The Blair Forest (6)

Mounted on horses inside Blair Forest were Jacob, Grace, Helena, Willian and 13 other adventurers.

"Are we getting there yet?" Grace asked Helena and she answered right away:

"Yes, it will be a few minutes before we enter the depth of the..."

Before she could finish her sentence, everyone's horses suddenly stopped moving. After that, The adventurers started to get scared, because it was public knowledge that horses can sense evil presences, so it was the logic that there was something in the depth of the forest.

"We must go back Helena! The horses are sensing an evil presence ahead, it must probably be the witch." A frightened adventurer said aloud to Helena, but she didn't even make a point of answering him and told the others as she got off her horse:

"Let's keep moving! Those who want to go back are free to do so! But know that you will lose the rank of adventurer!"

At the same time, Jacob, Grace, William and 4 more adventurers got off their horses. The remaining adventurers hesitated for a few moments, but soon after they overcame their fear and got off their horses.

Seeing that everyone was prepared, Helena said as she took the lead:

"We are going into the depths of the forest now. Stay close!" After she said this, the adventurers nodded their heads and all began to enter the depths of Blair Forest together....

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30 minutes later...

Sounds of footsteps and of branches being broken could be heard and soon afterwards grace's voice was heard asking Helena:

"Isn't this forest supposed to have monsters?"

"Yes, it was usually supposed to have..."

"Hm..." Grace was thoughtful then approached Jacob and whispered:

"Hey, what are we going to do if we find this witch?"

"We're not going to do anything."

"We're not going to do anything? But if she decides to kill both of us?"

"Don't worry about that, I have a plan." After Jacob said that, Grace felt a sense of security and said as she smiled at him:

"Okay, but if I end up dying, just know that I will pull your foot out while you sleep."

Jacob just smiled in response and again they went back to walking in silence...

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After five hours of walking and finding no trace of the dead adventurers, Helena said to the others:

"We can't find any bodies of the dead adventurers, So let's go back before it gets dark. We will come back tomorrow and continue the search." After she said this, a feeling of happiness took over the adventurers' hearts and they began to celebrate that they were going back to the house.

While everyone was celebrating, Jacob looked at a completely leafless and macabre looking tree and asked:

"Didn't we see that tree back there?"

After he said that, attention was turned to him and Grace answered confused:

"I think so... But it must be another tree, right?"

"Hm... Let's go back and leave that subject for later." Helena replied trying to end the subject and soon after started walking towards the horses. Moved by the herd effect, the adventurers began to follow her while ignoring that macabre tree. Just as Grace was about to follow them, Jacob stopped her by placing his hand on her wrist.

"Oh? What is it?" grace asked confused and Jacob answered to break the mystery:

"The witch has already found us."

"What, what do you mean she found us? I couldn't even feel her presence."

"You didn't, but I could already feel her presence since we entered the forest."

"What!!! Why didn't you tell me before? Where is she?!"

"Calm down, she is following the adventurers, it seems she wants to leave us last."

"She's following them? Shouldn't we help them?"

Jacob released her and pointed to the adventurers who seemed to have forgotten about them and said:

"Look at them."

Grace was confused and looked at the group that was walking quietly, until suddenly....

"What? Where are they?" Grace was even more confused, why the adventurers she was watching suddenly disappeared, but just then Jacob pointed in the opposite direction and said:

"They are over there."

Grace then looked in the direction Jacob pointed and when she saw it, she widened her eyes in shock and whispered:

"What?"

"Oh, Grace and Jacob? You were standing in front of us?" Helena asked confused to see Jacob and Grace in front of them, why to her, they were behind them and not in front.

"Look at the tree." Jacob pointed to the tree as an answer and all the adventurers including Grace, looked at the macabre tree and widened their eyes in shock...

"Impossible! It must be another tree!" Willian shouted in astonishment and Jacob replied trying to show everyone the reality:

"No, that tree is the same one we saw earlier, so you know what that means, don't you? We are stuck inside a loop and the only person who could put us in it, would be the witch."

"Impossible! That's nothing but a legend!" The adventurers said this to try to fool themselves, because they didn't want to believe that the witch really exists.

Helena, who had already understood the whole situation, took a deep breath to calm herself down and asked Jacob:

"What are we going to do?"

"What are we going to do? That's simple, let's camp here."

After giving that suggestion, everyone looked at Jacob thinking he was crazy and one of the adventurers said angrily:

"Have you gone crazy? We can't spend the night in this forest!"

"Hm, and how do you intend to get out of here? As far as I know, we only leave if the witch allows us to leave."

"So you're telling me to just stand around and wait for her to come and kill us?!"

Just as Jacob was about to answer the adventurer, Helena spoke sternly to everyone:

"Let's make camp here! And no complaints! Willian, prepare the fire and the rest check your supplies." Since it was Helena who was ordering, the adventurers obeyed even reluctantly.

Helena seeing that everyone was doing what was asked, looked at Jacob and asked:

"What is your plan?"

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At the same time, riding with horses near the depths of the forest, several armed soldiers were seen. Along with them were 5 heroes and erick being the squad leader.

As they were about to enter the depths of the forest, everyone's horses suddenly stopped and started to get agitated, it was as if they were too afraid to continue.

Erick seeing that something was wrong, got off his horse and asked the cavalry chief:

"The rumors about this forest being cursed, are they true?"

"No sir, I can assure you of that!"

"Hm... Then get off your horses, we'll keep moving."

As ordered, everyone got off their horses and Ryan, one of the heroes, said:

"In horror movies, people usually die because they didn't trust the animals..." He was hesitant to go in when he saw the horse was scared, because it was quite common for horses in horror movies to feel hauntings and other things...

"The great hero is afraid of a legend?" Erick asked surprised as he debauched and Ryan replied angrily:

"Is it my fault? Look at this forest! Full of spider webs, with trees darker than the earth. This forest is not from God!"

"Sigh, we're going in anyway." After Erick said this, he and the others started walking toward the depths while leaving Erick behind.

"I swear I've seen this movie before..." Erick said in a defeated tone and began to follow the others into the depths of the forest...

[...]

Author's note:

Jacob just like animals, can sense hidden presences, for this reason he was able to detect the witch.

"The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision."