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Collin was in her car too, but that had more to do with his illogical irritation over me fucking someone other than him. No one appreciated his reaction, especially me.
We’d split two years ago and had barely been involved for a month.
“Well, look at that,” Jacob mused as Alex drove into a circular parking lot of sorts.
I leaned forward and peered between the seats. There was another car already parked at the entrance to the woods.
“Guess we weren’t the only ones who had balls big enough to come out here,” Alex gloated.
“Or stupidity,” my sister muttered.
“Are you bringing your phone, or should I bring mine?”
“Mines good.” She tapped her screen, flipping it around to show me she had a full charge before slipping it into her bra.
I shot her a smile and secured mine in the pocket of the passenger seat, climbing out of the rental as soon as it came to a full stop. Despite it only being around six in the evening the sky was darkening rapidly.
The trees blocked practically blocked what remained of the sun, manipulating the temperature from mild to nippy.
A long, thick rope extended in front of all three cars, barring them entrance to the stretch of grass that began a few inches away from their bumpers. Metal signs in different languages hung from it, more than likely saying the same thing.
KEEP OUT
I looked across the roof at Alex once he exited the car. “Did you leave the keys under the mat?”
“Yes, mother.”
“Good boy,” I cooed and turned away from him.
We always left the keys with our vehicles when exploring an unknown area. The last thing we needed was to lose them and then have to double-back in hopes we’d recover wherever they’d wound up.
I eyed the Civic that had gotten here before we did. The driver was nowhere to be seen or heard. I walked to the front of it and placed my hand on the hood.
“It’s cold. Whoever this belongs to has been here a while.”
“Check out the plates, this car is from the same rental company ours are,” Tyson pointed out as he joined us. He was supposed to be a fortune teller but looked more like a pirate.
“Then they’re tourists too!” Amber exclaimed.
“Let’s see if we can catch 'em,” Alex suggested. He ducked beneath the rope, the map in one hand and his puppeteer hat in his other.
“They’ve been here way longer than us, Alex. That’s impossible!” Bellatrix called after him.
He ignored her and kept going, nearly sprinting through the small meadow that separated us from the woods.
We followed, coming up behind him when he came to an abrupt stop.
“What is it?” Sasha asked, crossing her puffy arms. She and Amber were dressed adorably as the blue and green M&Ms. They’d layered their main self-made costumes over long-sleeved shirts to keep warm.
“Look at this rock.”
We crowded around him to see.
Don’t go into the woods, was written on it in bold red letters.
“Is that supposed to be blood?” Amber asked with a laugh. “Rather extreme, isn’t it?”
I shifted and surveyed the tree line ahead of us. I wasn’t afraid of darkness and had never feared the woods.
I’d always found the forest tranquil and soothing to the soul. I spent a lot of time in the one near our house.
Facing the monstrosity of woodland before us, a large part of me felt as if it were being pulled towards them. For that same reason, after everything the night before and the confusion still surrounding it, I was hesitant to go in.
“You scared?” Collin asked.
These were the first words he’d spoken to me in hours. I glanced at him and shook my head.
“No…are you?”
“A little,” he admitted.
If the sweat beading his brow and ruining his clown make-up was anything to go off, he was more scared than that.
I sighed and looked at our group as a whole. I could see the indecision beginning to take hold on all their faces apart from Alex and surprisingly Jacob.
“Let me get a shot of you all with the rock,” he demanded excitedly.
There were a few looks of uncertainty passed around, but no one outright objected. We lined up behind the rock and let Jacob take the photo. Unknowingly, he immortalized us.
That picture would be the only proof eight people went into the woods, and less than half made it back out.
CHAPTER
Bells of Demonio.
A beloved folktale the natives told every Seven Days of Sin.
In the end, they warned to beware of the woods we’d just freely chosen to enter. Their warning didn’t go into deep detail of what would happen once you crossed a forbidden barrier, the tale itself was meant to do that. No, their caveat was simple.
Every folktale holds a grain of truth.
They never mentioned that this one held more truths than any of us could have ever imagined.
