Through the Woods

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Through the Woods Page 8

by Rowan Thalia


  “Hello?” I rattle the doorknob.

  “What’s going on?” Maria’s voice startles me, and I whip around to see her and Jackson walking up from the kids’ cabin area.

  “Uh. We were just wanting to check out some old records from the camp,” I stutter. “It would make a fun art and craft activity to make a historical map or journal of the camp.”

  Maria and Jackson peer at us, then shrug. “The owners are gone for the day. Wouldn’t our keys work though?” She raises her keyring up.

  “Yes, possibly, but I don’t have mine,” I say sheepishly.

  Maria smiles and hands me hers. I single out a key and try it in the lock. It opens easily, and I hand them back. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. We’re going back to the farmhouse to eat. See y’all later,” she waves and takes Jackson’s hand. He nods and follows her. Get it, girl! The three of us watch their backs until they disappear, before opening the office door and walking inside.

  “So, let’s each take a bookshelf and look. Any books or ledgers that look old are worth looking at,” I point to the row of shelving behind the desk. The guys nod and move to their own shelves. I take the middle and start at the top shelf. At first, there are guides for the current camp. Then halfway down the bookcase, I find some old ledgers and journals. The ledgers hold your run-of-the-mill camper assignments and contact information. There’s an old, faded map of the camp. Taking it with delicate fingers, I lay it out on a nearby table. The layout is nearly the same, except the farmhouse held the kitchen and eating area. There were a few cabins spread out, probably the same ones, they’ve just been upgraded. The thing that catches my attention is the name of the farmhouse. Large, scrolling handwriting lists it as ‘Mayweather House’ and the top of the map lists it as ‘Mayweather Boy’s Camp’.

  “Look at this one, guys,” I call out to the others. After a few moments of the rustle of books being taken on and off the shelves, they both join me. We look down at the faded map.

  “Dude, that’s badass,” Alex says, reaching out to touch the map.

  “Mayweather!” Asher exclaims as he read the notes on the map. “This confirms the story! If Sterling can find the news articles, I think we may know what happened here.”

  “But what good does that do for us?” I ask in exasperation. “Knowing doesn’t help end this.”

  “No, but it lets us figure out what we’re up against,” Asher counters, pulling me in for a gentle hug. The clean scent of his soap and the warm hug help soothe my jagged edges. I feel like I’m losing my mind over all this. I have always been the tough, snarky girl. It’s taken every bit of resolve I have to attempt to remain that way, but anyone would lose their edge over the shit we’ve experienced in the last year. I didn’t even know demons really showed themselves to people, before Dudley. Now we know all too well what they’re capable of, like giving ghosts the strength to attach to us.

  “Let me finish looking in this old section,” I say, getting lost in my head for a second. I pull out the last few items that look out of place and rifle through them. There’s a counselor guide that goes over the rules, then the last is a journal. From the first few entries, I gather it’s the camp director’s wife. I tuck that one into my messenger bag for later.

  “Anything?” I call out to the others. Though, when I stand up, I get my answer. They’re both leaning against the table, waiting for me. “I’ll take that as a no.”

  “Nah, it was all just educational books on my side, with a few ‘how to handle teens’ books mixed in,” Alex answers with a shrug.

  “Mine was emergency plans, ledgers and an emergency card catalogue,” Asher adds, grabbing his bag off the table, and slinging it over his shoulder. He freezes halfway there, his hand suspending the bag mid air.

  “What’s wrong, Ash?” I ask, spinning around to face the direction he’s staring. The large, decorative mirror on the wall is clouded over with fog, and an image of the lady in white staring right at us. Her mouth is locked in a silent scream. Before I can even react, the fog spills out of the mirror.

  “Well, that’s a nope from me. How the fuck did she follow us here?” Alex asks, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the office. “Let’s go, bro!”

  Asher needs no further encouragement, his brother’s urgency is enough to snap him out of his shock. We take off across campus, not bothering to look back. We don’t slow until we’ve made it through the tree line to the other side of camp.

