Icecold hands

Chapter 9

Where is Justin? I'm getting tired of waiting, but also pretty worried. Why does it have to be so foggy in here?

I try walking to the spot where he walked to, but I can't see him. I knew we couldn't trust that thing. He should've listened to me, damn it.

I start walking closer and closer. I start walking faster and faster until I'm basically running. What the hell was that thing that looked like a kid? It was definatly anything but a kid. It was just a trap. A crying kid all alone in a place like this is always a trap. He just fell right for it.

And I'm falling for the trap as well right now. That thing could just attack me right now. I look behind me. Nothing. Just a load of darkness and fog.

Why did it have to be foggy now? When Justin left there wasn't any fog, but the weather changed so quickly. The kid was located in a spot without many trees. There are trees everywhere over here.

Where could he be? If he's even in this forest right now...Who am I kidding, of course he is. Right? He wouldn't get killed so quickly. Right?

I'm starting to wonder how strong he really was.
He kept dragging on about how weak he was but he seemed to be stronger than I imagined him to be. He apparantly carried me for a long way when I was injured. I was still uncontious back then, so I have no idea if that's true. It probably is.
I don't think Justin would lie about such a thing. If he would that'd be very stupid of him.

But he didn't only appear stronger physically, also mentally. Except for this trap, though. That was a very dumb decision of him.

I realise I'm talking to myself. I hear a faint sound of crying. I look around, quickly. Could that be Justin?
I start running to the spot I think I hear the sound from. Then I see him. Justin. I'm so glad I finally found him.

He's just sitting on the ground, sobbing.

'Justin! I found you, finally.'

No response.

'Come on don't be so stupid. If it weren't for me you'd have no idea where you were right-' Shit. I have no idea where I am. I look around, panicking, but don't recognise anything.

What could I even expect? Of course I recognise nothing. It's filled with fog and I don't know anything about this forest. Besides, I had no idea where I was running to, just now. I'd drifted off while running. So I have no idea which way to go.

Now I'm really panicking. I hope Justin remembers.

'Justin, stand up already. This is getting old. Stop being a little pushover.'

No response.

'Are you ignoring me?'

Silence. This is starting to get on my nerves. I grab his shoulder and shake it.

'Hell, man up. What're you even crying about?'

His sobbing starts to sound a little weird. It starts to turn into... Just breathing. Wait, no. The sobbing hasn't changed at all. I hear someone else breathing behind me. I turn around, but there's no one there.

I turn back, and Justin suddenly changed. He's lying on his back, on the floor. His head is looking up, staring at me.

There's a very big grin on his face.

'What the hell!'

This must've been a trap too, I'm sure of it. I stand up and stomp on his face multiple times. He doesn't even move. I continue kicking his head, looking at him all the time.

Then he moves. He stands up, not using his arms. He just basically floats into another position. Now his back is turned to me. He's not standing up straight, in fact his back is bent forwards.

I push him over and he falls to the ground. I run away, screaming.
I hope Justin hears me. I hear footsteps getting louder and louder, not only from behind me. From everywhere.

Then I hear the voice in my head again. I've been hearing this voice ever since I got here. Ever since I died.
It's kind of a mix of talking and sobbing.

'Jack. I can't believe you're dead. I can't believe I'm the only one at your funeral.
I can't believe no one even cared. What is wrong with humanity?'

I don't what's wrong with humanity. I feel like it's not just one thing. There's a lot wrong with it. There's a lot wrong with the world. But out of all of it this forest is the most twisted. This messed up fucking forest.

There's laughing, sobbing and screaming everywhere.
I don't even know which sounds are real and which are in my head anymore. I hold my hands against my ears as hard as I can. It's not like it makes a difference.

I fall to the ground. I can't take this anymore. I didn't want anyone to come to my funeral. I wanted everyone to just forget about me. How much is that to ask?

Then I hear Justin's voice.

'Jack! There you are! Are you ok, are you hurt? Please awnser me!'

I realise my eyes were closed. I open them. There's Justins face, worried. His emotion quickly turns into releaf.

'I'm so glad you're contious. Can you walk?'

'I... I'm sleepy.'

'First we need to find a way to get rid of this... Whatever it is. Attacking it doesn't work, I tried. Now we have no idea where it is. After we're done with it you can sleep.'