CORRUPTED (Book 3 of the Tempted Series)

Chapter Eleven

The air feels different the deeper you walk into the woods. It's wet, almost humid, but not warm like a rainforest. No, it's a cool, humid air.  Which is very odd, since Marvin reminded you that weather doesn't exist here, but so many things have been going wrong because you're here, so that might not be the case anymore.

You catch yourself grabbing the edges of your cloak and holding them so they cover your arms to take off the slight chill from the shade of the red trees.

As you look around at your surroundings, you get a sense of familiarity. As if you've been here before in this part of the woods when you were with Anti. And then you... Ran away.

But after that you haven't left the castle. You barely went in public, occasionally went to the garden, but never back into the woods.

And the woods change at every backwards glance. So why are you having de-ja-vu?

Wait. Did you always know the woods change every time you turn around? When did you find out? Wait, didn't Chase tell you when you first found him alone? Or didn't he. Or was it Google who explained the physics to you?

Wait, Google? The fuck? Why the hell is Google in your head? You've never met the guy! That's Mark's Ego! The only one of Mark's you've met it Dark.

Shit what the fuck is wrong with you.

Your thoughts filter when your body slams into Schneep. You grunt as he stumbles. "Ah. I'm... Sorry." You put a hand to your head, still in pain. "Fuck. Sorry Schneeplestein. I... Wasn't paying attention."

Schneep quickly recovered and regained his balance. "It's alright, (y/n). It's my fault I stopped." He turns around towards you. "I just thought I-" Then his face draws to concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," you say dismissing him. "Let's just keep walking."

He does so, but he edges you on. "You're holding your head. If anything, it's not good."

"I'm fine. I just got a lot of pressure in my head. Just... Over thinking. Seriously. It's nothing serious that could possibly be Anti or Dark. If it was, I'd tell you."

He looks you up and down, not fully convinced. "Okay good," he says. And he continues to take the lead.

Once you fall back a couple steps you hear a strange noise. It's very soft and makes a "fft" sound, like a little bean bag.

Fft. Fft. Fft.

It sounds like it's coming from behind you, so you turn around towards Chase.

You're about to ask him if he hears anything, but then you notice he is throwing something up into the air and catching it with one hand.

"Whatcha got there, Chase?" You ask.

He looks up to you startled and casually pockets the object. "What?"

You nod at his hand. "What are you playing with?"

"Oh, these?" He reaches his hands into both of his pockets takes out what seems to be handfuls of the things. "Teabags!"

You laugh. Of course he brought tea bags. "I shouldn't be surprised. For your trick shots, yeah?"

He smiles a little and nods. "Yeah dude. It keeps me... Distracted. From stuff." Then his smile fades as he remembers the past. He looks around for something, then spots a rock on the side of the path covered in red moss. His face lights up. "Check this out."

Chase lifts his leg and tosses the tea bag under it, making an arch in the air and landing perfectly on top of it.

"Impressive," you say. You look around for another target and see an oddly shaped, red tree branch looming above your path.