Don't Get Lost

Dont Stray Far

Shane-
"Kids! Stay on the playground, you know the rules!" Our teacher isn't one to play with the law or their rules. I just wanted to see... It's not fair. Just because they're to scared to look beyond the forest or take a step in it doesn't mean I am. I'm twelve now but I'm also a bastard according to our society. I was found on the edge of our sacred lines and they placed me with a couple that couldn't have kids. We look enough alike that people don't ask questions but sometimes I get very violent. I shouldn't get really violent, my therapist says its from childhood trauma and it may be a revenge factor playing out in my head but I don't think so... I don't want to kill anyone, I don't want to find my actual parents, and I'm happy with my 'Mom' and 'Dad'. They treat me like their own and sometimes they really forget I'm adopted but that's okay with me. The teacher had already come over and started ushering the other students to go back but I didn't want to. "Come on Shane, your mother would be disappointed if you became lost to the forest." "Ok..." It's simple, if you stray into the forest you become a lost one. No one goes to look for you and your erased from the records. At least that's what I've been told. Sen said that's what happened to her cousin on the other side of town. Recess ended a few minutes later but I got chills from being to close to the forest. I feel like like someone's watching me from its branches. The rest of class went by quickly and I waited outside for my mom to pick me up. "Shane you were close to the forest again at recess, one of these days the lost ones are going to drag you in." "They're a myth, the lost ones are just teenagers playing pranks on people to keep the little kids from going close to the line." "If you say so." "What do you want Marcus?" "Bad mood? I was just going to tell you my mom said you can spent the night on Friday after school." "Ok." It was about five more minutes until my mom finally got to the school and took me home. I threw my bag on the couch and went to the kitchen to get a snack before I had to do my homework. "How was school son?" "It was good, I got an A on my history test and my team won the report game in math." "That's good. We're going out for dinner so finish your homework and wash up." It only took me thirty minutes to finish the math and English but it was around four when I got in the shower. I made sure all the soap was off before drying off with a towel and putting on my nicer clothes that mom hangs in the closet because they aren't for playing in the dirt. We left at five and got to dinner around five fifteen so mom and dad said I could eat and then go play with the others sense it was that kind of restaurant. It had a kid section for those under the age of thirteen, I ate quickly and went to the outside part which had a field that ended at the tree line. I saw a few of my friends from school playing in the field and went over to see what they were doing. "I bet you won't go close to the forest again." "Is that a challenge? Your only saying that cause your to scared." "Oh really? Race you there!" I took off before he was even standing which gave me a pretty good head start and I got to the tree line first. "You...you cheated, I wasn't even...up yet, god!" "Well maybe if you breath before you speak you won't be so out of breath you moron." Sen was there to of course along with Jamie and Marcus, who was breathing normally again. "We shouldn't be here." "Marcus is right, we could get in alot of trouble for being this close." "We haven't crossed the line so they can't do anything." "If your so sure of that then why don't you take a step over the line?" Jamie didn't flinch at this because he's older and knows the lost ones are a joke. He's fifteen but he got held back because he's a bit stupid and it shows. "Gladly." It seemed like a fog was glued to the forest and when Jamie put his foot over the line and stepped down... nothing happened. He smiled like an idiot and Sen got mad for him being reckless. "Alright jamie come back." "Why? Is something going to grab me-" He disappeared from our sight before he could finish his sentence and we all froze. "Jamie this isn't funny..." "Come on man, your scaring Sen and Marcus..." It was really quite and something flew past my head and landed a few feet away. Sen and Marcus screamed at it and I barely flinched. It's just a hat. Jamie probably threw it. "Jamie?" A dark shadow appeared on the other side of the fog but as it got closer Sen started crying and it became clear that it was Jamie. "You idiot, you had us freaking out!" "That wasnt funny!" He wasn't laughing or smiling like he'd just told a joke but instead looked pale and scared. He was about five feet from me when he tried to say something but started coughing up blood and collapsed to the ground. "Get away from the line children." Sen screamed and Marcus took off with us. I went straight over to my parents and told them about Jamie as a bunch of others started looking outside the window and a few adults went outside. Someone called the law and they came but Sen, Marcus, and me weren't allowed to leave until we answered their questions. It was around eight when we were allowed to leave but it was really quite as the fog from the forest kept coming into town. My dad rushed us inside and locked the windows and doors just incase anyone tried something stupid like breaking in. "Why were you at the border?" "Marcus said I wouldn't go close to the line again and I proved him wrong...I didn't cross it. I wasn't at fault for Jamie's stupidity and he did it in his own against our objections..." "That was really stupid of your four... To go so close to the line. At least you weren't hurt and that's all that matters. But you should go to bed now, you still have school tomorrow." I did what I was told and went up to my room for bed and set my clothes for tomorrow out on my desk with my books and homework so I wouldn't forget it... The next day Sen wasn't in school and Marcus was still white as a ghost. "You think he's dead?" "No...my mom said he'll be fine. She called the doctor up at the hospital and talked to him about it... apparently he was attacked by an animal." "Well at least he's alive." Once again at recess I looked at the forest but decided to stay close to the school this time because I swear I saw someone standing by a tree. I didn't say anything and just occupied myself with my book until we had to go back inside and I still couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched from somewhere in the forest...