Forlot: Forgotten Forest - Book Eight {Completed}

Chapter Thirty-One

I could not believe what I was both seeing and hearing. So he was the murderer. Collin...my very best friend...was the one who was killing off our classmates. I tried to not believe it, to ignore what he was stating and planning to do, but it was impossible.

Collin. Clutching a clean knife with no blood. A shiny and sharp knife. And threatening to end my life.

My body shook uncontrollably. "Why...are you doing this?" I managed to speak, the words tumbling from mouth. "Why? Why would you desire to kill me? I thought that we were friends. The best of friends."

"Kill you?" he said. "Why in the world would I want to do that? Are you feeling alright, Ari?"

I was now confused - and found myself opening my eyes. The first thing that I was greeted with was bright, yellow light. I had to blink a couple of times and shield my eyes with my arm and noticed that the walls and ceiling were made of wood. I felt my back pressing against something. Something soft. Like a blanket.

"Where...where am I?"

"Do you not remember? You are in a cabin."

My eyes darted from side to side, looking for whoever replied to me. I knew now that I was not alone.

Who was with me? And how did I wind up in a cabin? The boys'? The girls'? Or the counselors'?

I spotted a person standing by me. It was a boy. It was Collin. I was relieved to see him.

Well, somewhat relieved.

I examined him from top to bottom. Actually, from the head to the knees because everything below the knees were hidden behind the bed that I realized that I was lying on.

Collin was rubbing his thumb across my forehead and adjusted his glasses. "Ari?" he said my name. "How do you feel? Tell me. I need to know."

Before, he seemed like a psychopath who recently escaped from the asylum and preyed on innocent children who were around his age. His eyes looked crazy, and his smile was so wide that the ends of the smile touched his ears. It was that creepy.

He did not look like that now. He looked and acted like the Collin that I know and did not wield a knife in his possession.

Was the Collin whom I had seen earlier not real? Was he part of a dream? And if that was so, was going to and seeing Kyle's treehouse all a dream too? Did I not really meet his father, Sinosum?

I could not think of any clear answers. The recent event just seemed real - too real - to be a dream.

"Collin." I started to sit up when a painful sensation pounded all over my head. "Gosh!" I immediately lied back down, clenched my teeth, and grabbed the sides of my head. "No...the pain...it hurts..."

Collin looked concerned and gently tugged back a piece of my hair that accidentally got caught in one of my nostrils. "Ari, relax. Do not give your headache any attention. Just relax and rest. You will feel much better as soon as you do."

He gently grasped both of my wrists and pulled my hands away from the sides of my head, and I laid my arms on the bed. I took deep breaths as Collin rubbed my temples with the tips of his fingers.

"C-Collin...what happened? How did I get here?"

"You passed out."

My voice caught in my throat. "P-passed out?!"

"After we both saw Ethan's body, you freaked out and dashed off. Lucky for you, I am a pretty fast runner, especially when it comes to you."

"Excuse me? When it comes to me?"

I could see his cheeks changing to bright red. "Er...uh...I meant to say that I have practiced my running skills."

I struggled to raise my hand because I was weak, but did so anyway and stroked his cheek. "I need...to ask you...an important question...and...you need to answer...truthfully."

"O-oh. Okay." There was nervousness in his voice. "B-but...may I finish the story of how you got here?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I am not going anywhere anytime soon."

"And I will make sure that you do not. Not until your headache disappears." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I chased after you, and we made it back to the camp. You fell to the ground and curled into a ball. I hid behind a tree so that I would not startle you and was sorry for you. I heard you whimpering. You were devastated, were you not?"

I tried to hold back tears. "Y-you could say that."

"Then you fell on your side and were not moving. Not your hands. Not your legs. And your whimpers stopped. I became worried and even panicked as I rushed to your side. I managed to scoop you up, cradling you in my arms, and hurried to the boys' cabin. The boys are at the lake. I saw earlier."

I smiled weakly. "My hero."

He took out an ice pack that was small and carefully placed it on my forehead. "There you go. Now what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Collin..." I hesitated for a moment, but...I had to know. "...did you mean what you said? That you have feelings for me?"

His face immediately went pale, and he fiddled with his fingers. "Um...what are you saying?"

I giggled softly. "Silly. I am asking you...if you like me."

"O-of course, I like you. As a friend."

"Not as a friend. As something more. Like...a soulmate."

"Soulmate?!" He chuckled nervously. "W-we cannot be soulmates if our souls are inside of us. We are humans."

"Silly goose. I know that you love me."

"Uh...what?"

I quickly sat up, not caring about my headache, and kissed him.

On the lips.