Strings - Camp NaNoWriMo 2017

«What Lurks in Darkness - 4»

Jasper led me through the tunnel, holding tightly onto my wrist. I let him tug me along, all the while casting wary glances at the darkness which surrounded us. I could've sworn I saw a shape flit by, red eyes glowing, and I inhaled sharply. Jasper stopped, glancing briefly at me, then at the spot I had been staring at, before taking off once more. I kept my eyes trained for the shape to come by again, but nothing happened. After a while, I let my suspicions ebb away.

Jasper pulled me out into another lighted area. The ground was covered with a carpet of autumn leaves. "A dead end," he groaned, looking around. "Honestly..."

I glanced back at the opening from which we had emerged. The shadows moved again, and I jumped, startled. As I looked on, out of them came a smaller version of the shadow-creatures, this one with multiple long, sweeping tails. I stood frozen in place. The animal came into the light, then stopped, staring intently.

Suddenly I let out a groan as a piercing pain stabbed at my brain. I lowered my head into my hands.

The small clearing, the still, crystal waters. Jasper, lying dead on the floor. Images flashed through my head, making me wince.

"Rydel?" asked Jasper, coming to me. He tugged on my sleeve, a concerned look upon his face. "Are you ok?"

I blinked a few times. "Y-yeah..." I mumbled, grateful for his presence. "Um, Jas..." I trailed off, my gaze wandering to where I had seen the peculiar creature. It had vanished.

"Yeah?" asked Jasper.

I looked up at him. "Jas, this is going to sound crazy, but... I saw you, before. You were there, on the floor in the cave, dead. And it was definitely you."

Jasper had already turned his gaze elsewhere. "Well, it wasn't, was it?" he said dismissively. "Hold that thought, Rydel, I think I found another way to go." He turned around, walking towards a narrow trail just to the left of us. I stared at his back, rolling my eyes. Then I picked up pace, jogging after him.

"Wait up, would you?" I complained.

"It's not my problem if you can't keep up with a man's pace," he replied haughtily, and my fears melted away just a little. I was in some kind of hell, that was for sure. But I was in it with my best friend. My best friend with a really bad sense of humor.

We entered another sector. This one was colder, the ground tinted with white frost.

"The heck?" I mumbled. "What is it now?"

Jasper turned around. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, smiling. "Seasons!"

"Seasons?"

"Yeah!" Jasper exclaimed. "You know." He pointed behind us. "Fall." he gestured all around. "Now winter."

I eyed him weirdly. "Yeah but... why?"

Jasper shrugged, continuing to trek forward.

"Does this not seem a even a bit odd to you?" I pressed.

"Well, at least the seasons are going in order."

I rolled my eyes again. "That's not what I meant."

"I don't know, Rydel," said Jasper. "Fall, then winter. It makes perfect sense to me."

I sighed. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're joking, or just being an idiot."

Something light started falling from the sky. It took me a moment to realize that they were actually tiny snowflakes. "What's going on?" I wondered, looking up. I couldn't see where they were coming from.

I felt goosebumps crawl up my arms, making me shiver. I glanced down at them. It wasn't from the cold, I realized with wide eyes. My palms thrummed, glowing with a dim, red light. I let out a squeak, squeezing my hands together and holding them close to my chest.

"Huh?" said Jasper, turning around.

"Nothing, nothing," I managed to stammer. The glow had already faded.

Concern flitted behind Jasper's dark eyes. "Let's get out of here," he said, taking my hand. I was just about to reply when the image of the small creature flashed across my vision, and my migraine started up again. I clutched my head, doubling over.

The heart of the forest, red, pulsing. The eyes of the shadow-beasts, coming closer and closer. Jasper, again, his closed eyes as his head turned up to face me, bruised and bloody.

"Rydel? Rydel?" Jasper's shouts brought me back to reality. I was panting, leaning against him for support. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I replied, standing up again. "I really, really don't know, Jas. Please, let's just get out of here."

"Right," he replied, and we started off once more.

My mind reeled with what I had seen, unanswered questions circling around in my head like a flock of birds, yearning to be released. As we walked, I saw the creature once more. It materialized beside me, cocking its head. I tore my eyes away, focusing on walking. It kept coming up, materializing ahead of me, right beside the trail. Jasper didn't seem to notice.

"The forest, it's dying..." I mumbled almost inaudibly, recalling what I had noticed earlier. The creature appeared once more, this time walking beside me for a few paces before veering off, then fading into blackness. I felt a dark thrum of energy, like the one I had sensed next to the red gem.

"Jasper, wait," I said, prying my hand free and following the creature. He turned around, startled. "This way!" I said by way of explanation. "Trust me."

Jasper followed, catching up to me and placing his hand on my shoulder. "How do you know?" he asked.

"I don't," was my curt reply. Jasper grabbed my arm, but I tugged free. My mind was set.

"Rydel," he said sternly. I stopped in my tracks. I had never heard him use that tone before.

"J-Jas?" I said, turning around. Jasper stared down at me, his gaze steely.

"Please don't go that way," he said, softening. "You can't."

I gave a small, nervous laugh. "W-what? Jas, you act like you know this place." I turned around and kept walking. The energy grew nearer.

"Please." I stopped again, hearing the urgency in his voice.

"What's the matter?" I asked gently.

"Rydel, you just can't." Jasper bit his lower lip. "Don't ask me how I know, but you can't."

"No," I said, as softly as I could. "Please understand, Jasper. I saw the heart of the forest. It's dying. And it needs help. And... I can do that." I wasn't sure where the words were coming from. My hands tingled again, and my palms glowed red.

Jasper lowered his head. "Rydel, you don't realize what this will do to you," he said.

"And you do?" I said, giving him a weird look.

"Rydel," he pressed, ignoring me. "Don't leave me. Please don't."

"Just come with me," I replied. "Why can't you?"

Jasper took my hands in his. "Please don't leave, Rydel. I can't come with you if you go that way. And..." he trailed off. "I like you, Rydel," he breathed. "I really, really like you."

"What are you saying?" I said, bewildered.

"You know what," he simply replied, looking away. I couldn't stop the heat from rising up into my cheeks.

I took a long breath, trying to clear my head. "Jasper..." What had gotten into him? The Jasper I knew would sooner die than say anything like that. I looked him up and down, smiling a small, sad smile. "Remember when we were at the outpost, trying to fight off the shadow-creatures as they came down the hill?"

"Yeah," he replied, still not meeting my eye.

"That... that one big one messed up your arm pretty badly, didn't it?" I said, looking away.

And with those words, I pulled away, leaving Jasper staring at the perfectly smooth skin on his right arm.