Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  The guy shot us a look. “Shut the dog up before I shut him up for you.”

  “Max!” I said, petting his head and trying to calm him. “Shh!”

  Amy looked at us. “I’ve gotta go talk to him for a minute, or else he’ll never leave.”

  “Just be careful,” Julie said.

  When I noticed that all the guys were drinking something a bit stronger than Mountain Dew, I realized it might not be a good idea for Amy to be alone on their boat. “You oughtta stay here, Amy,” I said. “They all look wasted. They shouldn’t even be driving a boat.”

  She ignored me, swam over, and climbed aboard the boat. It didn’t take long for their calm conversation to turn into a full-blown argument.

  “That’s no way to talk to a girl!” Jesse yelled.

  “Shut up,” the guy said. “Just mind your own business.”

  “Well, it is my business when you pull up next to our boat,” Jesse said.

  “Piss off!” the guy replied.

  I nudged Jesse. “We need to go get her,” I said, fearing they might try to take off with poor Amy held captive on their boat. “Amy,” I pleaded, “please come back to our boat.”

  She looked in my direction, her cheeks red. “You’re right. He’s stubborn and bullheaded, and I don’t want to be anywhere near him.”

  I swam closer to the boat as Amy climbed over the rail. Just as she began to jump off, her hotheaded ex-boyfriend grabbed her and pulled her back on deck. She shouted a few curses at the guy, and in the next second, he pulled out a knife and angrily lunged at her.

  Next, it was like everything went into slow motion. In a flash, Jesse was on the boat, knocking the knife out of the guy’s hand and throwing him about twenty feet. Amy and Jesse jumped back in the water, and we all climbed back on our boat.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Amy.

  She let out a trembling breath. “We’re going back to shore. I’m getting a restraining order and having Eddie thrown in jail. He tried to kill me!”

  As we headed back to the dock, I tried to figure out what I’d just seen. How the heck did Jesse get on the boat that quickly? He was right beside me one second, then on the boat in the next, like when he disappeared out of my back yard that day I first met him. How could somebody disappear like that? And what’s with him throwing Eddie around like a ragdoll? He was in good shape, of course, but I didn’t understand how he could be so strong. Talk about the power of adrenaline.

  * * *

  Chapter 18

  Julie and I went hiking in the woods on one of the local trails along Bear Lake, hoping to burn off some major calories. My shorts were getting a little snug, and I wasn’t too fond of that.

  “Let’s grab some tacos for lunch,” Julie said. “I’m starving.”

  “Jules!” I said. “What’s the point of hiking if we’re gonna eat junk food? I say we have a grilled chicken salad, with lots of veggies and light dressing.”

  “Ew. I hate rabbit food.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “What am I gonna do with you?”

  “Still thinking about the big kiss yesterday?”

  I smiled. “Yeah.”

  “Well, you’d better lip-lock the guy with some tongue action next time. If you don’t snag him, I’m next in line.”

  “Hey!” I playfully slugged her.

  “I want you to hook me up with Jesse’s friend, the blond who drove us home.”

  “Wow. You must really have a thing for blonds.”

  “Not really. It just so happens that the guy is gorgeous. Hello! Didn’t you notice his gorgeous eyes?”

  “Yeah. They’re the same color as Jesse’s. I wonder if they’re related, cousins or something.”

  She laughed. “Heh. If we end up with them, we might be in-laws.”

  As we turned the bend in the path, I saw two legs sticking out from the bushes. Julie screamed, and I ran to check for a pulse and discovered that the man had short, dark hair. When I rolled him over to feel for a pulse, I saw distinct bite marks on his neck, as if a wild animal had attacked him. His green eyes were glazed over, and I could tell by his pale face that he was dead. “Oh my gosh!”

  “Who is it?” Julie desperately asked.

  “It’s Fred, that cute guy who did yard work for my dad.”

