Monochromatic

Chapter 1

Walking at night, never a good idea for young women. Especially not alone. Especially not at unarmed. And especially not in the woods. It was a b-grade horror movie waiting to happen. Even Lex herself was beginning to doubt her decision to visit.

   But there were some things you just couldn't get out of. And helping your best friend find her promise ring was one of them. Delilah was already waiting up ahead, in the clearing where she claimed to have lost the ring. The only problem was that Lex could barely see two feet in front of her, much less a tiny silver ring.

   The fog that was looming over the hills had finally started to set in, making visibility that much worse. "Why did it have to be tonight?" She mumbled under her breath, silently cursing her friend.

   "It's been two years since anything bad has happened here, lighten up Lex."

   She turned on her heels squaring her feet and holding her arms up defensively. It was only Delilah. But that didn't relax her. There could be any number of people in the woods. From drunk teenagers to rapists and murderers. And after what happened two years ago she wasn't taking any chances.

   Coming into the clearing, they branched off and silently began looking, the fog and night sky making it difficult. They had converged near the edges of the trees, looking together. They had both taken to crawling across the leaf strewn soil, finding nothing except for two buried beer bottles and a pop tab.

   "Delilah," Lex stood, brushing off her knees. "I don't think we're going to be able to find your ring." Her face fell, tears welling in her eyes. Lex knew the ring meant a lot to her. It was a gift from her boyfriend of two years, who was now deceased.

   "We can try again tomorrow. I just don't think we can find it in this weather." Lex put her arms around Delilah, letting her cry.

   "It shouldn't mean so much to me, it was just a cheap ninety-nine cent store ring." She shook her head, nuzzling into Lex's shirt and let her tears flow freely and silently.

   Behind them there was a snap, a twig breaking. They froze, not moving a muscle, barely breathing. Another snap. They didn't hesitate or slow. They took off in a full sprint, running towards the waterfall, and the road. They ran down the hill, leaves causing them to slip and falter with every step.
  
   Lex's foot caught a tree root and she fell, rolling down hill and into a familiar figure. They tumbled down hill in a series of grunts and moans of pain. They finally managed to stop their fall when Lex grabbed onto a tree root. Opening eyes that were formerly clenched shut she saw the all too familiar hazel color staring back. 

   Sylver Reddlan was laying on top of Lex, stealing her breath and crushing her under his weight.  Hurriedly standing up, he offered her a hand, which she took while mustering profanities.

   "Lex! I'm..." She cut him off, raising her hand and shushing him. "I don't want to hear it right now. What the fucking hell are you doing out here!?" Quieter, she muttered "not that I mind seeing you."
  
   "You know I heard the last part of that right?"

"I figured," she glared slightly, "but you didn't answer my question."

   "Yeah, well about that... It's kind of a funny"

A feminine scream cut him off, frightening Lex. She recognized it. Delilah.

   "Story..."

   She simply glared at him again before grabbing his hand and dragging him in the direction of the scream. There was no telling what could be out here. The fog had heightened Lex's panic and she swore quietly the entire way there.

   If Sylver was out, it meant Daren was too. And the thought of him being alone with Delilah frightened Lex more than any other possibility she could dream up. They were nuclear together, and not in any good way. Sylver began calling for Daren, Lex shouting Delilah.

   "Here!" The shout was meek and hoarse, Delilah's after screaming, and almost unheard over the nearby waterfall. Delilah and Daren had fallen into the ravine stretching thought the ground.

   The ravine used to be a river, carved deep into the earth, a now green gash in the soil, steep rocks on either side, and nearly impossible to get out of without outside assistance.

   Sylver grabbed the ladder tied to a nearby tree,  placed there by a kind stranger however long ago for occasions such as this one. "Daren, man, I told you this was a bad idea." His words were met with a glare. Which for Sylver seemed to be a common theme for the night.

   After they climbed and replaced the ladder, Lex shot the boys a glare. Daren more so than Sylver. Despite how much she chewed him out, she knew he was just going along for her sake. He was sweet that way.

   "Lets go explore, I'm bored."

"Nobody asked you Daren, fuck off."

   "Lex!" Delilah and Sylver said at the same time, they had both tried to correct Lex's foul mouth, to no avail. Lex could be childish at times, but she was still angry.

   It was getting closer and closer to midnight, the faint glow of the moon was almost entirely above them. The fog tinted quite in moonlight made Delilah's hair stand on end, she was tremulous with fright.

   "As long as we get out of this fog. I don't want to be that one white guy who trips onto the killers knife in horror movies."

   Delilah giggled lightly at Sylvers comment, and soon enough they were all holding their sides laughing along with her. She had an infectious laugh and a smile to go along with it. The only one not laughing was Daren.

   "So are we going exploring or not?"

   More laughing, this time at Daren's expense, and they were all wheezing and in pain.  Once they had managed to calm themselves, they began walking. Up the large hill and to a cave. How Daren had found this cave in the first place, nobody knew. Nobody really wanted to figure that out either.