Chapter 17

Seventeen

The southern path of the cemetery was steep, sharp edges of the earth peeking from the ground as if some of the graves were carved into chunks of the side of the mountain itself. Truthfully, I was glad Cain sent me gallivanting in this direction. Ruby and Jinx wouldn't have been able to trek this far, especially not Ruby in her boots, and Alaska would've struggled. The path was old and narrow, warping around the vicious landscape of the mountain. Trees from the forest trickled into the cemetery, piercing through the iron fence, flooding it with layers of moving shadows that swayed with the night air. Aside from the surrounding nature, it was peaceful. This was one of the reasons Alaska and I chose the graveyard back home for our time together; we found the silent cemetery to be oddly comforting.

A red fox stepped from the woods, stopping just a few feet ahead of me, walking along the rippled landscape. My feet halted as I slowly pulled the polaroid camera from my bag, hoping to remain unnoticed. The copper-colored fox sniffed the air, still unaware of my presence as I snapped a photo of it. The loud flash startled the fiery creature as it sprinted back into the thick woods while the photo printed. I grabbed the warm instantprint and fanned the gray photo, waiting for the image to appear.

Snap.

The sound of nearby twigs breaking pulled my attention from the photo and back to the overgrown trees. I studied the never-ending twisting branches, my eyes lingering a moment before glancing down at the print in my hand. I had captured the fox clearly, smiling at my success. Alaska is going to love this. As I scanned the photo closer, my smile faded. Just beyond the fox, between the trees, was what appeared to be a blurry outline of a person. "What the—"

Snap.

My body whirled as my foot stumbled back, kicking a few loose rocks, listening as they tumbled down the hill. I waited a few minutes before calling out. "Cain? Is that you?" There was no response. "Look, man," I began to slowly back up in the direction I had come, my voice wavering, "this isn't funny. You've already scared me once tonight, alright? That's more than enough." Still no response. My heart raced, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I glanced back at the photo, examining the outline of the human body. Who would be hiding in these trees, all the way out here? "Fuck this." I turned, quickly scaling back and lightly sprinting in the opposite direction. My back burned with the sensation of being watched, adding to my discomfort, increasing my speed.

The new pathI traveled was less challenging, with not as much of a rocky incline. I had shaken the incident from earlier from my mind and, after my nerves settled, I casually continued to take various photos of my surroundings. The old cemetery was intriguing, filled with decades worth of headstones and statues, each more beautifully artistic than the last. The stone structures were peacefully tucked away deep in the woods. Aside from a few trees scattered within the plot of land, it looked as though the forest had wrapped itself around the fence of the cemetery, slowly strangling the acreage, determined to take it over.

My hand raised the camera to my face, snapping another photo of the woods, hoping to capture its essence. I didn't bother examining it, adding the flimsy print to my ever-growing pile as the more recent photos had all looked about the same: normal. No ghosts, no random person, and no proof of anything out in this isolation except us and the woods itself.

It had been at least an hour, maybe two, since the group had all split up and gone our separate ways. I mindlessly snapped a few more photos, thinking about Alaska and how she was doing, wandering the enormous graveyard. I didn't particularly enjoy the idea of her being alone, even if she did have Alastair, not after what happened last night. It was obvious we weren't the only ones out in these woods.

A high-pitched whistle peeped somewhere in the distance, causing me to stop in my tracks. Alaska? I stood still, listening, when a soft beep, followed by a wave of piercing static, echoed through the two-way radio.

"Hey guys?" Ruby's voice carried through the walkie talkie. "Did anyone else hear that whistle? It was pretty intense, enough so that Jinx could kind of feel it. Cain, you better not be fucking with us." I held the radio in my hand, staring at it as I waited for Alaska's voice to come through.

Beep.

Static returned. "I—" Alaska's voice was cut short, the sound of a disembodied laugh hidden within the thick, electric layer of static. My body jolted at the sound, the hair raising on the back of my neck. What the fuck was that?

Beep.

"I'm sorry," Did she hear that laugh? "Can you repeat that? You cut out," Ruby casually asked. It didn't seem as though she had heard what I did. But how?

Beep.

Only loud static came through the other end. No voice. No words. Just looming static.

Beep.

"Alaska?" She didn't reply to Ruby.

Beep.

"There must be something wrong with her radio," Cain's voice shot through. "Probably just the batteries dying. I did warn you guys—"

I pressed the button to speak, cutting him off. "Someone should check on her." The ghostly laughter kept playing, stuck in my mind, making me feel uneasy. I already didn't like the idea of her being alone out here, but now, the idea was extremely unsettling, especially after hearing that strange voice.

Beep.

"We're not far; we can head her way," Ruby replied.

I pressed the button again. "Let me know if you guys need me to head back as well."

Beep.

"Calm down, Lazarus. We can handle it." She groaned.

The radio fell silent. Yeah, not happening.

I placed the camera and stack of photos back into my bag and quickly headed back the way I came, quickening my pace.

I'm coming, dreamer.