40 The picnic-3

Zara debated with herself, a part of her wanting to run away while the other wanting to help whoever it was who had screamed. She cursed under her breath and grabbed a large branch of a tree lying on the ground, just in case.

She inched towards the voice and tried peering through the thick branches. She saw a girl surrounded by a group of two or three men, who were laughing at her.

Zara tried focussing on the girl's face but couldn't get a good look. All of them wore long cloaks that hid most of their face and body. It looked like they were in a disagreement and were bullying the girl.

One of them slapped the girl, the greenish pale fingers ending in long nails. The girl lost her balance and the impact of the slap made her fall sideways. Zara gasped when she saw that the girl was no one other than Rebecca. What was she doing here?

Rebecca gritted her teeth and spat blood from her mouth when she got up. The group guffawed and the shortest of them grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head. Rebecca put a fist in his stomach and the man released his hold.

Rebecca wiped the back of her hand against her bloody mouth, smearing her hand bright red, "I swear things will get ugly if you prolong your stay here."

The person who had grabbed her hair stepped in front of her but Rebecca refused to back away. The man growled, "Where is it?"

Rebecca lodged her knee in his mid-section but he was quick to deflect the attack. While Zara stood debating with herself, a gust of wind made the cloak slip off the person's head revealing his face.

To say he was hideous was an understatement. He had a bald head save for two horn-like things jutting out of his forehead and round beady black eyes. He tried adjusting his cloak and at the same time Zara stepped on dead twigs, making them crunch loudly under her feet.

Zara tried to back away when a hand went around her mouth, startling her. She bit the hand and she heard someone hiss, "Oww" She blindly raised her stick and was about to hit the intruder when she saw the face.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" Zara went near him and surveyed his hand.

"I can ask you the same question."

Zara blinked and recalled what she had seen. She grabbed his hand and motioned for him near the tree,"Quick, see there. I think someone is harming Rebecca, I was thinking of helping her but then I saw that ghastly face and...and then you creeped me out."

Jake's demeanour changed in an instant and he suddenly became alert. He scanned the spot, "Where did you see Rebecca?"

Zara made an impatient noise, "Right there" She pointed her finger but couldn't see anything.

Zara blinked and tried to focus again, "But, she had been right there."

Jake pulled her closer and tried to reassure her, "Maybe, you were imagining things."

Zara shook her head, "I don't have such a wild imagination,J. I saw three men who were arguing and hurting her. They..they wanted something from her, I don't know what."

Jake put his hands on her shoulders, "Z, look around. There is no one here."

When Zara still wouldn't listen, he replied, "Ok you wait here, I will go and check if I can see anyone."

Zara put her hand on his arm, "No, please don't go. What if they harm you?"

Jake reassured her, "I will be fine, just wait here, okay."

Zara wasn't convinced but Jake stepped out of the trees and walked further in the clearing where Zara had witnessed the argument. He called out loud, "Anyone here?"

He was met with an eerie silence as no one responded.

Jake put his hands around his mouth and shouted again, "Rebecca, are you here?"

Jake walked around but didn't find anyone. By the time, he reached Zara, Veronica had arrived and was standing near Zara.

Veronica asked her best friend as she yawned, "Where have you been all this time?"