Chapter 5

It was almost dark in the woods and the sun was going down, reducing visibility. The chirping of insects and the calling of various animals could be heard as the woods came to live. A vehicle could be seen driving down the highway that lined with the woods on both sides as loud rock music blared from it's stereo, it was a pickup truck with five teenagers that consists of three guys and two girls onboard. They sang off key to the loud music playing while sipping from the cups in their hands.

A teenage boy with purple colored hair was behind the wheels, rocking to the loud music blaring from the car's stereo system. He has two piercings on his ears with one on his nose and a nose ring attached to it. He was putting on a black jean jacket and jean trousers with a silver chain which had a crucifix pendant dangling on his neck.

"Aren't we there yet?" A girl with brown straight hair asked, she sat behind the truck with a hot looking oblong faced guy who had an athletic body.

"It's right there" he said pointing at a broken branch stuck in the ground. It was very close to the woods with a piece of handkerchief attached to it. It looks more like a flag.

He gently pulled over by the roadside before turning off the music.

"We're close!" He announced opening the door as the other four alighted from the truck. They had few camping gears with them. They definitely have plans of spending the night there.

The atmosphere was silent again, except for the chirping insects as they all observed the environment before the dude who drove told them it's save. He'd been there earlier that day.

"Grab the box Hailey, we can't leave anything behind" A boy with low trimmed hair told the girl next to him. He grabbed a backpack from the only brown skinned guy amongst them who stretched it to him.

"What do you have in here, Tony?" He asked the black dude who had a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"A bottle of Oxycodone and some... You know" he said making faces at him.

" I knew you would come with the regular" he said as they exchanged the thugger handshake.

" You bet" he replied with a wink.

"Hey Ricky, I can't find my gums" Another girl with dirty brown hair said to the guy that drove the car. He was carrying a bucket with stuffs and a silver jean chain could be seen hanging loosely on his trouser. He's dressed like a rockstar.

"That's not my concern now, I just wanna have fun tonight. Please don't ruin it" he replied.

They all got ready, locked the door with each person having their backpacks strapped on which housed their camping equipments. They also have some equipments which they carried in their hands as Ricky led the way Into the woods.

A white handkerchief could be seen tied to trees, serving as a mark which they followed down to their destination. The black dude however has a map in his hand as he trailed his fingers, trying to locate where they are, it's already dark.

It took them almost fifteen minutes of waltzing deep into the woods before they finally got to a small place that had been cleared of shrubs. The trees were still around, but the shrubs weren't there. It's been prepared beforehand for the camp.

"Here we are!" Ricky announced dumping the bucket on the ground.

"C'mon baby, give me a hand" he said to the girl who had been looking for her gums the other time. Her name's Vera.

"Pass me the gas lamp. We need to set it up over here. I hate darkness" the athletic-bodied guy who goes by the name Matt said while making his camping tent.

"Then you shouldn't be here" Tony said chuckling.

"I wouldn't miss the party, you know" he replied

"Ahh-ahh..." Tony said said nodding his head as he lit a cigarette, producing a lighter from his jean pocket.

"Is that the regular?" Matt asked staring suspiciously at Tony, the dark atmosphere not giving him clear vision of What Toni was about to smoke.

"No buddy, it's just cigarette" he replied puffing out smoke from his mouth and nostrils.

***

Starlake City Police Department was bubbling with activities. Cops could be seen going in and out of the station as well as law breaking criminals who were been led either into the interrogation room or cells.

The student who killed her friend at Starlake High School could be seen in an interrogation room with two other cops. They were unable to get something good out of her as she kept repeating the same words over and over again.

A young man in a black suit could be seen moving towards the interrogation room where the girl was kept. A man in brown suit stood there, observing the girl.

"Detective Mark" the other man saluted him. A closer look at the man that just arrived showed that it was James Clark.

"Any development?" He asked observing her through the glass wall of the interrogation room.

" Nothing yet, she kept talking about a creepy faceless man that made her kill her friend. It's crazy, honestly" Detective Mark said, his voice laced with concern.

"She's acting weird too" Detective Mark added, stealing another glance at the girl.

"Have you contact her parents, guardian or any relative?"

"Yes, we did. We've contacted her parents, and they said they're on their way" Detective Mark replied.

The girl just sat down, not doing or minding anything or anyone. She stared into space as if there's something she's looking at there.

"Weird!" Detective James muttered. He observed the other cops and everyone around, making sure they're not looking in their directions, before moving close to Detective Mark.

"Do you have it with you right here?" He asked in hushed tone as Detective Mark slipped something wrapped in a white handkerchief into his hands.

"I gotta go now, you know what to do" he said looking at the girl's direction as Detective Mark nod his head.

