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CHAPTER SIX
Eleanora Hadley sat in her spot in the forest, a spot that was a little further into the forest than she normally went, as her body hadn't decided to have an episode in the middle of her hike, although she was regretting it now. Her head was thrown carelessly back against the trunk of a tree, her usual crossword book in her lap although she couldn't even bring herself to open it, not feeling like doing anything.
Her phone chimed absentmindedly in her pocket and Ellie flipped in open only to see a message from Sydney. A photo of an irritated looking Sydney with her two youngest cousins crawling all over her, accompanied with a message 'In case you were wondering camping is not fun, so I can officially say told you so. Can't wait to see you, once the week from hell is over' presented within.
Ellie chuckled as her eyes flickered back to the photo with the message and broke out into giggles all over again, suddenly aware of how quiet the forest seemed to have gotten. The usual sounds of nature that joined together in a deafening chorus had stilled, leaving only the rustling of leaves as the wind ran through them. A shiver ran down Ellie's back, goosebumps prickling across her skin. It was a similar feeling that she got when she watched horror movies or true crime documentaries late at night, when the slightest shift in noise or the slamming of a window, immediately sent her entire body in a frenzied panic.
However, this time her body still exhausted from her hike was forcing her to shut down once more, her ears pricking up slightly at the sound of a cracking branch but completely unable to do anything about it, as her body forced her to sleep.
As she woke up a little while later, the usual deafening chorus of the forest had returned, any change a fleeting memory. Despite it all Ellie immediately pushed herself up not wanting to get caught out once more with another episode.
She weaved between the trees, her feet tracing a familiar path until she came upon a truly shocking sight. A dead deer lay perfectly framed between two curving trees, its body almost mutilated beyond recognition. The breath was knocked out of Ellie's lungs as she crouched slightly beside it, searching for any lingering sign of life, only to find none.
Ellie picked herself up off the forest floor once more, brushing the dirt from her knees, her eyes flickering around. "Well, I think that was the sign I needed. Let's head home." She muttered to herself, oblivious to the eyes that followed her.
Eleanora Hadley observed the two large yellow school buses parked in the school parking lot as she and Bella pulled into the school. Running slightly late due to an unexpected episode on Ellie's part. As hilarious as it would be to think of Bella dragging the sleeping brunette into her truck, Bella had decided to wait out the episode instead, even if that meant them running late or potentially missing their excursion altogether. Everyone needed a friend like that, someone who didn't care if you made them a little late with something you simply couldn't control at all.
