Through the Woods

by Rowan Thalia

  "Nothing, I'm just awake now. I'm sure everyone else will be up soon, and I want to start looking. I still feel awful. They'd all be fine if I never came here. I probably should go live the hermit life in the woods somewhere, alone. Then I could stop harming innocent people," I say quietly, bracing myself for his reaction. I can't help how I feel, and it needed to be said. My guys should know they have an out, and I wouldn't blame them. It's become too much, even for me.

  "Shut up. Did you not hear Sterling? It's a blood demon, which was already in Dudley. That fucking message on the wall warned us, and we straight fed it. If it was me instead of you, would you leave me?" he asks, putting a finger under my chin to force me to look at him.

  "No," I say with a defeated sigh. My grumbling is punctuated by a loud growl of my stomach that has Sterling laughing above us.

  "Time to feed the bottomless pit," he announces, jumping down from the top bunk and stretching. Dexter and Asher both peek out of their sleeping bags in the next bunk, though I can see the dark circles under everyone's eyes from here. I doubt any of us got real rest. I've never wanted to leave this place as bad as I do now. I just hope that the camp survives an encounter with me and my evil shadow.

  "Let's head downstairs," Dexter says, crawling out of his sleeping bag and slipping his pants back on. I climb down, put a bra on and redress, making sure to put on my shoes so we can help search.

  When we reach the bottom of the stairs, Wendy and Karen are huddled on the couch together, staring at the wall with blank eyes. What the fuck?! I nudge Sterling next to me, and he flinches as he takes them in. Maria and Jackson are sitting to the side looking terrified. Clearly, we aren't the only ones who noticed the changes in their behavior.

  A loud knock on the door has us jumping, but Officer Green walks out of the kitchen to answer it, looking relieved to see several officers on the porch. He ushers them in and takes one of them to the kitchen for an update. We stand around awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do. They walk back in a few minutes later, and Green speaks up.

  "Officer Lincoln here is taking over. I'm heading back for sleep," he announces and practically runs for the door, clearly done with all of this. My eyes flicker over to Officer Lincoln, who looks twice as angry as the others and ready to get shit done. He doesn't bother to address us, instead he turns to the other officers and barks out a plan.

  "Alright, they've been missing for close to 15 hours. It's time to find them. The grounds will be muddy, but we need to split up and start the search. Daniels and Manley, you've got the lake. Stannis and Oliver, you've got the camper cabins and that side of camp. I'll take Marshalls and Allen with me to the back woods. Turner, you get to babysit," he says, pulling on his hat and stepping toward the door.

  "What about us?!" I speak up before he can leave. "I can't speak for everyone, but I want to help."

  "It's better to have more eyes on the search, especially if they are familiar with the woods," Turner says quickly.

  "You just don't want to be stuck behind with the kids," Officer Lincoln accuses, but concedes. "Fine, we leave now." The others all jump up and join us, Maria and Jackson just look relieved not to sit with the creepy girls anymore.

  We follow them out, the others splitting off to their own searches, while Lincoln leads us to the woods. He stops just before entering and looks us over for a second. I shift uncomfortably, waiting for his orders.

  "Teams of two, form a line about fifteen feet apart, and stay within yelling distance," he says, showing us how to spread out so we cover more ground. Dexter grabs my hand immediately, while Allen takes Sterling and Lincoln takes Marshalls, leaving Asher and Alex together. Maria and Jackson cling together, leaving Wendy and Karen alone. Lincoln gives them one look and decides they should group up with someone else, shooing them off to Sterling and Marshalls, much to my annoyance.

  Dexter and I walk through the woods in silence, our eyes focused on the ground to look for any sign of them. Despite our careful search, and the sun filtering through the trees, we can't seem to find any signs. Every so often we hear the officers yell out a check in, but the shouts always report back with no signs of them. It's defeating, at this point they could be long gone, and we are just wasting time. Thankfully, we don't have anymore visits from him. Finally, after a few hours we hear the shout to stop for lunch.

