Lost and Found
Into the Woods
The group of girls cross the academy ground, following closely behind
Kris as they headed towards the one place they were forbidden to go near
and for most of them dreaded the idea of entering. The forest loomed in
the distance growing larger with every step they took, seeming to be
itching in anticipation of the girl's arrival, hungry for a taste of
their fears and prepared to fill them with a new meaning to the word
terror. None of the girls could take their eyes off the mass of foliage,
as it appeared to move around them, almost encircling them, leaving only
one route of escape and that was back to the Academy dorms where they
belong. If the woods could smile it would be doing so with a hideous
grin that would cause anyone to shiver in fright. It would be a face
that looked as if it was ready to bite into you at any moment and rip
out a part of your soul.
"I'm confused." Alyson said, her weary eyes darting from the forest to
Kris, "How are we planning to find this girl? I mean those woods are
filled with Shadows and other unknown nightmares."
Natalie nodded towards Kris, "She said she had been in there and
returned." She said doubtful of the truth in that statement.
Alyson gave Natalie a look of unease, "and you believe her?" She asked
anxiously.
"There is something about her." Natalie stated, not letting her eyes off
the girl, "Maybe she really did enter those woods. That would explain a
lot."
"She does have a strange strength to her." Alyson agreed, "Like
something I've come across before but forgotten." She shook her head as
she tried to remember what was so familiar about the girl.
"I believe her." Jessica interjected with pride.
"Is there something between you two that we don't know?" Natalie
inquired curiously.
"No..." Jessica bluntly replied.
"This is news." Alyson added her own curiosity to the conversation,
"Jessie actually falling for someone." She said with scepticism.
"Who says?" Jessica demanded.
"It is written all over your face." Natalie said with a sly smile, "Come
on, before you wouldn't dare come near this forest and now you are
risking your life for someone you barely know."
"Forget it." Jessica remarked bitterly, "Think what you like." She
stomped off to be closer to Kris.
Kris didn't seem to notice that she now had company as she abruptly
stopped at the edge of the woods and peered beyond its border. She
skirted along the margin between the safety of the academy ground and
the dangers that lurked beyond the forest's dark boundaries, carefully
examining the foliage as if looking for something.
"What are you looking for?" Jessica asked with immense curiously.
"If you enter the forest at the wrong place you can end up anywhere."
Kris explained quietly, not wanting to waken the creatures of the wood
of their presence, "However..." She stood up, then placed one foot
lightly into the brush and the forest mysteriously part before her. Tree
limbs and branches tangled together creating a living hall about the
width of a single grown person and high enough to brush at the tallest
girl’s hair, in this case enough for two girls to walk side by side, "If
you know what you are looking for the path will appear." Kris said with
a smile.
Jessica was amazed at the way the trees curved overhead creating a long
archway of intertwining limbs, "How did you do that?" She asked in
astonishment.
Kris shrugged, "You just have to know where to look." She stepped
lightly into the forest. A few of the roots flattened and shifted below
her feet making the path all the more easier to travel upon.
"Wow..." Cherilyn stared up at trees, "I didn't know they did that." She
peered into the dark tunnel. Only a small amount of light entered though
the branches overhead and the rest was stifled out by the shadows, "Do
we really have to enter there?" she asked nervous of what might lurk in
the darkness.
"You don't have to go." Kris insisted, "I told you I can handle this."
She started to move deeper into the forest with Jessica following
closely beside her.
Jenn took a tentative step onto the earthen ground then inched forward
to get a better look at the walls, "And we said we are not letting you
go alone." She reiterated, marvelling. It appeared that the branched
were alive as they shifted and twisted when Jenn moved closer, pulling
Cherilyn along with her.
"And how did you know where?" Alyson inquired suspiciously as she
following the other girl's lead, "It is not like there is a sign telling
you where the entrance is." She too could not take her eyes off the
ever-shifting wall of limbs.
"A few years back I stumbled upon this door and several others." Kris
explained nonchalantly, not even bothered by a branch that moved past
her face from one wall to another and disappeared "It is safe... as long
as you keep to the paths. For the most part the trees will not harm you.
Just don't taunt them."
Kim peered into the darkness of the tunnel and took a step backwards,
stumbling into Kima, "It reminds you of something, doesn't it?" Kima
whispered in Kim's ear, while staring into the pit.
"The hall of doors...." Kim swallowed hard, remembering that dark
hallway and the weird faceless people that inhabited it.
"Looks like it will be fun." Kima said with a sinister grin, "Come on."
She took Kim by the hand and started to pull her into the forest,
Natalie taking up the rear as the group ventured deeper into the depths
of the unknown. The woods closed in around them as they proceeded
further along the path.
"Uhhh... Kris..." Kima pointed at the opening behind them as the trees
closed in over the entrance until there was no sign of where they had
came in.
"Don't worry." Kris reassured everyone while keeping her eyes ahead of
her, "Keep close and you will be fine." There was very little sign of
sunlight, even though outside the sun was blazing high in the sky,
however a small amount of light allowed the girls to see the path ahead.
A strange cold began to creep out from the darkness like thin tendrils
that crawled over the girl's bodies and penetrated their very souls
causing several of them to shiver and wrap their arms around themselves.
Cherilyn huddled closely to Jenn, as the trees seemed to grow ever
closer. More then once she thought she could see faces in the branches
and felt as if they were watching her, "Jenn, I don't like this..." She
shivered in fear as something out of the corner of her eye moved through
the shadows.
"Everything will be alright." Jenn said, patting her friend's hand,
keeping her eyes on the shadows. She too was beginning to worry about
what they had just stepped into. The shadows seemed to be playing tricks
on her, she was not sure if they were being followed by some dark force
or was it was just the movement of the trees as they drew in closer with
every step. The stitches on her wrist began to ache and tingle under her
bandages and she rubbed at them, feeling her grip on reality starting to
come apart. If girls can come out of mirrors and trees could move then
what else could be out there. Kris suddenly stopped dead in her tracks
and clenched at her chest.
Jessica placed a hand on the girl's back, "Are you alright?" She asked
startled by her friend's abrupt stop.
"It... feels like.... my chest is on fire." Kris said in agony, there
was a strange glow emitting from the centre of Kris's chest that grew
hotter with every moment. Jessica stepped back unsure what to do.
"Kris?" Jenn rushed over to her friend’s side, "What's wrong?" She
reached out and touched Kris's arm. The very moment her fingers touched
upon Kris a white light enveloped her and quickly all the girls were
swallowed by the warmth. As rapidly as it started the light faded away,
yet there was no sign of the girls or of their very existence.
*****
To be Continued...
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