"But why?" I asked. "What's the purpose?"
"It's my duty to the spirit world—to continue the training of the new sensitives. Honing your abilities is what keeps the energy flowing. And it strengthens all of you to become guardians as well."
"Guardians of what?" I cringed, fearing what she would say next.
"Guardians of the mystic," she said. "To keep the darkness away. To block the evil that attempts to creep into our town and our lives every day." She gazed into my eyes again. "And you're ready. Ready to face it."
"No," I said. "No, I'm not."
"Yes, Brynn," she stated. "You are."
"No, I..."
She took my hands again and squeezed them. "Your new friends will help you. They are all very gifted and know how to use their skills well. Stay with them, and you'll be stronger together."
I paused, holding back my resistance.
Thinking of going into the woods terrified me now—especially with a bunch of... well, freaks.
Ugh. Dom was right.
We were freaks.
I'd always known it to be true. I was a freak.
But now I was being put to the test, to figure out what it was that made me different.
Did I have what it took to embrace what I truly was and be the best version of what I could become? Suddenly, the term freak didn't sound so bad. It was more like another term for powerful.
I'd promised Ms. Kelly I would try, just as I headed to history class. She'd written me a late pass with a few extra minutes added to it, so I took my time, taking the back stairs for the scenic route.
As I entered the quiet stairwell, I startled by movement from the shadows. Shane stepped out from the dark space under the stairs and moved toward me.
"Shit," I gasped. "You scared me. What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," he said. "There's no way I could just go to class now. Not after all that," he huffed. "And that's never happened before, like, for Ms. Kelly to sit with someone like that. I need to know what happened in there."
His curiosity was understandable. Even I didn't really know what just happened, but it was clear that it was profound.
"But you're going to be late for class now," I said, wondering how he'd get out of this new dilemma.
He looked at the pass in my hand.
"Let me see that." He grabbed the paper and examined it. "There's room for my name on it, too. And, since we're going to the same place...."
"Here, I have the pen she used." I passed him the blue pen Ms. Kelly had borrowed from me.
He bit his bottom lip as he wrote his name onto the pass, next to mine.
"There. Perfect." He inspected his forgery. "Come on. Let's move. We don't want to get caught messing around in the stairwell." He chuckled.
As we walked, our initial silence made me nervous. I couldn't be sure if he was thinking about when our hands had touched or if he was focusing on what Poorva and Ms. Kelly had discovered about me. He was difficult to read, but it was easy enough to feel his vibe that he wanted to spend more time out of class than in.
"So, that session was kind of intense, right?" he stated. "It's always the most awkward one because we're all sort of exposed to each other, you know."
"Ah, yeah. You could say that," I huffed. "I still have no idea what just happened for the past half hour. My mind is mush after that."
"Well, seems like we have a strong new addition to the club," he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
I took a deep inhale. "Yeah, I suppose."
"You'll get used to it," he added. "Especially when we start our research. That's when you'll come to depend on it." He slowed his pace. "So, what did Ms. Kelly see in you?"
I kept moving, and he caught up. "I'm... I'm not really sure. But she seemed pleased."
I felt bad for not telling him everything, but it didn't feel right to tell anyone about what I saw in Ms. Kelly. It wasn't my place, and it was her privacy. I hoped I was making the right choice.
Shane glared at me, knowing I was holding something from him, and he couldn't stand it.
"Fine, whatever," he exhaled. "Just be sure not to keep it a secret too long. We might need some of it at some point."
As we turned into the history hallway, our classroom door came into view.
"So should we begin tonight?" I whispered.
His eyes brightened, and he nodded as we stepped into the monotone drone of APUSH.
With the idea of starting our research tonight, I couldn't think of anything else. The minutes dragged on like hours as the school day ticked away like it had nowhere else to be.
I'd taken the lengthy torture as an opportunity to plan our visit to the woods. As soon as I could pull my phone out, without the fear of it being taken away, I sent a group text to start the planning. I hoped the others would know what to bring and what time would be best. I also wondered about the steps that Ms. Kelly had referred to—steps to follow when conducting our research.
At the sound of the last bell, I darted out of the school in search of Poorva. As soon as I found her in the crowd of fleeing students, I realized she had been searching for me as well.
"So, did she see anything in you?" Poorva gushed, grabbing onto my wrists. "I've been dying to hear. Come on." She pulled me toward the student lot. "I'll drive you home."
I hesitated at first, looking around for Shane. It was a strange reaction that surprised me. I guessed I just didn't want to abandon him. But with no sign of him anywhere, I followed Poorva gladly.
"I'm not really sure what she saw," I answered, still unsure of how much to share. "It was just... weird." I stopped and looked at her. "I'm actually curious what you saw when you said I was open. Like, what does that even mean?"
She squinted her eyes and shook her head, as if to clear it and said, "I don't know for sure, but as soon as I looked into your eyes, it was endless. Like staring into the universe. I can't explain it really, but I felt like if I looked any longer, I'd get lost and never find my way out."
My eyes widened. "Don't say that," I snapped. "You're scaring me."
"Well, it's the only way I can describe it. It was like... like you were open."
