The shadow, turning and noticing her, she watched as it kicked away from the wall and began to walk towards her. Her body stopped, wondering what was going to be the next event. Her heart began to pound as she watched the shadow grow closer, coming towards her directly. She saw a soft smile flash towards her, allowing her body to relax. She looked at it; her thoughts forgot to check.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Kai asked, taking her hand and trying to lead her to the door. He held on to her hand, moving her close to him.
"Yeah. I thought you went home." She looked at the man who was helping her, unknowingly giving her the strength to finish the walk. He smiled down at her, reaching the gate and helping her inside.
"I couldn't leave without checking on you." He led her to the door, his feet stopping at the top step. His eyes flickered from the door to Jennie, her eyes looking down at the ground.
"Thanks." She forced a nervous laugh, giving a small smile as she looked at him. Jennie's eyes locked with Kai's, both of their hearts dancing in each other's presence. Kai hesitated his body flinching before pulling her hand to his lips. He leaned down to kiss her knuckles, looking up at her tired eyes.
"Here, go on in. I'll call you in the morning." He spoke softly as he let her hand go. She nodded, opening the door before turning back to face him. She watched him walk backward, turning towards the gate as he waved.
-
The sound of sticks breaking startled Jennie, her body jolting at the sound. She looked around; the eerie silence was scarier than the ominous sound of sticks. As Jennie rose to her feet, the sounds consuming the area, she watched the mist cloud her vision. The soft white clouds floating in front of her, she looked around, trying to understand her surroundings. She scanned the area, trees crowding every inch of land that was in front of her. She turned in a circle, her body unsure of how it even got there.
Jennie listened as the sounds of sticks breaking and whispers began to creep from between the trees. She listened carefully, turning her body so that her ears could listen and track where the sounds were coming from. She listened as the sounds came from two different directions. The whispers coming from the right side of the forest, the thick mist camouflaging everything in that direction. As she turned left, the sound of sticks breaking continued. The sounds became more frightening the more she listened. With a deep breath, Jennie looked in each direction before starting in one direction.
She listened to the noise, trying to be careful of each step. Jennie wasn't sure why she was there, but she needed to know if she was the only one. She stepped past the fallen branches, using the wet trees to continue to prop her body up and prevent it from falling while she stumbled around. She carefully maneuvered through the brush, trying to be as quiet as possible by stepping on the leaves that were more wet than others.
As she continued towards the noise, the sound began to become more clear. Jennie looked around, still hearing the breaking of sticks. This time, the sound of the sticks was further away while the whispers had grown closer. She looked back in the direction of the whispers, the words becoming clearer. She listened intently, moving her legs in the direction. As she crawled over a tree that appeared toppled over, she noticed someone standing. She watched as the person continued to keep their back to her as they faced a different direction. The area was open, and the trees surrounding them had been cleared.
Jennie walked behind a tree, hiding her body behind the thick trunk. She peeked past the wet, mossy surface, seeing the man in the open area stand still. She curiously looked, wondering why they were here in the first place. It wasn't dark, but the sun barely had an opportunity to rise high in the sky. She looked around, wondering if he was waiting for someone. As she tried to figure out what the strange man was doing, she ducked the moment she saw movement—the movements of another person coming from the side of her eye.
As Jennie turned her attention to both men, she watched the other closely. She had no idea who he was. He was tall, his hair slightly slick back and his lips in a natural pout. She thought he looked familiar, but there was something about the way he looked that was different. She noticed he looked older, his body and stance being completely different from the other. Her eyes looked at the younger man, watching his submissive stance in comparison to the other's domineering posture.
Jennie tried to stay out of sight as they talked, the older gentleman looking angry. His stance shifted from calm to visibly frustrated as his hands went in the air. She watched from afar as the two spoke, her hand quickly rising to her mouth to prevent her fear from escaping. She watched the older man's hand strike the other's face. His head was turned slightly to the side while the other man continued to yell. There was no one else she could go to, forced to watch the conflict between the men ensue.
The conversation seemed one-sided. The sounds that might have originated from the younger man had ceased. She was listening to the harsh yells of the older man, his demeanor matching as another strike was thrown. She quickly turned her back to the trunk of the tree, resting it on the wet surface while she waited. This didn't feel like a dream, but there was something weird about it. She wondered what if she went to the other sound, no longer being able to hear it through the yells and hits. Her thoughts began to grow frantic as she began to fear that the man would discover her.
Jennie turned her body, looking at the two men who were standing there, who had changed positions. She watched as the older one walked around; his hands were balled into fists as he turned his back to the other man. She waited patiently, observing their behavior in hopes they wouldn't see her. The older man began walking away, his words carrying across the mist. She tried to listen, only one word being clear enough. She saw the older man walking away, leaving the other standing quietly in place.
Jennie tried to keep her eyes focused on the other man, and his anger was something she did not want to see. As he stormed off through the trees, she waited. She wanted to make sure everything was okay, and there was no threat. Her eyes flashed back and forth at the man who was still as a statue. The sounds of whispers slowly returned as the other man seemed to disappear, with no intention of coming back. Now was her chance, but she needed to be careful not to get caught. As she stepped from behind the tree, she tried to walk quietly towards the whispering man.
'It's okay.' Were the first set of words that she'd heard so clearly. 'Don't be afraid.'
Jennie tried to make sure her eyes didn't leave the other man, being careful with each step she made. She took another small step as she passed the last line of trees that could hide her. Her step sent a small crunching sound through the air. Chills ran through her body at the sound, her eyes looking down at her feet and the man. He saw. His eyes were now locked on hers, and she couldn't make out his face clearly. She froze, his response sending her into a panic as he began to sprint towards her.