Rain falls like it means to wash us away. I can hear Javier and the others screaming behind me. But, the rain is so strong that I cannot make out what they are saying. I choose to ignore them and approach the unconscious boy. My feet gets stuck into the mud that I trip and fall onto his body. "Shit."
He is still unconscious and laying on the ground as the rain pours onto him, soaking his clothes. Javier finally reaches me. "We need to help him." I scream over the heavy rain.
"I'll get him." Javier says. He then bends down and pulls the unconscious boy into his arms. We reach the others and head back towards town. The rain seems to fall harder and it becomes difficult to see. The mud makes it hard to walk, branches fall from the trees, and the wind soars aggressive like a hurricane.
"We need to find shelter." I shout. "We won't make it."
"No." Sakiya scream. Her clothes are sticking to her body the same as her hair. "We're heading back."
"We won't make it." I say.
Iris runs her fingers through her wet and tangled dark grey curls. "Hal is right." She says her voice soft and patient. "I know a place close by."
Sakiya looks around in confusion. "Seriously? Where!"
Iris start hiking on another trail and I look to Javier and he nod before walking forward. "Come on." I tell Sakiya and Zaria. The hike only takes ten minutes but it feels like an eternity. I shiver from the cold and we finally approach the shelter.
It's a cabin, surrounded by trees, old, and creepy. It wasn't the best option but it was the only option.
We kick the door open and hurry inside slamming it behind us. We all shudder and greedily take in the warmth. Iris disappears for a few minutes behind one of the doors. I look around the cabin walls that are painted a dark brown that matches the wooden floors.
I continue to shiver that my teeth begin to clatter. I notice the stairs to the second floor in the corner and the open kitchen. The living room has two old dusty couches and a outdated television on a table stand. "I found some stuff." Iris say while coming from the other room. She tosses a pile of clothes and towels on the floor. She shifts from foot to foot and runs her fingers through her hair nervously. "I'll start a fire."
We all begin to dry minus the boy with white hair who was still unconscious. I grab the first shirt and oversized jeans and put them on before throwing a blanket over my shoulders. I take in the warmth.
"What is this place?" Sakiya is the first to speak. The rain is still pounding hard onto the small cabin. I instantly knew we would have to stay until the storm passed. The firelight the entire cabin. It cackles lowly in the distant.
Iris dusts her hand off and explain, "It was my grandfathers. He used to come here to hunt."
Sakiya nod and look around in confusion. "Did he not like to display his kill?" She asks curiously. "I expected a deer head or something."
"He didn't hunt deers." Iris replies lowly.
Thunderclaps outside and the cabin rumbles. The boy with white hair sits up instantly in fright. He screams and looks around frantically. I hurry to his side. "Where—where am I?" He questions.
"A local cabin." I explain. "We couldn't make it back from the cemetery because of the storm."
"Storm?" He questions in confusion. "Cemetery?"
"Do you not remember anything." Sakiya blurts impatiently. She was standing by the window and looking out into the trees. She closes the curtains and walk back into the living room and closer to the fire. "We found you at the cemetery doing some questionable shit."
The boy stares down at his hands before rubbing his temples in frustration.
I take a seat next to him. He looks at me curiously. "What's your name?" I ask.
"Dimitri." He answers his voice rough. He pulls the towel around his body tighter. I pass him a shirt and a pair of pants. He stands and disappears into the other room to change.
"What do you think?" I ask everyone in a low tone.
"We should have left him." Sakiya whispers harshly. "We don't know anything about him and now we're trapped with him in this creepy cabin."
"He's scared." Zaria voices. "The same as you."
"I'm not scared." Sakiya hisses. "I'm aware."
The floor creaks and Dimitri presents himself. "I'm not the one you should be afraid of." He says. His white hair is the first thing you notice. It's cut short, almost shaved. His honey-brown eyes look tired as he settles into the couch. He inhales deeply and exhales.
"Who should we be afraid of?" I ask gaining his attention.
"Do you hear them too?" He questions. I wanted to lie and deny whatever was happening to me but I couldn't because he already knew. My heart stops and I swallow. I can feel the other intense stare in my back. I squeeze my fist. It was too late to turn back now.
I needed answers.
"It comes and goes." I answer.
Dimitri looks sadden, "You've been touched somehow. First, it's the voices, then the intense dreams will come."
"How do I make it stop?" I ask.
"I don't know." Dimitri replies.
I begin to pace back and forth. I can feel myself beginning to panic. I breathe in deeply and stare at the fire.
I can hear Iris voice behind me. "What does touched mean?"
