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───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────
║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 02 - 28 - 2027 ║
║ Sunday║ Third Day of Olympia's Cup║
I glanced at the others, and there I saw that their faces were grim and set with determination, but behind their eyes I saw the same fear that filled my own heart. We had come so far already, completing challenges that had broken stronger teams. But this latest obstacle had extracted a terrible cost.
The forest path seemed to stretch on forever, winding through the dense woods. No one spoke as we marched along the narrow dirt trail. The horror of losing Haley to the pit of fire and snakes still weighed heavy on our minds. I could feel it pressing down on my shoulders, making each step harder than the last.
Yet, I keep my eyes on the path, not wanting to see the faces of my remaining teammates anymore, as their eyes would show the same dread I feel inside — the guilt of surviving when Haley did not. We should have tried harder to save her, done something different.
But now she is gone and the horror that we have to keep moving forward through this nightmare, without even having a time to mourn over her death, stabs our wound even more deeper.
The trees seem to press in close on either side, the shadows growing deeper as the light begins to fade. Every snapped twig and rustle of leaves makes me jump. Any moment, I expect something to emerge from the trees, some new horror devised to test us, to take another one of us. But nothing appears and we walk on in silence, the weight of Haley absence a heavy burden we each carry alone.
Afternoon falls even deeper but we do not stop. There is no rest for us now, only the endless march forward. My footsteps feel heavier with each step, my eyes straining to see dangers that may lurk on this path in the darkness. I focus on putting one foot in front of the other, keeping my eyes fixed straight ahead, trying my best not to imagine what awaits us up ahead, trying not to remember the screams behind us.
The forest grew darker as we walked, the trees crowding in ever closer. The path narrowed further, branches grasping at our clothes like bony fingers. Still no one spoke.
What was there left to say?
We had a mission to complete, but part of our team was lost forever.
Over and over, the forest presses in around us, the branches of the ancient trees forming a canopy that blocks out most of the light. We have been walking for what feels like hours but could be minutes or days in this place, as time has no meaning here. An endless trial meant to test us, to wear us down until there is nothing left. But as if, our minds are still not giving in, we kept walking this path, for Haley and for the team. We press on through the thick undergrowth, stumbling over gnarled roots that twist up from the damp earth.
YOU ARE READING
Ruby Fridays
Mystery / ThrillerEveryone has their dark side but some- like 𝙍𝙪𝙗𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, have the darkest. High school can be tough for many teenagers, but for her, it was peculiarly hellish. Clever as evil and twice as pretty, Ruby's beauty was both dangerous and leth...
