Ugh. I hated this feeling.
But, okay, I loved it, too.
Before long, Poorva pulled up, and I sprang to the door before she had a chance to get out of her car.
I'd told my mother we were getting together to do homework, and she shrugged.
It was true, though. I'd just kept the intriguing details of the project to myself to avoid any additional questioning or unnecessary flexing on my freedom.
I hopped into Poorva's car, assuming it must have been one of her parent's at some point. The four-door sedan seemed more of a match for a businessman than a teenager, but either way, it was luxurious in my eyes—leather seats and a fancy chime to remind me to put my seatbelt on.
"I love your car," I gushed, spreading my hands along the sides of my seat.
"Thanks," she said. "It was my dad's. He swore about its safety features and a strong metal frame. Makes me feel like a soccer mom."
"Well, I think it's pretty. And it beats walking any day," I said, reminding my inner-self to follow up on a job at the cafe. "So, which way?"
I looked up the road, curious about which direction we would go to find our meeting location at the woods. Poorva seemed to know the spot Shane had texted about, so, I went with her lead.
"I think Shane's pretty freaked out about the project," Poorva said, driving in the direction of school. "He likes to act all cool and tough, but honestly, I think he hates this stuff."
I turned to her in surprise. "Seriously?" I considered him for a second. "I thought he loved hiking and the outdoors. Figured he'd like this." But then I remembered his story of going into those woods once on a dare, and never wanting to return. "Actually," I added. "You might be right. He did seem a little hesitant, maybe."
"Right?" she said, turning past the school.
As we moved beyond the student lot and School Crossing signs, the houses spread out farther, creating a more rural feel. The trees grew denser, and I knew we'd come to the outer edge of the town forest.
"There's a small lot up a bit farther. It has a trail map and benches. People like to walk their dogs and mountain bike there." Poorva kept an eye out for the turn.
"Don't they know about the ghost stories?" I asked.
"Yeah, they know. The stories are told to keep the kids out. And I guess everyone believes that if you leave before dusk, you'll be fine." She slowed the car, eyeballing the side of the road. "There it is."
She pulled into the turn-off, and the car bounced over rocks and dips in the dirt road. The space opened up enough to allow several cars to park, and two vehicles were already there.
A blue RAV4 and a black Jeep Wrangler.
If I had my guess, I knew exactly whose was whose. Shane got his mom's hand-me-down, and Dom had the rugged new whip.
As Poorva pulled the car in, the guys hopped out of theirs. I thought it was odd that they had remained in their vehicles until we arrived, but, maybe they'd just gotten there, too.
Once she parked, we jumped out and joined them at the benches.
Before we had the chance to sit, the sound of a roosting bird, maybe a turkey, echoed out of the woods. It caused all our heads to jerk in its direction and then Dom let out a nervous laugh.
"We're jumpy already," he teased.
"Sounds like the call of the local witch," Shane joked. "Welcoming us to her hell house."
I examined the edge of the woods for any movement and then gazed into the dark trail opening. My stomach clamped tight, sending a clear warning to my head.
I held my breath, cursing the fact that I’d suggested we come here. It was creepier than I'd expected, and I wished I was home in my bed instead. Watching the fidgeting discomfort of the others, I sensed they were feeling the same way.
Tension continued to mount as we listened to every rustle of leaves or snapping of twigs. Our silence amplified the sounds of the night-time woods to full height.
"Okay," Shane prodded in a hushed tone. "Whose idea was this?"
I shrank into my jacket.
My over-enthusiasm had a history of placing me in some pretty volatile situations. And judging by my heart pounding in my ears, this was proving to be an unsettling one.
Chapter 8
Planted on the benches by the edge of the woods, we continued to stare into the trail opening, waiting for a crooked-over witch to creep out and devour us.
"It feels like we're cheating on the rest of our group," I said, trying to refocus us. "I feel bad that Blake and Courtney aren't here."
"That sounds like a them problem," Dom said. "We can't always wait for everyone to be able to do stuff."
I guessed he was right, but it still felt weird. Especially since this was our first official meeting, outside of school.
"We'll just have to keep them in the loop in the group chat," Poorva said, reaching for her phone. "That way, they can chime in if they want to."
"FaceTime, too," Shane added.
"Yeah, okay," I agreed.
It all sounded like a decent compromise. I figured if worse came to worst, and I was the one who couldn't attend, I'd be okay with FaceTime—as long as I was still a part of the action in some way.
Poorva typed into the group chat.
"So, why are we here?" Shane aimed his pointed question at me while keeping an eye over his shoulder at the dark opening to the woods.
I fidgeted for a second, unsure of how to respond, wondering if I was wasting everyone's time. I just couldn't help it, though. I was curious about absolutely everything and couldn't stand to lose a single opportunity to explore.
"I think it's a good idea for us to plan together. Like, I have a ton of questions about this place and well, this group." I looked at each of them, reminding with my lost gaze that this was all new to me. "I just need to know what the hell is going on."
Dom let out a laugh, and it made the tension in my shoulders release.
"She's right," he said. "Imagine just walking into all of this shit. It must be a serious mindfuck."