  My shaking fingers reached into my pocket, and I pulled out my cell phone to call 911. I tried to remain calm as I explained the situation, but I’d never been more freaked out in my life and couldn’t speak very coherently. I couldn’t stop gasping for air as I fell to my knees, sobbing.

  The police showed up almost immediately, and a female officer pulled me aside to ask me some questions.

  “What happened to him?” I asked, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “Who would do this?”

  “Animal attack,” she said.

  “No!” I yelled. “Not Fred.”

  “I’m so sorry,” the policewoman said.

  “I-I know who...er, what killed him.” Slowly, I opened my eyes. Memories of the wolves stalking me came flooding back. “I was in the woods a while back with my friends, and there was a pack of wolves stalking us, and—”

  The officer touched my back, trying to console me. “It wasn’t wolves,” she said. “They don’t bother humans.”

  I let out a trembling breath. “No, you don’t understand. These wolves weren’t...they didn’t act like normal wolves.”

  “This was a bear attack or maybe mountain lion,” she surmised, sounding confident.

  “Taylor!” When I turned around, my mother was standing right there. She embraced me in a tight hug, and worry flooded her features. “I rushed right up here when Julie called me. Sergeant Davidson told me the entire story.”

  I was suddenly so nauseated that I feared I might throw up right there in front of everyone. “Oh, Mom, it’s so awful.”

  “I’m so sorry about Fred, honey. The officer said I can take you home now.”

  My hands still trembled. “But my car’s here.”

  “Don’t worry. Your dad and I will come up and get it later. Let’s get you home.”

  *

  At home, I sat on the couch next to my dad. “None of my friends have ever died before. I just feel so helpless, so bad.”

  My dad wrapped his arm around me. “I know, sweetheart. It was a horrible accident.”

  “I was walking on that trail. What if it had decided to attack Julie or me?”

  “I know. From now on, until they capture or shoot whatever animal is responsible for these attacks, I want you to stay off those trails.”

  “Dad, how can this be happening?” I yelled.

  “There was an attack yesterday too,” my mom said. “A tourist. It’s been all over the news. It might be beautiful here,” she said, “but I’m scared. It’s dangerous out there.”

  “It’ll be okay,” Dad said. “When they catch the animal, everything will get back to normal.”

  I looked up at my dad. “I think it’s more than one animal, Dad. I think it’s wolves.”

  “Honey, remember what I told you about wolves.”

  “Yes, you said they rarely attack, but these do.” I stopped and thought for a moment about what Fred had told me. “And Dad...”

  “Yes?”

  “Fred said...” I stopped to sob as I thought back on our conversation. “He told me he had evidence of, uh...vampires around here,” I said softly. “Do you think they found him?”

  “Honey, that’s silly. Trust me, it wasn’t vampires.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. I mean, when he told me, I laughed.”

  “Poor Fred was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” my Dad said. “He was such a good kid. I can’t believe this happened to him.”

  His voice wavered as he spoke, and I could tell my dad was completely shook up.

  “Taylor,” my mom called from the other room, “Julie is on the phone.”

  “Can you ask her if she can call my cell? I’m gonna go up to my room and lie
down.”

  “Okay.”

  I hurried upstairs and picked up my ringing cell. “Hello?” I said.

  “Taylor, I’m freakin’!”

  “Do you think it was the curse or the animals?” I asked.

  “I don’t know anymore. Could there really be a curse?”

  “I don’t know either, Julie, but Fred is dead. Maybe there’s more to all of this than what we want to believe.”

  “Do you think we’re next?”

  “Maybe, but what can we do about it?”

  “We can start by digging up information, talking to people who have lived here for a long time. Maybe someone will know an urban legend that will help us figure out how to lift the curse.”

  “But it could just be the wildlife. There have been other attacks.”

  “Yeah. My dad just told me about that woman the other day.”

  “Do you think it’s the wolves?”

  “I don’t know. What I do know is that we’re lucky your blue-eyed Superman spotted that cabin in the woods.”

