The Four Of Nevermore: What's Within The Trees

☾ 3.1.2: ..oh scary night ☽

❝ Take your hand and lead you to the voices, ❞

Freaks Like Us ➳ Sleeping Wolf

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The four went deeper into the forest with Vivian leading the group as they pointed their flashlights all around the trees, looking for a sign or an indicator of a creature roaming the area. Understandably so, the place was dark and the woods seem twisted, the mist and the cold breeze from the evening rain earlier didn't help either; the scene was something out of a gloomy, horror film.

Stepping on the crunchy leaves, Deirdre exhales as she tries to shake away the uneasiness in her gut but oh well, she brought it on herself when she said that she missed sneaking out. Fortunately, she's not out her on her own, so that calms her a bit..

Until she hears something moving within the leaves.

She froze and grabbed Ivory's hand, taking the girl by surprise as she whispers, "Dee, are you okay?"

"You guys didn't hear that?" She whispers back, raising her voice slightly as her friends then stopped as well, Deirdre glanced around the place as she shivers, "I don't think we're alone here.."

"Exactly." Vivian gulps, "we're accompanied by what's within the trees, and i'm not talking about the birds.."

More rustling was heard and the group huddled into a circle with their backs against each other, "If someone sees something, even just the slightest movement of a shadow, we run."

Then they heard a marching of footsteps. tiny footsteps. 
The sound was then followed by another wave rustling of leaves. The group stayed close until something popped out of the bush that was near them; a bunny.

Although unintentional, the little critter still manages to cause the the four to yelp and scream due to its sudden appearnce, but when Adam saw it, he grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at the animal. He missed the bunny by a few centimeters, scaring the bunny as it hopped away from the bush, out of the quartet's sight.

"It's just a stupid bunny." Adam groaned in annoyance, "People made rumors of a fucking bunny."

"Welp seems to me that our theories are just.. theories!" a smile crept onto Vivian's lips as she gave out a sigh of relief. Despite feeling grateful, Ivory and Deirdre turned to each other with a subtle, disappointed glance but then they simply shrugged as Ivory then perks up, "Welp, i guess that puts an end to our sneak-out. Let's go.."

Another crackle of leaves.
But this time, there was a low rumbling sound that followed.

"Back.." Ivory's voice fades the moment she hears the growl, turning to her mates as they started to breathe unsteadily. As the sound grows more and more louder, Adam takes a step to the direction they come from, "On 3, we run."

They pointed their flashlight toward where the rumble was coming from and they noticed a set of glowing eyes glaring at the quartet. The eyes began to move closer until its beholder was revealed underneath the moonlight; The creature resembled a gargoyle, but it was bigger and it had arms longer than its legs and its claws were way sharper, it's bulging, red eyes fixated on them as it begins to speed up.

Without waiting for Adam's countdown, the group bolted straight out of there, running off without looking back. They gripped tightly onto their flashlights as the cold breeze-turned-wind blew against them, panting whilst forcing their legs to keep going. 

The whole goose chase just felt like an obstacle course, with crunchy leaves as distractors, the rocks and the roots of the trees sticking out of the ground as the hurdles you've to avoid by watching your step and hopping off. If this was done in broad daylight, these wouldn't be much of a challenge, but the night was dark and the beams of their torches arent really in a fixed position.

As they were getting close to the iron gates, Ivory had missed a step and twisted her ankle, causing her to stumble from her run as well as making her the first meal for monster, who's licking its lips gleefully as it made its way towards the fallen girl.

The group stopped running the moment they heard a thud upon the cracking leaves and Deirdre was the first to scream out her name, running back to help her friend.

But just as they were about to call out for Deirdre, Ivory felt a sudden burst of energy when the monster roared above her; she turned away as she raised her palm towards it and felt heat blaze through her skin as she pushed forward.

Deirdre halted when she noticed a flare of bright, orange flames coming out of Ivory's hand burning close to the monster's face. It would've melted its eyes off if it didn't back up in retreat.
When Ivory dropped her hand to her side, she turned back to see the creature shutting its eyes before showing the girl its claws as it lets out a furious roar. 

As Deirdre rushed to her friend, she tries to do the same; raising both of her hands, pushing it outwards as she felt a freezing frenzy passing through her veins, releasing a strong gust of a blizzard-like wind from her palms that push the monster backwards. The moment its' back hit a nearby tree, Deirdre pulled her hands back, quickly kneeling next to Ivory and taking her arm before helping her back up-and-running.

Although she was limping, Ivory managed to follow the short girl's speed and they head straight to the gates with the rest of their mates, back to their makeshift rope and up to their room, where they quickly pull the rope before passing out on the cold, wooden floor below them.

"Let's just.." Ivory panted as she spread her arms wide on the ground, "Let's just talk about all of this in the morning.."

"Agreed." her mates huffed out in unison before they all forced themselves up to prepare for bed as well as for tomorrow.

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【 992 words 】