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Chapter Four
Orion entered the men’s room and turned toward the urinal but stopped when he heard a noise coming from one of the two stalls. He tried to ignore the soft sounds, wanting to give whoever was in there some privacy, but he could have sworn he’d heard…birds?
Curious, he walked toward the stall and knocked. “Is anyone in there?”
When no one answered, Orion gave a light tap on the door. It opened just a hair then closed. Was that the wind he’d felt? A light breeze, like the kind that blew gently across blades of grass.
Frowning, he pushed the stall door open and gasped, wondering how there was a forest in one of the bathroom stalls.
“Nope.” Orion turned to run out of the bathroom when he felt himself being tugged backward. “No!”
It was too late. He watched in horror as the stall door slammed shut and then vanished. Orion looked around, but he didn’t see anything familiar, though the place felt familiar. The forest was lush and green, and he was surrounded by tall trees, their leaves rustling in the breeze. The sun filtered through the branches, casting dappled light on the forest floor.
A bird sang out from a nearby tree, and Orion spun around, his heart racing. He was positive he wasn’t alone.
“Who’s there?” he called out, his voice wavering. “Show yourself!”
There was no answer, but Orion sensed that he was being watched. He closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath, trying to calm the nerves that were fluttering in his stomach. As he exhaled, he felt a sense of determination rising within him. He couldn’t let fear consume him now, not when he needed to stay alert and focused in order to survive this dangerous situation.
Orion took a shaky breath and stepped farther into the forest, feeling the damp earth beneath his shoes as he moved deeper into the unknown.
The forest fell silent as Orion moved through it. The air was thick with mystery, and he had the overwhelming sensation that he wasn’t alone. He stopped for a moment, listening intently, but all he could hear was the distant sound of flowing water.
He followed the sound until he came across a clearing. A stream flowed through, and the sun shone brightly overhead, illuminating the water in a beautiful golden hue.
Wait. Wasn’t this the stream from earlier? Orion was in the same forest as he’d been in with Duncan and Izel. How? “Izel?” he shouted, but no one answered. “Duncan!”
Nothing.
“This is so messed up.” As Orion approached the stream, he spotted something moving in the water. It was a sleek, wet creature, its fur glistening in the sunlight. As it emerged from the water, Orion realized with a start that it was a cheetah.
The cheetah stared at him for a long moment before shifting into human form. It was Duncan, his dark gray eyes filled with confusion. And he was completely naked again. “Orion? What in the fuck is going on?”
Orion wasn’t sure what to make of this strange turn of events. “I have no idea.” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “How did you get here?”
Duncan looked around, his brow furrowed. “I went to the men’s room to see why you were taking so long and then... this.”
“The bathroom stall?”
“Yes.” Duncan nodded. “I looked in both. When I opened the second one, I was sucked into this place.”
“I’m swearing off public restrooms.” Orion looked around again, taking in the beauty and serenity of the forest. There was something oddly comforting about it, but that was an illusion. He also felt evil surrounding him, like an oily second skin trying to cling to him.
“This looks like the place where we were with Izel.” Duncan moved closer to Orion. “Izel!” he shouted. “Get your ass here now!”
Orion’s heart hammered, but Izel didn’t appear. “How are we going to get out of here? I have no idea how Izel did it the last time.”
All Orion could think about were those red eyes. He shivered as he glanced around, hoping like hell that he didn’t see them again. He didn’t want to know who or what those eyes belonged to.
“Stay close,” Duncan said. “I can feel malice all around us.”
So it wasn’t just Orion who felt that way. “This is screwed up on so many different levels.”
“You’re telling me.” Duncan took Orion’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I would say we step into the water to get home, but my instincts are warning me not to go back in there.”
Orion glanced at the way the sun glistened over the stream, making the water seem refreshing and inviting, but his instincts also told him to stay away from it.
He had no idea how they were going to get out of there, but right now, Orion’s only concern was his and Duncan’s survival.
