[ IP ] Through the Woods

Zack cleared the corner of the rickety tool shed. He saw the group huddled together in the clearing just on the edge of the woods. The trees reached up to the sky like bony tendrils that dwarfed the group in comparison. Hints of orange lined the clouds in the darkened blue sky. 
 
 “ Look, he ’ s coming, ” Jonnie shouted, as he pointed towards Zack. 
 
 “ Didn ’ t think you ’ d show. Not after last time, Zackie, ” said Charlie, the condescension dripped off his words which made Zack ’ s face flush red. The rest of the group laughed— everyone except Charlie ’ s younger sister, Charlotte. She looked at Zack with understanding eyes but remained silent. 
 
 “ Yeah, you were so scared you ran back on the fourth chime, ” Stephen said as he pantomimed someone being scared and running. 
 
 Zack balled up his fists to mount his defense. “ Look I miscounted last time, I thought it was the sixth bell. I ’ m not scared and I ’ ll prove it today. ” 
 
 “ Then why ’ d it take you so long to get here? We always come out here on the half-hour bell, ” said Charlie. 
 
 “ Yeah, you didn ’ t even show up before the fifteenth-bell, ” said Stephen, before Zach had a chance to answer. 
 
 “ I got away as soon as I could. My parents didn ’ t go on the supply run this time. I got stuck doing chores, ” he said with arms thrown out in frustration. “ I ’ m here now aren ’ t I? So can we just drop it? ” 
 
 The group acquiesced and went back to their idle conversations. Some boasted about their new tactic, while others reminisced about past runs. Zack stood quietly apart from the group, Charlotte slowly inched her way towards him. 
 
 “ Zack, ” Charlotte said quietly, she placed her hand gently on his arm to get his attention. “ You know, you don ’ t have to do this? I won ’ t think any less of you if you don ’ t go. ” 
 
 “ I got ta do this Char. The last week has been hard enough with all the guys laughing behind my back. ” He swept his arm toward the group. “ How could I ever live in town if I backed out now? ” 
 
 “ Who cares what they say? My brother ’ s a big dummy anyway. Just cause he ’ s the oldest he thinks he can pick on anyone. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s why I got ta do this. If I win, he won ’ t pick on me anymore. ” 
 
 “ You know he ’ ll just find something else to pick on you about. This is a stupid game. Dangerous too. You remember the town ’ s rule. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, yeah. Don ’ t ever be in the forest after sundown, ” he said as he rolled his eyes towards the sky. “ It just a silly superstition some really old people made up a really long time ago. ” 
 
 “ No, it ’ s not! My parents were talking about their last supply run to Collinsville. One of the merchants asked if a group of men made it safely to Foresthaven. He said they left a few hours after my parents left. But here ’ s the thing! They never made it and the merchant never saw the men again. The forest must have gotten them. ” 
 
 Zack couldn ’ t recall the last time Char was this vocal or adamant about something. He shrugged it off, “ Every couple of years the adults always come around with a story about how this person or that group was taken by the forest. ” He pointed at her, “ But do you know anyone who ’ s been taken by the forest? ” 
 
 The double chime of the minute warning bell cut her off before she could respond. The group a flurry of action as all the boys lined up with their backs to the forest; Zack stood on the end of the line. Charlotte joined the two other girls who were there to watch. 
 
 “ Remember, ” Charlie shouted from the middle, “ no looking at the forest until the ten-chimes start. No plotting an early path, that means you Steph! ” He paused to let the giggles subside. “ Once the fifteen-second chime hits, everyone spread out. Once the ten-chimes start you turn and run in. The farthest one out and last one back wins. ” 
 
 “ What if I ’ m the farthest one out, but run back faster? ” The voice belonged to one of the new kids to the game. 
 
 “ That ’ s when the girls will decide. ” 
 
 A bell chimed off in the distance. 
 
 “ Thirty. ” 
 
 Charlie stretched and flexed without an ounce of worry on his face, while other faces among the group flushed with nervous tension. A question tickled the backs of their minds; *What if the stories are true? * Zack stood with quiet determination as he regulated his breathing to settle any nerves before they took over. 
 
 *Ding. * 
 
 “ Spread out! ” 
 
 Zack already on the move before Charlie finished his command. The kid behind him stumbled; Zack didn ’ t look even when those behind him complained at the quagmire. Five seconds passed too quickly for most as the start of the ten-chimes began. Zack turned and ran into the forest. One. He whispered in his mind. 
 
 *Two. * 
 
 He leaped over a pile of detritus and decided to side-step toward the left of the tree in front of him. The sound of the new kid with the question as he tumbled to the ground didn ’ t slow Zack down. If he had looked, he would have seen Jonnie run into a tree as he looked at the fallen boy. 
 
 *Three. * 
 
 At this point, Zack was looking ahead for a good location to make the turn around so he can be out of the woods before the last chime of the ten-chimes that would signal the end of the sunset. 
 
 *Four. * 
 
 He broke his personal rule and looked for the other boys to see their progress, a flash of bright red out of the corner of his eye. He didn ’ t remember anyone of the boys wearing something with bright red on it. 
 
 *Five. * 
 
 He stopped. It was time to turn around, but he needed to know what the red thing was. He heard some of the boys yell about the fifth chime. Probably to warn the others who didn ’ t know they should have counted the bells. He wasn ’ t thinking about that now; he had to find out if someone was out in the woods they may not understand the warning bells. 
 
 *Red. * 
 
 Then he saw it, a bright bobbing dome of crimson. An umbrella held by a young lady. She casually strolled upon a rough-hewn path as if the approaching night was nothing to worry about. The shouts of the boys that raced back to the clearing faded. He should run back he thought, but she needed to be warned he quickly countered. 
 
 *Ding. * 
 
 “ Hey! You need to get out of the woods, ” he shouted. The girl didn ’ t seem to notice. *Ding. * “ It ’ s not safe, you need to get back to town! ” Still no response. At this point, he could no longer hear the group. 
 
 *Ding. * 
 
 Indecision washed over his face as he looked towards the girl then back the way he ’ d come. Maybe they rang the bell a bit too early he thought as he looked towards the sky; it hadn ’ t completely turned to dark. A few nervous hops and he decided; he dashed for the girl and her umbrella. 
 
 *Ding. * 
 
 Zack shouted at the girl to gain her attention as he sped towards her. Not once did she turn, it was like she was oblivious to the frantic yells from behind her. Zack noted he hadn ’ t heard any more chimes as he closed the distance to the girl. 
 
 He was nearly upon her as he called out once again, “ It ’ s not safe out here. You should— ” He stopped short as she turned. His mouth fell agape as his dark brown eyes were drawn to her brilliant green eyes. He ’ d never seen this girl before; he was sure he ’ d remember if he had. Her perfect eyebrows raised in startled surprise. 
 
 “ Oh my, did you forget your umbrella? ” she asked. 
 
 Her nonchalance disarmed him of his words. She was poised and composed compared to his disheveled mess. He looked up, stars speckled the sky while the orange faded from the clouds. The night was here. She should be scared he thought, but could not bring himself to express that very thought. 
 
 “ You shouldn ’ t be out here without your umbrella. It isn ’ t safe, ” she said. She gave a quick glance up towards the sky. “ Oh dear, I ’ m afraid it ’ s too late. ” 
 
 That was the last thing Zack heard before darkness took him. 

