Another missing poster. Another one of my friends gone.

It's only been a few months since we lost Alyx. They stopped searching last week. It seems like a new child is disappearing each and every week. The police stopped bothering with looking anymore. School has continued as per usual, although we've been kept inside more than usually, and the fences are much more guarded, nevertheless, there are always children who decide to venture outside of the gate. Those children are always the ones that ended up missing.

So of course, me and my friends decided that we'll check it out. Why not?

After school me, my right-hand friend River who I've been friends with since birth, and Jess our mutual friend, met at the fence. There was a hole in it next to the forest, the hole every curious child ventures out of. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been fixed. Either way, it's a way into the forest, and a way for us to explore.

As it got dark, me and my friends ventured out of the hole, but I got snagged on a stray wire from the broken fence. Once I got through, I checked my side where I had coped the wire.

"Damn it!"

I found a cut, not too deep, but enough to draw blood.

"Are you alright?" River asked, a hint of concern in their voice. I guess they saw the blood on my hands.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a small cut."

We're all a bit jumpy, but especially river. They lost the more people than any of us. I helped Jess through the fence, making sure she didn't get snagged by the wire too. River was rather wary, and they were reluctant to come through.

"I don't know… none of the others who looked into it returned."

"Oh, come on! We'll be fine, it's just a stupid rumour anyway!" I reassure them. Their face turns serious.

"A rumour that the POLICE support!"

"Come on!"

River finally gives in and crawls through the hole.

"If I die, make sure they know it was your idea."

"What a positive mindset."

My voice is dripping with sarcasm, but they know that I'm scared too. I feel a horrid warm, sticky, feeling on my side and remember the gash. It was bleeding more than I expected. A LOT more than expected. Blood was dripping down my side, staining my clean white shirt as it went. I grab my side to try and cover it, but it oozes between my fingers, the fluid leaking from the fresh wound, covering my fingers.

"Shit. Uh."

"We don't have any bandages, or anything we could use to wrap it."

"Ashe, that doesn't look very 'fine to me."

River matches my sarcastic tone; however, they are worried for me.

"It's bleeding a bit more than expected, but we don't have anything to wrap it with, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

Jess decides to speak up. "I heard that the creature could sense blood, and it recognises the weakness in its victims- like a SHARK!"

"What a GREAT thing to bring up right now!" I say through gritted teeth.

"Just saying."

I stop myself from continuing, as its clear if I did it wouldn't be the politest conversation.

"Let's just go."

"But-"

I cut River off. "I'm fine. It's just a bit of blood."

I keep walking, not bothering to look back as I know that they'll both follow. As assumed, Jess is right beside me, with River only a step behind.