Colin Well: The Wizard

Chapter 17―In the Forest

        Colin's eyes opened slightly and slowly. He lay on his back on damp sand and smooth rocks. He groaned. His head really hurt. Colin sat up, holding his forehead. He groaned again and opened up his eyes all the way. He was on a small bank on the River that was covered in sticks and twigs that had washed up. Colin sighed with relief―he was finally back on land. But then he groaned again, and not from his headache. He was on the Forest side and there didn't appear to be a way across the River that didn't result in him drowning. Colin stood up and realized he had lost his jacket in the River and he was chilled to the bone. His teeth were chattering as he pulled his damp shirt closer to him for warmth. And then it hit him―he had no idea where Eliza and Marston were. They could have washed up anywhere along the River or, more practically, Colin shuddered at the thought, they could have drowned in the River, having been pulled under by the swift and strong undercurrent.
        Colin dared not shout out. The Forest was a dangerous environment, even if he was on the outskirts. He looked down the wide stream. Past the sand bar there were overgrown, tangled thorn bushes and thick weeds. Colin moved slightly into the shade of the trees and shivered from the darkness and chill of the shadows. The sand turned into tall grass which eventually passed over onto a dead leaf-covered forest floor. Colin stopped and looked back, fearing he had traveled too far into the trees, but when he peered back the way he came he discovered he had on walked about one hundred feet into the protection of the tall trees.
        Out of nowhere, dizziness overcame Colin and he fell down upon the leaves. They crackled under his weight as he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. Wariness overtook him and Colin drifted off to sleep.
        Only a few minutes later Eliza and Marston, safe and sound, minus a few bruises and cuts, stumbled upon the sleeping figure of Colin. Eliza shrieked and dived at him, embracing him around his neck. He was jolted awake and Eliza's wet hair began suffocating Colin.
        "Ah-hi-zuh!" Colin mumbled, his voice muffled in her hair. She pulled away and looked at him. "Eliza! You're okay. It's so good to see you!"
        "Oh, you too! I though you'd drowned." Colin grinned and stood up with Eliza. Then she began her story. "When I was pushed off the ship I knew I couldn’t catch back up with it by swimming so I went with the current until I had the chance to get to land. I found Marston laying there, breathing loudly, and finally, after he recovered from almost freezing to death, we came to look around for you. I mean, Marston is still in pretty bad shape, but he'll fair out."
        "I'm glad you're both okay," said Colin gratefully. Eliza asked him what had happened and he recounted his small adventure, starting with meeting Deppson, Eliza gasping everytime something surprising happened. Colin finished and Marston clapped him on the shoulder.
        "That's so cool. A real Captain―not like the one that's there now," Marston said, trying go laugh, but coughing instead. "Anyways. What are we going to do now? We're stuck miles away from the Castle. It's not as if we could get there in time to stop him. His ship goes a lot faster than us." The three moved farther into the Forest, hoping it would be warmer.
        "I think we should just start walking. We're bound to end up somewhere. Shall we―" Eliza suggested.
        "No. We have to plan which way to go. We can't follow the River, it's too overgrown. But from the maps I've seen, there's a place called the Quarry a few miles in. We could stay there until someone realizes what's happened," Marston interjected. They came to a large, rough looking tree and stopped.
        "What? We're not going to just wander through the woods until we get to some place I've never even heard of. And you don't even know how far it is. A few miles?" Eliza shot back.
        "You're wrong," said Marston.
        "No I'm not! We can't just go aimlessly through the Forest. It's too dangerous!" Eliza practically screamed.
        "But I know it's safe. Or it was. The Witches might have gone back. I don't really know."
        "You don't know?" Eliza shouted, her voice echoing in the trees.
        "Shut up!" Colin hissed at them. Eliza turned to Colin and opened her mouth, about to start arguing with him. Colin stepped toward her and covered her mouth with one of his hands. With the other he pointed father into the Forest. A low, menacing howl rumbled and echoed through the greenery to their right. Eliza's struggle turned into a shiver. Colin looked into her terrified eyes. Although they had no idea what it was, it sounded horrible. But then it stopped abruptly. They turned to run back to the safety of the sandbar, but when they looked back they couldn't even see the light that had reflected off the River. Another howl, closer this time, sounded behind them. Without thinking twice Colin said quietly, as to not give away their position entirely, although he believed they were already out in the open, "Run!"
        Ignoring their chill, which they had hoped would go away, they dashed as fast as their feet would take them, layers of dead leaves crunching far too loudly for Colin's liking under their feet. The trees blurred past them as they ran. To their terror, they could hear twigs breaking and small trees snapping as something furiously chased them. Suddenly, Colin's foot caught on a root and he tripped. He heard his ankle crack and gasped as he hit the ground. Marston and Eliza stopped and hurried back to him.
        Eliza reached down to help him up but Colin moaned, "Ah! My foot. I don't think I can walk." The chasing creature could be heard getting nearer. "You'll have to go. I can hide. I will. I'll be okay. I'll catch up. You have to go."
        "No!" said Marston and Eliza in unison.
        "We're not just going to leave you here. Not with that. . .thing," said Marston impatiently.
        "You can and you must! I'll be fine. You have to go." When they only stared at Colin in disbelief he raised his voice. "Go!"
        Eliza stood up. Tears started to come out of her eyes, but she wiped them away. She grabbed Marston's hand and nodded. "Don't come back," said Colin. "I'll come find you." With that, Eliza turned tail and ran, dragging a defiant Marston behind her.
        Colin turned back to the approaching beast. He took a deep breath and dragged himself to a nearby cluster of bushes with his arms. Sharp pains shot through his foot, but Colin dived under the bush and, for good measure, threw some old leaves on top of him. As if just in time, a huge grey hairy beast bounded up where he had just been laying. It was larger that Colin and had long, sharp claws. The claws were caked in mud and it's hair was tangled with twigs. He smelled its stench, like rotting meat. Colin never saw it's face. It always had it's back turned to him. He heard it sniffing the air, it's breath loud and clouding around it. After a very long time it emitted a great howl again and jumped back through the trees the way it had came. Colin lay still for a minute, fearing the horrible beast would return.
        About half an hour later, Colin pulled himself out of the bushes and lay on the ground, breathing hard. Finally he brushed the crumbling leaves off his clothes and inched towards a thin tree. With much difficulty Colin pulled himself to his feet and gasped with pain. He started towards the way Eliza and Marston had gone and staggered on with much moaning.
        The small amount of light began to fade that shone through the canopy after a while. The air became cold and wind whistled loudly above. Colin's eyes began to droop with fatigue. His ankle ached and so did his head. The pain hurt him so bad Colin tripped again and let out a little howl of pain when he landed hard on his ankle. He pulled himself back up painfully and stumbled on. He had no idea if he was even going in the right direction and he was not aware of the location of the Quarry that Marston had mentioned. What worried him most was whether or not his friends had made it to the Quarry. All these thoughts swirled around in his head and made him dizzy. But Colin kept wandering, as Eliza had said, aimlessly.
        Eventually Colin came to a few large trees and stopped, leaning against one of them. But suddenly Eliza dropped down from a ladder in front of him from the trees and shouted up into the canopy, "He's okay! Colin's okay, he's here!" That was the last thing he heard before he slumped forward into Eliza.