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

„How can I explain to someone what happened,

When even I don’t know what happened.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Death.

I’ve never thought about it or the way I would die. I’ve never had time to actually thought about it. I’ve always thought that I would die with a person that I love, and not somewhere where no one would find my body.

I remember everything. I remember every detail of it.

Even if it had passed so long since that, those red eyes were still hunting me in this darkness. I tried to run away from them, but they were still following me. I could still hear the demon’s mine in the background. I’m not sure if it was just my imagination or was it really like that.

„Will she be okay?” A voice echoed int he darkness. This voice was really familiar.

„She should wake up any moment,” Another voice said. This voice was familiar too.

„Doctor, why didn’t she woke up?” The first voice asked.

„Some people need more time because their body and mind aren’t ready yet. I’m sure that she would wake up at any moment, Mrs. Holt,” The third voice said. I don’t recognize this voice. It was different from the previous two.

„Everything will be fine. She will be fine,” Said the voice from before.

„I shouldn’t have told her to go out with him. It’s my fault, Louis. It didn’t past a week since she came, and now look at this, she is lying here for a week. What will I say to her mother, and God, what about her father? You know what he is like.”

„Hey, it’s not your fault. She will recover, you’ll see.”

„Did you talk to him?” The first voice asked.

„Yes, I will tell you later,” I slowly open my eyes, seeing two worried faces in front of me.

„Lena,” I whispered.

„Thank God you are alive,” Louis made a step towards me. „We thought you might not make it.”

„I’m..” I coughed. „Fine.” Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and moved my arm from where the infusion was hooked. When I moved my head down, I saw my leg wrapped in a white bandage.

„I will get the doctor, and you stay here,” Louis said to Lena before he got out of the room.

Lena sat next to me, took a glass of water and leaned it on my lips and held it until I drank a few sips.

„How is Ronny?” I asked. With her right hand, she moved a few locks of my hair behind my ear.

„Forget about Ronny now. Is he more important than your health?”

„You know me, I always go straight to business,” I laughed with her until something started hurting me in the chest.

„I see you still have your humor,” A tear fell down her face.

„Please, don’t cry. You see that I’m still alive,” I placed my hand on hers, „Everything will be fine.”

„We were so scared, Elizabeth. When your mother called, I had to lie to her. I didn’t want to scare her,” I almost forgot about her. She was for sure dying of worry right now.

„It’s good that you didn’t. You know how she is,” My eyes caught a vase full of white roses. „You didn’t have to bring the flowers.”

She looked at me confused. „We didn’t bring them. They were already here when we got here. Maybe the girls brought them.”

„Girls? Ashley and Kathryn were here?”

„Yes. They were watching over you,” She paused. „Anyway, what happened? Who did this to you?” I thought about actually telling her or not. Part of me said that I should, but the other one said not to because I didn’t know how she would react. She would probably think that I was crazy.

„I don’t know,” I lied. I didn’t want to drag them into this mess, especially not her when she is pregnant, and it would be better for their safety.

The way she looked at me, she already knew hat I was lying. She always knows when someone was lying.

„Okay,” She fake smiled. She didn’t even want to bother me with questions, but I knew that she would wait that I tell her the truth.

As I was trying to stand up, Louis and the doctor walked in.

„Oh, someone is awake,” The doctor said. He looked really young. Maybe too young for a doctor.

„I am.”

„You gave us all a bad scare, Elizabeth,” He stood in front of me, taking out a small flashlight and lighted it in front of my eyes.

„How are you feeling?” He placed the flashlight back to his pocket and wrote something down.

„It hurts a little, but I’m fine.”

„We will do some tests, and then you can go home, but you have to rest for two weeks without doing anything,” He placed his hand on my shoulder. „You were lucky, you know. When they brought you here, you looked like a bear had attacked you,” He sounded concerned.

A bear? That wasn’t a bear. I wanted to tell them the truth, but I can’t. I just can’t.

„I don’t remember a bear.”

„What do you remember then?”

„Only that Ronny had run into the forest and that I ran behind him. The rest is all black,” I looked down at my arms.

„It will be hard at first to remember everything, but at the time passing by, the images will start appearing,” He turned to Louis and Lena. „If she starts getting migraines or anything else, just get her back here,” He said before he left the room.

~ - ~

During the drive, a deep silence was settled in the car. Louis looked on the road while Lena typed something on her phone. And me? I was just looking at the trees and listened to some music, trying to relax. Every time when I looked at them I remembered the night. It will be hard to return back to normal.

I ran my fingers down my neck when suddenly a spark traveled through my whole body.

When Lena gave me the mirror back in the hospital, I almost fainted again when I saw the way I looked. I looked like a car had run me over.

The thing that surprised me the most was my neck, the way it healed so fast and that it didn’t hurt me.

„Elizabeth, we are here,” Louis broke my scary thoughts.

He was right. We were here.

I took a deep breath before opening the door and taking the crutch with me out. I told them that I didn’t need it, but Lena insisted because I’m not strong enough to walk on my own.

My eyes went to the dark forest. I searched for something, and that something wasn’t there.

„Are you okay?” Lena walked to me. She placed her hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer to her.

„I don’t know,” I said honestly. She glanced over to Louis who looked directly in the forest.

„Let’s get you inside,” Lena and I both started walking to the porch when Louis yelled behind us. „I will go check something out. I’ll be back in a moment,” He took his phone out and placed it on his ear.

„Hurry,” Lena sent him one of her death glares. He nodded and walked back into his car.

When I entered the house, in fronto f me, Ashley and Kathryn appeared with a cake and balloons in their hands.

„Welcome home!” They yelled.

„Girls. You didn’t have to.” Each of them hugged me from each side.

„You scared us,” Kathryn said. Both of them moved away from me, giving me some room to breathe.

„I’m alive and that’s what only matters.” I placed the jacket on the hanger, my arm starting to hurt.

„Are you okay?” Ashley asked.

„I am. It only hurts a bit.” In the kitchen, the table was filled with all sorts of food. There was everything. Starting from pizza to chocolate cookies. And they were all for me.

„You didn’t have to make all of this,” I sat on the table, and all of them sat next to me.

„You are probably hungry. The hospital food isn’t that great, trust me,” Lena said.

„I am hungry, but how will I eat with only one arm?” I lifted my arm up, showing the bandage to Ashley and Kathryn.

„I will cut your food,” Ashley said.

„Yeah, and I will feed you,” Kathryn laughed.

I laughed too. „Come on girl. Let’s eat.”

~ - ~

I never ate so much food in a little time. I ate more than Ashley, Kathryn, and Lena together. I was so full that I couldn’t even move. I guess being at the edge of dying makes you hungry.

Louis didn’t show up during the lunch, and that made Lena more upset, so I had to calm her down.

Now sitting with Ashley and Kathryn on the bed, I struggled to eat the last piece of pizza.

„Elizabeth?” Kathryn asked.

„Yes?”

„Ashley and I were thinking about what happened to you,” Kathryn said, trying to avoid my gaze. I stood up from my bed and slowly closed the door. I didn’t want Lena to hear it.

„I will tell you, but please don’t tell anybody,” Both of them nodded. „I know what I will tell you right now sounds crazy, but I swear it to you that I didn’t make this up.”