Chapter 1
I replied. “Hurry!” She says I guess we’d better see what’s in the closet. Nothing that special. My light pink blouse and my jeans are perfect for the weather. Then I tied my hair into a messy ponytail. After that, I got into the car. We live pretty far away from a mall. Let me tell you more about our boring trip. I’m bored out of my mind. Interestingly, Elisabeth and Emily neither seem bored nor annoyed. Are they aware of something I am not? I examine the tall building. I didn’t recognize it at first. OH! That is the big mall and not the smaller one. Whoa... What’s going on? Exactly why are we here? We visited a lot of different stores. Finally, we reached the stationery store. I get to choose all the supplies I need. Unfortunately, I ran into someone I didn’t particularly enjoy seeing. Charlotte Peterson. I hate Charlotte. I consider her to be my archenemy. Charlotte is that mean popular girl who tries to do anything she wants. She has everything and then makes fun of those who don’t. She’s a spoiled brat. I try to steer clear of her, but then again, maybe I should give her a piece of my mind.
My mom’s here, though. In front of adults, Charlotte behaves like an angel. Like she’s completely innocent. Then she walks away with a smile on her face. Afterward, I have gymnastics to attend. As we get in the car, my sisters are eagerly discussing school. The first thing we have to do when we arrive at the gym is to change into athletic clothes and warm up. Argh, I hate warming up. Our lesson continues from then on, with each element being worked on. We take occasional brief breaks. Soon it’s 7:30 pm and time to go home. After changing once again, I waited for my mom to pick me up. 15 minutes passed and there was no sign of her. Despite the freezing temperatures, my phone is dead. I wait, and I wait, and I wait some more. It’s getting dark. I button up my jacket and decide that if Mom doesn’t show up in 10 minutes, I’ll walk home tonight. Unfortunately, she doesn’t show up in 10 minutes and I decide to walk home instead. The gym is around 20 mins away from my house. Growing up in the countryside is a good thing because there aren’t many buildings, and fewer buildings typically mean less traffic, so there are fewer people too, which is a sort of negative too. It’s freezing cold here and I’m kinda lost! I wander through the streets. I have no idea where I am. I thought of going back to the gym, but I probably couldn’t find my way back. My eyes are drawn to a forest that somehow seems familiar. Oh! My goodness... As far as I remember, this forest has a path that leads back home. There are two things, however, that make even contemplating going through the forest impossible.
As a first point, the forest has been said to be haunted. Although I don’t believe it is, it looks horrifying.
As a second issue, there is no proof that the path exists. According to legend, whoever enters will never leave. Unfortunately, I have no other option but to resort to this. “Okay,” I think to myself.
It’s just a legend, right? As I approach the forest, I see it better. I’m glad to be off the streets. Despite its size, the forest looks horrific and frightening. Oh, well...
