Dreams

Part 8

Pov: Will
   Me, Cody, Tim, Chad, and Tyler stood in front of a huge trail map.
   "Ready?" Cody asked.
   "Yea."
   "Yup."
   "Let's go," Tyler announced.
   I estimated where to enter the forest, but watched a blue jay for a couple minutes before starting my hike. Who even hiked anymore? It was a thing of the past.
   Trees loomed around me blocking the sun's direct rays. A squirrel startled me, and I jumped back. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about going into unmarked territory alone, especially with a supposed kidnapper on the loose.
    I tried to be as quiet as possible, avoiding small twigs and large piles of leaves, but I still managed to sound like a loose elephant.
   My step quickened when I heard a branch snap behind me. Leaves rustled, and I  took off running. I was paranoid, like crazy scared. I'm serious. This freaked me out.
   I raced through the forest, dodging trees and ditches, stumbling once in a dried-up creak.
   I stopped at a clearing to catch my breathe when I noticed something weird. The tree I had been resting against held a small hole. Inside was an iPhone. I pulled it out and turned it in my hand.
    I was about to pocket it when a dark  red speck caught my attention. It was in the bottom right corner, barely noticeable.
   I glanced around. A low mount of  dead leaves sat in the center with a log to its left. I kicked the pile with my toe, but more leaves lay underneath. I had never really been in the woods alot except to film videos, so I deemed it normal. Nothing else seemed out of place. Dead leaves covered the ground, the tell-tale sign of autumn's approach.
   Was a red spot on an iPhone enough to alert everyone for? I remembered Cody telling everyone that even the most insignificant thing may be a clue to what happened to the twins. I had nothing to lose, right? 
   So I yelled. "Guys! I found something!"
   Somebody shouted back," What?!"
   "I found something!" I repeated.
   "Keep talking so I can find you!" One of the guys yelled.
   I started chatting to a shy chipmunk loud enough for everyone to hear.
   Cody was the first to find me. "Will! What'd you find!" I heard him before I could see him.
   "Come here!" I told him.
   He jogged into the clearing, a hopeful look on his face. "Did you find him?"
   "No, but I found this." I handed him the phone, pointing out the red speck.
   He held it up to his nose, then scraped it with his fingernail. The substance peeled off easily.
   "Paint?" I asked.
   "Could be. I don't think it's too old, but it lost it's scent. Could be a smashed bug too. Ask Ty," Cody told me, handing back the phone.
   I glanced around; Tyler and Tim had just emerged from the forest.
   "What'd you find, Will?" Tyler inquired, surveying his surroundings.
   I handed him the iPhone. "I found it in the tree over there." I pointed to the tree Cody was beside. "Check out the top corner," I suggested excitedly.
   Tyler observed the speck. A graven look crossed his face. He tried to turn it on, but it seemed to be dead.
   "What's wrong?" I questioned. I had been so proud of my find, but now I realized it could be bad.
   Tyler shook his head. He popped the case off, and a paper fluttered to the ground.
   I reached for it, seeing it was a receipt.
    Tyler recognized it too. "Can I have that, Will?" It was just a fast-food receipt, nothing significant.
   "Hey, Codes?" Tyler asked.
   Cody made his way towards us. "What? Find something?"
   Tyler nodded slowly. "I think. Did you take the boys to eat before you dropped them off?" Tyler questioned. Each word was executed cautiously; he was piecing everything together, I could tell.
   Cody was now standing by my side. Tim looked frightened looking over Ty's shoulder.
   Cody replied, "We stopped for fries, but that's all. What's you find?"
   "Do you have the receipt?" Ty wished to know.
    "Not on me right now," Cody concluded after a thorough search of his pockets.
   Ty handed him the thin paper. "What do you think?"
   Codes nodded. "I think this is our receipt," he observed. "That's one of the twin's phone, isn't it?"
   "I believe," Ty admitted. "I knew the case looked familiar. It's Coby's. The park rangers found Cory's in his jacket."
   "They have to be around here, then, right?" I asked. Then I thought of something. "The red speck..."
   "We know," Tyler cut me off.
   "This means..." but I got cut off again.
   "Yes, Will, something happened to them," Tyler confirmed. He slipped the case back on the iPhone, and slid it into his back pocket.
   "They're around here." Tyler declared, taking charge. I had to back away since he was so loud. The kids in China could probably here him. "Search carefully," he continued,  "There has to be something more." He glanced around the group.
   "Where's Chad?" He demanded.
   "He probably didn't hear Will. We could barely here him, remember? So Chad probably couldn't have either," Tim answered.
   Ty sighed, then took a deep breathe. "CHAD!" He roared.
   Spit flew into my face, and my eardrums began ringing. Tim looked equally surprised. The poor guy was right beside him. #Stop-editor-abuse, People, please support the cause. You know hard it is to be an editor for Dude Perfect? We get constant headaches from hearing these guys yell, and then get pulled into the weirdest situations. Believe me, it's like a nightmare come true.
   Speaking of nightmares, Chad burst through the foliage, stopping at the edge of the clearing. That guy should definitely try track. "What?" He panted, putting his hands on his knees. "What?"
   "Come here," Ty insisted.
   Chad stood straight, summoning his energy. He slowly started to jog through the low mount of leaves. He stumbled once, then the sound of cracking filled the air.
   "Chad!"
   The next thing we knew, Chad was gone. A thunk followed by moaning had us running to where Chad had fallen.
   "Chad?" Tim called as all four of us peered into the dark hole. We could barely see him.
   "Guys?" Chad's worried voice came from the darkness. We heard rustling. "Guys, there's something down here. I think it's a body, guys," Chad stressed. "Hurry up, and help me out of here." 
   "Help me move this board," Tyler demanded. After taking off the thin sheet of wood, more light streamed into the abyss.
   "You ok, Chad?" Cody asked, peering over the edge. Cody's eyes widened.
   "What?" I asked. I was honestly scared to look.
   Cody's eyes flickered, and he glanced around the group. He was the only one who had dared to look.
   "Somebody find a rope," he instructed.
    I finally summoned enough courage to peeked over the edge.
   Chad sat next to a limp figure, staring down at it, shaking.
   I screamed.
   Chad cautiously turned the figure over. His face was pale and bruised, but there was no way we could mistake who it was: a twin.
   Tim laid a hand on my shoulder, but he too because rigid when he recognized who it was.
   "It's Coby," Chad said blankly, swiping leaves and debris from his unconscious form.
   "It he... dead?" Tim whispered hoarsely.
   "I t-think."