Bound By Blood

The trees bent and cracked as human bones, twisting and reaching out their branches like that of hands.

It was cold and quiet, no chirping, no calling of owls or any other animal of that fact, just utter silence, too much silence for Amber.

She was like a predator, eyes widened and analyzed looking for any sort of threat.

The grass below her that tickled her toes was damp and freezing and the cold winter breeze gently brushed her long black hair over her fair porcelain skin.

"Amber, can you not whine about that old converse, we're almost there. I'll buy you new ones." To her friends, there was absolutely nothing to worry about as everything seems to look a lot less threatening with light but Amber wasn't convinced, it felt clear to her that the trees were crying her name pointing its long fingers made of branches behind her, and the light bugs were all going in the same direction, which wasn't towards the park, it was like a warning.

"I'm telling you, I'm sure we'll get top grades for this documentation." Her best friend Beatrice called.

Beatrice was short, almond eyes matching perfectly with her yellow hair and skin tone. She was also the one who suggested coming to visit the park, in the middle of the Gods-damned night! 

She groaned, blowing a long wavy hair strand out of her eyes and pushed a branch from her face.

"Not that I had much of a choice, but sure I'm coming." She was just about to go to sleep when her friend showed up with that no-complaints-we're-going expression on her face. 

Amber had her walls up and strong for a good minute, going to a creepy forest at night wasn't her kind of scenery, not one bit but still, for whatever reason, she agreed to go and now she's regretting every second of it. 

"Guys can you slow down…" She grasped her knees, trying to control her breathing. Looking down at her feet she saw that her sneakers were brown.

"Beatrice you better be willing to buy me new–"Her heart sank in her chest and a painful feeling shot through her body like knives.

"Beatrice? Peter? Gray?" They were all gone.

"If this is some sort of prank, it isn't funny!" She clasped her hands together blowing into them and pressing her palms to make warmth out of the now extremely cold forest. 

A strong breeze ripped through the trees out of nowhere. The wind screamed, it was almost too much for her ears, howling and sounding like whispering.

'He's coming to claim what shall be his!" The wind sounded of painful cries which by the raspy and soul-piercing voices almost brought tears to her eyes.

Amber's throat burned and her heart throbbed. 

The screaming was becoming unbearable and far too realistic for her to contemplate. 

'He'll come to claim what shall be his.'

"Does it mean that I'm corrupted? That I'm quite digging you, running through the forest in the middle of the night in those tiny shorts. No, because I find it hard to admit that I'm kinda turned on by it?" 

A warm voice whispered in her ear, but this one wasn't like the others, this voice was clear, smooth as velvet, and edged with a husky snarl. A shiver radiated through her spine.

"Who, who's there?" She stuttered not knowing what to do or how to react, how else would someone react if they were hearing voices coming from the trees.

 She was either in desperate need of sleep or just losing it then.

Seriously why had she agreed to come along with them if they were going to play pranks on her? She thought, rolling her eyes and then shouting, "I'm serious right now! Did you guys call me here to mess with me?"

A snap of a stick sounded from behind her and she quickly turned towards,  after clenching her fist "Hello?…"She trailed off and again she heard another snap and goosebumps trickled her skin feeling a cold finger gently tap her neck.

"If you're doing this to make me feel scared, it worked.." She groaned, "It's not even funny anymore."

She turned on her feet, hair blowing up by the breeze looking at how much things stood out once alone. The branches caving in and cocooning her small physique, the grass looked sharper like sticks, and vines resembled more snakes. 

She turned around just in time to see a tall silhouette run fast at the front of her face and disappeared behind a tree.

"Pete?" Something tugged at her heart and her body went cold feeling it from her feet up to her face. She exhaled, her hands shivering.

She felt a rush of adrenaline. 

Amber pushed through the branches and appearing larger and sharper it tore at her clothes, cutting her cheek and hands. 

She didn't stop running, scratch that she felt like she couldn't stop running; having no choice or to either turn around and have an encounter with someone she was hundred percent sure didn't have the motive of the friendly neighborhood spiderman. 

She hid behind a tree listening closely as she made out whimpering, sounding of child's but before she could decide to move, she felt a finger twirl around her hair and then a slimy tongue slither along her neck before harshly biting in. 

