Afflicted

We swung left and gathered by the narrow track which led into the trees. The last time I'd seen it I could have sworn the path was wider, the grass not so overgrown around it. Even the trees seemed taller, denser and more ominous too. I didn't know if it was my imagination playing tricks on me but I didn't want to step foot inside those trees.

“Are you sure we shouldn't take the road?” I asked. “I know we agreed on the shortcut earlier but what if there are more wolves in there?”

“The wolves were in the town too. We can't rely on them behaving normally; they're just as likely to be prowling the streets as the trees,” Rose replied uneasily.

“And I'd rather take the shortcut and get home quicker,” Chloe added.

I bit my lip against any further argument. They'd made their minds up and I wasn't about to head off alone.

“I can walk now,” Jason said as he pushed himself out of the wheelchair. “This thing will be impossible to push down that track anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Reese asked with a frown. “I can force it down the path easily enough if you need me to.”

“Thanks man but I'll be alright. I just feel a bit weak.”

“Have some food.” Lacey hurried to retrieve the paper bags from the back of the wheelchair and passed him a blueberry muffin.

Jason looked like he'd really rather not eat it but thanked her and took a tentative bite. We all waited in silence for several seconds to see if he'd suddenly start throwing up again. He gave us a reassuring smile and took a second bite.

Once he'd finished the muffin, everyone relaxed slightly.

“You should eat too Demi,” Lacey said, offering the bag of muffins.

“When were they made?” Demi asked, her lip pulling back in distaste. I wasn't sure if it was because she still felt ill or didn't like the idea of eating a stale muffin.

“How should I know? They seem fine though,” Lacey pressed the bag towards her and Demi reluctantly accepted a chocolate muffin.

Satisfied that she was eating, Lacey quickly passed the bag around the rest of us. I quickly devoured mine and turned away from my friends to take a few hes

itant steps into the woods.

Shadows hung heavily between the trees, the moonlight only finding its way down in dappled shafts. Though fear started to creep along my skin again, I forced myself to take another step into the darkness. And another. Before I knew it, the sounds of my friends talking quietly were fading away behind me and the trees had swallowed me whole.

An owl called somewhere in the treetops, its ghostly cry drifting down through the branches.

A breaking branch made me flinch and I spun to find Ryan approaching in the darkness.

“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching for my hand.

I pretended not to notice the gesture and turned away to inspect the trees again.

“Stop asking that,” I muttered. “There's nothing alright about this situation but I'm not about to fall apart either. And I really don't want to be asked if I'm okay every five minutes.”

“Sorry,” Ryan said softly. His hand landed on my shoulder in a comforting gesture and I held back a sigh. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the intention but I really didn't need checking up on every five minutes. Somehow Ryan seemed to have gotten the impression that I was some delicate thing that needed his protection.

I stayed still for a moment then stepped away, causing Ryan's hand to fall from my shoulder.

“I'm only going a little way on,” I said. “See how the others are doing while I check the path is clear in the moonlight.”

“I don't know if you should-“

I walked away quickly before he could finish his sentence and pulled my cellphone from my pocket. I illuminated the flash on my camera to let me see more of the path ahead. I just wanted a few moments alone after all the chaos. It was probably a bad idea but I walked on all the same.

The sound of heavy footsteps and a few twigs snapping told me that Ryan had decided to do as I'd asked and I let out a heavy breath of relief.

The path was winding but well trodden. The ground beneath my feet was hard packed dirt trampled flat over years of passage. I moved silently, years of cheer practice had made me nimble and I had always enjoyed sneaking up on my brother and making him jump.

The light of my makeshift torch illuminated my path but blinded me to the depths of the shadows beyond it. I glanced around uneasily and flicked it off, worrying that it would serve as a beacon for anything else that roamed between the trees.