Whisper of the Woods

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Blake

Goosebumps rose on my skin as a gust of cold wind whistled in my ears. The sky is jett black, the white moonlight being our only source of illumination.

I walk side by side with Annalise. We haven't exchanged any words for a while now. Not because of lack of conversation or awkwardness, but to enjoy the natural soundtrack of the woods.

I don't find myself on edge when the sky starts to lose it's bright blue pigment. I think it's safe to say that I've overcome my phobia.

"We should rest," Annalise advised.

"No. We don't need sleep," I replied with a spark of determination. "We could be getting close."

"Your call," She shrugged.

"How did you manage to get away from Jace?" I wondered, the question had always sat in the back of my mind.

"Drugged 'em," She answered simply keeping her eyes ahead.

"From his pills?"

"Yup. I was making his dinner one night and when he wasn't looking I crushed his pills. Mixed it in his food and he was out. I thought I might of killed him since it was an over dosage. But what do you know? You ended up finishing the job," She faced me with a smile.

"Darn straight," I agreed and she laughed a little. Silence now hung in the air. Until Annalise broke it.

"You said that Drew and some popular kids in your school pranked you and that's when Jace took you right?"

"Yup," I popped the p.

"And you didn't suspect a thing? Popular kids coming up to you out of nowhere and ask you to come with them to some creek? And Jace just happened to find you there."

"Yeah I think it's a little late to be playing Sherlock. But I do know Jace had something to do with it," I replied. It all just kind of fell into place in my mind. Anna's right. It does sound fishy. It was stupid on my part to just brush it off.

"Maybe it's late," Anna shrugged. "But it's never too late for revenge."

My lips curved upward into a mischievous smile. "Oh trust me. Everyone's in for a rude awakening when I get back," I flipped up the blade of the pocket knife, chucking it into the tree that was rooted several hundred feet away from us.

"When we get back."

My eyes widened and I turned my head to her. "You're going back?"

"I'm going back," She confirmed with a confident smile which I surely returned.

I've taken into notice of how much she's loosened up. She's still a bit guarded and tends not to show any sign of weakness.

But I can tell the same giddy and bubbly child still resides deep within her. Deep deep down. I understand in a way though. These woods changed her, reshaped her personality.

Once we began to pass the same tree, I made sure to yank my knife out of the bark, flipping the blade back down. Shoving it back into my back pocket.

"Anna."

She turned her head to me, expecting a following sentence.

"Jace gave that name to you, didn't he?" I figured.

She pressed her lips into a thin line before she answered. "Yeah."

"And you let me call you that all this time, even though he forced it on you?"

"I hated it when he called me that. It disgusted me when he said it. But. . ." She spoke at slow pace and clear tone. "Overtime, I just kind of excepted it. It's who I am now."

"Oh," I replied softly, not knowing what else quite to say. I don't know why I brought him up. Annalise now seems to be in deep thought and I can't help to think it's about what I'd just asked her.

Her eyes were trained to the forest floor when she stuck her arm out in front of me, preventing me from walking any further.

"What?" I inquired, following to where her intense stare was set.

A very familiar photograph laid on the ground. A lump started to form in my throat at the sight of it. Anna unclipped her necklace and let it slip into her bag.

"He carries it everywhere with him," Her voice dropped in whisper. Her eyes were kept on the photograph as she took out the gun from the back of her jeans. Slowly handing it to me.

Right then, a tall dark figure emerged from behind a tree in front of us. The silhouette took a few steps forward, coming into the shimmer of the moonlight.

"Well well well. Long time no see. . .B."

___________________________

A/N > . . . *sigh* [no comment needed].

But on the bright side, Annalise and Blake seem to be getting along better, yeah?

I made the banner btw. Annalise and Blake both look bad a** loll.

I hoped you enjoyed! Despite the last sentence haha.

I'll be back Friday 😉

Votes/Comments, are much appreciated xx

-kya h. ∞