"Run, he's coming now." She turned around and in utter horror, she saw a kid, dirty clothes, with no facial features or eyes, only two black holes where eyes should be. 

She pushed off the tree, landing on her butt and pushing herself away with her hands. 

'This has to be a dream

The boy walked up to her. 

"What are you?" She asked, feeling a sense of worry even though she was afraid. She could hear his cries, almost feel his pain? Like she wanted to somehow help.

Keeping his face tilted towards her, he pointed to his side with blood now dripping from his sockets.

"He won't let us leave!" The boy screeched with blood rolling down his eyes, "He won't let us leave. He won't let us leave."

Amber cowered away, squeezing her ears and holding her head between her knees as the boy continued to scream.

"He won't let us leave."

"Why? Who, why can't you leave? What happened to your eyes?" She finally looked up at the child and reached out at his shirt, she shook him, "Tell me? You have to tell me so I can help, who won't let you leave?"Amber's hands were shaking.

The kid finally stopped and positioned his head to hers, even though he had no eyes, she could see that he was looking directly in hers.

"Him–" The boy pointed to his left into the forest."The soul keeper." He said and then harshly gripped onto her wrist, digging his nails into her skin.

Amber winced, his touch was like fire, burning into her flesh and boiling her blood from the inside. She stared up at him and latched her free hand over his trying to ease his grip but the kid wouldn't let go.

"He won't leave you." Amber all of a sudden got a sharp pain in her chest. A warm sensation flowing through her body from his words. What did it mean? He won't leave you. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, a groan escaping her lips but when she expected the kid to twist her wrist he didn't.

"He's coming…" She heard a faint whisper of the child before he was gone.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Amber knew that voice, it was her friend, Peter,  his hands on both sides of her shoulder shaking her, replacing the ones belonging to the child. "Quit being a baby Amber, the Park is right ahead." She opened her eyes to see Peter, Beatrice, Amanda, and Grey looking down at her.

"Come on, you're freaking out of some mud while I'm here getting sticks in my hair." Peter ran a finger through his brown locks.

Beatrice crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes, "Shut up Peter."

He kicked a stone on the floor avoiding eye contact and murmured, "Not my fault she's afraid of the mud."

Amber flipped him the middle finger as Grey and Amanda helped her off the floor. "Fuck off."

"Seriously though, the last thing I recalled was you asking Beatrice for new shoes—We don't look after you for one minute and you're already wandering off."

Amber was perplexed and wondered what her friend meant by that. It didn't make any sense. Where were they a while ago? But then again maybe she was just sleepy.

She looked back and found that there was no sign of the fallen trees. 

It was now what she thought happened.

Amanda raised an eyebrow at her and put her hands over her hips, "What are you looking at?" She looked at the trees and then back to Amber to which she shrugged.

"Sorry...I'm just tired, let's go."

***

The leaves and branches of the thick trees hid the existence of the abandoned Theme Park.

There was a tall fence blocking the entrance.

Amber gawk looking over at the dark, broken down Park. There were broken glasses, decayed mental frames, the paint was chipped up and now the usual rides weren't quite recognizable anymore. 

 Empty swings swaying from the breeze and the cringy screeching noises of the old rusting metal.

Amber could feel the absence of the sound of children laughing and playing.

The old Ferris wheel flickered alive and a seat slowly moved, rocking side to side.

Amber smiled and gave thumbs up to the group.

"No way. I'm no main character but there's no way I'm going in there to be killed off first. Imma just head out." Amber turned on her heels ready to leave when Peter grabbed her from behind her waist and turned her to his chest.

 "Nope, you came so you're staying.  Besides, do you prefer to go all the way back there through those woods, or do you wanna stay here with me? I promise I'll be good. Your well-awaited knight in shining armor." He winked, with her a cocky look on his face.

Amber pushed his face away as she was about to kiss her neck.

"If it concerns you, then yes I'll very much prefer the woods option. And your skinny arms couldn't even wield a branch, nonetheless a sword."

Peter held his heart taken aback, "But any girl will like to be the princess of my Kingly hood."

"Sure...." She laughed, she was about to walk back through the forest but stopped seeing how dark and scary it looked, She gulped and turned right back around.

"On second thought. " She said, and Peter smirked.

"I mean—" 

"And no I won't go with you."

