Guardians of Magic: The Awakening (SAMPLE)

Chapter 6 -- Close Encounters

It had been days since my trip into town, yet the old man's warning never left my mind. The nonstop rain since then had contributed to the gloomy mood, seeming to confirm the old men's suspicion.

I'm not worried that Uncle Jack would hurt me. I trust him completely. But at the same time, why would those men say such horrible things about my uncle? I know there's a lot of mystery in this place, but thinking my uncle is involved in some evil sacrificial ritual is just disturbing. What's even more disturbing is wondering why they would even think that in the first place. What caused this horrible rumor to spread?

I huff, crossing my arms. These thoughts were getting me nowhere. I take a moment to massage my neck in an attempt to rub out the tension that was beginning to build there. I sigh at my failed attempt, gazing out at the forest from my current position on the balcony. My pale, freckled legs glare at me, as if in consternation of the gloomy weather. I chose to wear denim shorts and a white sleeveless t-shirt, my pale legs stretched out on the wicker ottoman as I sat, thinking, hoping against hope for some sunnier weather and a tan.

Then, almost as if in answer to my thoughts, rays of sunshine manage to break through the ongoing murky weather, as if trying to help me ward off the weird interaction and brighten my darkening musings. It's warm rays try to pierce my pale skin, which is currently protected by a heavy layer of sunscreen. I'm trying to soak up the warmth as much as possible -- not that I'm able to tan. Instead, I tend to get burned and then get whiter, if that's at all possible. I practically had to douse myself in sunscreen before coming out here. And that was when it was still murky!

A shadow crosses over me as clouds obscure the sun's rays. Seems my day of enjoying a momentary glimpse of sunshine is about to be spoiled. So much for an answer to my thoughts. Now it's just mocking me.

I look down at the book on my lap that I bought just days ago. I've been pouring over its contents, trying to discover answers to my disturbing ruminations. It's very well-written. It compels even the most reasonable and skeptical of individuals to be suspicious -- which doesn't exactly help my case. I'm beginning to understand the distrust people have of this place.

Despite the forest's incredible beauty, people stay away from this area. According to the book, some people hike or go camping in the woods, only to frantically run out, claiming weird creatures attacked them. At first, the townspeople just assumed they were drunk or high off of drugs. No one thought a thing about it. At some point, these crazy stories became more and more frequent in recent years. People were beginning to wonder why their small, sleepy town was suddenly full of people saying strange things that were impossible.

The most popular theories are that the woods are haunted, it's the birthplace of folklore and magic, it houses creatures of nightmares, or even Bigfoot. It doesn't help that these stories caught the attention of "researchers" seeking Bigfoot or groups of ghost hunters. The forest had already starred on many ghost hunter episodes. 

The theory that a group of carnal people lived in the woods, sacrificing people to unnatural beasts was also in there. Seems the old men had read this book.

It was interesting to read about each theory. It's fascinating, but not a good book to read at night. Reading scary stories about a place I happen to live in has made it impossible for me to sleep in the dark. I'm so paranoid, I close my curtains over my windows so the "creatures" out there can't see me. Every weird sound the house would make, every creak, or strange sound in the night brought my imagination to life. Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night, swearing I see small creatures in my room sneaking around, but when I'd turn on the lamp on my nightstand, there'd be nothing there. This book wasn't doing me any favors getting my beauty rest.