I nodded, relieved someone understood what was going on with me.
"It happened to each of us at one point or another," Shane interjected.
"Yeah, but not quite as abruptly as it did for Brynn." Dom looked at me. "At least we already knew each other, from growing up in the same town. We had the home-field advantage."
Shane shrugged as if that detail didn't matter. He'd clearly been impacted deeply by this group and their past projects, and I was super curious to know more about that. It was like he knew something important but wasn't ready to share it.
Poorva and Dom seemed more confident in their roles within the secret group. Maybe they'd known about their gifts longer, or perhaps their gifts were less intense than Shane's. I watched him as he struggled to look comfortable in the situation. His anxious response from being so close to the woods made me nervous.
"So, should we talk about what our approach will be?" Poorva asked. "Particularly, now that we've been divided into teams."
Shane's head popped up. "I know. I hate that it's a team thing. I'd much rather stick together." He lifted his eyes to mine for a second.
I agreed with him. I didn't want to become divided either.
"I know. Me too," I said. "Maybe there's a way we can do this together, but then present to Ms. Kelly in teams at the end. That way, she'll still be happy with the outcome. "
Dom shook his head. "I don't know. I think she wants us to take two separate approaches. That's the whole point."
Poorva agreed. "True. It's part of her plan. Maybe she knows that separating us will be useful."
"Or necessary," I stated, wondering if it was a safety protocol.
"True." Poorva nodded.
Shane crossed his arms and shook his head. "In case something bad happens to one team," he huffed. "Then the other team is still in the game..."
His voice was cut off by Dom's.
"Yeah, to finish it," Dom blurted.
I swallowed hard, praying they were exaggerating about
what could possibly happen. But they'd been through these projects before, so their worry came from a place of experience. That was what bothered me the most.
"Well, I think it's useful for us to meet up as a big group at times like this," I said, trying to hide the nervous shake in my voice. "Planning together is important."
Dom stood up. "Or not. And the best team wins."
Shane covered his eyes with one hand, shaking his head. "It's not the big game in the play-offs, Dom," he seethed. "It's not like there's a trophy or a scholarship attached to this one. I think we need to keep focus on the goal of the project."
Dom hovered his height over Shane. "And what is that, exactly?"
Shane stood, glaring into Dom's face, and then stepped out of his shadow. "We don't know yet. But safety in numbers makes the most sense."
"Chicken shit," Dom mumbled.
Shane shot back into Dom's personal space.
"Fuck you, Dom," Shane spat.
Their faces came so close I was sure they'd touch. The tension between the two energized the air around us, causing my heart to race.
I stared at Poorva in complete shock at the turn of events. Tempers had flared quickly, and they didn't seem to be backing down. It was clear there was history between the two, and it only took a small comment to set them off.
They squared off as if provoking the other to make a move.
"Cut the shit, you guys. You're already allowing the divide-and-conquer tactic to take hold?" I moved in between them. "We're one team. And we need to stay that way."
I glared at each of them, waiting for a back-down. Neither of them released the air that pumped out their chests until the next moment.
A louder turkey call flew out from the woods, causing us all to jump.
The new rush of adrenalin shifted our focus back the forest, and the guys moved away from their confrontational stances.
All eyes stared into the darkness of the old trees, considering whatever it might be that was lurking in their eerie shadows.
It already had a hold on us.
We all knew the creepy cackling had to be a turkey or some other form of wildlife, but that wasn't enough to keep our imaginations from running wild.
At least it was enough to distract Dom and Shane from their rivalrous confrontation. They'd stepped away from each other, allowing the conflict to deescalate.
"So, you guys know about the legend of the Dark Witch, right?" Poorva whispered.
Shane shot a narrowed glance at her that, if looks could kill, well, yeah, she'd be a goner.
Dom chuckled. "Yup. She eats kids, right? Just like in Hansel and Gretel."
I stared at all of them and swallowed hard. "The Dark Witch?" I muttered.
Hearing the words pass my lips made it sound scarier, almost like saying it would conjure her.
Witches freaked me out. Dark witches sounded even creepier.
And woods scared me, too.
This project sucked.
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing it all away.
Poorva continued, "Something like that, Dom. Is that what they told you when you were a kid?"
"I don't remember." He kicked pebbles away from his feet. "I never paid attention."
"Yeah, right," Shane mumbled.
His antagonizing remark surprised me like he was poking the bee’s nest, inviting more trouble with Dom. It was clear Shane wasn't intimidated by him in the least, and I was sure he was one of the few.
Before Dom had a chance to respond to his taunt, I interjected. "So, what's the legend?"
Poorva glanced into the woods and then at us. "Well, I've always been fascinated by the story, so I've tried to learn as much as possible. My mom has a friend who likes to talk about it, so any time she's over, I always listen. Once she's had enough wine, the stories get really good."
"So, you believe in that shit?" Dom spat.
Poorva cringed, feigning her wounds. "Kind of," she said. "Like, I'm here right now. Shitting my pants. Must mean I believe something."
I let out a nervous laugh.
Truth was, I was shitting my pants too, and was relieved to find out I wasn't the only one.
