The Depths Of Fear

Chapter III

After getting some food at a small bed and breakfast in the town. Elena and the boys placed the rest of their belongings up in a motel room and processed to Blackwater. The drive was about an hour away, and Elena was trying her best to conjure up the courage to go into the forest. Seeing the anxiousness beam from her eyes Colin offered to drive. Tommy and Russ were acting like 15-year-olds who were heading off to an amusement park in the backseat.

"What if there's like a cannibal, living in the woods and that is what's taking the tourists," Russ cheered as if it would be the greatest thing ever.

"Or an old witch," Tommy suggests shrugging his shoulders and giving an approval frown while nodding his head.

"Would you guys zip it," Elena barks at the two. Her fears were getting the best of her. The boys jump at her anger but go into fits of laughter.

"Calm down," Russ chuckles," there's nothing to worry about you got Tommy, and I here we're strong. We will protect you."

"More like two morons," Elena mumbles leaning her head against the window.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Look, guys, a sign," Colin pointed out on the right side of the road.

Colin pulls off on the same side a few feet away from it. Elena exits the car and cautiously walks up to the wooden sign as if it would attack her. The sign looked less welcoming than it was supposed to. The creamy painted color on the wood almost completely chipped away and the letters: BLACKWATER RIDGE. Painted black in a thin oval surrounded the words.

"You know if you want, you could stay here," Colin offers Elena as he stands next to her checking out the sign.

She almost considers the deal until she catches sight of Tommy smiling again at something Russ says as he closes the trunk of the Jeep. Although she didn't put that smile there, she was glad to see it.

"No," she sighs," I'll go, but only for him." Her eyes still lingered on her brother as he swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"You're a good sister Elena," Colin smiles down at her and she smirks back.

"I know," she replies casually before walking off to join the other two. Colin smiles down at himself and walks off following her.

"Alright," Russ claps his hands together," let's get this show on the road." He runs off towards the tree line that began dividing the open field from the dense forest.

The others slowly following behind and taking their time to get to the line of tall, thin trees of green. Russ had stopped several feet away from the tree line. His eyes were dancing with fear for an instant as he looked as far as he could into the dark clouded tree forest. The trees slowly rocked side to side in the gentle breeze. He shoved the fear away when his friends had caught up to his side.

"Well," Russ smiles wolfishly," who's going first?" They all look back and forth at each other seeing who would "play" the bravest of the bunch.

"I'll go," Colin speaks up taking a few steps ahead of them. He turns back around to see they haven't moved.

"Oh come-on now," he chuckles. "Don't tell me you guys are checking out." He mostly directed this remark to Tommy and Russ reckoning everyone knew Elena was already terrified being this close.

Russ rolls his eyes and begins to follow Colin. Tommy looks to his sister and slings his arm around her shoulders.

"I gotcha," he smiles brotherly," I promise."

Worry still visible on her face they follow after the two brothers into the dark woods of Blackwater.

***

Every little sound of a branch cracking or the rustle of leaves crunching against the Earth's soil made Elena paranoid. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she stepped cautiously into the forest. Scanning the trees above her to the ground then back to the trees as if it was some routine or reflex.

"Are you doing okay," Colin asks, walking beside her. He was a giant compared to her. She was about five feet and six inches tall. It brought her comfort to have him standing next to her.

"Yeah, just a little paranoid," replied Elena. Trying to shrug it off. But she couldn't. All she could think about was what the teen wacko-do said at the gas station.

"You've been chewing on your bottom lip for the past 30 minutes since we've been in here. And usually when you do that is because you're nervous about something you shouldn't be." Colin mentions gazing down at the petite girl.

Elena realizes that she indeed had been doing so and released her bottom lip. Blush raced to her cheeks, and she faced away from Colin to hide it. Elena looks behind her and stops abruptly. She scans the area and sees that Tommy and Russ are nowhere in sight.

"Oh god," she begins to panic," Tommy!"

Colin realizes what her panic is for and starts screaming for his brother.

"Russ!" "Tommy!"

"Russ where are you," Colin yells cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Tommy! This isn't funny," Elena says a few feet away from Colin.

They stand quietly for a couple of minutes scanning their surroundings for any sign of the two. Suddenly, a piercing scream comes from the direction they had been yelling. And without missing a beat, they sprint off in the direction screaming for them.

"Tommy!" Elena cried out as her legs start to burn from the scrapping of thorn bushes tearing her skin.

She ran ahead of Colin, but he wasn't far behind her. Another crushing scream pushes Elena to run faster.

What if he is dead? He can't be! I can't lose him! Elena thought as she forced her legs to carry her fast through the forest.

Colin kept his eyes on Elena focusing on not losing her too. He picked a bad day to wear denim jeans and tan biker boots. Elena began to slow down losing her stamina and adrenaline. Slowly, she came to a halt and bent over breathing heavy. Colin came to a stop a couple of steps ahead of her bending over in the same position. He got a glance at her cut up legs.

"Wow! Are you good," he asks breathlessly gesturing to her legs with a nod of his head.

She holds up her thumb," aces," she replies breathing heavy.

They both take a moment to catch their breath. Both gazing at the half-dead grass beneath their feet. Elena wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

Snap.

The sound makes them both and Colin protectively places Elena behind his back. She grips his forearm as tight as possible.

"Who's out there," Colin shouts his voice laced with confidence, but the fear, hid in the back of his throat.

No answer.

"I've got a gun," Colin shout again," so don't play games."

Snap.

This time the sound came from behind them and within a second Colin had spun around with Elena behind him, grabbing a piece of a shirt collar and rearing his fist back. His facial features were hard and cold, but then they relaxed when he realized the shirt collar belonged to Tommy.

"Wow," he begins to proclaim," it's me, Colin!" Tommy held his hands up in surrender.

Without hesitation, Elena punches Tommy in the gut. He didn't seem affected by the punch, but he pretended it hurt so she wouldn't try again.

"Tommy, you scared the hell out of me," she was enraged. Her eyes were on the verge of tears, and her face was slightly red from the blood pumping to her head.

"I'm sorry I was just having a little fun," he apologizes embracing her in a hug.

"Don't do it again," she spits out pushing off of him.

"Hey, where's Russ," Colin asks when his brother hasn't come into view.

A disarray expression sets on Tommy's face," I thought he was with you guys."