The Forest

What a terrible liar. thought James as he backed away from the strange man. He was in the clearing, Donabella stood still, entranced, "We'll be going now, sorry to bother you," he apologized and approached Donabella. He grabbed her hand and ran back. It was difficult since she refused to run. Eventually she shook out of it. They continued running, occasionally looking back to see if the man was chasing them- he wasn't.

They had run pretty far, the sun had begun to set. Suddenly, Donabella pulled to a stop, "Wait! We're going the wrong way!" she gasped.

"How do you know?" James asked, eyes wide.

"I tied ribbons to trees, I haven't seen any," she explained.

"Well that's just great!" snarlled James.

"It's not my fault!" defended Donabella.

"I know it isn't, alright?!" yelled James, he was frustrated and a little scared, "Let's go. I can hear a river ahead, it might lead us to a town or something,"

"Yeah, or some more forest," Donabella rolled her eyes.

"You are so negative, you know that?"

"Well soorrryyy, I forgot that being positive was the first thing on my mind. I mean, it HAS been a whole week since my best friend died!" growlled Donabella.

They rest of the walk was filled with an uneasy silence. In the distance, James and Donabella saw a raging river. White foam sprang up in the shape of the top half of a human, then they fell again. Through the sound of the running river, it was possible to hear the sound of moaning. Something warm fell onto Donabella's cheek, it felt like a rain drop. She wiped it off then checked her hand- she screamed. On her hand was a droplet of blood, she looked up, then fell over.

High in the trees was a mutilated girl. She was tied up with vines, her guts decorating her spider webs. Her fingers had been hacked off and shoved into her mouth. Claws had obviously been dragged across her face. One of her legs hung in an impossible direction, which let James know that it was broken. Blood dripped freely out of the girl's many wounds. She was dead.

"James, James... That's Petunia!" Donabella leaned against a tree and vomited.

Suddenly, a man appeared beside Donabella. His skin was pale white and glowing, he had no eyes. His black hair was blood-soaked. Around his neck was rope-burn, "My name is Alex," his voice echoed, "Petunia will join us in the River," the ghost-man pointed at the river. Suddenly, Petunia seemed to fall out of her own body, she looked fine, except for the rope-burn mark, "The line shows that she is a ghost," explained Alex.

"She can't go!" Donabella screamed. Alex hissed like a cat.

"I won't hurt you, but the others will if Petunia isn't taken to the River!"

"She needs a proper burial!" snarlled Donabella.

"Petunia? Petunia!" the voice of none other than Amanda echoed through the forest. She ran through the middle of a tree and gathered her daughter up into a hug, "I have missed you!"

"I missed you too mummy!" laughed Petunia.

"Are you two going to the River?" James asked. Amanda glanced up in shock.

"What are you doing here?!" she shout-whispered.

"We came to save your daughter,"

"No! No, no, no, no!" Amanda fell back, "You can't be here!"

"Why not? We were here to save your daughter!" Donabella asked, genuinely confused.

"Because they will come after you!"

"Who will, Amanda, tell us!" pleaded Donabella.

"Everything will. We don't like intruders,"

"We?"

"I'm a part of the forest now. Take my advice, kill yourself!"

"What?! Amanda!"

"It will be more painless than what they will do to you," Amanda's echoe faded away as she and Petunia walked into the River, become the unrecognizable white human-shaped foam.

"See? This is why I don't believe in Karma," sighed James.