  “What if it was Jonathon? What if he’s some kind of crazed serial killer?”

  “But why would he kill his victims like an animal? I don’t think it’s him.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “I bet that pack of wolves demolished him.”

  “People can’t keep dying,” I said. “I love this place, but I’m terrified of all the bears, mountain lions, bobcats, and God knows what else. At least in New York City, I could walk outside freely.”

  “Right. As long as there were no muggers around and you didn’t wear the wrong gang colors.”

  “I guess I’ve still got some things to get used to around here.”

  “So what’s going on with you and Jesse?”

  “We have a date this Friday. I’m dying to see him, but I’m really shaken up.”

  “Just invite him over and watch a movie.”

  “Yeah. Well, I’m gonna go now. I want to take a nap, try to calm down.”

  “Me too.”

  “All right. Talk to you later, Jules.”

  “Bye.”

  I closed my phone and laid on my bed, then lay back and stared at my ceiling as I tried to straighten out my twisted thoughts. That cabin had been our sanctuary, and I was now sure that if Jesse hadn’t spotted it, we would have been victims as well.

  I went to my laptop and looked up everything I could about vampires. One article even said that sprinkling salt in windowsills and doorways would help to ward them off. What if Fred really was killed by vampires? Will they come for me next? The thought had my heart racing and my hands shaking. The whole thing sounded absurd and nutty, and I hoped I was just taking things way out of context. But would it hurt to throw down a little salt? As lame and stupid as it sounded, a few minutes later, I found myself grabbing the shaker from the kitchen. When my parents weren’t looking, I inconspicuously sprinkled the white stuff around, hoping to create some supernatural barrier.

  After tying garlic up around my room and around the house, I took a deep breath. I wondered again if I’d lost my mind. I overheard my name being used in conversation, and when I opened the door, I could hear my parents talking about me.

  “She’s put salt and garlic everywhere,” my mom said.

  “She’s just grieving over Fred, coping with it in her own way. Just let it be.”

  “There’s no such thing as vampires!” my mom hissed.

  “If it helps her feel safe, who cares? It’s psychological. So our house smells like dinner for a while.”

  “Fine. I’ll let it go for now, but if this nonsense goes on, I’m going to have to take her to talk to someone.”

  I shut the door. “Even my parents think I’ve lost it,” I whispered to myself as I fingered the silver cross on my neck. “Maybe I have.” With that melancholy thought on my mind, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  * * *

  Chapter 19

  Fred had died a violent death, and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Tears ran down my face, and I was constantly tormented by the vision of his dead body, and the words he’d spoken haunted me. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I was a mess.

  I also couldn’t stop thinking about Jesse. I had to wonder if his family had anything to do with poor Fred’s demise. As much as I knew about Jesse, and as long as I’d hung around him, he was still a mystery, and I was struggling to put the pieces together. Vampires, wolves, serial killers, and curses? I wondered if I should keep it all to myself. I knew I couldn’t confide in my parents, and Julie was the closest friend I had in Big Bear Lake, other than Jesse himself. Taking a big, deep breath, I gathered the courage to spill out what I was thinking. I only hoped she wouldn’t laugh at me and try to have me committed.

  “I’ve been thinking,” I began.

  “Does it hurt?” she questioned, trying to cheer me up.

  “Very funny. Anyway, I’ve got this crazy hypothesis. Well, it’s not all figured out, but I’m trying to...um, it’s really crazy, so please don’t laugh at me.”

  “Nothing shocks me, girl.”

  “This might. It’s really out there, but just bear with me.”

  “Before Fred was killed, he told me he had solid evidence that Jesse is a vampire and that I should stay away from him. That’s why he gave me this cross,” I admitted, holding the pendant up for her to see.

  “Whoa. And then he turns up dead with two bite marks in his neck?”

  “Yes.

