Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„There is a string connecting us together. Strong. Hard.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

During the past three weeks, everything had changed between Henry and I. How we had spent more and more time together, he made strange things to my heart more than he usually did. He made me feel happy and actually loved.

Sometimes he would spend a night at my place even if Lena and he weren’t having the best time together, but they were slowly talking to each other.

You know, first, you had to learn how to walk and then how to run. Not the opposite way. He even helped us with the crib and the baby room. I couldn’t believe that there were only two months until the baby’s birth. I can’t even describe how excited I’m feeling. Even more than now seeing the way Henry was helping Ashley and me with the new books for the library.

„Can you place that box on the corner of the desk,” Ashley said to him as he carried the box into the library. I stood between the third and fourth shelves, placing the new books on the shelf.

„Thank God this is the last box because I’m not going to carry any of this shit again.”

Ashley placed her hand on her hip and gave him a death glare, „You offered to do this so don’t cry like a baby right now.” Henry made a step towards her. Oh, no. Not again.

„When is Peter coming to pick you up?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I placed the remaining books on the shelves and picked the empty box up, carrying it to Henry and Ashley.

She turned to me, checking her wristwatch. „He should be here any minute.”

Henry placed a hand over my shoulder and pulled me to him, placing a kiss on my forehead.

„I have to go now, but I will come to your house tonight,” Leaning down, he placed a kiss on my nose, then a hot kiss on my lips.

„Peter!” Ashley screamed and ran to her boyfriend Peter. Catching her, he lifted her up and spun her around for a few seconds before putting her down, and pulling her to his body, only to kiss her on the lips.

„I missed you,” He dipped his head into her shoulder, placing a few kisses down her neck.

“They are cute,” Henry whispered into my ear, but the only thing I could concentrate about right now was the heavy smell in my nose.

“Hey, are you okay?” Henry asked.

I nodded. “Yes, it’s just that, I have some weird smell stuck in my nose. Like some chemical or sulfur.”

“Sulfur?” He looked at me confused.

I shook my head. “Nevermind.”

Pulling away from each other, both Peter and Ashley turned to us. Peter’s eyes widened the moment he saw Henry. He wasn’t the only one who did that. During these past weeks, everyone widened their eyes when they saw him.

„Al-.” Henry cut him off before he could finish it. „Henry.” What was that about?

I looked over at Ashley who looked everywhere then at me.

„Nice to meet you. I’m Peter, Ashley’s boyfriend,” He smiled at him, shaking his hand. His eyes traveled to mine and then back at Henry.

„It’s nice meeting you, Peter. I’m Elizabeth,” I said.

„Nice too finally meet you. I heard a lot about you,” He smiled.

Henry pulled me back to him, his grip was strong, hard around my body. He was getting in that protective mood again. He did that a lot lately. Every time when I would talk to a guy, he turned into an alpha male.

As I was about to say something to Peter, my phone rang from the other room where my jacket and purse were placed.

„I have to take this,” I moved away from Henry. „I will be right back.”

I walked into the private room, searching for my purse and my phone. I could swear that I left them on the chair next to the table, but there were nowhere to be found.

I searched through my and Ashley’s closet. The phone still ranged and luckily I found it on a shelf. I don’t remember placing it there.

I quickly took my phone and answered the call.

„Hello,” I said. There was no answer. Only silence.

„Hello,” I said again, and just like before, there was no answer. I stayed quiet for a few seconds until I heard someone’s heavy breathing. I immediately got goosebumps because of it.

„Is someone there?” My heart started pounding and my legs were shaking.

„Art, as far as it is able, follows nature, as a pupil imitates his master; thus your art must be, as it were, God’s grandchild,” The male voice said.

„Alighieri,” I finished the voice’s sentence.

„Portraits and nature hide secrets, Elizabeth. You have one in your library,” He said and hung up.

I sat there for a few minutes with the phone still on my left ear, trying to process what the man just had said. Who was he? What did he want? What did he mean with the portrait?

There were a lot of my questions in my head but I didn’t know how to answer any of them.

„Portraits and nature hide secrets. You have one in your library.” My brain was just as frozen as my body. I didn’t know what it meant. What secrets?