"Are you seriously entertaining this?" Sakiya ask. "I understand the Fest is stressful but ghost stories is for children."
"You and I both know by now that anything is possible, Sakiya." Zaria speaks.
I turn away from the fire and approach Dimitri again. "How about we start from the beginning."
Dimitri sits up, "I was only a boy when my parents died. I had to live with Ford."
"The old man who owns the flower shop?" I question.
"Yes." He spats. "He's my father older brother. When he discovered I was hearing voices he tried several ways to get rid of the bad spirits. One of those ways was beating me."
Sakiya frown and look away.
"I begin to teach myself to ignore it and with time it was bearable." He pauses and looks to me. "That is until you came to town."
"Me?"
"Yes." Dimitri confirms.
"I don't understand. What about the cemetery?" I question.
He shrugs, "I'm just as confused as you. That is the first time that has ever happened to me. I usually go to the cemetery to get away when I can't control the voices. I have never experienced anything like the storm and levitating." Dimitri looks at me and cock his head to the side. "I think maybe it has something to do with you—"
"We should get some sleep?" Javier announces cutting Dimitri off.
"Sorry I wasn't much help." Dimitri says. "I know what you're going through but I cannot help you."
I clench my jaw and look away. "There has to be away."
"If there was do you think I would be living like this?" Dimitri questions me. "It's not fun being the boy who hears voices."
I choose to ignore him and sit next to the fire. Iris brings blankets for everyone and soon the others are fast asleep. However, I cannot. The rain continues to pour and the light rumble reminds me that there is a storm outside. I sigh. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing. It is going to drive me insane.
I hear a distant whisper nearby. I turn my neck but there is nothing there. The stairs in the corner begin to creak. I'm paralyzed and cannot control my body as I begin to follow the noise. I climb the steps slowly, one by one and the long hallway leads to three different rooms.
I open the first door and the light blinds me. It's a library and books is surrounding me like a massive tornado. There is a long single table in the center of the room. I walk toward the table and people begin to appear around me.
"We need to stop while we have the chance." A middle-aged woman speaks. She looks frantic as she paces back and forth. The others watch her with distress on their face. "We don't even know if this will work. They're on our tail. I can feel it."
"Calm down, Lydia." A strong and deep voice say. He's tall and wearing a suit.
I take a step closer and only one pair of eyes look directly at me. I stop in my tracks and my heart begins to accelerate.
"Do not tell me to calm down." Lydia spats. "We're going to get killed."
"You're panicking!" The man replies. "There is no turning back now."
"Quiet Kevin. She is here." Another woman says looking directly at me. Her striking hazel eyes catching me in a net trapping me.
"Who is here, Faye?" Another female in the room ask.
"Shush." Kevin hiss. I quickly look around the room to get a headcount and it's 10 people standing around this long table.
"Come closer." Faye says. "Come—"
I cannot stop myself from moving forward. "I've—" She pause looking around at the others. "We have waited so long for you to come, Hal."
"What is this?" I question.
"We need your help." Faye whispers to me. "We are trapped and need to be set free."
"You're the voice in my head." I conclude out loud.
"Yes." Faye smiles her eyes big and round. She grabs my hand softly. "Are you willing to help us?"
"Help with what?" I question.
"Help us from death—"
I look at her in confusion and the others begin to whisper among each other. Finally one of the women cracks and she shouts, "I'm done. I will not be apart of this anymore!"
"Lydia wait!" A man shouts. However, the lady continues to storm away her dress flowing behind her. The door in front of Lydia slam shut sending a loud echo through the room. Lydia steps back in shock and confusion. She then turns around with anger in her eyes.
"Witch." Lydia hisses heading for the other door. The other doors around the room begin to slam shut one by one. The others begin to panic and they shout Faye name.
"Focus on me." Faye holds my chin and forces me to look at her. "I need your help."
The others rush toward her but they are blocked by some type of invisible force field. "Help us." Faye repeats to me.
"It's burning down." Someone shout. "We need to get out of here."
"Faye." Kevin screams. "Faye!"
"Leave her. She's already dead!" Lydia hisses.
I focus all my attention on Faye. "Don't let them find the key." Faye chants over and over again.
Smoke begins to build around us that I cannot see anything but her striking hazel eyes. I hear someone calling my name in the distant. I turn around but Faye holds my chin and forces me to look at her. "Help me." She then grabs my hand and cuts my palm with a small knife. I hiss in pain. She then pushes me and I fall backward as a force of blue light hit me in the chest knocking me down onto the floor in a loud thud.
I grunt in pain and hold my chest.