  “Hmm. I don’t believe in vampires, but something’s going on. What if some horrible hex was placed on us when we accidentally treaded on sacred land?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve been searching the Internet for info on hexes and curses.”

  “We can hope it’s not true, but I’m not sure. Fred mysteriously died days after we entered that forbidden place.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know, and that scares me to death. What if I’m next?”

  I stared at her hard, and I could tell how worried she was.

  Her mouth pressed into a grim line. “I don’t wanna die, especially not like that. Maybe we could make amends and take some flowers back without crossing the line.”

  I shook my head. “No way. I don’t ever want to go back there again.”

  “But it might be the only way to keep us alive,” she said, her voice trembling.

  “Try and keep it together, all right. I have info that’s a lot worse than curses.”

  “Yeah right. Back to the vampire thing,” she said. “What else did Fred tell you?”

  I sighed. “Not much, and I didn’t believe him at the time. In the end, he got mad and walked away.” I pointed to the silver cross again. “He gave this to me to protect me from the undead.”

  She softly fingered the cross. “Hmm. Maybe he was being overly dramatic.”

  “I thought so, too, but he really seemed to believe it.”

  “You think he saw something?” she asked.

  “He said he did. He said he had solid proof, but he stormed off before we could get to that.”

  “Maybe he saw one of them murdering someone.”

  “Stop being so morbid. I’m sure he saw something, but it couldn’t have been that. If he’d seen something that vile, he would have told me and begged me not to meet up with Jesse. But I’m sure he saw something. I just don’t know what.”

  “Somebody had to kill Fred to prevent him from revealing their awful secret.”

  I nodded. “Exactly. I hate to say it, but maybe it was a vampire.”

  She bit her lip hard and didn’t say anything.

  I knew it sounded crazy, so much so that I’d debated telling her about it, but she believed the curse, so I’d presumed vampires wouldn’t be such a far stretch. I placed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you remember when Jesse was shot?”

  She arched a brown. “Yeah. How could I forget?”

  “How was he able to throw that bodybuilder around like that?” I asked. “He was weak
and losing blood fast. He was burning up with fever, and his face was pale, whiter than a ghost.”

  “Have you ever heard of adrenaline? That stuff can make guys strong enough to lift a car.”

  “I know, but there’s more to it than that.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Like what?”

  “Think about it. How did he find us in the woods in the complete dark? Not even a skilled tracker could’ve done that.”

  “Hmm. Now that you mention it, that was weird. Then again, how did that psycho shooter find us in the complete dark too?”

  I shook my head, thinking the same thing. “You’re absolutely right. And why didn’t he come in when the door was ripped off its hinges? He just stood there, staring.”

  “Maybe he was still dazed from the punch Jesse gave him.”

  “Or maybe he wasn’t invited in,” I said in a dramatic tone.

  Julie laughed. “Oh please! Are you trying to tell me you think he was a vampire? Next thing I know, you’ll be claiming those wolves were werewolves. And you think I watch too many horror movies!”

  I let out a long breath. “I’m just saying...well, maybe there’s something paranormal going on here.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not denying that. You heard that voice, and I believe you, but I think this is about ghosts and spirits—hauntings.”

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “Look, vampires are everywhere—in books, movies, magazines, online, and on television. It’s a popular craze that’s not gonna go away anytime soon. Let’s face it. Women want to be bitten and swept away by a sparkling, 100-year-old, handsome vampire. They want a hot bloodsucker in their life, and they don’t care if he’s a walking, murdering corpse. If he’s hot, they’re willing to put aside a little thing called age.”

  “This is different from all that pop culture nonsense, Julie—way different. This isn’t Hollywood. It’s the real deal.”

  I met her gaze. “Put the pieces together.”

  “Are you saying you now believe Jesse is a vampire?”

  “He has immortal strength and vision. He saw that cabin in the dark woods long before we did.”

  She glanced away, as if in thought. “Sure, but he also walks in the daylight, eats, and feels warm.”