Cursed

27

*Unedited, I was too excited about getting back to writing, if you see any glaring mistakes feel free to point them out* 

Also, a huge thank you to @dragonlover_11 and @livelifeandhavehope for their well wishes on the previous chapter. They were so touching to read :) 

Anyway, enjoy some Sal

Something didn't feel right.

Sal had had a bad feeling about the forest from the moment he step foot into its leaf littered bounds. There was something about the atmosphere that told him to turn back and place as much distance between himself and the area as possible.

The place felt alive. As if the very ground beneath him was buzzing with a hidden energy. An energy so ancient and powerful that any moment it would burst up from beneath the ground and crush all of them with little to no effort. Though that was nothing compared to the trees. They didn't appear to be particularly threatening, tall and looming, maybe, but that wasn't anything special for a tree. Rather, he could have sworn that they were almost sentient, at least, enough that he could feel them watching him. It was the same feeling one got when they could feel another person watching them, that 'burning holes into the back of your head' feeling. Burrowing past the outer layers of his skin and finding his soul. It were as if his innards had been laid bare for them to scrutinise and the sensation made his skin prickle.

He tried to cast it aside as he and Evanora brought up the rear of their odd group. He attempted to focus on Lily's unwavering presence instead, as she lead the group through the forest. He noticed the curious looks passing between Alina and Derick each time Lily stepped over something she shouldn't have known existed or changed their course of direction. Despite their confusion, neither of them said anything. Brihst was rumoured to be a place of the uncanny and while none of them could guess what it had done to Lily they were all still alive so it meant that in the very least it wasn't planning on killing them.

The feeling of eyes continued to follow him.

He wondered if the others felt the same way.

He tried to tell himself that he was just being paranoid, letting all those Brihst ghost stories get to him. He tried to anchor himself in the moment. It felt silly but it was a coping mechanism he had picked up shortly after his parents left and he had to remind himself he wouldn't be alone forever. He took in Evanora's familiar earthy scent, he wasn't quite sure when it had stopped becoming irritated and instead comforting, but he was glad to let it substitute the odd damp smell Brihst had. He focused on the determined set of Alina's shoulders as she walked through the woods as if she were its queen. Her golden hair trailed behind her, as if daring the forest to lay it's hands on her. He noticed the way Derick rubbed his thumb over the back of Alina's hand, a subconscious gesture of comfort though Sal suspected it was more for Derick's benefit than Alina's. He zeroed in on the way Lily moved as if she were made of water, the silent grace of her body as if neither gravity nor air resistance existed.

'It's just a forest. I'm surrounded by people who'd have my back should something go wrong. Everything is fine.'

It worked for the most part.

That is, until he started hearing things.

At first it was just a choir of whispers. He could tell that they were meant to form words but he couldn't pick out any individual ones. Instead, they all blurred together. Forming an unavoidable but unintelligible sound. He took in a deep breath as he kept walking, trying to clear his head. Hoping that, somehow, it would make the sound stop. Though, he seemed to just be making things worse.