•4• Forest Green

Come closer and see

See into the trees

Find the girl if you can

Come closer and see

See into the dark

Just follow your eyes

A forest- The Cure

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It has been three days and Sally has been officially declared missing. The Damewood, Sally's family, has been all over the news asking for their daughter to come back. It was a rumor that has been spread around that she skipped towns to be with an older boyfriend; I didn't believe it to be true though. You can call it a feeling, but something tells me Sally didn't just run away.

Back home Saturdays were usually spent with my mom; it is not that I did not have friends, but I just preferred to stay with her because she was the one who did not have friends. However, today is different. Alexis insisted that I spend the day with her and her friends, who somewhere along the line became mine too: Jared, Jessica, Michael, Tina, and Zack. We are supposed to hangout by the lake, take a swim, and chat. At least that's what I was told. I wondered if they had ever asked Sebastian to join them, or us, but I think no one actually dared to ask him. For the past few days, Sebastian and I got to talk, even if briefly, about different things. He told me he likes winter and I told him the I share the same opinion, he said he has a brother and a sister and I told him that I was an only child. I didn't see Sebastian as the mystery arrogant guy that everybody thought of him. He was not mysterious; it was my feelings towards him that were. I just really want to know why he did not give anyone the chance to know him.

"Raine, Alexis is here" Nana called from downstairs while I was putting my hair in a high ponytail with few shorter strands falling around my face and the back of my neck. I wore my swimming suit underneath my floral short day-dress, but I was not sure if I am actually up for a swim. It was just thought, but I couldn't help but wonder if I had Sebastian number would have I called him? I headed downstairs to be met with Alexis and my grandmother sitting together on the kitchen table.

"How is Jane doing? You have to send her my regards" Nana said then took a sip from her steaming hot cup of tea.

"I'll make sure to do that and she is fine. I mean she has been a little distressed because of the whole Sally situation" Alexis said in that same chirpy tone of hers, shaking her head with an eyeroll when mentioning Sally.

"Uh, that poor girl! I can understand how your mother feels; we don't actually know what happened to her" Nana added in a sympathetic tone.

Alexis scoffed, "I think she will be back before we know it. I mean she must be having the time of her life with that older boyfriend of hers"

"We don't actually know if she has a boyfriend Alexis" I interjected entering the kitchen. Both of them took notice of my presence and nana stood up placing her cup in the sink.

"Well girls, I should let you go and enjoy your day" Nana said then turned to me, "Don't be late for the shop��

I only nodded my head and she left the kitchen. Nana had asked me earlier yesterday to help her in the bookshop today, which is something I didn't mind. She told me we will order dinner and eat there. Lucia, the girl who helps her there had taken a long vacation hence my grandmother has been managing the whole thing alone.

Alexis stood up and shook her head, "Then who had she been texting all through the past month"

I shrugged my shoulders, "We don't know. It could be anything and nothing"

Alexis sighed again and placed her hand in my shoulder, then in the most fake sympathetic tone she said, "You don't get it Raine. Secret Valley is a small town. We all know each other, so when one of us is dumbly tries to hide a secret we all know. And I know Sally Damewood was hiding a secret" Alexis shook her head then walked towards the front door. Me? I was frozen in place, something about her words; they just resonated in my brain over and over again. At the door she turned and looked at me with her brightest smile and cheerful tone, "Come on silly. We don't want to be late"

We drove in Alexis' car, part of me wanted to take my own but she insisted. I guess I felt safer, or maybe more in control having my own car with me but I thought it is okay to let go of my controlling issues for just the day, even though it was a long debate in my mind but I gave in. Something Secret Valley is popular for: the woods around it. This was where we were heading, the woods. At first I did not really know, but apparently the lake is somewhere in the woods and Alexis kept on gushing all the way about how beautiful it is and how much fun I will have.

We arrived at some part in the woods; we have been driving into it for the past ten minutes. Alexis parked the car and I saw two others parked in the same place. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way" She took the keys and grabbed her bag in the backseat then turned to me once more, "Don't worry it isn't a long walk, literally a three-minute walk" she jumped out of the car and said, "and yes I counted"

I chuckled at her last comment, but got out of the car as well, "I am not a big fan of walking, but fine" I faked a tired sigh, grabbed my bag, and followed after Alexis. It was a three-minute walk, just like Alexis said. We came to a stop at a meadow. It was the most beautiful and ethereal thing I have ever seen. Everything was just vibrant green with small yellow flowers scattered around, the sunlight only added more beauty to the scenery. I breathed in the fresh clear air and exhaled slowly enjoying every breath I take. I caught a glimpse of a shirtless guy running towards us; it was Jared and he was waving his hand. Alexis took quick steps his way and I followed behind quietly.

"You guys finally made it" Jared stated with a wide grin. "What took you so long? We have been in the water for quite some time"

"I can see that" Alexis said with a smirk.

Jared laughed then turned to me, "Lorraine, I'm glad you came" He gave me a friendly smile, "Come on! The others are waiting" He began jogging in the direction were he came from and Alexis followed behind him and I did the same.