  10

  Jun

  We take only ten steps past the tree line, when the drum beat starts. The whisper of chanting swirls around us. As it surrounds us, it becomes overwhelming, my senses feeling like I’m underwater and lethargic. The trance traps us there for several minutes, until shadows seep from the treeline on all sides of us. The raw fear triggers my flight response.

  Grabbing each of their hands, I pull them with me to our cabin. Sterling covered the outside in salt, and all the windowsills. We just have to reapply the salt line over the door, and our sanctuary will be safe.

  The shadows keep closing in on us, encouraging us to run even faster. By the time we reach the front door, I’m out of breath and panting like a dog. I really need to get in shape. You’d think with four men, this wouldn’t be an issue.

  Asher fumbles with his key for a moment, before flinging it open and ushering us inside. A shadow steps onto the porch as we slam the door. Alex slings a crude salt line over the entryway and we all collapse on the sofas.

  “That was not how I planned today going. Why is that ghost bitch back again?!” Alex growls out.

  “I saw her a few nights ago in the mirror. And a glimpse of white before. I think she attached to us, thanks to our dear old, demon friend,” Asher explains, laying his head back against the couch. I hate how upset he sounds. I scoot down the couch until I can crawl into his lap and nuzzle my head into his neck.

  “We’ll figure all of this out. We’re missing something in this stupid equation,” I mumble into his neck, before rubbing my hand up and down his arm, trying to calm him. I hate that he was dealing with that, and we didn’t realize it was this bad.

  “So, what did little Jun look like when she came to summer camp here?” Alex asks, making me laugh at the abrupt change of subject.

  “I was skinny and lanky, with knobby knees and bright red hair. Which meant all the freckles and sunburn,” I say, cringing at the memory. I wasn’t the cutest of middle schoolers. “What did my sexy twins look like in middle school?”

  “Alex was tan and preppy. I was the pale kid who was stuck inside for art club,” Asher says.

  “What was your high school like?” I ask, curious if they went to a private school.

  “Uniforms, stuck up classmates, teachers who kissed everyone’s butts, and pompous clubs. It sucked,” Alex explains.

  “Yeah, it was a private school. I swear the more money you had, the more ass kissing happened. I wasn’t a fan of all of that nonsense. I stuck to art and my schoolwork so I could get out of there,” Asher adds.

  “Yeah, I stuck to sports and Asher helped do my homework,” Alex jokes.

  “Man, Dexter and Sterling were the only reason I made it through. I was always the weird girl who liked dark clothes and wasn’t perpetually cheerful. My resting bitch face game was strong,” I say with a shrug.

  "You get along with your family?" Asher asks. His question makes me realize how much I keep to myself. I need to be more open. It's not that I keep things a secret, it's more that I've always had to hide myself, so when I don't have to... I forget.

  "Kind of. My mom is always trying to make me wear brighter things, be more cheerful, all of that. I stopped telling her about ghosts a long time ago. Mom just thinks I have night terrors sometimes. I know she loves me, but she doesn't attempt to understand me. She just wants me to fit in her box. Sam is her prodigal son. He's preppy and cheerful, my complete opposite. And Dad's always been a workaholic, so he doesn't know me," I say with a shrug, picking at the couc
h cushion. "Yours?"

  "Yeah, we were always close. Our dad is a pilot, hence why Alex is choosing that path. He thinks any time spent on other things, like my art, is a waste of time. But mom isn't afraid to tell him to shove it," Asher says with a chuckle.

  "True, she's always been the one to calm him down when he's getting too hell bent on things. They're a good combo," Alex agrees.

  "You doing okay, beautiful?" Asher whispers. I crawled over here because I upset him, and here he is making sure I'm good. Typical Asher, I think with a smile.

  "I'm good. Are you?" I counter, leaning back to look up at him with a raised brow.

  "Yeah," he says unconvincingly, absently running his fingers through my hair. I love that Asher always has to be touching me. He lets out a sigh at my narrowed eyes and kisses me on the forehead. "I just wish this shit would stop," he finally admits.

  "We'll figure it out," I promise, placing a kiss on his neck, before snuggling back in again.

