The snapping from twigs beneath his steps made the boy flinch at each one. His body shuddered in itself, his hands that were once shaking from the cold wind now were pulled tightly to his chest and sweating profusely. He didn't want to be in the back, but he had no choice. He was the slowest out of the group, it scared him at the thought of the killer coming back and chasing them again.
He knew he wouldn't survive that.
It did help him however that the girl stayed at the same pace. He knew Vinh could easily make it next to Kim Seo if she wanted to, but she stayed in the back with him. Marie also took the same steps to be next to Cameron, she took looks behind her to make sure the boy was still following.
It made Cameron feel warm, it made him feel nice that the small child was worried for him. He could guess that he had given the girl a scare when he woke up with blood blocking his airway. Now it seemed like she was constantly worried for him, her eyes locking on the cloth covering his neck.
Cameron gave her a smile when the girl had her eyes to move after a minute. She let out a small sigh, her face warming a bright red. "Cam.."
"Marie.." Vinh looked down to the girl, giving a warning glare at the girl.
Marie nodded, turning back in front with her mouth sewed shut. Vinh felt herself coil in once again, immediately regretting the harsh tone she used on the girl. The tired teen kept telling herself to keep it easy, to go easy on the child. There was no use in being so vocal in ways that hurt the small child's feelings, but she was right in keeping her quiet. They would cause attention to themselves, the last thing they wanted to do right now.
That…
The growing feeling felt like it slapped her in the face. It wasn't the only reason she felt that guilty.. her nagging at it being quiet at the child who held her hand so tightly…
She tried to wash the thoughts away, it only brought more misery to her stressed out brain. But she couldn't wash it away, it was right there. The same voice telling her to turn the TV down. The same voice that told her to take care of her siblings. The same voice scolding her for not cleaning.. the same damn voice that told her she wasn't loved.
Her mother always brought out the worst in the girl, the harsh yelling and parenting she never gave. Vinh feared in becoming anything like that woman. She took the liberty to take care of her siblings, to make sure they were safe and taken care of.
"SHUT UP!"
Her voice had screamed out, forcing her younger siblings to look at her. Their eyes wide, fear pooling out from the way they looked at her.
They looked at her like she was her.
Her hand tightened, Marie looked up at her with a bit of worry in her expression. Vinh ignored it, she was too deep in her own thoughts. Her own emotions.
Marie tugged, she tried to get the girl out of her thoughts, to look at her.
They ran away from her, running right to their rooms and slamming their doors. Vinh dashed after them to apologize, only to be met with a door to the face and the sickening words.
"You're just like her!"
No, no she wasn't. She wouldn't do that to them, she loved them like they were more than just her siblings. The child at the time took care of them, fed them, kept them safe and loved them. Yet they slam the door in her face at one wrong word.
The tugging got harder, Marie's face turning cold while she tried to force the girl out of her thoughts.
It was a quick decision, she didn't know where she wanted to go, she just didn't want to be there. To be with them..
No one went to look for her, her parents didn't try to call anyone.
She was left alone on the streets until finding an orphanage to stay, only to isolate herself in fear of repeating the same thing. But it came naturally, it was part of her. The same thing that drove her away from her family, drove her to the school.
"Vinh-"
"Shut it!" It came out as a hash hiss, her eyes held the same venom as her thoughts.
But she stopped, looking down at the child who only responded with tearful filled eyes. She looked up to Vinh, her hands holding onto the girl's hand that turned white. Vinh felt her body drop, her eyes were wide open at what she did.
"You're just like her.."
Vinh took a shaky breath, forgetting where they were. Where she was, she took no notice of the boys who stopped to try and see what was happening. Kim Seo was saying something, but it didn't reach her.
She stared back at Marie, the girl holding on to her. No fear was in her eyes, only concern.
"M-Marie.." Vinh hiccuped, falling on her knee. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Marie, I shouldn't yell at you like that! I'm sorry-"
The small girl came forward with her arms open wide. Her small body managed to pull Vinh into her, her head snuggling up into her neck. The tall girl stared off to the ground, so many questions and confusion running around her mind.
What was happening?
"Vinh.." Marie cried out, keeping herself as close as she could to the tall girl. The cry caused Vinh to burst into tears, finally controlling her body to pull the small girl in a tight hug. Marie looked over to Kim Seo and Cameron who stood by and watched in confusion, the small child didn't know what was happening either. She just looked at them in hopes they knew so they could help.
Cameron gave a look to Kim Seo by him, only the older boy kept his eyes on Vinh, a small look of recognition along with pity played with his features. The young boy decided to nod along, turning his gaze away from the sobbing group and into the dark tree's by them.