Ashley knocked on the door. „Elizabeth, are you okay?” I started to panic. What should I tell her? Do I want to tell her? I don’t know.

„Yeah, come in.” Opening the door, Ashley, Peter, and Henry walked in. Henry’s eyes were traveling through the whole room until they landed on me. He let a sigh of relief.

„Are you okay?” He asked and started walking to the desk.

I nodded. „Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” I tried not to look like something was bothering me.

„Who was that?” Shit. Think fast, Elizabeth.

„It was Lena. She asked if I wanted french frize tonight for dinner,” I smiled up at him. I tried with everything I had not to blew off my cover. I decided at that moment that I wouldn’t tell anyone until I found out who was that guy and what he wanted from me.

„Are you sure?” He asked, but this time taking my hand into his. He gave it a soft squeeze.

„Yeah,” I nodded. Ashley and Peter were quiet. They didn’t say a thing as I had my conversation with Henry. „Don’t you have to go now?”

He smiled at me. „Yes, I do. See you tomorrow,” His lips landed on mine and he took my breath away.

„Didn’t you say that we will meet later?” I asked, still holding his hand.

„I have a family meeting tonight. I couldn’t miss that.”

„Why don’t you bring Elizabeth with you. She was your girlfriend after all,” Ashley gave him a death glare. Peter grabbed her hand and whispered something into her ear.

„She will meet my family, don’t worry Ashley. But today isn’t that day,” Henry let a deep growl. Where did that come from?

„It’s okay Ashley. I can’t even go. Today we have the first swim practice, remember?”

Ashley rolled her eyes. „Fuck, I totally forgot about that.”

Standing up on my toes, I gave Henry one last kiss. „Go before you get late.” His eyes light up with happiness when I looked him in those green eyes that make me get lost in them.

„Text me when you get home.” I nodded. „I will.” He gave me one last kiss before he started walking out of the room. Nodding at Ashley and Peter, he took his phone out and placed it on his ear.

„Let’s grab our stuff and go,” Ashley said.

„We need to hurry before we get late,” I said, taking my jacket and bag.

~ - ~

„Miss. Zemerlöw, are you here with us or not?” A male voice brought me back to the present. I looked around, searching for the one who asked it. All of the students stared at me as coach Wolf looked at me with an annoying look.

„I’m sorry, coach. I was just thinking about something,” I bowed my head down due to the embarrassment. All of those people saw me zooming out of the world.

Coach nodded. „ It’s okay Zemerlöw just next time pay more attention.”

Nodding, I turned to Ashley to ask her something, but with the corner of my eye, I saw Nicklaus and the rest of his squad looking at me. Especially the green haired girl. She stared at me, and for a second I thought I saw some redness in her eyes.

„Are you sure you are okay?” Ashley placed her hand on my shoulder.

„Yes. I’m just tired that’s all,” I stared at the swimming pool as coach Wolf was having his speech about it. I wasn’t listening to him, I was just trying to process everything that happened today.

„That’s everything for today, guys. See you next week,” As soon as he said those words, I ran out from the gym into the locker room. Ashley ran behind me, calling my name but I didn’t listen. I needed to get it out from my head.

I opened my locker, taking out a bottle of water, and took three large sips. I closed my eyes and leaned my head on the locker. I was starting to lose my mind once again.

First the beast than this man. Maybe all of this was just a bad joke. Maybe the guy was someone I know and wanted to mess with me.

Yeah, that was probably that.

„Elizabeth,” I jumped as someone mentioned my name. I turned around, seeing Ashley standing in front of me with her hands crossed.

„What?” I asked. She sat next to me.

„Tell me what’s wrong,” She insisted again.

„It’s nothing,” I tried to convince her, „Really.”

„I don’t believe you,” She took a deep breath. „You are acting weird since that phone call. What’s wrong?”

„I’m telling you again, it’s nothing.” Her eyes were half closed and her eyebrows were up. She always makes faces that made me laugh.

„Okay.” Thank God. I didn’t need someone to know this situation in which I currently was in. It needed to stay with me for now.

