Chapter 3

Back in my room, the first thing I saw was the bracelet on my nightstand. It was a cheap, woven thing Jocelyn had made for me during our first week here. I picked it up, the threads coarse against my skin. For a moment, I remembered the smile on her face when she gave it to me.

Then I remembered her laughter from a few minutes ago.

I walked to the window, opened it, and threw the bracelet out into the darkness. It was a small, weightless thing, and it disappeared instantly.

The door creaked open behind me. It was Jocelyn. She had arranged her face into a mask of perfect sympathy.

"Ethan? Oh my god, I heard what happened. I am so, so sorry. I can't believe they did that to you."

She came closer, trying to put her arms around me. I stepped away.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice flat.

"You're not fine," she insisted, her voice soft and persuasive. "You're upset. I know what will help. Let's go for a walk. There's a scenic viewpoint just up the trail. The night air will clear your head."

I looked out the window. The sky was dark, the clouds heavy. A storm was coming. I could smell it. She knew it too.

"Okay," I said.

She led me out of the house and onto a dark trail. The wind was picking up, rustling the leaves in the trees above us. She kept a steady pace, glancing back at me with a concerned smile that now looked predatory.

She led me off the main path, onto a smaller, poorly-marked trail.

"It's a shortcut," she said brightly.

The ground was uneven, covered in loose rocks and roots. I had to watch my every step. She was a few feet ahead of me, her flashlight beam dancing in the darkness.

"We're almost there," she called back.

Then, she stopped and shined her light on the ground just in front of me. I took one more step, and the ground beneath my foot simply wasn't there.

I fell.

It wasn't a long drop, maybe ten feet. But I landed hard, my left ankle twisting violently underneath me. A sharp, searing pain shot up my leg. I cried out, the sound swallowed by the wind.

I looked up. Jocelyn was standing at the edge of the hole, her face unreadable in the dim light. It was an old, abandoned mine shaft, not a scenic viewpoint.

"Jocelyn, help me!" I yelled, my voice shaking with pain and fear.

She just watched me for a moment. Then, she turned off her flashlight, plunging me into total darkness.

"Jocelyn!"

I heard her footsteps walking away, growing fainter and fainter until the only sound was the rising wind of the coming storm. She had left me there.