6. Chapter 6
Chapter six
C rystal clear water poured from the mountain somewhere high above them. The water gathered in a large pool with several smaller creeks flowing from it. The urge to forego all reason and jump in was incredibly high.
Roman and Haven sat on a cluster of rocks at the edge of the lake. Roman dipped his hand down, running it through the sparkling clear water.
"Damn that's cold" He remarked, drying his hand on the edge of his shirt.
Haven reached down and briefly dipped her fingers in the water. Roman was right, the water was cold, near freezing if she had to guess.
"Okay here we go," Haven sucked in a breath of air and gathered her strength to rinse the wound on her leg with the freezing water. She lowered her leg down to the surface of the lake, straining her muscles to keep it suspended over the water while she splashed some over the gash. Roman grimaced as Haven splashed as much water as she could over her leg before she could no longer stand the bite of the icy water.
"Alright, that's going to have to be good enough," She said, trying to stand.
At least her wounds weren't so full of dirt now, Haven thought. She hoped that that would help stave off any infections. Haven started to ask Roman if he needed any help rinsing off his wounds but then remembered how he hadn't appeared to have any when she looked him over after they fell. Haven still assumed she must have hit her head since it was impossible to survive that fall with little more than a slightly torn shirt. She also hoped that if Roman needed any help, he would ask.
Haven took a minute to admire the waterfall. It was truly gorgeous, easily one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. It would have been even more beautiful if they weren't currently lost in the woods with it. She stumbled slightly as she moved to walk around, stretching her legs a bit and trying to get her bearings. The adrenaline from the fall was quickly wearing off, leaving Haven feeling especially run down and slightly dizzy.
"Do you need any help?" Roman asked as he stood and reached out to balance her.
"No, I think I'm good," Haven answered.
"Well, let me know if you need anything. You probably lost a decent bit of blood "
Haven nodded. That could help explain the slightly weightless feeling she was now experiencing.
"Not having to spend the night in the woods would make me a whole lot better" She remarked. Roman offered a half smile at her comment but she could tell he fully agreed with her.
"Let's try to find the trail" He said
Minutes passed, all of which turned up nothing. There didn't appear to be any signs of life around other than the broken branches to point them back where they came and more bushes full of thorns like the ones covering the cliffside.
Almost an hour had passed since they had initially fallen, causing feelings of hopelessness to begin to surface in Haven. Luckily she did not have to deal with them for long before Roman shouted,
"Hey look! I think this might be it!"
Havens gaze darted to where he pointed. Across the small lake clearing, about 15 feet from where Roman was standing was what could be a trail covered in overgrown weeds and a tangle of branches that formed a sort of arch. If it was the trail, it hadn't seen people in a long time.
"I'm not sure, it looks kinda iffy " Haven remarked, walking over to where Roman stood.
"I get that but I haven't seen anything else that even remotely looks like a trail and unless you actually want to spend the night out here waiting for rescue, I say we try that way"
Roman spoke with a sort of confidence that helped put Haven at ease. Still, there was something about the trail he had found that set off warning bells in her head. The fact that it looked like something straight out of a fairytale didn't help, the way the branches weaved together, the vines that grew across the arch of branches and draped towards the ground, the vibrant green grass, it was all very whimsical and bizarre.
Haven supposed taking the strange trail was a risk; they could end up even more lost. But they could also end up finding a main trail that could lead them back to the main house or even the group they'd been separated from. It helped that Haven really did not want to spend the night out here.
Giving the lake clearing one last once over and finding nothing, Haven hesitantly agreed,
"Alright, I'll follow you"
Romans answering smile was nothing short of canine. Haven could've sworn she saw the hint of fangs, but she shook her head, telling herself that that was impossible. She knew she must have seriously hit her head to be seeing things like that. Haven hoped they'd find their way out of this forest quickly so she could get herself examined.
Roman walked towards the trail, moving loose branches and vines out of his way as he went. Haven was a bit slower and a few steps behind him. The air seemed to still as Roman took one step under the large arch of branches and disappeared. He simply vanished, Haven couldn't believe what she was seeing, which was nothing, absolutely nothing.
"Roman?" Haven shouted, "Where are you?"
Haven ran the last few steps to where she had seen him, ignoring the slight twinge caused by the gash in her leg. Looking as far down the trail as she could, Haven saw nothing. There was no hint that he had ever even been there at all. Stepping under the shadowy canopy of branches felt like it took hours. Time spun, worlds blended. Haven had the distinct feeling of falling. Of being everywhere and nowhere all at once. The last thing she saw was the shadows of the trail ahead before they engulfed her.