Into the Woods

Chapter 1

The summer night was devoid of any noise. The type of heavy quiet lent by a sweltering humidity. Where no wind stirred the leaves that hung listless from the moss-covered branches as if weary. Whatever sound; the soft hooting of an owl as she woke for this night's hunt, a gentle symphony of cicadas, the errant rev of an engine, deadened almost instantly. The evening was clear and in the absence of city lights a waxing crescent moon was stark against the inky blackness of the sky, each star a pinprick of luminescence.

Within the humble abode that sat just barely past the edge of the dense woods only one window was lit up. The orange flickering glow a sad imitation for starlight. Past the bay, opened wide to invite any wayward breeze inside to cool sweat covered brows, a lopsided circle of candles was lit. Small glims, long tapers, old scented pillars whose aromas had long since faded. These lambent rays caused the shadows of the six children in the bedroom to jump and shift endlessly. They were teenagers really, if barely. They sat huddled at the foot of a bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets.

"-And so we are warned by those who claim to know better than us that only a fool would dare to wander into the woods alone on one of the moonless nights. And if you happen to steal a glance towards the tree line be sure to look away swiftly or you might catch the deep golden eyes of the hell hound. If he catches your scent then forever more you will be hunted. Not far behind this ravenous beast is another much worse... the demon-"

Next to him Hunk let out a terrified squeal and dove quite spectacularly beneath the bundle of knit blankets where his lumpy form shivered. Lance might have rolled his eyes at the other boy's dramatics, but he himself was stiff with fear, his shoulders drawn high and tight, his blue eyes held wide, white's drowning out his irises. Steadily, through-out his sister's story, the young boy had pulled his long legs up to his chest and now hugged against them tightly. His beloved Tiburonsito, an old stuffed shark, the soft fabric matted down from years of similar use, trapped between his stomach and his thighs.

"Whose violet gaze will latch onto not just you, but your soul. Though, some say that even he is a victim, cursed now to drag others down."

Lance couldn't help but jump as two things happened simultaneously.

Veronica lowered the flashlight from beneath her chin, breaking the eerie spell it cast upon her features The yellow glare lending her sun kissed skin a sallow undertone, every expressive line deepened with harsh pitch obscurity.

And Pidge spoke.

"If the dog has golden eyes than it would probably just be a wolf, or a coyote more likely if it was alone like that. They have been known to travel this far south and- hey ow!"

"Okay kill joy-" Veronica shone the torch right at Pidge's face, before switching it off and tossing it to the only sibling older than her in the room. Marco caught it deftly from the air. "Next story coming up!"

Hunk whimpered from behind Lance, somewhere buried within the linens. "I'm sure we're good for tonight right guys?" came his muffled request, at which Lance shot him an unhelpful glare and Pidge executed a much more successful elbow drop into an unknown part of her larger friend, eliciting a muted "ow" from within the plush cocoon. His head came free of the layers, "Come on guys enough scary stories for tonight please"

"Oh stop being such a baby!" Pidge groused.

Usually Hunk's pleads were able to move Lance. But this was the first time in a while he'd been able to see his older brother since he'd started working. "It's still early Hunk, one more?" His friend must have seen something in the other boy's expression, or heard a certain note in the tone, because he groaned and buried himself once more. Rachel was quiet, her large dark eyes set in a face so much like Lance's own, reflected the dancing light of the candles as they looked on.