Chapter 1
PROLOGUE
10 years before
“Please Claire, I just want to go home,” Three friends were walking through the forests alone at night. The one with black auburn hair was dragging her feet and pouting trying to catch up with the other girls.
“Oh come on Beth you're fine nothing is going to happen so stop being a baby.” Claire laughed and tied her blonde wavy hair up into a tight bun, and started running leaving Beth there alone with another girl.
“Don’t worry about her, Beth , she’s crazy, come on, let’s catch up.” A little red harried girl linked her arm with Beths, and they started to through where their friend had disappeared.
Beth ran to catch up, still linking arms with the red haired girl, panting as she tried to catch up.
“Claire, wait up, me and Lucy can only run so fast!” Beth shouted towards where their friend disappeared, in the clearing between two tall trees. They heard Clarie scream a bloody murder.
“BETH!” A voice screamed.
Chapter 1
Beth
I jumped, gasping for air. I put my hand on my heart trying to calm it down.
“Was it all a dream?” I asked out loud. I sat up looking around for my phone. My hand landed on it and I grabbed it and looked at the time. 1:30 am
Lucy:Beth 911 text me now!!!!,
Ugg what now, Lucy was always nervous about anything because of what we did when we were six, but it wasn’t our fault.
Me: I was sleeping but what’s up?
almost immediately there was a text.
Lucy: I had it again, it was more vivid did you? I could not understand what she was talking about.
Me: What are you talking about, calm down Lucy, you’re fine.
Lucy: No i’m not, I had another dream your telling me you didn’t
I couldn’t admit it, it would have freaked her out more than she was and I didn’t want to do that to her especially because we were starting a new high school this year right behind the woods the accident happened at.
Me: No Lucy I did not and that was 10 years ago when we were 6 you really think i’m gonna remember that? You’re just being paranoid.
Lucy: Whatever I still remember it and what about the stories or the killings
Me: LUCY DID YOU WATCH A GHOST DOCUMENTARY BEFORE GOING TO BED!?
Lucy: Yes I did AND DON’T YELL AT ME I LIKE THEM
Me: Yeah, but then you start thinking things that aren’t true, shit gtg mom is coming
Lucy: Okay night
Me: Night
My door opened quietly letting in a bit of some hallway light, I quickly hid my phone and pretended to sleep.
“Honey what’s going on?” I heard my step dad ask
“Nothing Paul, I thought I heard Beth up.” She sighed and whispered “quietly okay?” I nodded and she left closing the door and leaving me in the dark again. I turned my phone on again and the bright light illuminated the room in its white light.
Me: Okay all good
Lucy: Okay so let’s talk about the new school
Me: Oh dear not this again please Lucy I beg of you please
Lucy: No, Beth be smart think about it, Claire died…
Me: No she did not die
Lucy: We don’t know that we didn’t see her body
Me: CAUSE WE WERE SIX
Lucy: Whatever anyways our school is right behind the woods that we went into
Me: So…
Lucy: So… if she’s angry at us she’ll target us first i know it
Me: Okay stop your scaring me
Lucy: Good
Me: No not good stop Lucy okay you’re fine i’m fine
Lucy: But clarie wasn’t
Me: Stop it that wasn’t our fault we did not know
Lucy: Whatever
Me: Go back to bed Lucy
Lucy: NO! Don’t leave me please if you do then i’m gonna have the dream again
Me: Stop being a baby i’m going to sleep now and so should you okay? Night.
I powered off my phone and threw it on the bedside table. Was she right? Was something going to happen to us? A creak at the window startled me calm down it's probably just the wind.
Me: Okay still up
Lucy: Thank god so let’s talk about something else
Me: Like what
Lucy: The new school
Me: I swear to you Lucy….
Lucy: No NO NO not that i want to forget that right now, I meant schedule whys
Me: Oh okay, umm any classes you like
Silence
Me: Um Lucy you there
There was a knock at my window. What the hell. I walked over to it carefully, remembering I had a bat by the window and was not afraid to use it thank god mom took me taught me how to use it. I curled my fingers around the bat and pulled back the curtains
“Jesus christ” I whispered.
“Sorry Beth didn't mean to scare you, can I come in?” Lucy gave me a sly smile I rolled my eyes.
“Fine, but please be quiet my parents are still sleeping.” I opened the window and she bounced in her shoulder length red hair bobbing in with her, freshly dyed a darker red too, it looked like blood almost blackish.
“Why are you here it’s…” I looked at my phone oh shit, I heard my parents alarm clock go off and my mom coming down the hall. I grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her to the window, “...It’s 5:00 get out hide mom's coming.” I shoved Lucy to the window, she grabbed me laughing, this isn't a laughing matter I rolled my eyes, still trying to push her out of the window.
“Calm down, your mom likes me and it’s not like we haven’t done this before.” She rolled her eyes laughing. I laugh remembering the first time she snuck in we must have been like 13 at the time. She had knocked down my lamp and woke my step dad up.
Lucy grabbed me and pulled me to the bed. She went to my dresser and grabbed my brush. She took my hair out of my bun and let my hair fall to my back. She started to brush my hair starting at the tips and working her way up. Mom opened my door but Lucy didn't care she continued to brush my hair.
“Beth sweetheart, it’s time to get up.” She looked for me and found Lucy sitting on my bed, brushing my hair, Mom shook her head.