His smile fell. 

"At least I still have my favorite girls, am I right?" He turned to Amanda and Beatrice with his hands open.

"Yeahhhh…no." Beatrice was looking down at her phone uninterested and Amanda agreed, shaking her shoulder-length hair.

Peter closed his arms and turned to Grey placing his arm on his shoulder.

"Hey man, you know--"

"Nah man, I'm straight." Grey shrugged away, causing Peter to lose his balance and fall onto the floor.

"I was gonna ask for advice on the lady's man. Advice!"

"You approached me," Grey added nonchalantly with his hands in his pocket.

Grey didn't say much and his light greyish hair color that stood a little over his shoulder gave him a soft and graceful look adding to his quietness. 

He only looked in on his friends' conversation, never bothering to ask or sometimes answer, mostly just nodding.

Beatrice was about to climb to the fence when Peter stopped her.

"Hold on m'lady. Let me be a gentleman and make sure the other side is safe." He lifted her hand and kissed it.

"So extra." Amanda 'pfft' blowing her thick bangs up, "Was it necessary though."

She pointed at the hole in the fence. They could simply pass through there.

Beatrice rolled her eyes, "Come down Peter we—"

"Oh no, m'lady let me do this and prove to you, my sweet girl that I—" He held out his hands and twisted his fingers in that of a princely manner,"Peter Gavinsom shall protect you till death, and that I am much stronger than my little arms can matter."

Peter almost fell which caused a scream to echo from his throat but quickly still thinking that the group was below him he went back to composure."Just kidding guys." He laughed nervously, clearly shaking.

By the time Peter was done climbing he was sweaty and trying to control his breathing. His eyes were close as he pant, "I...I have made it...and soon I shall be reunited with you, my love."

"Yes.." He breathed and murmured to himself, "I will wait until something happens and then go to their rescue. Can't wait to see their faces, especially my beautiful Amber. Beatrice as well but she's scary. Man, she could be such a bitch but then again if I try hard enough she'll be my bitch. Yes, the ladies ought to be amazed."

 Peter tried the closest to a girl's voice he could get, "Yes Peter and we should reward you with a kiss." He wrapped his hands around his back and made smooching noises. " Beatrice would say, 'I've always loved you, and then... she'll kiss me and we'll get married and keep kissing until we eventually make little—"

 "Eh em" A throat cleared and as Peter looked up he was greeted by Beatrice and the two other girls. 

He squealed like a girl and his back slapped into the fence. He slid down onto his back and blocked with his hands bracing himself.

"You know, correct me if I was wrong but I could have sworn I heard the mention of kissing?"Amber uncrossed her arms and looked back at her friends nodding towards them.

"Kissing? What, tsk, no. How did you guys even come across the fence?" He peaked up at the girls still towering above him.

"Oh us? We were here for the entire conversation if it's what you're asking." Amanda raised an eyebrow."Oh and I'll be cutting your hair while you're asleep."

"I—please don't I love my hair. I've been trying to grow it out, you know. To get the girls like him." He pointed at Grey who was kicking a stone on the floor. "I mean how do they like that dumby?" 

Amanda narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm kidding guys, tell them, Grey." Beatrice cracked her knuckles, "Grey! Come on man. I'm never inviting you to my house again."

"Force." It took one word from Grey, but they knew what he meant.

"Guys there's. Look there's something over—" Amanda tried calling her friends feeling extremely scared as though she had seen a ghost but they couldn't hear her from the noise of their voices.

 She was staring at something from the side of the photo booth, it was a woman gripping the neck of what looked like another person but shorter and seemed to be pushing her sharp nails into the person's eyes and then snapping the person's neck. 

The person fell to the ground and the silhouette then turned her neck to look directly at her, pointing its long thin fingers and then snapping open its mouth.

Amanda turned to face her friends screaming their names but when she gripped Amber's hand, it became slippery and covered with blood.

"Exactly, you forced the poor guy to play with dolls with you—"Amber laughed.

"Action figures!" He crosses his arms, "Never question my manhood."

"Whatever you say, Ken."

"Amanda," Grey called, he recognized that she was no longer standing in her previous spot.

Amber turned her head at Grey and then looked over her shoulder.

"She was here just a minute ago—"At the same time, they heard a scream.