Devil in the Details

TWENTY: What I Want

The next two hours were fairly uneventful, but that wasn't to say I wasn't an emotional mess. I kept checking over my shoulder, worried that the harpy was right behind us, its jagged claws ready to strike. The creature never was, but the fear that it might suddenly appear and rear its ugly head made the walk significantly less enjoyable.

As we walked, the hills deepened into greater valleys. Sometimes we would dip down and lose sight of the city entirely for a good twenty minutes. Other times, we'd climb what felt like mountains, ending up on the top and gazing out at the tall skyscrapers growing ever larger.

"I'm exhausted," I muttered, climbing down yet another embankment of rocks. "How's my body looking out there?"

"The same," James said.

"Good to know I won't die of exhaustion," I said, jumping off the last rock and landing in a soft swath of grass. When I glanced ahead, I was expecting to see the city skyline, my only guide to Lana now that we had wandered off the path. But now, instead of hills and valleys, the ground was flat, with a thick tangle of trees in front of me, stretching out of sight to my left and right.

"James," I said, holding the bear so he could get a good look at the trees. "Were these woods here before?"

"I don't think so," he said, turning his head side to side to take everything in. Then his single beady eye latched onto something up ahead. "Looks like there's a path."

I followed his gaze, hoping to see the sky blue—or whatever colored it was now—brick road from earlier. But the path in front of us was made of nothing but dirt. Part of me wasn't even convinced it was a real path at all and not just a trail a few people had trampled through once in the past.

I sighed. "I assume this means we have to walk through this forest."

"I would wager that you're correct," James responded.

I groaned, then tried to stay positive. At least the trees are too close together for a harpy to swoop in from behind.

I took a few steps into the woods, the bright light from the false sun dimming as I stepped amongst the trees. The light that did make it through was dappled, painting my skin with blue and green splotches. I turned around, thinking that it might be better to turn back and try another path, but when I looked behind me, the entrance to the forest had vanished. I was surrounded by trees, trees, and more trees.

I glanced down at the path, thinking I could retrace my steps that way. But the path behind me had vanished. It looked as if the path had simply appeared at my feet, with only directions to move forward.

"I don't like this," I said aloud, and yet, for some reason, the words felt untrue as soon as they left my lips. In all actuality, I felt strangely calm. It was a sensation I hadn't felt since the dance last night, let alone in the Underworld.

James seemed to feel it too, because he relaxed into my arms, turning his head around as I walked. "The energy here," he said, "feels different. It feels old."