“Oh Lucy I didn’t hear you come through the door, does Sarha know you’re here?” Mom asked, staring at her, Sarah was Lucy's Mom's name. My mom and her mom have been besties for as long as they can remember. My mom has dark black hair her's is almost as long as mine but mine is thicker and wavier.
“Oh yeah Rachel it’s okay my mom knows just I was having a melt down and needed her help.” She gestured to me. Ya cause that makes sense a meltdown at 5 in the god damn morning and you need our best friend I don't think so.
“Oh okay all good, guess i’m taking you both to school then, okay up girls time to get ready.” I stared at her like she had grown two heads. She believed that no way?
“Moooooom!” I moaned, “I’m 16 I can drive us.”
“Oh right sorry sweetie I forgot, oh and I know you already understand this but just please don’t take the path to the woods okay? Sad they still haven’t found your friend, I’m sure she’ll turn up here soon.” We both cringed away from her. She started calling Claire "Our friend" because she couldn't use her name Claire was like a sister to us we could have been triplets. All of our mom's where really close but after Claire disappeared (she's not dead I know it) our families kinda shifted apart me and Lucy stayed together of course, but it's not the same without Claire. The thought of that makes me want to cry I feel the tears pooling in my eyes and I quickly wipe them away, don't need to cause attention right now.
“Okay well breakfast will be ready soon.” She turned and headed out the door. Lucy just started laughing. I gave her a look like "what's so funny?" She just shrugged which made her laugh harder. I rolled my eyes at her again this whole day is gonna be me rolling my eyes. Hopefully I don't lose them.
“Okay love, what are we going to do with our outfits?” Lucy asked me, walking to my closet. I laugh, she loves the British language (or that's what she calls it) so she tries to speak like it hence the Love.
“Umm… no idea, you pick.” I say laughing and falling on my bed.
“Okay… this.” Lucy said, holding up a one sleeved dress that I hadn’t worn in ages and it was way too fancy for a high school especially for junior year. I sigh and throw my arm over my eyes.
“Lucy, I haven’t worn that in years and plus that’s fancy, it’s highschool not a club.” I said laughing, she rolls her eyes, I guess that we do a lot of that.
“Okay, Okay, um… this it’s cute and there might be some cute guys there.” She held up a tank top crop shirt that marveled my body. I didn’t want to wear it but I would have to do something to keep her mind off the woods. Plus Lucy was all about boys, not me.
“Yeah, that’s cute. I’ll wear that with jeans.” I said getting off my bed and going to the dresser pulled out two bras, and threw one at her, it helps that we are the same size plus she came in her PJ's so she borrowed a cute white tank top and some black jeans, and got dressed. I then grabbed jeans and we got dressed, then she towed me to the bathroom to do my makeup, she wants to be a makeup artist so she has been practicing on me and I love it. Once we were dressed and the nerves went away what am I nervous about anyway? We headed downstairs she jumped and twirled at the bottom step and I did the same pretending like we were in ballet. We always did that.
“Finally foods getting cold, I have to take your brother to school now.” I rolled my eyes at my step brother. Mom remarried after dad “died” she says this because, he was sick and we knew he wouldn’t get better, by sick I mean, sick in the head because he left us when I was not even 3 years old and every now and than tries to get me to live with his new family. Lucy of course thought it was claire haunting us. I chuckled at the memory, but Jake was my step brother, which sucks because at my old school we were dating for 3 years then we broke up because it was a weird love because mom than started dating his dad and one thing led to another and now my ex is my step brother. Talk about family drama.
“Mom, he’s 18, just rent him a car.” I rolled my eyes.
“Or you could take him with you, you both go to the same school.” Mom laughed but there was no humor in it. She grabbed her keys and checked her phone she than looked at me pleading with me. I shook my head and gave her a terrified expression. But before I could say anything mom shouted,
“Love you guys!” And ran out the door. Great, now I am stuck with driving him to school. Thanks a lot mom.
“Let me grab my stuff i’ll be a minute.” Jake said, running up the stairs. I looked at Lucy. She was staring right at him fixing her hair. Oh hell no!
“Oh god Lucy no!” I shouted horrified.
“What?” she asked, all innocent but smiling.
“That is the worst thing of all things, even worse if you were right about Claire haunting us.” I stated, Lucy looked hurt but recovered as Jake came bouncing down stairs, backpack slung over his shoulder. He flashed me his sexy smile that I had fallen for and a sudden wave of hurt washed over me. I smiled at him but it felt more like a grimace.
“Let’s go, I wanna get to school.” I said jingling my keys.
“Oh come on sis slow down no rush.” Jake said, grabbing my hand. I quickly shook myself out of his grasp and walked away. Anger was swelling up in me and I was afraid that I was gonna blow. How could he easily pretend nothing happened between us calling me "sis" so easily I wanted to cry.
“Now.” I said and walked to the front door, opening it and looking at Lucy only. She understood my pleas and went to the door, squeezing my shoulder slightly. Could you be more obvious?
“Beth, can we talk?” Jake asked, looking nervous. He was never nervous.
“Latter okay.” I said. Ya, maybe later in 30 years when i’m married and not worried that my ex boyfriend whom I love so much is my step brother.
“Um..Okay,” Jake said and got into the back of my car. He looked deflated.
