Hunting Season

God of the Forest

Jane watched suspiciously as Adira sat alone on an isolated bench, eating her breakfast while the others were off working on other things.

The woman didn't even know she was being watched until the older lady made herself known. She sat directly by her, exchanging a small smile.

"Oh. Hello," Adira spoke quietly, fumbling with a blueberry in her hand.

Jane didn't respond immediately, but instead gave a simple greeting. "I'm sorry Devon got up and left. She didn't say a word to any of us."

Adira realized Devon must have been so scared she left Whispering Winds and never came back. At least she would be safer out there than in here.

"You know...Adira, we have to talk."

The young woman froze a little, wondering where this was heading to. She casually tried to play off her nervousness, stuffing her face with a forkful of waffles despite the knots growing in her stomach, "What's up?"

Jane shook her head, "You can't be going out and investigating on your own. It's a miracle you're alive right now. Do you understand what's out there? I've seen things moving in the shadows at night."

Adira stopped eating, letting out a sigh, "Sorry. That's just how I...do things." She would have continued listening had there not been a familiar sensation building up inside her. She looked up, carefully examining trees for a scary face she knew well.

It didn't take her that long to find her stalker, staring at her out in the open as if he had no fear someone would see him.

Adira reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Her cover screen beamed to life, revealing the last picture Mitch had sent her. She changed her wallpaper that morning, now that she was going to ask the monster for help. He didn't want to kill her, and he gave her things back...maybe she was lucky and appealed to his better nature.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to rest," Adira lied, lifting her paper plate and tossing it in a trash can nearby. Jane's eyes followed after her, wondering how a woman who was so concerned about her boyfriend would just spend the day inside instead of looking for him with the others.

Adira didn't even realize the suspicions the older woman had, but at that moment she didn't care what anyone else thought about her. As soon as she locked the door and bolted it shut, she ran to the bathroom where a small window revealed the back side of the cabin. She couldn't leave through the front like she used to, not now that everyone was watching her.

She slipped out the tight window and landed on her feet, wincing at the slightest pinch of pain that resided in her once bruised ankle. It had healed, but she couldn't be too careless with it.

Adira escaped further into the trees, making sure she was far away from everyone else before searching for her beastly companion. He was always close by, she thought, and couldn't be hard to find.

Just like she expected, the monster stepped forward from the shadows and made his presence known to her. She looked him over, breathing deeply as she tried to trick her mind into thinking he was human. "I'm Adira Montgomery. What's your name?" She outstretched her shaky arm forward, ready for a polite shake.

The monster stared at her small hand, then her petrified face. He knew she was scared, but why was she trying to hide it? It took all the excitement out. Regardless how he felt, he slowly took her hand in his.

The moment their fingers touched, a weird electric shock traveled through both their bodies. Simultaneously, the two pulled back. Adira turned the other way, trying to move past what had happened, "Um. Since you don't have a name...I guess I-."

"God," came a curt response, chilling Adira to the bone.

God examined his hand, the one that had touched the human. He turned it over, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his fist, "That's what they call me. God."

Adira felt at a loss for words once more, but she reminded herself why she was there. Pulling her phone out, she turned it on and showed the creature her wallpaper. "Please...if your name is truly who you are then I need your help."

God stared at the picture of the three men silently. Adira cleared her throat, wishing for the best. "The man in the middle is Mitch. His friend on the right is Kevin. The other one is Conrad...but he's dead." God's fingers twitched slightly at the sight of the striped shirt. It brought back a very distant memory he couldn't quite recall at the moment. In fact, looking at the picture as a whole was all very familiar. A flash of screaming and blood was all that accompanied that memory, however.

"I need to find the other two. I can tell you know the forest more than anyone or anything here." Adira secretly begged he would help her. She was so desperate, she fell to her knees when God didn't respond.

"If you're a so called god you will help me. I need to know where they are. I love Mitch. Please help me I beg of you. My life is meaningless without him."

God looked down at the sobbing woman, bending down to hover his palm over her head. She didn't even notice.

"If I help you, you will promise me something." God felt the strands of soft hair tickling his skin, and the sensation aroused something foreign inside him. He hadn't touched a human like this before.

"When we find them, you take their place here in the forest."

Adira lifted her gaze slowly. Her eyes widened at the proposition, and she would have denied it had another thought not come to mind.

Mitch, stuck in the wilderness with Kevin for months on end. They hadn't been able to bathe properly, sleep in a warm bed, eat good food...it was everything she was willing to give up for the man she loved. Her life for Mitch.

"A-are you going to kill me?" Adira whispered, despite knowing the answer. She grasped her locket and felt tears burning her eyes when she was greeted with silence. "I will do anything for him. Just promise me the both of them will go free."

God was pleased.