„So what are you doing later?” I asked her as I dried my hair with a towel. She threw hers on the floor and pulled some underwear on.

„I’m going to have some coffee with Peter. Want to join us?”

„Sure.”

~ - ~

Ashley and I were walking through the hallway where Peter should meet us. A lot of people were looking at me and I could only think that some of those people could be my mysterious caller.

Every one of them knew who I was and could easily get my number. I could thank Nicklaus for that.

Speaking of the devil.

Nicklaus showed up in front of us, playing with his car keys.

„Hello, girls,” He smiled at us. Ashley rolled her eyes, looked at me and with her eyes, she told me that she would wait for me down at the hall. She moved around Nicklaus without saying a thing to him.

„Hello, Nick,” I said to him, checking my bag for my phone.

He leaned on the wall almost hitting a giant portrait with his head. The portrait swang a little but he didn’t give a fuck about that. I looked up at the portrait, seeing the similarity between this portrait and the one in the library.

The portrait still swang around and I couldn’t stop thinking about the ones in the library. My mind was telling me to go to the library and find out if there was something behind the painting. Maybe if I didn’t find something then my mind will finally be at peace.

„What are you doing later?” He asked.

„Fuck,” I swore. My phone wasn’t in the purse. Great.

„What is it?”

„I left my phone in the library.”

I looked down the hall, my eyes meeting Ashley and Peter. Both of them looked at me.

„I could drive you there.” I looked at him surprised. I didn’t expect this.

„Sure. Why not, but it needs to be quick, if not, Ashley is going to kill me for being late,” I said as we started walking.

„Where are you going?” Ashley stopped me.

„I forgot my phone in the library. Nicklaus is driving me there and then I will join you after, just message me where are you, okay?” I said as I walked to the door.

~ - ~

„I will wait for you in the car,” Nicklaus said as I opened the car. I didn’t answer him back, I just got out and started running through the stairs to the door.

Taking the keys out, I opened the door with my shaky hands. I ran to the room where our things were placed, finding my phone on the table with a note next to it.

Don’t forget to check the painting.

I grabbed the note and threw it into the trash can. I’m not going to be manipulated by someone.

I took my phone and walked out of the room until I found myself standing between the giant portrait and the main door.

Turning to the door, I was torn between letting this go or actually seeing what’s behind the portrait. Maybe I should just give it a little peek. No one died from taking a closer look at a portrait.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly moved to the portrait like I was trying to hide from somebody. I stood in front of the portrait and tried to realize what was wrong with it. I didn’t see anything that could be a secret.

I pushed the portrait and it swang. A strange noise came from my right side. My eyes widened as I saw a bookshelf opening herself. I could feel my heart beating in my ears. It was so fast.

I didn’t know how, but my legs were moving on their own. I couldn’t control them as they made their way to the hidden door on the wall. Taking my phone out, I turned the flashlight on and lighted the inside of the door. There was a tunnel, leading to God knows what.

Old flares were placed on the walls, and below the first one, there were a few matches placed. Someone was using this tunnel lately.

My arms were shaking as I lighted the flare on. As soon as the first two were lighted, the rest of them magically lighted too.

I was speechless.

I entered the tunnel when I suddenly get a message.

Do you believe me now?

The person from before was right. He didn’t lie even If I wanted it to be a lie.

I wanted it to be a lie so I didn’t lose my mind but now it was too late, I’m officially going to the asylum. The door started to close and even If I tried to stop it, it was too late, they were already closed.

„Shit,” I screamed. I start hitting the door. „Nicklaus! Nicklaus!” I yelled.

Taking my phone, I dialed his phone number.

„Please, answer,” I begged, but I could only hear a ping. Please, no. Not the phone service.

I was sitting on the floor, trying to think through. I couldn’t call Nicklaus or anyone.

The door was closed and I couldn’t open it. The only way to get out of this was to walk down the tunnel.

God knows where I was going to end, but that was the only way. I wished that there was another one, but there wasn’t. It was only this one.

Getting up, I took a deep breath and prayed to God to keep me safe.

This was it, I needed to do this, or else I was going to die in here.