  "Come on," Dex encourages, trying to sound cheerful. It just sounds strained and defeated to me. I know him too well for him to deny it, but I don't call him out on it either. I appreciate that they care enough to try and distract me.

  Just as I turn around, something darts in my periphery, making me jump. My eyes strain as I peer into the thick trees, but I don't see it again. I don't bother to explain it to Dex, who hasn't noticed yet. I'm sure it was just a fox or something. They aren't used to people trudging through their domain like this.

  When we reach the edge of the woods, the group is waiting. Most have their shoulders slumped, and a few are kicking rocks. Maria offers to prepare something for everyone to eat, and the officers quickly take her up on it.

  "Meet at the big farmhouse," Lincoln orders into his comm. He gets affirmatives back and starts leading the way. I jump when Karen walks up to me, so close her arm is brushing mine with each step. Clearly she doesn't understand personal space, because she scoots closer and closer each time.

  Everyone remains quiet, and I do my best to ignore the creepy girls at all costs. They don't group back together. Instead Wendy takes a spot at the table, looking freaked out, while Karen keeps trailing behind me. Needing a moment to myself, I duck into the bathroom, sighing in relief at the sudden silence.

  My gaze flickers to the mirror, taking in my appearance. My hair is in desperate need of a touch up, the sun bleaching my deep purple to a lighter shade than I prefer. My once vibrant eyes look haunted and dull, accentuated by the darkest circles I've ever seen. It does nothing to make my pale skin look normal. I look like I'm starting to become a demon. I wonder if he has something to do with my sunken appearance, and how tired I've been.

  The cool water I splash over my face calms me, making me feel half human again. After another few minutes, I decide I can't hide out anymore, and I open the door. When I try to step forward I run right into Karen, who doesn't even budge. She turns her blank eyes on me, and they flash to black for a moment, before returning to their usual green.

  "Can I help you?" I ask, but she just stares back, blinking slowly like she's drugged or something. What the fuck is going on here?

  "Purple?" Alex asks, stepping around to see me blocked in the small hallway. I give him a desperate look, and he reaches around Karen, knocking her lightly out of the way and pulling me around to him.

  "I knew something was up. Her eyes just flashed black, Alex!" I hiss as we walk back.

  "I think he got Wendy too. Probably Bobby, Jessica, and Brian. We need to leave, Purple," he whispers back. When we walk back in, I head for Maria, not wanting to leave her cooking for everyone by herself.

  "What can I do to help?" I ask, a soft smile in place. She turns and looks relieved, studying me for a second before giving me orders.

  "Thanks Juniper. Can you make dip? Here's the ranch seasoning, sour cream, cheddar and bacon pieces. Just mix it all up in the big bowl I set out," she says, pointing out the ingredients.

  "Of course," I say, happy to have something to keep my hands busy. I've been feeling restless just standing around. I follow her orders and mix it all together. Taking a chip out of the bag, I test the concoction. I sprinkle in a bit more seasoning and mix it in, before packing it up in the Tupperware she slides over. We don't have enough seating in here, so she suggested we take it to the picnic area by the lake. The picnic tables will be big enough, at least.

  Once we have the food packed up, we work on a cooler with a few bags of cut up fruit and veggies, plus soda and water for everyone. The guys come in and help carry everything, Maria clinging to Jackson as soon as he walks in.

  The guys le
ad the way to the picnic tables, the officers trailing behind us as they update Officer Lincoln on their searches. It seems none of them had any luck. Once we all sit down, the tension seems to go down a bit, food always lightening the mood.

  From the sound of it, the officers seem to think that Brian was the catalyst for everything, probably using Jessica and Bobby as a distraction to get away. I doubt that they'd believe any theories I have, so I keep them to myself. My stomach turns at all the chaos surrounding us, and I head for the grass on the edge of the lake, looking out over it. It's not as tranquil as I used to think it was, now it's tainted by bad memories and creepy ghosts. I watch just below the surface of the water, seeing the eerie white movements of the ghosts the demon empowered skim just below the water. I can tell it's not fish, because the water doesn't ripple with them, giving a better view of their bony hands. I jump when a hand shoots out of the water, startling me.

