Jess, a beautiful teenage girl, finds herself in inexplicable troubles. She sleepwalks to the woods. When she's alone the world around her changes. Darkness reaches out to her.
And she's not the only one in trouble. All around her town peculiar thi...
Alex could hear Jim's breathing. The atmosphere was quieter than they expected. Every now and then they stepped on dead leaves, and the sudden sound seized their minds in cold hollowness. Their torches shot long beams past the tall trunks of the trees. And in the darkness behind them, crickets cried.
They were on a beaten track to the river. Hundreds and hundreds of trees were standing tall all around them. The dark and gigantic presence of the wilderness was overwhelming. Walking in that cool breath, they realized the forest was asleep.
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Jim's throat was dry. After every five steps he was looking over his shoulder. The thought that this was a bad idea kept recurring to Alex, but every time it came-Anthony's image crossed his mind, and his legs kept moving.
"hey? Are you sure Anthony will help us?" Jim said.
"He should," Alex said. "He should" He whispered to himself.
They reached the place where Anthony had brought them that day. There was a big, round clearing here. This was the place where Anthony had told them something about a well. Now they don't remember what?
Jim looked at Alex in a Now What? look. Alex looked around at the bare earth, broken branches, and pools of leaves. He wasn't sure exactly where they were standing that day. He wasn't even sure that this was going to work.
Why were they doing this? What was the necessity? Anthony is safe, right? But he isn't okay, Alex thought. Something is wrong with him. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts away, and took out another torch. It was Anthony's torch.
That night, when Alex, Anthony, and Jim came to the woods, Anthony gave Alex his torch. Alex had asked why? But Anthony only shook his head and said, "Just in case...you'll know when you'll need it."
So, Alex thought maybe, just maybe, he gave him his torch for an occasion like this. He didn't know what to do with it. He held it in his hand, thinking Now What?
He closed his eyes and thought: Help me Anthony. Help me Anthony. Help me Anthony...
Then he felt he should put the torch on the ground. He lighted Anthony's torch and put it on the ground.
Jim looked at Alex with a curious astonishment.
"Help us Anthony," Alex said.
Jim looked at Alex in a Seriously? look.
"Help us Anthony," Alex said again.
Jim felt a little crazy at first, but then he joined him and they both started saying, "Help us Anthony.Help us Anthony. Help us Anthony."
After a while they started shouting the words. Their gaze was locked on the torch. They were waiting for something magical to happen. But nothing did.
