Chapter Six

AN HOUR LATER

Haley breathed a bit nervously at everyone's expressions. Josh and Jake kept looking at each other morosely, while Leah was simply quiet. "Are you sure that's exactly what happened, Haley?" Josh asked her quietly. She nodded. "Yes, and um, the river yesterday that we tried to fish in... I heard someone whisper my name just before you showed, Josh. At first, I thought you were the one who called me, but last night confirmed my theories." She whispered to them.

Jake stood up to his feet and started pacing back and forth angrily. "Jake, man, chill out," Josh said to him sternly. But Jake turned and pointed his hand at Haley, who flinched. "How do you know she's not crazy? What if she just imagined it all and got hurt in the accident?" He explained. Josh instantly got to his feet and stood in front of him. "Listen to yourself, man, you're the one who's being crazy. You know, the legends we've been told are true. Why else is this place abandoned in the first place?!" He yelled at him.

Jake glared at him, his cheeks were red from the fear and anger, and he turned to stiffly look at Haley. "Sorry." He huffed and looked away. Haley looked at him sadly. "I know how it looks. I can't even imagine it myself, but for some reason I witnessed it. And it was absolutely horrifying. I would never wish that experience on anyone." She said to Jake.

Said man looked back at her and saw her honesty through her eyes before he sighed, anger deflating. "Alright then, say we believe you. What are we going to do about it?" He asked her, causing Josh and Leah to look at her as well. Haley hummed a bit in thought. "Well, I honestly don't know. We could continue our camping for a few more days and if nothing happens, then we can just call it a fluke. But if things get worse and everyone is in danger, we hurry back to the village no matter what happens." She suggested to her friends.

Jake looked at Josh. "What do you think, man?" He asked him. Josh looked back at her and wondered where her mind was, he knew she had to be terrified to even want to stay, but her eyes were telling him the opposite. She still wanted to try to have fun. He sighed.

"Fine, we can stay. But at the first sign of danger, we are out of here." He said, crossing his arms over his chest to show he meant business.

Jake grinned widely and turned to Leah. "Then who's ready to party people? I brought drinks!" He said, bringing a dark bottle out that he called whiskey.

THE NEXT MORNING

A groan pulled out of Haley's mouth as she fluttered her eyes open to a bright sun and birds chirping. She started to around when she remembered her injured shoulder and almost cried out in pain. Her tent opened up and Leah's head came in, and her friend gave her a concerned look.

"Hey, Haley, figured I'd come in and see if you needed any help in getting ready for the day." She suggested, and Haley gave her a tight smile and nodded. "Yes please." She said, and they got started. It took them a few minutes because of her shoulder, but they had decided on a dark loose green dress and some flats so that it was easier for her to move around. Haley was currently sitting crossed-legged with Leah right behind her, brushing her hair.

"How's your wound doing?" Leah asked her. Haley had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the sensations of the brush on her head. "It's better than it was last night, but it's still very sore, especially if I put any kind of weight on it." She said and opened her eyes to face the tent wall. "At least it's something, then. I can't believe something would hurt you like that. It's horrifying really." Leah said, putting her hair up in a ponytail style.

"It was horrifying. I just can't get rid of the images I saw last night, and it still feels as though it's calling out to me in my sleep." Haley admitted to her. It was silent when Leah finished helping her to get ready, and Leah was honestly scared to continue the conservation, and she decided she would mention it to Jake and see how it would go from there.

OUTSIDE

Josh and Jake were sitting at the fire waiting for the girls to finish getting dressed for the day when Haley's tent finally opened up. Leah was the first one to come out, so she could help Haley when she crawled from her knees to get out of the tent and turned around.

Josh just frowned darkly at the sight of the red scars on her back and looked away.