Into The Woods

Chapter Nine

Hey guys here's your next chapter. Its going to be super short p.s. Just a teaser for whats to come.

I run as fast as I can back down the trail, tripping over a root I take the opportunity to check behind me. When I don't see anything I take a minute to catch my breath. I get up and dust myself off. Shit-taki mushrooms.

I run all the way back to town and I dont stop until I reach the starbucks.
I reach for my phone in my pocket and text lena.

Ava: hey you busy?

She replies right away.

Lena: Nope. Whats up?

Ava: Would you mind picking me up? Im at the starbucks in town.

Lena: Of course! Did something happen? Are you okay?

Ava: Im totally fine.

Lena: Omw

I sigh putting my phone back in my pocket. Had that been the same wolf from last night? Why did he get so close? I thought they were more afraid of us than we were of them.

My thoughts halted when I heard a honk and a very woried looking lena stepping out of her car.

" Oh my goodness, Ava are you ok? What happened? You have cuts all over your face and arms. Your bleeding." She states horrified.

She lifts my chin turning my head from side to side. "I think you might need medical attention." She states breathing hard looking as if she would pass out at any moment. I roll my eyes shooing her hand away. "I dont need medical attention lena. I just need to clean the cuts up. Can you take me home?"

She quickly nods dragging me to her car, pushing me in and shuting the door. I shake my head. She could be so over dramatic.

On the way to my home I couldn't help but think about the tingle that went through me in the forest. The feeling of something watching me, ive been feeling that alot lately. The howl. It was so damn close. To close for comfort. What drove it away? Why didnt it attck me?

Lena took one of her hands off the steering wheel and put on one of the hands that restsd in my lap.

"You wanna talk abou it?" I shook my head no. Just staring out the window.

Fear is a dangerous thing. It drives you to do things you wouldn't usually do, and right now thats what I was feeling. Fear. My mother always told me there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

Ava's mother got down on her knees next to her bed. "Whats wrong pumpkin?" She asked. "Mommy im scared, something's under my bed, I heard it." Her voice trembled, holding her teddy close to her body. Her mother smiled.

She dropped down to the floor and checked under her precious daughter's bed. "See baby? There's nothing there. Do you want me to get daddy to check to?" She asked. The little girl shook her head no. Krystal cradled her daughters cheek in her hand.

"There's nothing to fear baby, nothing to fear but fear itself. Never forget that." Despite her words Krystal still cuddled up next to a young Ava in her small twin sized bed and fell asleep .

" Ava, Ava come on wake up." I abruptly awoke from my dream to lena shaking my arm.

I cover a yawn and open the door. I give lena a hug and thank her for the ride. Going up to my room i look at my clock to see its 4 in the afternoon. I go to take a shower and care to my cuts.

I look in the mirror at my cuts. In this moment I promise myself I won't fear anything. I was going to find out what was in those woods. I needed to find out what had my friend's so spooked that night. What sunny was talking about.

I would ask around.

I was going to find out, I was determined.