Bill.
"That's enough." -said Oliver.
"Yes, we have to figure out our next move." -said Grace.
"Alright, alright, what do we do next?" -asked Oliver.
"First, we have to find a way out of this mess." -said Ed.
"That's nonsense!" -said Zoey.
"Why is that?" -asked Oliver.
"First, no one knows why are we here or how did we get here. Second, we all have those marks on hands, every single one of us! What do they mean? What was that weird creature we saw back there? There is so many question and zero answers! Why haven't we found the way out of here yet? Does anyone know how long it's been? And don't make me mention the dead ones you guys took clothes from." -explained Zoey.
"She's right." -said Mason.
"So what? We should just give up?" -asked Grace.
"No, I think we have to open your eyes, answers we are looking for might never be found." -said Zoey.
"We could all die here." -said Sophia.
"We won't die." -added Callen.
"We are all already dead..." -whispered Mason and everyone was in shock by his opinion.

                             MASON

They don't get it. Not yet atleast. The more time it passes the more convinced I am, we are dead and this is hell. I still think about the forest, about what happened back there. I know what was the creature, it was a demon from hell who took Charlie to the underground, we... we delivered him to the underground by burying him. His soul was gone, and now his body is too... How did this happen? I died, but how? I don't remember... what is my last memory... have I died in sleep? Has someone murdered me in sleep? What am I supposed to do now? Where to go? What to do? So many questions, yet, zero answers... Zoey believes in us, that we can make our way out, and so does Oliver, but they don't see the truth, the truth I know. There is no way out, there is no rescue, we are doomed, we are dead.

In the morning group packed their stuff and kept searching for their way out, way back to civilization.
"We should separate for a while." -said Ethan.
"Why?" -asked Zoey.
"I should try to hunt something." -said Ethan.
"I'll come with you." -said Callen.
"You know how to hunt?" -asked Ethan.
"Yes, I do, besides, after what happened to Charlie I don't think anyone should be alone." -said Callen.
"Yeah, he's right." -said Oliver.
"Alright let's go." -said Ethan.
Zoey hugged them both and said.
"Good luck guys, take care."
"We will." -said Ethan.
"Get us some meat." -said Josh and so two of them wondered out into the woods.

Hours passed and daylight was fading away so the group had to stop for the night.
"We climb on top of that hill, we light the fire on it and we stay there til the dawn." -said Oliver.
"Good idea." -said Zoey.
"From up there Callen and Ethan will also be able to see us." -said Josh.
"Damn, I hope they are bringing something good." -said Tyler.
"Hopefully." -said Zoey.
"Ethan is a good hunter, that dude probably killed half of the wildlife in that forest by now." -said Ed.
"When they come back we have things to discuss." -said Bill.
"What things?" -asked Zoey.
"We have to start leaving marks everywhere we go." -said Bill.
"Why?" -asked Zoey.
"Because someone might be following us, and If it's rescue we have to leave clear marks so they know where we are." -said Bill.
"That's brilliant idea Bill!" -said Zoey.
"Everyone should do that, including Ethan and Callen, that's what will we discuss tonight." -said Bill.
"Josh, Tyler, can you two bring wood for fire?" -asked Oliver.
"Why me?" -asked Tyler.
"You want Sophia or Grace to go?" -asked Oliver.
"Why don't you go?" -asked Tyler.
"Me and Ed will make a fire, unless, you want to do that?" -asked Oliver.
Tyler kept quiet.
"I didn't think so." -said Oliver.
Not long after, the group made a fire on top of a hill and everyone was sitting around it waiting for Ethan and Callen to return.

                           MASON

I don't feel hunger, I don't feel the pain, I know I'm dead. I remember the Forest, I remember the pain, I remember the hunger, but those things are over now. I looked into their faces, it looks like none of these people have any emotion... any clue about what's going on here, their straight faces tell me everything. They don't feel anything, just like I don't.

Hours passed and there was still no sign of two hunters.
"What if something happened to Callen and Ethan?" -asked Grace.
"Nothing happened to them Grace." -said Oliver.
"How do you know?" -asked Sophia.
"I know. They are fine." -said Oliver.
"They are." -added Zoey.
"How do you know?" -asked Sophia again.
"They are fine, have a little faith." -said Zoey.
"This is ridiculous." -whispered Tyler and everyone stared at him.
"What did you say?" -asked Bill.
Tyler stood up and shouted.
"I said, this is ridiculous!"
Group just stared at him.
"One day I just wake up naked and alone in middle of nowhere and I'm just supposed to accept that? That some shithead tells me to collect wood!? That I... that I! Depend on some two idiots who might be dead now! They are not coming back! They are dead! Both of them! Ethan and Callen are gone! And we will starve here!" -shouted Tyler out loud.
Ed Jones interrupted him and said.
"Dude."
"What?!"-shouted Tyler getting his fists tight like he was about to fight him.
"Dude look behind you." -said Ed.
Tyler turned around and saw Ethan and Callen carrying two deers on their backs.

"But what If... what If I'm wrong?" -Mason thought.