  "Okay, so I snagged an old school game system from the activity cabin. Who wants me to kick their ass in a racing game?" Alex says with a grin, getting up and plugging in the system before handing a controller over to me.

  "Oh, get ready to cry, Alex!" I say, twisting around and dropping to the floor in front of Asher. I don't know why I have to play while sitting on the floor, but that's how I always played growing up. It’s like an unwritten rule.

  "I'm getting snacks. Behave kids," Asher jokes, stepping around me and heading for the kitchenette. We stashed some snacks in here, though sweets are off the menu until Dex and Sterling get back.

  "Pick your racer, Purple," Alex orders, selecting the black car for himself. The pixelated graphics are ridiculous, but I can't help but enjoy the nostalgia.

  "Purple, duh," I say choosing a purple sports car. The game timer counts down as Asher sits behind me again. My competitive side comes out as Alex overtakes me. We keep pace for a while, switching back and forth between first and second place, until I remember one of those secret levels they loved to put in games back then. Alex cheers the moment I veer off, until he sees my side of the screen go through the wall and reveal the new tunnel.

  "What the fuck? You're cheating?!" he accuses, throwing a cushion my way. I dodge it and laugh.

  "Nah, they put these in each level. It's not my fault you weren't cool enough to find them as a kid," I call over, cackling when I win the race.

  "Shut up, you just had Dexter and Sterling to show you those," he snorts. "Rematch!"

  "No way! It's my turn. Don't be a baby," Asher teases, popping another chip in his mouth. I snatch the bag of chips, and he holds out a can of soda for me. I take a moment to enjoy them, while Alex and Asher tease each other. Asher eventually wins, so he takes the second level. I take a moment to remember where the secret path in this one is, but I remember as soon as I see the marker for it. Asher stays behind me the entire time, so when I veer off, so does he. Once he's in the running, he moves his car around mine, until we're battling for that first slot. We both cross the finish line at almost the exact same time. I hold my breath for a second until it announces me as the winner.

  "Yes!" I say, doing a shimmy on my butt in celebration.

  "That's bullshit!" Asher protests, though he can't hide his laughter at my obvious gloating.

  "Are those tears I see, boys?" I tease, before blowing them each a kiss.

  "Rematch time," Alex protests, taking his spot back from Asher. We play a few more rounds, but I keep barely beating them.

  "Alright, I give up, she's the queen of old school racing," Asher finally concedes, dropping the controller on the coffee table and sitting behind me again. His hands immediately gravitate back to my hair, causing me to lose all concentration.

  "Where's somewhere you've always wanted to go?" Alex asks, plopping down into his chair with a fresh can of soda.

  "We didn't really travel much as a family, so I've not been out of Louisiana," I admit, suddenly feeling boring and uncultured.

  "Okay, then I vote we take one vacation a year, minimum!" Alex shrills.

  "We could road trip. They have certain routes mapped out. For instance, hitting the Grand Canyon and some other stuff along the way," Asher says, getting excited.

  "I love those cheesy roadside stops, like the world’s biggest rocking chair and shit like that. I'd love to see the Grand Canyon, though," I admit, standing up and stretching so I can sit on the couch again.

  "I say that next summer, we take it off. It's the last time we'll have an entire summer free. I know we worked so the family fund was better off, but we'll have time for that during the year or when we join the 'real world'," Alex says all in one breath, before I can even come up with a protest. He's onto something though. I'd much rather work my ass off all year and take time to enjoy the summer.

  "So, I talked to Mom earlier," Asher drawls. Alex and I both flinch at the mention.

  "What did she have to say?" he asks, his voice guarded.

  "I just told her about us all. I didn't want to hide it. It's our choice, our lives and our girlfriend," he says, giving me a soft look. My heart warms at his words.

  "And she said what?" Alex asks, clearly impatient. His eyes are already hard, which hints at her reaction.