  "What's up?" Asher asks quietly, settling in beside me. I give a shrug, too much going through my mind to start spilling it. He just nods in understanding and takes my hand. After a long pause, I finally break the silence.

  "Do you think they'll be okay, when this is all over?" I ask, keeping my voice low so the police or others don't overhear.

  "Yeah, they probably won’t remember most of it, and do what most people do with bad experiences... repress them," he answers honestly. I think that over for a minute, because honestly I would write it off as a nightmare or something if I wasn't used to this life.

  "We need to leave," I say again, knowing nothing will make it go faster. Unfortunately the police will keep us here until the others are found.

  "Eat," Sterling insists, sitting down next to me and giving me the 'a lecture is coming if you don't comply' look. He's perfected it.

  Not wanting to deal with it, I force down half of my sandwich before setting it aside. He hands me a fresh soda, and I take a few sips. He looks so pleased with himself that I can't even be annoyed. I love that he takes care of me.

  "Guys, Karen hasn't stopped staring at Jun the entire time. I'm sorry I brushed it off," Dexter says, sitting down on Sterling's other side. He keeps throwing nasty looks at her over his shoulder, but she's too far gone to notice.

  "What's the plan, I'm out on this shit show," Alex mumbles as he plops down beside me.

  "We wait until they let us, then we peace the fuck out of here," Asher says in a serious voice.

  "Agreed," I say quickly, wishing we didn't have to be here for this. They'd probably come back as soon as we were out of here, anyway. The demon is keeping them, but I can't quite figure out why. To lure me out? Because there are way more effective people to control than Brian, Wendy, and Karen. The only ones I'm really worried about are Bobby and Jessica, because they got lured into this trying to protect us. Could my blood be that powerful for him, so much so that he can control all five of them and a handful of lake ghosts? As if we all have the same thought, we all turn to look at Wendy and Karen at the same time.

  This is bigger than just my blood... it has to be.

  18

  Jun

  I wish we had a computer that works so that Sterling could work his magic and research what we’re experiencing. My mind won’t let me rest until I understand why this demon has attached to me and become strong enough to control so many people. I have so many questions. If he’s that strong, why not try and control one of my own? What is his end game? A twig snaps behind me, and I turn around startled, but it’s just Dexter following behind me as we search the woods for the missing group - again.

  “You okay, Purple?” Alex grabs my hand.

  “Yeah … No, not really. I can’t stop my mind from posing questions about the demon, and it has me on edge. I mean, have you seen my fucking face lately?” I growl, then put my hand over my mouth when I hear the demonic tone in my voice.

  Alex jerks me to a stop and cups my jaw. “Juniper, we will solve this. You look beautiful- you always do. I need you to keep your spirits up, thinking like that can’t help. HE cannot have you! YOU HEAR THAT ASSHOLE?” he steps back and yells into the trees.

  “He’s right, Jun. We need to stay together and stay positive. The mind is a powerful tool,” Sterling steps forward and kisses my forehead. “We got you. You are STRONG. You’ve GOT this.”

  Asher and Dexter close in the circle with grunts of affirmation. I lean my head back and stare at the sun filtering through the trees. Rubbing the ring that the guys gave me, I breathe in and absorb their love. Small kisses and squeezes envelop me, and I feel my strength returning. Sterling is right, our love is a tool, I can feel it.

  “Kiss me,” I grab his shirt and tug him to my mouth.

  Sterling gasps, but complies. Our lips meet, and I sigh with pleasure. Sterling’s tongue dips and swirls in my mouth, and his hands cradle my head gently. I can feel the darkness draining with each stroke. I need more. My hands search until I take ahold of Dexter, dragging him toward us. Dexter wastes no time, his arms wrap around us and he licks the seam of our mouths. Sterling backs off enough so that both tongues tangle before dipping into my mouth. We rotate back and forth, sometimes two of us kissing, and sometimes three. My arms tingle, and energy courses through me, this is better than a jolt of espresso.

