It had been days since my trip into town, yet the old man's warning never left my mind. The nonstop rain since then had contributed to the gloomy mood, seeming to confirm the old men's suspicion.
I'm not worried that Uncle Jack would hurt me. I trust him completely. But at the same time, why would those men say such horrible things about my uncle? I know there's a lot of mystery in this place, but thinking my uncle is involved in some evil sacrificial ritual is just disturbing. What's even more disturbing is wondering why they would even think that in the first place. What caused this horrible rumor to spread?
I huff, crossing my arms. These thoughts were getting me nowhere. I take a moment to massage my neck in an attempt to rub out the tension that was beginning to build there. I sigh at my failed attempt, gazing out at the forest from my current position on the balcony. My pale, freckled legs glare at me, as if in consternation of the gloomy weather. I chose to wear denim shorts and a white sleeveless t-shirt, my pale legs stretched out on the wicker ottoman as I sat, thinking, hoping against hope for some sunnier weather and a tan.
Then, almost as if in answer to my thoughts, rays of sunshine manage to break through the ongoing murky weather, as if trying to help me ward off the weird interaction and brighten my darkening musings. It's warm rays try to pierce my pale skin, which is currently protected by a heavy layer of sunscreen. I'm trying to soak up the warmth as much as possible -- not that I'm able to tan. Instead, I tend to get burned and then get whiter, if that's at all possible. I practically had to douse myself in sunscreen before coming out here. And that was when it was still murky!
A shadow crosses over me as clouds obscure the sun's rays. Seems my day of enjoying a momentary glimpse of sunshine is about to be spoiled. So much for an answer to my thoughts. Now it's just mocking me.
I look down at the book on my lap that I bought just days ago. I've been pouring over its contents, trying to discover answers to my disturbing ruminations. It's very well-written. It compels even the most reasonable and skeptical of individuals to be suspicious -- which doesn't exactly help my case. I'm beginning to understand the distrust people have of this place.
Despite the forest's incredible beauty, people stay away from this area. According to the book, some people hike or go camping in the woods, only to frantically run out, claiming weird creatures attacked them. At first, the townspeople just assumed they were drunk or high off of drugs. No one thought a thing about it. At some point, these crazy stories became more and more frequent in recent years. People were beginning to wonder why their small, sleepy town was suddenly full of people saying strange things that were impossible.
The most popular theories are that the woods are haunted, it's the birthplace of folklore and magic, it houses creatures of nightmares, or even Bigfoot. It doesn't help that these stories caught the attention of "researchers" seeking Bigfoot or groups of ghost hunters. The forest had already starred on many ghost hunter episodes.
The theory that a group of carnal people lived in the woods, sacrificing people to unnatural beasts was also in there. Seems the old men had read this book.
It was interesting to read about each theory. It's fascinating, but not a good book to read at night. Reading scary stories about a place I happen to live in has made it impossible for me to sleep in the dark. I'm so paranoid, I close my curtains over my windows so the "creatures" out there can't see me. Every weird sound the house would make, every creak, or strange sound in the night brought my imagination to life. Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night, swearing I see small creatures in my room sneaking around, but when I'd turn on the lamp on my nightstand, there'd be nothing there. This book wasn't doing me any favors getting my beauty rest.
As if that isn't bad enough, attacks are becoming linked to disappearances. Several people claim to have lost someone in these woods. Attacks aren't the only things becoming more frequent – likely murders are as well. Of course, the author lays out those additional theories, which happen to be along the same lines.
He's very persuasive, pointing out that despite these conflicting views, one thing is certain: something strange is going on in these woods. He claims to have seen some government vehicles coming through in recent years, enlisting the help of some locals to aid in "experiments." He says that "while the specifics are unclear, whatever is going on there is abominable. Unholy. Unnatural. And a danger to the townsfolk." Those locals who made it out of the woods after being tricked into finding work there, claimed the government was behind these experiments, enforcing his theory. Yet they all had different stories still. Despite the truth being unclear, he ends by recommending people get out of town before losing any loved ones to the horrors of the national forest and "above all – stay away from the area and anyone suspected of being involved there."