The first thing I noticed was Tina Turner in her purple bikini top and denim shorts lying on a picnic blanket next to her a basked full of fruits. She was biting on a red grape when she noticed Alexis and she immediately stood up then started walking our way. At the same time two guys came out of the water, one of them had tanned skin very similar to Tina's and the other was African American; those are Michael and Zack respectively. Zack had plenty of muscles going on for him and he was in the football team. On the other hand, Michael drifted to the lean side and he played in the basketball team. Tina similar to Alexis was a cheerleader. Together they all made sense, and it made me wonder what I was doing with these people.

"Alexis you're here" Tina exclaimed happily. "I was tired babysitting those boys" She rolled her eyes, "All they ever do is fight, play, fight some more" She shook her head then pouted, "What took you so long"

"I am not even that late you guys!" Alexis exclaimed, and then started walking to the picnic blanket.

"I'm glad you made it Lorraine" Michael said with his boyish smile enhanced with his rosy cheeks.

"Thank you Michael and I told you to just call me Raine. Lorraine is just too long" I replied with a smile of my own but chuckling by the end. I didn't necessarily dislike my name, but it was just too long. He nodded his head with a grin then we stood silently for a second perhaps two, while the others were playing around and Alexis had already jumped into the water.

"Nice dress, it really…uhm…suits you" Michael rubbed the back of his neck looking down.

I smiled, "Thank you." He looked kind of shy, and I wondered if maybe he was flirting. Was that flirting? I sure hope it was not. Michael is a great guy, really. He has this small-town-boy aura around him. The baby blue eyes, the blonde hair, his lean body, and everything about just screamed it. I am not saying that this is a bad thing, actually this would usually be my type, but I felt no attraction towards Michael. I chose the total opposite of what he is to be attracted to: Sebastian. "Why don't we go and join the others" I decided to say after another long moment of silence. He was nervous, or at least that was what I thought, his fidgeting was making me uncomfortable.

The day was spent in a nice smooth way. It was all about playing, having fun, swimming, and running around. It was a nice change, one that I perhaps needed but I couldn't take part in it. I could not, and for a reason I did not understand, play and enjoy. I sat on the picnic blanket and watched them having fun with a small book in hand. That was not my usual, but that was how I felt like doing and I know better than to pressure myself to do anything I do not want to.

"Raine, you've been sitting here the whole time" Tina came running out of the water. I am sure Alexis was the one who sent her, she would not have come on her own. She just does not care, to her I am nobody and honestly I could not care less about what she thought. "Are you not bored sitting here, doing nothing but reading? Don't you want to go for a swim maybe?" She sounded forced, the pretentious kindness didn't suit her voice nor did it match her attitude. The roll of her eyes, the bored tone; I knew she didn't want to be here.

I faked a smile too; it looked like that was what we do around here. "I am more comfortable this way. You go ahead and have fun"

"Maybe we can take a stroll in the woods?" Jared suggested. I did not even notice him get out of the water. "You have never been here, it is quite nice round"

I nodded my head, "that sounds nice actually, why not?"

"Alright then, I'll check if any of the others want to join" he turned to Tina, "You want to come with us?" He asked like he already knew the answer, like he already knew she would say no.

"I don't know, but I don't think I'll enjoy. I'd rather stay here and swim some more" Tina replied then walked away and jumped right into the water. She was followed by Jared, who called the others to ask them. When he came back he was followed by Alexis.

"Give me five minutes and I will be ready to go" She exclaimed happily. She was always happy, I don't know how.

It was five minutes later that Jared; Alexis and I were walking through the woods. "You know there are several underground tunnels here. They say town's people used to hide in it" Jared stated as we walked.

"Hide from what?" I asked curiously turning to him.

"Secret Valley had a secret cult" Alexis added.

"Wow a cult?" I interrupted surprised at the notion.

She nodded her head but then Jared continued, "the secret cult resided in the valley, religious, conservative and they refused anyone who didn't follow their rules. They killed people"

"So, the town's people decided to do something about it, and somehow this started a war between the people of the valley and the people of the town" Alexis resumed

"It's very similar to a civil way" Jared clarified as we walked.

"Wow. Okay. And who won in the end?" I questioned.

"Who do you think" Alexis said "The town folks did"

After she said her words, I heard a strange rustling noise, "Do you guys hear that?"

Jared looked at me weirdly, "What?"

I started walking towards the direction of the noise, "I don't know. I think I heard something." They both followed me as we walked, I noticed how the trees were becoming thicker, bigger, and older. The area became more shaded as we went on. The sound continued but with it there were others too. My movement came to a stop; I froze and I am sure Alexis and Jared did too. I saw four black wolves, were they wolves though? I could not be sure; they were triple the size of a normal one. They were eating away in a body, the sound of the tearing of flesh and the smell of blood invaded my nostrils. The body, it belonged to a girl, one that I knew. It was Sally. Three days, and her body was being eaten by wolves in the woods. I heard Alexis gasp, or scream, or maybe doing both. However, what I knew for sure was that she attracted their attention towards us. The four wolves halted their action and stared at us with deranged red eyes. They looked about ready to run our way, take a bite or maybe two. Kill us. But that was not the way I saw myself dying. It was not how I expected my death to be like. I imagined so many ways, different scenarios, just never this one. I took in a deep breath, but I refused to close my eyes. I want to see the way I die.