  “My turn,” Alex growls, and inserts himself between the guys and I. Asher chuckles and lines himself up with my back, kissing my neck while Alex’s tongue skims my trembling lips. My hands rove over his rock-hard chest and muscle-bound arms, while his wild, reckless kiss engulfs me. All of the sadness and worry seeps out of my pores, and love and lust find their way to the surface. If we weren’t in the middle of the woods, I’d strip these men down and have my way with them.

  My body shakes between the twins, and my chest begins to ache. I gasp, pulling away from Alex’s kiss, as a lump forms in my throat. Falling to the ground, I dry heave. Alex and Asher drop beside me, rubbing my back and pulling back my hair.

  “Well, fuck Purple. You’re not supposed to throw up after kissing me,” Alex attempts to joke.

  I heave again, and a black cloud pours out of my mouth. It feels like a string being pulled from my heart. Tears stream down my face, and a gasp comes from the guys. I struggle to breathe, the awful thing choking me as it slithers out of me. Hands caress my back, and a low voice mumbles loving words, while I retch and gag as more of the smoky string is dragged out of me. When I can finally cough, a blob of black goo falls out of my mouth, and I back up crying. The goo pulses on the ground and inches toward me. What the fuck!

  “I don’t know what just happened, but we are stopping our search for today,” Dexter’s voice trembles as he scoops me into his arms and backs away from the goop on the ground.

  “Second that. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Alex growls, kicking leaves over the blob.

  Dexter sets me on my feet, grabs my hand, and takes off in a jog. Thankfully, my energy level is better than it has been in days, and I am able to keep up. I can feel the heat of the others behind us, the stomp of their feet marking time in my mind. I refuse to think about what just came out of me, instead I focus on the feel of Dexter’s hand in mine. When we get back to the camp, the police are all gathered out front with stony faces.

  “Did you kids find anything?” One of the officers asks.

  “We’re not kids, but no,” I frown.

  “Are you okay? Why were you running?” He looks behind us.

  “We’re fine, I just got spooked is all. You know, creepy woods and people going missing can freak a person out,” I push my hair behind my ears. “Can we go home now?”

  “Sorry Miss, not until the others are found. Until they are, you all have to stay. As far as the law is concerned, you are all suspects,” he tips his hat and walks away.

  “Well fuck me. Suspects? The nerve!” I grumble and stomp my way into the farmhouse.

  “Don’t let that get to you, Purple. It’s their job, it’s not personal,” Alex rubs my shoulder, and we plop down on the sofa.
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  I nod and look out the window. We came back in perfect time, the sky is just beginning to darken as the sun drops below the horizon. Another night at camp, great. Leaning into Alex, I latch onto the warmth emanating from his chest. If I’ve learned anything this evening, it’s to keep my thoughts on us and not on the demon.

  “We should eat something and then get some rest,” Asher closes the front door and watches the officers through the window. When he turns around, Karen is suddenly right in his path. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He gasps.

  “Blood. I need blood,” she drones and grabs his arm.

  Alex jumps forward and pulls her back. There’s a struggle, then Alex grabs a knife from her hand and throws it to the floor. I stare at it like it’s going to move on it’s own, this just keeps getting worse.

  “We can’t stay here with these freaks. Where’s your little partner in crime?” Alex shakes her.

  A scream comes from the kitchen, and we all rush through the hall. Dexter is in front of me, but when we enter the kitchen he stops short. I wiggle around him, my heart racing. I can feel something in the air. Wendy has Maria backed into a corner, and she’s waving a knife around. Maria is cradling her hand, a gash torn in her palm, and blood dripping to the ground.

  “Asher, get the police!” I yell. The pounding of feet on the floorboards is the only answer I get. “Wendy, put down the knife,” I said softly.

  “I can’t,” she cries. “He won’t let me go until he has you all!”

  Without warning, Maria starts laughing, and her blood disappears. Wendy takes her hand, and they walk out of the room, heads bent together and whispering. Asher and an officer rush into the kitchen, just as the girls step out laughing. Asher gives me a puzzled look, and I blanch. What the fuck did I just witness?

  “I thought you said someone was cut?” Officer Greene frowns.