Out of the Woods

ALEXIS SIRENN

I hate his kind all my life.

Damn it!

Chelsie shouldn't be a part of this. He brought us here. I never told Freya about his fucking tribe! He didn't believe me. Now they're including Chelsie here? I can't believe him.

**

1 year ago...

"Darkness..." they started.

My eyes widened as I see them bow down to a black hole on the wall. It's like they're praising their God. They're singing random words in foreign language. My heart raced when one of them glance at me with his pure black eyes.

I ran. I run as fast as I could so I can get out of that place. Suddenly, I'm at home. Safely sleeping, and I look around me like nothing happened.

Was that a nightmare? I stood up and started walking to get to Chelsie, who's living with me right now. While I'm in the hallway, darkness appeared in my sight and something felt unsafe.

"Ah stop!" I tried pushed things around me, everything that surrounds me, even the air!

It's like they're hugging me! I couldn't take it. They're taking over me! Inside my head and my body. Oh no...

One man appeared in front of me with his pitch dark eyes. It was him! The one in my dream! And with the snap of his fingers, I ran out of oxygen.

"P-Please!" I pleaded as I kneel down because I'm getting weaker by the second.

I shake and shake my head as I look at his merciless eyes, looking down to me. I tried to shout, but I couldn't. I can feel consciousness leaving me but I'm trying to hold on.

I couldn't.

**

I wake up, in front of the man who tried to kill me. I wonder why he didn't?

I shake when I saw my position. I'm strangled by the roots of the tree within the forest. I look around and saw nothing but darkness.

I put my glance back to the man, he's watching something... In front of us, there's this view and then there's me! It's like a flashback of what happened earlier before he took me.

I'm there lying unconsciously, and the dark man is watching me. But wait!

Chelsie! No!

She ran towards my lying body. It broke my heart when I saw her crying. Suddenly, I felt my tears falking down too. And then she's lost consciousness too. I'm weakened.

I couldn't take the sight of this man, starting to take our souls, and is about to leave us dead. But then a woman came, she stopped the man from killing us. She spread her arms like she can do something about it.

But she can! She's saying something, but I couldn't hear it. It looks like she's screaming so loud, her vocal chords can pop.

What shocked me the most is that the dark man nodded. He's done something and then the girl suddenly disappeared!

"W-w-wait! What happened? To the girl? To Chelsie? To us?" I asked the dark man in front of me.

The view now disappeared too, and then there's only the two of us here in the forest.

"That is... my sister. No man is ever allowed to see what you saw earlier. For that, I shall punish you by death. And because your friend saw me too, she shall be punished by death too. But my sister stopped me. I don't know how she got there, she has no memories." he shook his head. "I will go now. But first, you should promise to not let anyone know what you saw."

"Wait! What happened to her? Why aren't you killing us now?" I asked curiously.

"My sister," he started. "She gave up her vision, in exchange of your lives. She spared you from death. That dark man, that wasn't me anymore. I was possessed by the darkness, but I could fight. I gave mercy to you but my sister gave her vision. You must promise to not tell her or anyone else about what you saw. You may go back now,"

He's doing something with his hand, and an instant I came back to the hallway of our house.

Chelsie, she's still unconscious. And the man was gone. I sighed of relief, I hope to never see him again.

**

A month later, Chelsie hasn't still woken up! What's happening?! Why won't she wake up!

She's still breathing, heart is beating. But she's lying on the bed like a corpse.

I need to do something, I need to find that guy! I ran towards the forest, where I first saw them. But then a lady came running too. Panting because of tiredness. I think she's blind!

She bumped to me, groping me with her hands. I put her behind me, as I see the dark smoke following her. But suddenly the smoke disappear.

This is it! That's her! The dark man's sister!

"Hey, what is your name?" I asked calmly.

I am trying to calm her too. She might know the answer how to wake up Chelsie.

"F-Freya L-Louvien, he-help me p-please!" she said trembling.

"Shh, it's fine... Don't worry it'll be-" I can't continue what I was saying because I ran out of breath.

Oh no! I was pulled away from her. She was screaming now! She's trying to find me, but I couldn't scream back. I'm losing my breath.

But with blurry eyes, something came in front of me. It was that man!

"You broke your promise. In exchange of that, you will be stuck inside the forest. Forever!" He stated.

No! I didn't break my promise! I didn't tell anything to Freya! He's the one who's cheating because I couldn't wake up Chelsie!

"C-Chelsie," I forced to say.

"You want her! Oh sure," he smirked, then everything went black.

**

Present...

"Grab her!" I gestured to Chelsie when I saw Freya running towards her.

Chelsie caught her, then she fell on Chelsie's arms and I took her. I put her to the ground and started tying her to the tree, with a rope I just found.

I tightened it. This is the only way. I will use her as a bait so that the dark man will let us free.

"What are you doing?" Chelsie asked.

I glanced at Chelsie and my widened my eyes when I saw the dark man floating behind her. He's spreading smoke, until everything went black.