Guardians of Magic: The Awakening (SAMPLE)

Chapter 6 -- Close Encounters

As if that isn't bad enough, attacks are becoming linked to disappearances. Several people claim to have lost someone in these woods. Attacks aren't the only things becoming more frequent – likely murders are as well. Of course, the author lays out those additional theories, which happen to be along the same lines.

He's very persuasive, pointing out that despite these conflicting views, one thing is certain: something strange is going on in these woods. He claims to have seen some government vehicles coming through in recent years, enlisting the help of some locals to aid in "experiments." He says that "while the specifics are unclear, whatever is going on there is abominable. Unholy. Unnatural. And a danger to the townsfolk." Those locals who made it out of the woods after being tricked into finding work there, claimed the government was behind these experiments, enforcing his theory. Yet they all had different stories still. Despite the truth being unclear, he ends by recommending people get out of town before losing any loved ones to the horrors of the national forest and "above all – stay away from the area and anyone suspected of being involved there."

No wonder people are so hostile towards my uncle. They think he had something to do with it, probably since he lives here in the woods. If only they knew how close their theories are. My uncle does work for the government. There is a weird barrier that's here to keep something in.... I stop thinking about it after that last part.

I sigh, closing the book and placing it beside me. I rub my forehead, running through the list of possible theories, trying to make sense of them. Some of them were just too horrible to contemplate. I could always just ask my uncle if any of these theories had any truth to them. I refuse to believe he had anything to do with causing harm to people, though. And hopefully he's not experimenting on cute, adorable animals, I can't help thinking.

I shake off my distress, getting to my feet. I've already spent days worrying about my neighbors in the woods. I don't want to do that anymore. The least Uncle Jack can do is tell me I have nothing to worry about, give me something to lay my fears and paranoia to rest.

Determined, I head downstairs. I find Uncle Jack in the office, examining several papers in front of him. His brow is scrunched up, as if working through a hard problem. I watch as he abruptly gets up to grab an old, crumpled book from his office library, muttering to himself as he reads from it. I politely knock on the glass door. He looks up at me, distracted from whatever had been on his mind. He opens one of the glass doors, propping his arm against the other one.

"What's up? Do you need something?" He asks. I can tell he's still thinking about whatever problem he had been working through.

I decide to just get to the point. "Why did those men say you sacrificed people to the 'beasts of the forest?'" I air quote for emphasis.

My question seems to jerk him out of his thoughts. "What?!" He asks, taken aback.

"When we went into town, the old men were talking about you. They treated you badly and sad horrible things." I shudder. "Why would they think that?"

He closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. "Look. It's nothing to worry about, okay? The people in town can just be a bit superstitious is all." His tone conveys that he doesn't want to talk about it anymore, but I'm determined to get something out of him.

"But I have been worrying. You said not to go into the woods because there are predators. You didn't say 'animals.' And you were recruited by the government to do what? Live in the middle of nowhere? And there's this magical barrier to keep people out, but I'm pretty sure it's also to keep something in, so are they right? Do I have to be worried about being attacked or killed?" As I'm saying it, I realize just how scared I've been. If these things are happening to people outside the barrier, surely it'll be even easier for it to happen to me inside it. It doesn't help that Uncle Jack says nearly everything is dangerous. How can it possibly be safe here?