Hidden in Sheridan (Tainted Series: Book 1)

Moon: YOUNG

Levi - I suddenly realized there was no way I was going to let her. My body was already reacting. Seatbelt unlatched, I opened my door and hear a loud squish as my shoes sink into the mud. Other sounds followed me as I squished through the and into the brush following her exact path. My progress wasn’t fast, I had to jump over fallen branches, stumble through thick mud puddles, and dodge some very sneaky baby trees. I look up to see Ity stop at the tree line, she’s removed her sunglasses and now watches me stumble with critical eyes.

With labored breaths I stand beside her at the edge of the forest. I glance around for any stray dogs or monsters with teeth. Only after I’m satisfied there are none, my eyes settle on her. She’d removed her glasses and as, she is slightly elevated on a hill, that put us at eye level.

“I um …” I stumble over my words searching for my resolve as her expression remains unchanging. “We’re still too far for this to be a shortcut home so - how about I walk with you for a while.”

She motions behind her with a skeptical eyebrow raised. As if to say, ‘you’re going to follow me into the woods?’

“Yep,” I say quickly. “I mean it’s not safe for you to go alone. Only three days ago I got bit by a wild animal out here. So, I’ll go with you. Safety in numbers, right.”

Her eyes dance with humor but she doesn’t laugh outright. Instead she nods twice before raising her hand. In three simple motions she says, ‘OK Follow me.’

I do.

The crunching of branches accompanied by the suction sound of both our shoes sinking in and out of the mud, is only rivaled by my inability to stop talking. That previous decision to keep my foot out of my mouth, gone.

We’re walking through the woods, and even though I was never a Boy Scout, I remember someone teaching me make noise in the woods to keep the wild animals away.

So I talk.

“It’s nice. The sun is staying up longer in the evenings. Did you come out this way in the winter when it’s dark at four o’clock?”

I see her nod that she did.

“You must like being out the forest.”

She turns toward me, but continues to walk. Pointing to her ears she motions around and then covers her ears.

“It’s quiet,” I guess. “But we live in a small town, so it’s always quiet around here, you don’t need to go out into the woods alone.”

Her head shakes and then she climbs over a large log, jumping down to the other side. “You like it quieter?” I ask following her movements the best I can. She made it look so easy.

I land on both feet but my knees buckle and I stumble to the side catching myself by shoving my shoulder into another tree. “Not my best dismount but do I get points for keeping my face from planting into the mud?”

She mimes an applause and holds up seven fingers.

“Seven points from the judge, I’ll take it.” I laugh.

Ity pauses and takes a deep breath, looking longingly at the sky. I do the same. The canopy isn’t that thick in this part, the pines stretch high but their needle filled branches are spaced out leaving stretches of bare tree towering more like a telephone pole than a Christmas tree.

The blue sky was warm with sunlight, a few thin strips of clouds give the blue mass a bit of texture but fail to cast shadows to the ground however the tree succeed in the shadow casting. Half of the puddles I’ve stepped in up to this point were surprises due to those dark tree shadows.

The breeze rustles the branches, “I guess it is really peaceful out here.” I say. She lifts a thumb in the air then turns to continue her journey. I stay behind her this time, watching her back as she walks possibly leading me to my death. I begin to wonder how I’m going to find my way back to Wendy.

In every direction, everything looks the same to me. I glance around at the sound of a cracking branch I jump and shutter but it turns out to be my own doing. I know not everything is an attacking animal, but my body doesn’t believe me.

I shake off my nerves and refocus on her back.

Her footing is always confident. She never trips over a stick, mud or imaginary obstacle. Whereas I, stumble over each of these with the grace of hippopotamus climbing a tree.

She’s also very fast. My heart pounds and my lungs burn as I try to keep up. She’s aware of this and pauses ahead, waiting for me to catch up and then she continues on. I push the humiliation that was sure to surface, down into my stomach.

To help me refrain from talking, I listen for the birds, or small animals, but that what makes me pause this time. I look from tree to tree, then down closer to the ground.

No birds singing. Not a one.

Not that there were tons of birds around this early in the spring but the level of quiet suddenly didn’t feel normal.

“Why aren’t there any animals?” I ask.

She stops instantly spinning around toward me with her head tilted. A buzz ran through my spine right into my heart, and I felt like I had to explain.

“Last time I walked through the woods with my mom, there were more sounds around me. Bugs. Birds or even critters diving for cover. But, I don’t hear anything for miles.” Though the words were supposed to be an exaggeration, they felt accurate. That buzz in my spine decreased to a slight humming.

Ity nodded signaling she understood, but she still eyed me suspiciously.

“Did I say something wrong?” I ask, she shakes her head and then continues her journey.

Branches in the tallest of trees began to fill in but it was the sight of a group of tightly grown trees ahead slows our pace. They look old but not incredibly tall. In fact there are many trees around now that tower over this cluster. Yet their branches are so tightly grown around each other I can’t see through them.

I turn to my left thinking we’re supposed to walk around them, but I can see that this thickened cluster continues beyond my line of sight. I’m about to question Ity when she waves, motioning for me to follow.

“Are you sure? Isn’t there a less painful way to go through?” I ask but she is already crouching low, almost into a crawl. With her backpack on her back she pulls on her hood and tightens the draw strings. Then she pushes aside pine needles, disappearing into the mess of branches.

I am left with one obvious option, because theirs no way I’m turning around and leaving now. I crouch onto my hands and knees, sinking into the mud and I follow.

The needles sharply scratch across my skin. They leave bright white marks on the backs of my dark hands. My long sleeves protect my arms for the most part, but the fabric doesn’t get off without a few snags.

I spot her, Ity’s red shirt, waiting for me on the other side.

My head pokes out and I wiggle free until I can stand. Looking down at my feet I’m covered in mud and a few branches stick from the short curls of my hair. Ity is completely clean. Her hands, her pants, her hair, the hood had kept all debris from taking up residence in her locks. I would have gawked at her longer, if she weren’t standing in front of a more amazing site.

CHAPTER END