Cursed for life

Chapter Three

The wind blew aggressively, swirling around Iris and Seth. The forest trees stalking tall as the moonlight shines through the branches, surrounding around them. Leaves dancing with the wind. The stars twinkled with delight, welcoming the world with their happiness once again.

Iris and Seth stare at awe, "The forest looks so majestic and beautiful." Iris says in a trance. Seth nods his head in agreement, "It's magical." Iris grins at her brother, "Let's go adventure more into the forest!" She says giddily.

Excitement fills them both as they start running deeper and deeper in the forest, smelling the sweet air of nature. Iris takes off her shoes and socks and plants her feet on the ground, feeling the dirt, the grass and the moss between her toes as she ran. Her gently laughter flows in the air as did Seth's. They were high off moonlight and the fresh forest air.

They made their way through a dense part of the forest and sat down next to each other, "This was totally worth the five hour drive." Seth said while looking around. "Yeah, it was. We should come here all the time." His sister grinned at him. The curly headed boy yawned and laid his head on the soft moss.

Iris grabbed her phone from her back pocket to check the time, it was now 11:53pm. She had two missed calls, one from her mom and sister and three new messages.

Mom, 4:19pm:
Hey Iris, I was wondering if you were okay and how your trip was going. We miss you darling, do love you.

Scarlet, 7:39pm:
Iris, how are you? Is everything okay?We haven't heard from you since lunch time. Gotta check if my little sister is alive still. Text or call me back soon.

Unknown number, 11:02pm:
It's a beautiful night? Is it not?

Iris's eyebrows furrowed at the unknown number. She shook her head ignoring the message before replying to her mom and sister saying that she and Seth were fine and that they'll come back tomorrow morning. She puts her phone away and sighs before laying down beside Seth. His soft breathing told her that he was sleeping as she stared up at the full moon above her.

Everything seems so quiet and calm, her eyes started to close as she was drifting away in darkness but something rustled in the distance, startling her wide awake. Her eyes wide as she gets up from the ground and looks around. The sound of leaves crunching become louder. She walks towards the noise before her better instincts come over her and fear settles in.

From in the darkest part of the forest a dim outline of a large animal approaches the side of darkness, not daring to step into the moonlight to expose itself. Two bright yellow eyes staring directly at Iris as a soft growl comes from the creature sending shivers down Iris's spin. And for what seems like hours staring at one another but only merely seconds, the creature disappears.

After a second to come out of her shock, she turns back around and runs over to Seth waking him up quickly, "Seth we got to get back to the car and fast." The fear in Iris's eyes was enough for him to jump up and start running back to where they came from.

Iris ran behind him and kept looking behind, hearing loud noises behind them then becoming distant as if the creature was playing with them. She quickly grabs Seth and stops him, fetching the keys in her pocket and taking his hand and securing the keys in them, "Seth you're a lot faster than I am. Go to the car, lock the doors and if anything besides me comes there is a handgun under the drivers seat. If it comes after you, I want you to shoot whatever it is." She says quickly.

She starts pushing her little brother towards the direction of her car before Seth's teary eyes comes in her vision, "Don't leave me Iris." He pleads her with a shaky voice. Too scared to move without her. Tears flow down his face leaving a track of clear crystal water lines down his cheeks. Iris wraps her arms around him, "Everything will be okay, I just don't want you to get hurt. You protection comes first for me. And once you get into the car I want you to honk the horn. Now go, now." She lets go and watches him run fast towards the car.

She stands there not knowing what to do, her thoughts running through her head aggressively. Disasters filling her worst nightmares of what could happen to her little brother. But her train of thoughts instantly stop as loud rustling comes behind her.

Her poor heart beating rapidly. She doesn't even look behind her as her feet start running away from the thing behind her, away from her little brothers safety and more into the undiscovered.

Heart beating fast, breath quickening. Her feet, legs numb from running, but she doesn't stop. The loud sound of paws thumbing behind her getting closer and closer keeps her going. As she looks up ahead an old tree has fallen across her way. She has too little distance to change her way of direction as she leaps over the tree but her loose jeans get caught on it making her flip around and fall hard into the rocky ground, a helpless scream escapes her lips as pain strikes her body.

Everything has gone quiet except for her ragged breathing. The full moon shining bright and full. Mischievously aware of what is in the forest and what is about to happen.

Iris lays there still, trying to listen to her surroundings. But as seconds pass by her eyes lids start to get heavy. The pain in her body lessening as she starts to drift into sleep but a weird small noise in the distance was echoing, becoming louder and louder. Iris lifts her head, wondering what on earth is that sound. But as her conscious becomes more clear so does the sound. Her heart leaps with joy, knowing fully well what it is. Her brother has made it safe to the car and is now honking the horn.

Its given her some strength to manage to get herself up and slowly start following the honks of the horn. Finding it hard to breathe but she carries on. A couple minutes later, a gun shot was fired and everything just went quiet.

"Seth!" Iris's heart wrecked voice flows through the woods, lost.

Ignoring the pain in her body, she runs as fast as she can, dodging through trees. Eyes frantically searching for anything or anyone, her ears listening out for anything. She doesn't stop screaming her little brothers name, over and over again. Making it become like torture to her, every second that goes by without a noise, without a cry out in return.