Don't Go in the Woods

I looked up from my search, the drag marks had suddenly stopped and the wolf prints were the only ones that remained. I was left following them, the guys were tried though. I could tell by the way they walked. Cliff's feet especially, they dragged and dragged. Finally I stopped, no longer able to take the sound of tried pants and silent grumblings. "Okay," I said turning, "Time to stop for the night, the search will begin at dawn." Cliff didn't even complain, he just dropped to the ground, snatching the blanket I had held out to him.

Gage on the other hand, sat down and propped his back up against a tree, crossing his arms, staring straight ahead. I walked off a few yards and began to build a fire, making sure to use branches and bark that wouldn't smoke to much. "What is this girl's name anyway?" I asked, reaching for the flint from my backpack's side pocket.

"Hazel." Gage said, a painful look crossing his face, as if her name was like hot coals on his face.

"Huh, what does she look like? Other than the blonde hair." I said, finally getting a small fire going, I blew on the flames, encouraging them to grow.

"Blue, gray eyes. Nice figure, she carries herself with a great amount of confidence." Gage explained, smiling slightly at the thought of her.

"Huh, she sounds pretty." I commented, sitting back, stretching my legs out in front of the flames. Gage stayed silent. "How long have you known her?" I asked, beginning to realize that Gage might not want to talk about her.

"For a year or so now. She took me in." Gage said, turning slightly against the tree.

"Here." I said while throwing an energy bar towards him. After Gage caught it, I threw him a water bottle.

Gage raised both slight and nodded, "Thanks."

"Get some rest, I know you're tried."

"I can't sleep." Gage snarled, biting into the packaging of the bar, tearing away some of the plastic.

"Try." I answered firmly. Placing a blanket next to him and wrapping another one around myself. I turned on my side, listening to the ground and the things around me. I closed my eyes and my dreams were haunted with the dark images of a monstrous beast. I saw a girl, chained and beaten, a a dark figure looming over her while another one crouched low to at her side. She looked up at me and mouthed words I could not understand. I stood there, unable to move forward or back.

"She's ours'. I'd suggest you go run off and get out of our woods." One of the dark figures growled, their voice slithering into my ears like a snake.

I shuttered, as my eyes met with the girls. They were strong and captivating, I couldn't tear away from her gaze. I could feel myself squirm in her sights, all I wanted as for her eyes to move away from my shrinking body. "Warn the others not to come for me." The girl ordered, the chains around her neck getting pulled tighter by the dark creature standing over her.

"Hazel? Hazel is that you?" I called out, trying to walk towards her.

"Tell them not to come for me. I told them never to go into the woods, they shouldn't have broken that rule. Tell them to stay out of the woods, never to enter them." Hazel begged, her body getting dragged by the one dark body while the other turned to face me. It has poisonous eyes, a pale face and sharp crooked teeth. It crawled towards me, snarling and snapping at my ankles. I looked up, helpless, wondering where Hazel was getting dragged to.

"She's my pet now." the crawling body cackled, it's pale face forming into that of an ugly wolf. It's laugh turned into a long howl, and then I woke up.

Sweat covered my body, it was early morning, light just barely leaking through the tree canopy. I sat up, panting and sputtering slightly. The others were still asleep, the fire smoldering slightly. I knew I wasn't alone anymore. I no longer had just the company of the other two guys, I had a pair of eyes watching me.