  "That it's deplorable to share a girl. She said some words I wasn't happy about, so I told her she can call us when she's learned some respect. She threatened to cut us off, and I reminded her that Grandpa left us plenty, so her threat is invalid. Then she sputtered out some half words, and I hung up," Asher finishes, letting out a long sigh. I hate that our relationship is causing so much tension between them all. I think that Sterling's family will take it better at least, so hopefully we won't all have to shun our families.

  "Yeah, I think my mom and Dexter’s mom kind of expected us to get together. It’s like an arranged marriage. They weren’t expecting Sterling and you guys, but they didn’t really make a big deal about it,” I shrug, wishing their parents took it better.

  "Don't stress, I just thought about it and had a moment alone, so I called," Asher reassures me.

  “I'm going to take a nap. Let me know when they're back and y’all are ready for dinner," Alex says as he stands up and stretches. I pucker my lips for a kiss, before letting him have some time alone. I think he honestly just needs some time to process his mom's reaction, and I don’t want to pressure him.

  "He'll be fine," Asher whispers, reaching out and picking my legs up so he can drape them across his lap. I moan as his knuckles dig into my feet, working out the knots I didn't even know I had.

  The door opens a few minutes later, interrupting my foot rub. They both look defeated, though Sterling has a stack of books, and Dexter has a few groceries. I reluctantly pull my feet out of Asher's lap and take the bags from Dex.

  "No luck, I take it?" I ask, peeking into the first bag.

  "Not really. The info online wasn't that good. Sterling found a book he’ll skim later. That's about it. Do anything fun today?" Dex asks, reaching into the other bag and unpacking the snacks. I snatch a bag of chocolates and hop onto the counter, before answering.

  "Well, the Mayweather story might be legit. We found an old camp map that listed buildings named after them. Then we got a nice scare from our old friend the lady in white. Then as we ran back here, drum beats started up, and fucking shadows poured out of the woods. Speaking of, someone fix that salt line," I say, pointing at the front door.

  "Things are really escalating again," Sterling says with a frown.

  "I've got a feeling the demon riled them up. Look at the lady in white, she shouldn't have been able to attach to us, yet here she is. He influences them all," I summarize, knowing I'm right.

  Sterling doesn't bother with the surrounding conversation, instead sticking his nose in his borrowed book. The rest of us settle around him, sharing snacks and catching them up on Alex's vacation idea for next year. Screams from Alex's room break the conversation, sending us all running in to see what the proble
m is.

  Alex is peeking into his boxers and screaming when we burst into the room. His face is bunched up in pure, raw terror. I walk up and put my hands on his cheeks, trying to calm him.

  "Alex? Babe, what's wrong?" I ask, trying to get his eyes to focus on me, but he seems to be somewhere else altogether.

  "Oh god, oh god, oh god," he moans, over and over, a real pain in his voice. He's still grabbing his dick, so I pull back the band of his boxers and peek in. Everything looks normal, which makes the situation even more weird.

  "I think he's stuck in a night terror," Sterling breathes. "Keep talking to him, it will help him come out of it. Asher, you too."

  I move to the side to make room for Ash, and we both spout nonsensical words of comfort, just trying to get him to calm down. He finally relaxes, his body slumping back against the bed again.

  "Alex?" I ask, louder this time. He blinks open his eyes, the look of fear receding as he sees me looking down at him.

  "What the fuck?" he asks, peeking into his boxers and letting out a sigh of relief. "I just had a fucking dream that my dick fell off. I was bleeding everywhere, and nobody was around. The only thing I could hear was creepy fucking laughter," he says, leaning back and taking deep breaths.

  "Well, you were screaming, then mumbling and holding yourself, so I looked. It's there," I say, trying to sound concerned but also trying not to laugh. The whole thing seems hilarious, now that it’s over. Though, I have my doubts he'll find it funny for a while.

  "Fuck this," he mumbles, getting out of bed and pulling a pair of gym shorts on over his boxers.

  He shrugs it off as we head into the living room, but something about the fear in his eyes is bugging me. He's not one for nightmares, and it really shook him. This better not be a new addition to the creepy happenings around us. I have enough nightmares for all of us.

  11

  Jun

 

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