I held my breath for a moment then let it flow out. Her words unsettled me. I didn't want to be open. It made me feel like anything could enter and mess with me. Or maybe things could leave—things that maybe I needed. The concept screwed with my head, and I wished that closing my eyes would make it go away. But I knew better. Something had shifted within me, and it was real now.
I rubbed my face.
"It's as if, being around you guys, like, around your energy, somehow made mine come out more." I chewed my lower lip.
"That's what happens," Poorva agreed. "When we're together, our powers intensify. You'll see for the first time tonight if everyone can come. It's gonna be crazy."
Very little was said in the group chat, but it was at least enough for everyone to know what time to meet. Fortunately, Poorva and Shane had been texting me on the side, telling me what to bring and what to expect.
I grabbed my black cinch sack and threw a bottle of water into it, along with my back-up charger and a hoodie.
"Where do you think you're going?" My mother's voice cracked from the living room. "It's a school night."
Her feet poked out from the end of the couch while a throw blanket covered the rest of her. I'd hardly realized she was even there, except for the random snores.
"Studying," I replied. "I met some kids from my AP classes who have a study group. I'm going to give it a try."
"Sounds like a lot of distraction," she mumbled. "Just an excuse to go out on a school night."
Argh. Why did she suddenly care? The one time I really wanted to do something, and she's getting involved.
"I won't be out late," I assured her. "I think it's worth giving it a shot. The classes here are pretty intense."
"I told you you should take easier classes," she said. "Just move down to the regular level
. Problem solved."
My eyes closed as I used my inner voice to calm myself.
I chanted, "It's not my fault. I don't deserve this. Hard work will pay off. A good education will take me away from here." These were the words that kept me sane, each and every day.
I fought the other words that threatened to burst out of me, things like, "And did that work out well for you?" or "What? So I can be like you when I'm forty?"
But no. I'd never say such hurtful things to her.
Instead, I protected her. I had no idea why. It was a primal thing, I figured. I'd never let her know how much she'd let me down. It would destroy her.
"Well, it's too late to change now, so I guess I just have to suck it up," I said, praying she would let it go.
Poorva pulled up outside, and I secretly rejoiced that I'd made the plan with her before Shane or Dom made an offer. If a guy picked me up, I'd be done.
"Okay, my ride's here," I said, slinging my cinch sack over my shoulder and opening the door.
She glanced at the floor by my feet. "Aren't you going to take your backpack?" she asked with pinched eyebrows.
Shit. Fuck.
"Yeah, thanks." I shook my head as if I'd been absentminded.
I grabbed my pack and flew out the door before she could say another word.
"Go, go, go," I blasted as I jumped into Poorva's car, throwing my pack into the backseat. "My mom's asking questions."
She pulled away as we kept our eyes forward, just in case Mom had followed me out. If she was on the warpath, I'd just have to deal with it when I got home.
There was no way in hell I'd let her stop me now, though. We were about to begin work on our first project and I was nearly jumping out of my skin with excitement. I reached for my phone and turned off my maps, just in case she was savvy enough to track me. Fortunately, she had a second interview in the morning at the DPW. The timing of that distraction was perfect.
"The backpack decoy," Poorva laughed.
"Yup," I huffed. "I nearly forgot it, though. Made her suspicious."
She rolled her eyes.
"The things we need to do to keep them off our trail." She turned and passed the school. "Do you have a full charge?"
I glanced at my phone, and it glowed at ninety-nine percent. "Yup. And my external charger." I patted my cinch sack.
"Good." She glanced at her own phone, plugged into her car charger. "For some reason, our batteries drain really fast when we're all together. We'll need every percentage point we can get."
I considered the idea of running out of a charge while in the middle of the woods—no flashlight, no GPS.
"Um. Like, how fast?" I murmured.
"Fast enough that we won't want to linger too long in the darkness. We just need to get in and out, quickly. Long enough to gather some clues and then bolt." She flew down the road that led to the entrance to the woods.
"That sucks," I choked. "I'm already stressed enough. That adds another layer of panic."
"Totally." She shook her head and pulled into the lot by the trail.
The RAV and black Jeep were parked along the side, and the three guys waited at the benches. Courtney was nowhere to be seen.
Poorva and I grabbed our things and hopped out.
"Courtney's not with you?" Dom called to us, while Shane and Blake watched.
"No," Poorva said. "She's been out of touch. I have no idea what she's doing."
"Shit," he blasted. "You gotta just show up at her house. She's been extra weird with this one..."
Crunching gravel turned all of our heads as a shiny, dark BMW pulled into the lot. Its headlights blinded us as it idled for a moment, checking us out. Then the passenger door opened and closed, leaving us wondering. The Beemer reversed out then, and as the headlights angled away from us, we stared at a dark figure standing motionless in the lot.
As our eyes adjusted, her head lifted.
"Courtney!" Poorva called, running over to her.
Poorva spoke quietly with her for a moment, then the two of them joined the group.
"Hey," Shane said. "We're glad you're here."
Courtney gave a weak smile, causing everyone to smile as well. The energy of the group lifted immediately.