"Anyway," she continued, looking at me like I was the one who needed the information the most. "The woods are supposed to be haunted by a witch trapped in limbo. The woods are her territory to roam, and supposedly, she preys on young souls, using their energy to either cross over or come back. And she's pissed off, basically. Like, she was wronged in her lifetime and now has a twisted vengeance to boot."
My heart sank to my feet, causing light-headedness.
"That sucks," I murmured, staring into the forest, imagining what the Dark Witch might look like.
I squeezed my eyes shut to erase the horrifying images I'd created, most of which included bony fingers, stringy gray hair, a long, bent nose, and a wicked laugh that could stir the dead.
"Yeah, it does suck," Shane agreed, likely picturing similar images.
"Yup," Dom said. "It's a creepy bedtime story to keep kids out of the woods. And it works like a charm. For the most part." He turned his attention to me. "Sometimes, kids start to feel brave or want to show off in front of their friends, and they wander in. That's when the news reports of missing children start flying."
Poorva jumped in. "The boys who went missing last week were gone for only a few hours, but the town always flies into a panic, assuming the worst. All because of the one boy who never came out."
Shane and Dom dropped their eyes as if out of respect for the dead. Their somber responses made it seem like they might have known him.
I looked at Poorva with distinct apprehension, not really wanting to hear more, but having to.
"It was seven or eight years ago," she told me. "He went into the woods with a friend but never came out. He was never found. Lost without a trace."
My heart rate accelerated, making me shake. How could a town ever recover from a tragedy like that? It would leave a gaping wound that festered, never healing.
And that was exactly what it had done. I’d felt it from the moment I arrived to this town. Like a blanket of despair shrouding every part, it hit my soul deeply. No flower gardens or celebratory flags down Main Street could hide the truth from me. This town was cursed.
"That's awful," I said. "That poor family."
Shane fell back onto a bench with a lifeless thud.
Poorva looked at him briefly, then back at me. "I think Shane knew him," she whispered, though we could all hear.
I turned to Shane in horror and stepped over to him. No wonder he was so sensitive about being here. If he knew that boy in any way, it would be devastating to him.
He remained silent with his head down.
I glanced at Dom, and he just shrugged and looked away. My eyebrows pulled together tight from his cool apathy.
"That's a horrible story," I said. "I think this project is too much. It's too real. We shouldn't have to do something like this."
Then Shane rose to his feet and turned toward the entrance to the woods. "No. We have to do this," he stated with conviction. "We're the exact ones who need to."
"Okay, wait. Hold on a second," I reached for Shane's sleeve to stop him from storming straight into the woods. "I agree we need to explore this place further, especially since people have been hurt, but we need to be smart about it. Like, we need to be prepared, so nothing goes wrong."
"I have a bat in the back of my Jeep," Dom interjected.
Poorva spat out a laugh, spitting even more from the effort of stifling it.
Her faux pas hit me in my funny bone, and I cracked up, too. It was more from the stress of our nerves than anything else, but clearly Dom's ego had been hit by the giggles.
"What?" He exaggerated his innocent tone. "You were hoping for something sharper, like a stake?"
"No, asshole," Shane scoffed. "She's not talking about weapons. She's talking about our skills."
The air was still tense between them, and I wondered more
about their unstable history. They must have had a laundry list a mile long, judging from the brittle air between them. It was like it could shatter at any moment like thin glass.
"Right," I interjected. "I'm not sure what you guys are even capable of, like, how strong your powers are. And, well, I'm not even sure what I can do." I glanced at each of them. "Is this something we can at least talk about? Or is it some big secret that everyone keeps hidden? I seriously have no clue. But I'll tell you guys whatever you want to know."
Dom's thick eyebrows rose up, creating deep lines in his forehead. "Really?" His tone teased me.
Poorva jabbed at his ribs and stepped closer to me. "We don't keep our skills a secret. You'll definitely see more in Ms. Kelly's X-block. We push ourselves to new limits with her guidance. That's where we learn the most about each other. And ourselves." She smirked to one side. "My skills started with aura reading. I can pick up on energy around people, sometimes in color. It seemed to come from the chakras."
"They talk about those in yoga classes," I said.
Poorva nodded. "Right. They're the vital force centers in each person. I've always been able to access that energy in people."
"Don't just leave her hanging on that," Shane interjected.
Poorva shot a side-eye at him and then looked back to me. "Ms. Kelly helped me strengthen my aura reading, and during that time, she helped me access more."
"More what?" I pressed.
"Just, more," she said, dropping her eyes to the ground.
Dom cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, Ms. Kelly helped us all access more, you could say. She's got a knack for training sensitives to access their full psychic ability."
My eyebrows shot up from the words 'psychic ability'. It just seemed so mystical. I could live with being called a sensitive, but I wasn't so sure about becoming a full-blown psychic.
"Even if you don't necessarily want to," Dom added.
His comment made me wonder if he wished he never even knew what he was capable of. Maybe it frightened him. It made sense, though, hiding behind his bravado and big-man-on-campus image. There was a good chance he was just as lost as the rest of us.
"What can you do?" I asked, holding nothing back.
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