Kim Seo came forward, he kneeled beside the girl to put a hand on her shoulder. "Vinh. Come on, we have to keep moving.."
"I know…" The girl sniffed out, pulling herself from Marie and debating on if she should hold the girl. Kim Seo interrupted those thoughts with his hand outstretched. Vinh wiped her nose. "I know."
The boy helped her up, making sure that Marie was still holding onto her. He then turned to find Cameron looking off into the trees, his body frozen to the spot and eyes elsewhere. Kim Seo couldn't see his face, though he could feel the tension in his stance. He hesitated but came forward with Vinh behind him picking herself up.
"Cameron?"
The boy didn't move, his head turned away. Kim Seo gulped, his hand reaching out before he could stop himself.
"Cameron-"
"Sorry, what?" The boy turned, walking into the boy that pulled him over to the others. Kim Seo gave an eye to the boy, his mind going off with different thoughts and emotions.
"What was that?"
"Huh?" The smaller boy gave a tilted head, seeing the questioning look but not the question. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," the older boy protested, stepping in front of him to block the boy from moving on. Cameron growled a little, casting his eyes up to meet the taller's glare. "What is it?"
The boy let out a sigh, his face slightly red with embarrassment. "Nothing important. I just thought I saw some of the bushes move and stuff." The boy shook his head, wavering himself to step beside the older boy. "I might be seeing things after all we had witnessed so.."
"Alright…" Kim Seo allowed the other to go beside him, watching him with a close eye. "Why did you hesitate to tell me that then?"
"What?"
"You didn't want to tell me when I asked? Why not? It seemed pretty important if you ask me." The boy followed after the other, meeting with the girls where they started to walk off once again. "Cameron."
"I just thought it wasn't important, okay?" The boy looked behind him, having eye contact with the boy who wouldn't let it go. Kim Seo let out a heavy sigh, knowing that there was more to this than what the young boy is letting onto, but he let it go.
Cameron followed the others, feeling his energy leap up now that he got a scare from what he thought was the killer. He had the same type of thoughts even before the maniac made himself known, it was just Cameron's fearful mind. He believed it was nothing, so he let it go. It seemed to be the same now. He was just seeing things, so reason to tell the others about his own fear.
They already saw him being injured and useless, no use it making it seem like he was scared at every little sound. But the sinking feeling returned, the same feeling he had before during the day, like he was being watched.. like they were being watched.
Maybe I should tell him? Cameron looked over to the boy in front, silently walking between the tree's. He shook his head, I did tell him. I told him that I saw nothing, just bushes moving. It was nothing, it was nothing. He breathed in small breaths to calm his mind, he allowed himself to calm down and follow along with the others.
The silence of the forest stretched on as the teens continued to walk farther into the forest. Kim Seo watched their surroundings with sharp eyes, taking everything that he saw into account.
He tried to make sure they could see it coming before it happened, but even with his paranoid behavior, he still felt like they were being watched.
He could see how Cameron looked around nervously that he felt the same. The young boy had seen something, he tried to deny it which made the older boy think that he was unsure of himself. Either way, with the sinking feeling of being stalked, and Cameron seeing something in the trees..
Kim Seo knew something was there with them. The older boy was terrified at the thought they were being followed. He debated on if they should hide, but that would just be a dead end. Along with running, they could only make it so far..
He felt utterly useless, he knew someone was there with them. But he couldn't do anything to help his friends, to keep them safe. So he did the only thing he thought he could do, and that was watch. To watch and pick up on the killer before he could attack them off guard again.
"Is it just me.. or is it just too quiet?" Cameron whispered from behind the older boy.
The boy made a hand gesture for the other to quiet down. Though he too noticed the sudden silence. The sound of distant wildlife, or even the brushing of air was suddenly stopped.
Only the sound of the group's small steps in the dirt could be heard. Kim Seo felt his body shake, it was unreal to him. How could the killer stalk them so silently? It almost made him feel like he wasn't actually there.. but he couldn't let his guard down that easily.
He stayed alert, trying to at least hear anything from the darkness. Only, the silence crept up, soaking the teens with anxiety. They all felt it too, they couldn't hear it. But they felt it.
Marie clung close to the older girl. She felt oddly cold, shivers ran up and down her spine. She felt the older girl's hand tightened around her own. Something was wrong…
Marie looked over behind them, catching Kim Seo and the younger boy right behind them. She noticed how the older one was watching everything around them with sharp eyes. His body was stiff, his face was a cold white.
She picked up his fear..