***

" It's impossible!" Mr Gary thundered, "I've waited for this all my life and you're here, telling me that it chose her?" he said.

The Sacred Stone Of Prophecy had chosen Mrs. Smith over her father, Mr. Gary who was supposed to be the leader didn't find it funny.

" It's not my fault Gary, it's the prophecy " Mr Ben said. He dropped his gadget on the glass table and leaned against it with his arms crossed. He also doesn't know what's going on anymore. He's more confused about what's happening. Mr Gary was supposed to be the new leader, but it chose Lucy.

" Well, fuck the prophecy, I don't care" he said stomping out of the hall.

" Wow!" Said Clara, " this is serious cause I've never in our history heard of a female leading the Guardianess La Tierra. Is there something I'm missing?" She said, not directing her question at anyone in particular.

" I also find it strange, this has never happened before" Mr Ben said, " choosing Lucy over her father means a generation had been skipped which has never happened before, I'm confused" he added.

" Well, I'm not interested in it" Mrs Smith said to everyone's surprise.

" What are you talking about?" asked, Mr. Ben.

" It's simple, I don't want this life. I might love the thrills, adventures and all, but I don't want to get stuck in it. I now have a family" she revealed.

Clara kept staring at her with a confused look on, " so you mean?..."

" I'm not taking up the mantle of leadership" she finally said in a way they will understand. Clara gasped in surprise.

" That's not possible Lucy. Once the stone chooses you, then it's your destiny. You can't just decide on your own" Mr Ben said, trying to make her see things the way it had been for centuries.

" Well, I wouldn't let a stone decide my fate or destiny" she replied shocking Mr Ben, " like I said, I'm married. I now have a family. I can't continue keeping secrets from my husband, I feel like an unfaithful wife. I don't want this life anymore. I wanna live happily with my husband, have three kids, run my coffee shop together with him. All I want is a good life, not this" She continued. " I'm sorry" she added leaving the hall with Trey trailing closely behind her.

" Did that just happen?" Clara asked, facing Mr Ben.

" Oh God! This won't end well for everyone" Mr Ben said, massaging his forehead with his palm.

***

The teenagers had successfully camped in the woods with three separate tents spread across the small clearing. Each tent had a dim rechargeable lamp in it with a gas lamp outside the camp. Tony who was dating Hailey was in the same tent with her while Ricky was with his girlfriend Vera. Matt was the only single guy amongst them, so he was left alone in his tent.

He decided to pass some time outside the tenth. He came out with a bottle of whiskey and a wrap of hemp in his hands. He moved yards away from the clearing, not wanting to disturb the other couples who were busy making out in their tents.

He got to a place where he considered a safe distance before lighting up his hemp. He dragged on the drug, inhaled it and puff out a cloudy smoke. He smiled at the little work of art he created when he heard something whoosh past him, he stopped to listen carefully. Then he heard the whoosh sound again.

He turned on the flashlight with him, pointing it in the direction where he heard the sound. There was another by his left side and this time around, he could swear he saw something move like a shadow, the form blended with the darkness.

"Hello?!" He called, " Is anyone out there?!" There was no reply. He grabbed a stick lying nearby, moving as stealthily as possible, trying his best not to make any sound.

His flashlight suddenly fluctuates before going off.

"What the hell!" He cursed, hitting and shaking the flashlight, but it's only flashed, it was never stable.

He heard a whisper that echoed deep into the woods as his heart raced like that of an athlete that just finished a marathon race.

There was a howl that made him stagger backwards. He shook in fright.

"Hello?!" He called again, but there was no reply. He was begining to regret coming to the woods now as he contemplated running for his life.

He was about to turn back when he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. He flinched back in horror, almost screaming his head off but calmed when the person flashed his light at himself, revealing his black skin.

"Tony?" He said almost in a whisper. "Thank God you're here" he said trying to control his breath.

"I heard some strange sound, so I decided to come check it out" Tony replied.

" There's something out here" said Matt sticking close to Tony.

" You didn't expect us to be alone in the woods? There are animals; squirrels, bears, wolves, hyenas, you name it. They're all here" Tony said. " It must have been a wolf" he added with a calm look on his face.

" C'mon, let's get the hell out of here" said Tony, sticking a cigarette in his mouth as he provided his lighter from his pocket.

He was about to lit it when he noticed something up amongst the tall trees in the woods. He flashed his flashlight at it, as the cigarette stuck in his mouth fell off from his lips while looking up in horror and disbelief.

There up in the trees was a faceless slender figure of a man in suit and tie, with tendrils sprouting from its back, connecting with the trees around like branches hanging it up there in the air. It's head and fingers were bony and it has this evil aura emitting from it's body which seems to blend with the trees. It's so difficult to spot it without the flashlight.

"Holy motherfucker!" Tony cursed.