Chapter 2 You Shouldn't Be Here

The taxi driver had looked at her like she had lost her mind when she told him to stop right beside the forest. After she alighted, he had sped off like his life depended on it barely taking his fees.

"Damn Damien Graves! You can do this Carla." She inhaled with her eyes closed before turning to look at the scattered yet thick stemmed trees sprouted in different parts.

Where was she to start from? There was no person she could ask or investigate, nobody lived around the forest.

"You can do this Carla." Her lips stretched nervously and she patted her cheek before taking a step in.

Her heart was drumming in her ears, she could feel her throat go dry the further she walked into the forest.

She considered humming and she hummed only to feel it echo through the forest, it made her feel there were a thousand other people humming along with her.

"Okay Carla, that was a bad idea." She whispered, her eyes were moving around to capture every little thing with the possibility of moving.

She walked silently with her back bent when it started to get dim.

'I have gone crazy.' She thought to herself. How was she supposed to find a clue in such a vast forest?

Reaching out for her purse, she took out a flashlight and pointed it ahead to watch where she was going only to hear a snap.

Pausing and staying painfully still, she had her eyes widen while her pupils moved about furiously, she was beginning to sweat. After pausing without any sound, she slowly looked down to see her leg on a dry branch.

Breathing in relief, her legs almost gave way to have her collapse on the floor but she held still and continued, this time more cautiously.

"Carla." It was a whisper that sounded just like her.

"You must be hallucinating now Carla." She told herself in the same whisper, her back was drenched in sweat, she was trembling and the torch had almost fallen off her shaky hand.

"Carla..." The whisper drawled.

"It's just in your head Carla, it's your fear acting up." She encouraged and moved faster, her breath loud in her ears.

"Carlaaaa..." It drawled again but this time it increased in pitch and it felt nearer to her ear.

This time, she shook and her torchlight fell off her hand, rolling without stopping as if pushed by some kind of force far away from her.

"No... no..." She heaved and went after it only to stop at the sound of running feet.

She got crippled by fear that she fell on her knees, her eyes darted from one side to the other hoping to catch whatever had been running around.

Holding her purse tightly to her chest, she had tears lingering at the corner of her eyes. Was this how she would die? What about her daughter?

"Oh sweet Anna." She cried out but this time, not in a whisper and hearing the melodious "mummy!" In her head, she gathered herself up and started walking briskly without any sense of direction, all she wanted to do was get out.

"No!" It was a male voice, it was deep and rough.

This time, she didn't need an internal motivation to start running and she did. She ran like her life depended on it without looking and without checking where next her foot would touch.

"Get back!" The deep voice called again but it only increased her pace and soon, she found herself tripping over a fallen thick branch, the sound of her cloth being ripped went loud in her ear before she tumbled on the uneven floor of the forest.

"You never listen." The voice was close and this time, she prepared her mind for whatever was coming.

'I love you Anna.' She had repeatedly sang in her head, her eyes shut tightly to avoid anticipating what was coming.

"You shouldn't be here." The voice sounded tired and she frowned before opening one eye to look.

When she met with intense red orbs, she stifled a scream and shut her eyes again.

"I must have been too tired and exhausted from today's activity. It's just a hallucination Carla." She said slowly while still on the floor.

To Rhys, she looked ridiculous.

"Really?" He asked her, running his hand through his already wild jet black hair.

When she opened her eyes to see him still standing above her head and staring down at her, she immediately found herself up and ready to do anything to protect her life.

"You shouldn't have come." He continued with a voice that sounded sad as his fierce red eyes stared into her green determined yet frightened eyes.

"Now, you really have to stay away." He moved towards her and she moved back without looking at where she was stepping into.

"You have to leave." His face became menacing, his eyes narrowed and his jaw locked tightly making his face look even more dangerous.

"You have to RUN!" He growled and moved forward to have her move back with immediate effect only to feel the ground slip from beneath her and find herself falling without stopping into darkness while the red eyed man only stood tall, staring at her with his hand tucked in the pocket of his leather jacket.