The feeling was different now that all of us were together. It was true. As a team, we were stronger than when we were apart. We'd have to use that benefit to our advantage.
Dom checked the time on his phone. "It's seven-thirty. What's our plan?"
Chapter 14
Shane was the first to move toward the opening of the trail and turned to all of us.
"So, do we go in by team or all together?" he asked.
Oh, right. We were supposed to work in two groups. I hated that. I just wanted to stay as one team.
"I wouldn't mind sticking together for the start of our research," I suggested, praying everyone would agree.
Going into the woods as a group of six sounded much better to me than a smaller group of three.
Without hesitation, everyone agreed to stay together for our initial entry into the forest, and my tense jaw released almost instantly.
"Okay." Shane nodded. "So, we go in, search for anything unusual, and then regroup back here. Don't waste any time in the woods, discussing ideas, or making plans. Save that for when we get back out. Last thing we need is to get distracted in there or lost."
"Agreed," Poorva said.
The rest of us nodded as well.
"So, let's plan on thirty minutes in there," Shane added. "That will give us enough time to look around, and then get out before our batteries die."
"It's exactly seven forty-five," Poorva said. "So, at eight-fifteen, we gather back here."
"Yup," Shane said, then he took a deep breath. "Flashlights on. Let's go."
We entered the trail opening, and I locked arms with Poorva. She gave a nervous chuckle and clamped on tight.
Shane and Dom led the way, and we followed close behind. Blake and Courtney lingered at the rear, sending a false sense of security to me.
Pitch darkness surrounded us as we moved deeper into the forest. Tall tree trunks lined each side of the trail like watchful soldiers. The pines were cleared of any low branches, having their canopies high above us, blocking any light from the rising moon and stars.
I strained to see through the trees into the depth of the woods on either side. Angling my phone’s flashlight to the right, I stared into the darkness, wondering what might be lurking behind each thick trunk or in the low shrubs that struggled to survive beneath them.
"You guys kind of know your way around in here, right?" I whispered to Shane and Dom.
"Yeah, we follow this trail to Hell's Gates," Dom said. "Then, it opens up a bit."
"Wait, what?" I spat.
I'd forgotten about Hell's Gates. Shane had mentioned the name once before, but it hadn't come up since.
"What the hell is Hell's Gates," I choked.
Shane looked back at me with a smirk. The light from my phone cast shadows on his face, creating dark circles under his eyes and making his sharp cheekbones even more pronounced. A shine bounced off his bottom lip, distracting me.
"It's just a name it was given a long time ago," he said. "It's part of the urban legend."
"It's the grounds of a burned down orphanage," Dom added. "Supposed to be haunted." He stopped short in his tracks. "What's that?" he shot, flashing his light ahead of us.
I jumped, pressing closer to Poorva, and Dom let out a laugh.
"Jerk," I mumbled.
We moved farther into the woods, and with each passing step, my anxiety grew worse. Something about the woods at night—it was terrifying. Anything could be hiding, waiting for us, like a psycho-killer or some deranged hermit, or worse—something unworldly.
I felt it all around us.
There was something unnatural here.
An uneasy feeling surrounded me like something unsettled lurked within the darkness.
"Do you guys feel that?
" I whispered.
Shane slowed his pace, and Dom held back with him.
"Yeah. I thought it was just me," Shane said. "I feel something too."
Blake pulled up close to us, with Courtney by his side.
"Me too. Like there's something else here. Or someone," he said. "Like there's a seventh among us."
"Shit," I gasped. "Don't say that."
"Just follow Ms. Kelly's steps," Poorva said. "Step one, don't run."
"I hate step one," I whined.
"And step two, keep track of every detail," Blake said.
Shane moved along the trail at a steady pace again. "So, we sense something with us," he said. "Let's go a little farther and see what happens."
"I was afraid you'd say that," I huffed.
We moved along the dark trail, and out of the pitch darkness, a gate appeared, blocking our way. Dom and Shane didn't hesitate and climbed over it first.
"What's that for?" I asked, stepping onto the lower rail.
"I think they put it here to stop people from going this way," Dom said. "Everyone just jumps it. Unless you want to go off-trail to get around it. Extra fencing goes both ways, so you'd have to go pretty deep to get around."
Shane held the long metal gate steady as the rest of us hopped over. I'd seen similar gates at farms, dividing cow fields, and thought it seemed out-of-place here. Fortunately, it was easy to get over, but I couldn't help thinking it would be an unfortunate hurdle in the time of panic and running.
As we moved away from the gate into the darkness of the forest, I noticed the disappearance of the shrubs and underbrush. The woods thinned out to pine trunks only, as if the forest floor had died and only the trees remained.
"Why is it so barren now?" I asked, flashing my light to the sides. "All the overgrown brush is gone."
I scanned the dirt ground that had earlier been covered in what looked like wild blueberry bushes and loads of poison ivy. It was just vacant now.
"They say once you get closer to Hell's Gates, everything dies off," Dom said. "The tall trees are the only thing left, and they're stripped of any growth practically up to the tops."
"Oh, great," I murmured, staring into the void of bare tree trunks all around.
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