No wonder people are so hostile towards my uncle. They think he had something to do with it, probably since he lives here in the woods. If only they knew how close their theories are. My uncle does work for the government. There is a weird barrier that's here to keep something in.... I stop thinking about it after that last part.
I sigh, closing the book and placing it beside me. I rub my forehead, running through the list of possible theories, trying to make sense of them. Some of them were just too horrible to contemplate. I could always just ask my uncle if any of these theories had any truth to them. I refuse to believe he had anything to do with causing harm to people, though. And hopefully he's not experimenting on cute, adorable animals, I can't help thinking.
I shake off my distress, getting to my feet. I've already spent days worrying about my neighbors in the woods. I don't want to do that anymore. The least Uncle Jack can do is tell me I have nothing to worry about, give me something to lay my fears and paranoia to rest.
Determined, I head downstairs. I find Uncle Jack in the office, examining several papers in front of him. His brow is scrunched up, as if working through a hard problem. I watch as he abruptly gets up to grab an old, crumpled book from his office library, muttering to himself as he reads from it. I politely knock on the glass door. He looks up at me, distracted from whatever had been on his mind. He opens one of the glass doors, propping his arm against the other one.
"What's up? Do you need something?" He asks. I can tell he's still thinking about whatever problem he had been working through.
I decide to just get to the point. "Why did those men say you sacrificed people to the 'beasts of the forest?'" I air quote for emphasis.
My question seems to jerk him out of his thoughts. "What?!" He asks, taken aback.
"When we went into town, the old men were talking about you. They treated you badly and sad horrible things." I shudder. "Why would they think that?"
He closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. "Look. It's nothing to worry about, okay? The people in town can just be a bit superstitious is all." His tone conveys that he doesn't want to talk about it anymore, but I'm determined to get something out of him.
"But I have been worrying. You said not to go into the woods because there are predators. You didn't say 'animals.' And you were recruited by the government to do what? Live in the middle of nowhere? And there's this magical barrier to keep people out, but I'm pretty sure it's also to keep something in, so are they right? Do I have to be worried about being attacked or killed?" As I'm saying it, I realize just how scared I've been. If these things are happening to people outside the barrier, surely it'll be even easier for it to happen to me inside it. It doesn't help that Uncle Jack says nearly everything is dangerous. How can it possibly be safe here?
His eyes soften. Before he can say anything, a phone rings in the hallway. It's a black corded phone attached to the wall. I almost forgot that used to be thing, let alone is currently still being used today. I also haven't heard it ring the entire time I've been here.
Uncle Jack strides toward the phone, answering it. "Hello?" He says, almost gruffly. I can't hear anything from where I'm standing, but Uncle Jack suddenly tenses, his free hand balling into a fist. "Then come and get me," he replies threateningly before slamming the phone back into place.
I stare at him wide-eyed. He turns around, his stance turning to worry as he sees me standing there. His eyes then harden. Taking out his cell phone, he dials in a number. As soon as someone picks up on the other line, he says, "Amos. I need you here. They found us." Just like that, the conversation abruptly ends.
He looks up at me as he puts his phone back in his pocket. "Who found us?" I ask anxiously. "What's going on?"
"Maybe we should sit down," he suggests, walking towards the dining room table. I follow him. I didn't need to hear that conversation to know that we're in trouble. I take a chair across from Uncle Jack. The table is large, able to sit eight people, with a veneer that makes the finish smooth and glossy-looking, reflecting the noon day sun's rays. The chairs are hard-backed but elegantly sculpted, the top being high enough to rest my head against.
I wait for him to start, trying to be patient,but feeling as though I'm bursting at the seams with questions. He clasps his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the table. "I can't tell you everything," he begins. "But it's dangerous for you not to know this. There's a group of people who think of themselves as revolutionists who are against the work that I do. They're dangerous, willing to go through whatever means necessary to accomplish their agenda." He lets out a long sigh. "It's becoming more dangerous to be part of my world. I don't want to worry you, but they're bad news."
"Are we in danger? Do we need to leave?" I ask nervously. I cross my arms over my chest protectively. I already lost my parents. I can't imagine losing Uncle Jack, too. It's beginning to feel like my family is being hunted down to extermination.