"Hal." Someone shout my name. I open my eyes and Javier is leaning over me trying to help me to my feet. Light is shining through the windows and I see that I am in the cabin again. I stand and wobble on my feet and hold my head. "What happened?" I question.
"We found you up here." Dimitri explains. "We called your name a few times but you were—stuck."
"Bad dream." I explain. Dimitri looks at me as if he doesn't believe me. He turns and walks out of the room. I run my fingers through my hair and hiss at the pain in the palm of my hand.
"Are you okay?" Javier questions.
"I'm fine." I say. "I just need space."
Everyone chooses to leave me to myself. We all pack up our things and head out of the cabin. I continue to stay to myself by walking behind the group as we hike back through the forest. Finally, we make it back to the main road. The sun is shining down onto us as if there was never a storm. Birds squeak through the sky. It's a beautiful day but I cannot get Faye out of my head.
I try to understand her words but I was coming up with nothing. Dimitri slows his pace and whisper, "Did you have a vision?"
"No." I shake my head and explain. "It was more of a memory." I pause in confusion. "I don't know. Maybe both."
Dimitri rubs his low-cut head. "I only have visions." He concludes out loud. "Usually images of things I do not understand." He stares off into the sky before looking at me curiously. "What did you see?" He asks.
I squint my eyes suspiciously. This is the first time I have ever heard him speak so much. The once timid and quiet boy was now comfortable and very talkative. He cocks his head to the side curiously and looks up towards the others before looking back at me. "You don't trust me." He says.
"I don't know you." I tell him.
"That is fair." He nods his head. "But, you and I both know that I will be more help than harm."
I roll my eyes. I wasn't the type to trust so easily. This is something my father taught me about the harsh world. I remember walking into his office one late night. He's drinking liquor. Vodka. His favorite. He is upset. I can tell. I can feel the anger radiating off his shoulders. He turns around and looks me in the eye. Never trust anyone, Hal. Trust is your true enemy. I snap out of my thoughts and look away from Dimitri.
I choose to ignore him and push forward closer to the others. I hike next to Javier and he looks at me in worry. I sigh. I also ignore him and focus on myself, my thoughts, and the environment around me.
Finally, we reach Red Water and I almost smile in pleasure. I am disgusting from head to toe and couldn't wait to have a proper shower. We pass all the town shops and I turn around to tell Dimitri something but I am cut off. "Dimitri!" A deep voice shouts his name across the road.
Dimitri flinches in fear next to me. It is Ford. He is heading our way as fast as he could. He is limping while clutching his thigh. It's a pathetic sight to be an abuser. I furrow my eyes in slits and step in front of Dimitri.
"Where have you been!" Ford spats.
Dimitri swallows and tries to explain himself but he cannot come up with a story quick enough. I choose to speak for him. "We were working on a project. Unfortunately, we got stuck in the storm." I explain.
Ford furrow his eyes suspiciously. I get a closer look at him. The wrinkles in his face show his true age and the scent from his breath makes my nose twitch in disgust. "What storm?" He questions. "Do you think I'm a fool, child?"
"I'm not your child." I reply. "There was a storm last night." I explain to him. "Did you miss it by passing out from drinking? I can smell the alcohol on your breath."
Ford step forward in my space but I hold my ground. However, someone else approaches us. "Hal Ashes." I gulp in terror. I look up and it is my grandmother strolling our way looking more royal than any of us. Ford glances back and steps away from me. Queen gets closer and take her cane and hit me on the ankle. "Ouch." I hiss.
"Where have you been?" She questions me. "You did not come home last night."
"We had a project." I explain. "We all got trapped in the storm. We couldn't make it back to town."
Queen furrow her eyes suspiciously, "What storm do you speak of? If you shall lie try better." I clench my jaw annoyed. How could they not notice the hurricane that happened last night?
"We apologize—" Javier speaks.
"Quiet." Queen hiss.
Javier immediately shut his mouth and swallow in horror.
I roll my eyes and I am hit again with Queen cane. "Dammit." I mutter underneath my breath. She hits me again and I bite my lower lip.
"You're grounded." Queen sneers toward me like a dragon breathing fire. "School and back home, you come." She shakes her head in a disappointment manner. "I thought your father stories about you were false. But, it is apparent that he is right about your behavior. Let's go. Now!"
I clench my jaw and bawl my fist. I despise when she spoke about my father. However, I listen to her to avoid getting hit by the cane again. We get into her car and drive across the blood-red lake. I lean my head against the window in exhaustion. Once we are home I go straight to my room and slam the door behind me. I shower quickly and get into the bed falling into slumber.