The younger one behind him looked just as scared. His eyes darted around the tree's that trapped them in the darkness, only the sound of their steps could be heard.
Marie wanted to say something, to do something to get the silence to go away. She turned back in front of them, ducking with the older girl to avoid the leaves from above. Her eyes started to do what Kim Seo was doing. They darted around through the tree's, her eyes suddenly caught on something.
It was light? Glowing?
Marie squinted slightly, catching it looking back at her. It was low, wavering from side to side. The sudden feeling of dread set in her stomach, the small girl's eyes went wide just as she stopped moving. Vinh felt the tug on their connected hands, looking down to the child with a lifted brow.
"Marie?"
Kim Seo and Cameron stood behind them, looking down at the frozen girl. Marie made a small noise, the yellow orbs becoming bigger and bigger.
"Angel? What's wrong?" Kim Seo came forward, leaning down to the child. He noticed how she didn't move her eyes once, they stayed directed towards the same thing. He took a look, immediately catching what had frozen the poor child.
That was still too late. The thing that was stalking them jumped out with its claws forward and jaw stretched open. Vinh and Marie fell back while the creature pounced at the bigger boy. Kim Seo moved around quickly to grab onto the younger boy to dodge the attack. He let out a yell, pushing Cameron to the ground while the beast jumped over them to land on the other side.
"Shit shit shit!" Cameron caught the eyes of the beast, the large beast's mouth drooling, its bright yellow eyes stared back at the shocked boy.
It pounced once again, forcing the older one to roll on the ground to avoid it. He took the younger one with him, moving out of the way before lifting them to their feet. He pushed Cameron in front of him forward. "GO!"
The younger one did so, jumping through the bushes while the older one stayed right on his heels to push him fast forward.
The wolf ran after them, only stopping when its ears quivered at the noises from behind it. It's eyes turned, watching the small child who stood still in its view. Marie watched the beast lower itself in an attacking position. She felt frozen, stuck in place only to watch its large form tumble towards her.
"Marie!" Vinh screamed, jumping from the ground and knocking the girl out of the way. The wolf landed on her, opening its large jaws with a sickening sound coming from its throat.
Vinh held it back, her hands pushed back at the beast that snapped its jaws trying to get the girl's flesh. She fought back, screaming at Marie to run. The younger girl hesitated, watching Vinh fight for control over the wolf. Marie suddenly felt life run to her, she turned to escape where she thought the boys took off, silently hoping Vinh was right behind her.
The wolf was getting too close, slobbering substances dripping onto the girl's face. Her arms felt weak from the force the beast used to push her into the ground. Vinh felt its large paws dig her into the dirt, its claws stretching out into her ribs, ripping her skin through the sweater that tried to protect her.
Even with the wolf being about the same size as Vinh, its body is so malnourished that its fur hung off its ribs. It still pushed down strongly, almost crushing the girl while its crazed eyes focused on nothing but her neck.
Vinh pulled her legs back, using the last amount of strength she had to hurl the beast up and off her. It felt like her ankle had snapped, the force she used to push the thing off caused a cry out from her lips.
The wolf tumbled from her force, letting out a small whine as it hit the ground. Its body shook as it tore itself from the ground, its eyes darted back and forth for something.
Its glossy eyes caught onto a moving figure in the trees. The wolf only let out a small growl before it took off after the fleeing figure. It watched the child only feet in front of it with her white dress ripped from the encounter.
Marie jumped over the trees in front of her, flinching at the loud crash from behind. She didn't turn to see it, only hearing a loud yowl before a dark growling was heard echoing among the trees.
She knew she couldn't outrun it. The beast was just bones, but much larger than her. It was crazed, looking lost and confused but very hungry. Marie looked around frantically trying to see anything that she could hide in.
Her body was shaking, the poor girl was hyperventilating while her eyes darted at everything around her. She finally caught something from her side, catching a bush big enough she could fit in. Without thinking, Marie jumped down to crawl into it. The branches tore at her skin, ripping up her hair before she finally got deep enough into the bush where she could hide.
Her legs curled up, she put her head in between her knees, holding in the sobs that threatened to wreck out of her small body. She grew silent when the sound of pattering steps along with a few gruffs from a wild beast was just behind her. The child covered her mouth, tears already streaming down from her red face. The sound was coming closer, it circled around her as the darkness was swallowing the small body.
Then as sudden as the sound came, it was no longer there. It was silent, dead silence was all that Marie noticed. Her eyes opened wide, the tears stilled just as her whole body did. It was familiar, the feeling of being stalked.
The wolf had found her, stalking its prey from just behind.