He shakes his head slowly, thinking. "No. As dangerous as this place can be, it's also the safest place for you to be. The barrier will keep them out. Only few people have access to the technology necessary to get through the barrier. From now on, we're not to go into town unless absolutely necessary," he finishes firmly. He stands up, his chair scraping against the hard-wood floor.
"I have some business to take care of, but I'll be back around evening." He pushes his chair in before pausing. "I hope I haven't scared you any more than you probably are," he says quietly. "I promise you'll be safe here at the house and yard. Nothing can harm you here."
I nod automatically, not feeling very safe at all. Is he seriously going to leave me here all alone after telling me this?
He walks to the front door. Yep. I guess he is. He turns around before leaving. "Oh. Expect some company within the next few days. I called a friend who'll be here to help keep an eye on things and keep you safe." He starts to turn to the front door again, but he hesitates,turning back around to face me. "Have you tried the pool yet? You should check it out," he suggests. "It may not be super sunny right now, but it's a fun activity to do when it's not raining," he says over his shoulder as he strides out the front door. I stare after him, confused. Did he really suggest I go swimming right now?
I sit at the table quietly for a few minutes, thinking my life over. Three weeks ago I was finishing up final exams, living a completely normal life. Within that time, my parents died, I lived with a foster family for a few days, flew to Alaska to some secret government black site, spent the last few days worrying about what's going on here, and now I'm having to worry about bad guys wanting to get us. How can this possibly be my life now?
Suddenly I feel angry. I've been avoiding going outside to minimize my chances of getting eaten by dangerous animals, but now I'm feeling sick of everything. I'm sick of grieving. Sick of worrying. Sick of waiting for something horrible to happen. Sick of doing nothing. You know what? I am going to go for a swim. It's about time I start living life again. I don't want to hide behind closed doors anymore. I head upstairs to change into some suitable swim clothes.
***
I open the sliding glass doors to the back patio area, enjoying the view. The entire patio is tiled, unlike the porch out front. A beautiful black sitting/outdoor dining area sits to the left of me. Another porch swing is on this side, but much larger and padded. A tiled pathway leads to the pool, which I follow. I carry my pool towel over my shoulder, once again doused in sunscreen. I can't take any chances with my pale skin.
I place my towel next to a white sunbathing chair near the perfectly clear pool. Looking down, I see that the same tiles are placed at the bottom of the pool. Heading over to the stairs, I dip a foot in thewater, testing the temperature. It's surprisingly warm! With that, I wade intothe water, swimming some laps.
When the fatigue finally hits me, I swim around lazily, enjoying the feeling of the water against my skin. Shortly after, I take a break from the water to read, but after the energy I expended swimming, I find myself drifting off...
A rustling sound wakes me. I startle awake, looking around. I didn't even remember falling asleep. The sun had already gone down, making the woods beyond the yard seem much darker and more ominous than before. The cluster of trees are so dense, it makes seeing through them impossible, especially in this light.
A soft growl sounds through the air, causing goosebumps to pop out over my entire body. I suddenly feel vulnerable, alone in the large yard, with nothing but my swim clothes on. I look around nervously for the source of the sound. When I do, I freeze. There, beyond the brown tiles and the perfectly cut green lawn, are a pair of large yellow eyes staring at me from the edge of the tree line. Unlike any other time in my life, I'm overwhelmed by a feeling of fear. It paralyzes me, leaving me unable to do anything but wait for whatever happens next.
I'm frozen there for several seconds, locked in the animal's gaze. I hear the sliding glass doors of the porch slide open, but I'm unable to tear my gaze away. "Aria?" Uncle Jack's voice calls out. "Are you out here?"
I'm still frozen in fear, unable to respond. Part of me hopes he can come to my rescue. The other part hopes he stays inside where it's safe. If I'm being honest, I think the first part was winning.
"Aria!" My uncle shouts. I assume he sees me. It doesn't seem like he sees the animal yet. The eyes flick toward my uncle before resting back on me. It clearly isn't afraid of either of one us.
After a couple tense moments, Uncle Jack says my name again. "Aria," he begins. This time it's a warning. I assume he finally catches sight of the creature hidden in the woods. "Aria, run!"