Chapter 27

Twenty-Seven

Lazarus led us deeper into the woods, the entirety of the group silently observing the trees, searching for any signs of the glowing red eyes that haunted us. Cain remained distant from the rest of the group, a weird look soaking his face as he moved, his entire being odd and off. Strange.

We hiked through the same foliage as the night before, cautiously retracing our steps, trekking deeper, when Cain suddenly groaned in pain. Lazarus and the rest of us stopped, turning as we watched him stumble, grabbing at his head. He looked sick, his skin pale and soaked in sweat, as if fighting back some strange illness gnawing at his brain.

"Cain?" His face turned, his eyes burning red as he looked at me, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" The rest of the group remained silent, watching his odd behavior.

Cain slumped over, his hands on his knees as he panted, wiping his forehead. I cautiously stepped closer, my arm reaching out to him when his body snapped high. He inhaled deeply, rising as if nothing had transpired, turning to face me. I recoiled at the chaotic shift. His hand brushed his hair out of his face, a very strange and unfamiliar motion, as he smiled at me. "Excellent."

"You look like shit," Ruby hissed.

"Yeah, what was in that protein powder?" Lazarus asked. "Cause whatever it was, your body doesn't seem to be agreeing with it." He pointed to Cain. The longer I stared at him, the more disturbing and obvious differences in his being I began to notice. The way he had adjusted his jacket was not his usual way of doing so, his hair brushed back away from his face, and even the way in which he stood. It was all foreign and unlike Cain. "Look, we're not too far away from the cemetery. Let's hurry up so we can grab our things and head back." The rest of the group nodded in agreement with Lazarus. Everyone began to walk in the direction we were headed as I remained planted, studying Cain.

Cain looked at me, his head tilting ever so lightly as he lifted his hand to his mouth, silently shushing me with a sinister grin. My gut twisted at the oddness as I stepped away from him and quickly joined the others, glancing over my shoulder.

Cain lingered, frozen in that position for a minute before casually shadowing us the rest of the way. My chest tightened, feeling as though the real danger wasn't hidden within these eerie woods, but instead stalking us from behind.

My uneasiness grewas we stepped through the edge of the treeline, the sun bearing down on us, soaking us in its afternoon glow; it was warm and comforting, contrasting the cold breeze and rain-soaked earth.

Ruby stepped forward, her platform boot landing in a giant puddle, mud splashing across her bare legs and hem of her dress. "Fucking serious?" she groaned, shaking her boots, wiping the mud from herself onto a cluster of overgrown weeds. "I can't wait to leave this place behind."

"Hey," Jinx grabbed her attention, snapping her fingers, "we're almost there." Jinx moved her hands. She then kissed Ruby's cheek, melting her temper. "Focus."

"Yeah." Ruby groaned.

The gate of the cemetery was cracked open, burn marks soaking the iron in blackness, a gift from Ruby's magic. "Alright, let's hurry. The sun is beginning to set, and we need to head back soon." Lazarus approached the gate, pulling the metal door back, the hinges squealing, holding it as the rest of us flowed through. Cain flashed him an odd look as he passed by, Lazarus' face twisting in confusion. What was that all about?

Alastair barked, leading the way through the cemetery as we followed, taking in the sight of all around us, gawking at the changed plot of land. The entire structure and landscape of the cemetery appeared different in the light. Crumbled piles of stone were now scattered along the path in various places, offering a new challenge as we carefully stepped over the rubble. It was a visual reminder of the close encounters we had experienced in the dangerous storm. We remained huddled close, Cain trickling behind as we picked up the pace and continued to follow Alastair.

The growing afternoon was already passing by sooner than we expected, time rushing past us with little patience. We needed to hurry if we wanted to return to the cabin before nightfall, before whatever that thing was returned.