Epiphany

Chapter 15 Part 1~Another enemy...

Hands clammy and body numb as I stared in complete shock at the crouching girl a few steps away.

It was surreal. One minute I was sitting with my friends on the stairs of my porch laughing our hearts out, and the other we stood just before the edge of the gloomy forest as I gaped in fear at her.

The sky was pitch black; no twinkling stars were visible in the sky. It was as if we were in a dark room that was painted in the blackest color that could ever exist on its walls.

The forest behind the shivering girl was the most flesh crawling thing I had ever seen. Only the front row of trees could be discerned and the ones which stood behind couldn't be seen as there were no light to reflect it. Not only that but their unnatural height sent my breath hitching.

Dark glistening liquid pooled around my friend as she rocked back and forth, her head facing downwards, causing her long tangled hair to cover her whole face.

Even though we were a few feet away from the edge of the forest, I couldn't smell it. The smell of the damped leaves and dirt weren't flapping in the air, but a metallic scent instead.

"J-Julia?" I stammered, trying as much as I could to stay calm and composed because my panicking wouldn't help my friend if she needed it.

Nothing other than my voice and my loud breathing could be detected in this area.

Not even the sounds of the birds flapping or the scratching noises of the little animals crawling up the trees.

Not even her breath.

"Is it true?"

I inched forward as she uttered a squeaky whisper that I failed in catching.

"Julia, are you okay?" I took a step closer.

"Is it true?" She repeated but much louder now with a voice that was cleared from any kind of emotion.

"What is?" I stepped into the dark liquid, feeling my socks being soaked, and kneeled as quietly as I could.

What is she talking about?

Where are we?

What in the world—

I froze, mind going completely blank at the next words she said.

"That I would have still been alive if you weren't born?"

I couldn't form any words as terror sealed my throat.

"Hm?" She hummed after a moment, awaiting a response from me as she raised her face upwards to look at me.

My heart jump but my body fell as my back hit the ground, as though fear itself gave me a hard punch, forcing me down.

I was surprised I haven't screamed at the gut-wrenching sight in front of me.

Julia's face was void of expression; her once shiny brown eyes were now drab and dark, it was like an inky sea that carried no living souls. Strands of golden hair were plastered on her sticky face from the sweat. The trace under her eyes indicated that she was crying.

She looked utterly horrible.

But what made things rather petrifying was that deep gash that went all the way around her stomach and the dark liquid that soaked her legs completely.

Blood.

"Answer me, Alyssa! Is it true?" Raw desperation was in her voice as her face was engulfed in it. "You took life away from me!"

It wasn't long for her face to get drowned in her own tears.

I wanted to move; I wanted to speak; I even wanted to breathe, but dread caught me in its firm jaw, like a predator refusing to release its prey free.