I headed toward canteen to eat something. I was really hungry and Jess had told me,she also used to eat her lunch in canteen so I asked her to join me. We went to the canteen and Ellis was present there with others. He beamed at us and we took our seats.
"So where are we planning to make preparations for our fundraiser idea."
Emma asked and Mason nodded.
"In my home."
I answered.
"Great. Text me your address then."
She said.
"Let's make a chat group,it will be easy to contact everyone at once for the event."
I suggested and pulled out my phone from my pocket to save everyone's number. After saving their contact numbers I made a chat group to discuss our activities and objectives for fundraisers.
"Done."
I said after texting my address in the group.
"Oh! It's in the outskirts of the city."
Emma remarked checking the message.
"Yeah it is quite far. But as Jess told everybody else have some or the other problem so my place was the only option left."
I told them and Emma nodded in response.
"Okay let's meet up at your place then. What time will be good?"
Mason asked.
"Anytime after school."
I said and Mason continued,
"We can go together to your place right?We all have our cars."
"Yeah! We can do that."
I smiled and everybody agreed. We left the canteen after having our meals and left for our classes. This class was the most boring one as I didn't had any friends with me in this class. I would have to make some friends in this class. The next classes passed peacefully without any worry and it was time to go home now.
I went toward the parking area my car was parked quite farther than the rest cars but I waited where most of the cars were parked,hoping all the members would join me the there. After 10 minutes of waiting finally Mason arrived,
"What's up?"
He asked.
"Was waiting for everyone to come."
I said and he nodded.
Finally Emma came with Ellis but Jess was still not there. They beamed at me and Ellis went to get his car. It was parked at the last row. Emma didn't had any vehicle of her own. Her dad used to take her to the school. Just like my dad took me to school and mom came to pick me up. I miss those days. Life was imperfectly perfect in Texas. Finally Jess appeared with a bundle of sheets in her hands and Ellis came with his car. Mason used to ride bicycle to the school, he lived nearby. Jess's dorm was also near the school campus so she used to walk to the school.
Emma and Jess sat in my car and Mason went with Ellis and all of us headed towards my home. We talked and laughed throughout the 20 minutes drive. Our school was also situated on the outskirts of the city but my home was a bit further than it. I felt so good being in company of friends was a good thing indeed, they don't let you get bored or feel lonely. Finally we reached my home and my mother was a bit shocked, I forgot to inform her. How careless of me.
She smiled awkwardly seeing all of us standing at the door and without wasting any time I explained to her ,why everyone was here.
My new friends greeted my mom and she was happy to meet them. She asked us to go to my room and get started with our work and also asked to order something to eat as she had to go to her work place in urgency. I said goodbye to her and took my friends to my room.
"It's beautiful."
Emma said standing near the window and looking at the beautiful greenery and striking scenery while inhaling the aromatic evening breeze.
"You bet it is."
I smiled and Jess was looking at my book shelf.
"You have quite a good taste in reading."
She complimented and I smiled. I showed her some of my favorite books and she asked me if she can borrow them some time. I agreed.
We ordered pizza and started with our work. We did not realize we had worked for 2 continues hours with lots of fun in between. We were almost completed with making our souvenir gifts. It was 6 pm now and we were tired. Everyone decided to chill at my place for some more time as my mom wasn't back yet. But Ellis was back to being abnormal and argued to take his leave. We all tried to make him stay but he won't listen. He left and we were bewildered. What's wrong with him?
"Don't know why is he acting so weird."
Jess said and everybody agreed to her.
"Anyways. Iya can we go outside and see your beautiful neighborhood?"
Emma asked with excitement.
"Yeah we can but we can't go far as woods start after this colony."
I said and I was petrified after what I saw today in the morning and I never wanted to go towards woods again.
"OK let's go then."
She said and we left my home.
I felt the evening breeze hitting my face and it felt so good that I was mesmerized by it. I had never walked here at this hour. I was still becoming used to my neighborhood.
"It feels so ethereal."
Emma said grasping the beauty of the place.
"I agree."
Mason said and Jess smiled. We saw the most beautiful houses, the foliage around the small houses made them so beautiful that even if those houses were ordinary but people would dream of living there. Such is the beauty of nature. Nature has most amazing gifts for offer to mankind, sometimes those could be as blessings and sometimes nature does something to protect itself. But everything it gives is certainly precious, sometimes we don't understand what nature really wants from Ha and without caring of it we made judgement on our sole welfare. Every element of nature is unique, beautiful and has a purpose to exist.
We were walking around the empty streets and I found out there was no park in our locality, it wasn't even needed. Every house had it's own garden with swings and chairs. It was so beautiful to live there.
"We should go back now."
I said because we reached the the are where wood starts and there was nothing ahead other than dense forest.
"But I'm liking it."
Emma argued.
"But there is nothing ahead. We should go now."
I tried to tell her but she won't listen.
"I don't think we would face any problem in just entering the forest. I just want to feel it. We will only go a few metres inside the forest. Please, let's go."
She begged and Jess looked at me waiting for my answer. Mason pleaded me with his eyes.
"OK fine. Let's go. But only a few metres."
Emma jumped in excitement and we went toward the forests.
I was still panicked about morning's incident and I wasn't sure if was ready to go inside or not. The area had been sealed where the guy's corpse was found and we were going in through the different area but that doesn't makes any difference. The forest is treacherous anyway. I calmed myself down. As we crossed the board that warned us about forest ahead,my heart started pumping out loud. We switched on flash lights on our cell phones. I was sweating despite the cool breezes blowing there. Emma leaded the way and three of us followed her. I was trembling with every step I took. Am I seriously going to the forest? I must be mad. I should have said no.
"I think that's enough for today. Can we go back now?"
The silence of the forest was panicking me further.
"Just few minutes more. The moon looks so beautiful,see."
Emma pointed at the sky. It was full moon and the moon was shining so bright, so white. Looking at it felt so peaceful and I could just stare at it like that all night. My panic started vanishing as o was glaring the moon. But then there was a loud voice. Loud enough to give anyone goosebumps. It startled me and I was terrified to the hell. We all looked at each other all the faces have panic plastered on them. But no one had the clue where the noise came from. When it came again it was more clearer and louder now as if the voice was coming nearer to us. What was it? I tried to figure out and the it was howl. Something bad was going to happen and I was not ready for that.