The Enchanted Woods: book 1

Chapter 10

Chapter X

**Austin**

We eventually fall asleep side by side. Her head is nestled against my neck and my head is resting against her soft blonde hair. The sun starts to rise and I feel warmth run through me. My eyes flick open and I find myself wide awake. I slowly rise my head up and and glance around. Ashlynn and Cole are sound asleep and Sapphire's body is under one of our blankets. I feel Alice begin to stir beneath me and her eyes open up carefully.

"Sorry 'bout last night," she mutters eventually, snuggling closer to me.

Last night... Oh... Yeah...

"Oh--uh-- it's fine... He probably subdued you somehow. It's not your fault," I say truthfully but uncomfortably. Now that I thought about it, it really wasn't her fault. He must have been watching her or following her.

"Oh, alright..." Alice says with a sweet tone.

We get to our feet and step away from our stoop. I sigh and lean down to check the contents of our bag. As I unzip it I feel Alice hug me from behind.

"When I said I was sorry, I meant it you know," she whispers in my ear. I turn and she backs up to look at me.

"I know you did," I say before turning around to keep going through the bag.

"Well I still feel guilty," she stands up. I roll my eyes and rumage my hands through the bag.

"Well," I say, still rummaging through the bag, "don't be. I said it isn't your fault. He used seduction or something to keep you from kicking and screaming. Almost like how Sapphire used magic-- OW!" I shout and pull my hand out of the bag and find it bleeding. I cut it on a knife or sword or something. "Shit..."

Alice runs to my side, "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... fine," I mutter, smearing blood on my jacket. I reach back into the bag and grab a box of some sort of pills. A few are gone... I remember this box being unopened. Who opened it? "Alice, some of these pills are gone," I inform her, holding up the box to show her.

She eagerly takes it and reads the label quietly, "These are... birth-conrtol pills..."

My attention sparks and my eyes widen. "W-What? Did you take them?" I ask worriedly.

"Of course not!" she shouts in a hushed tone, glancing over at Ashlynn and Cole, who are still sleeping. "You don't think..." her voice trails off.

"N-no... I hope not." I murmer.

"Well we can't afford to lose supplies-- even ones like these," she holds up the box.

"Sh-should we--ask--them?" I say hesitantly, glancing towards them thoughtfully.

"No. We will find out eventually." she stuffs the box away in the bag and zips it up tight.

A moment later we hear Cole and Ashlynn begin to stir. Their eyes open simultaniously and we see smiles begin forming on their lips. They sit up, yawn, and look over at us next to the bag. I feel the compulsion that they are hiding something. Both of them. How much more obvious could it get? A wave of silence sweeps over us and we all just stare at eachother for a moment. Alice is the one who breaks the silence.

"Um--let's get ready to move..." she says softly as if we didn't just find the pills. She stands up and looks at me with longing eyes. I look back at her softly and reach up to take her hand. She smiles a little before turning around and begins folding up the blanket we slept under.

I get up and stretch my arm down to grab the bag, but Ashlynn runs up and grasps the bag first. I look up into her eyes, confused.

"Uh-- why don't I carry this? I just want to help out, y'know?" she shrugs her shoulders and runs back to Cole. I watch her with accusing eyes as she whispers something to him and glances at Alice.