Page 2 of The Invite
As he recites them, I quickly jot everything down in the notes app on my phone. Afterward, he pulls out my luggage, which is thankfully just one cheap trolley bag.
“I’m really sorry I can’t take you far,” he mutters.
“It’s okay. Not your fault.”
Paying him, I exit the cab and watch the taillights of his car disappear.
Crickets and insects chirping echo in the air while moonlight illuminates the gloomy and star-studded sky. Instead of standing like a fool with a neon sign to be kidnapped ormugged painted on my forehead, I quickly drag my suitcase and enter the woods.
Autumn leaves and fallen twigs crunch under my boots while random tree branches and short bushes slap my arms and legs. I’m going to look like a feral cat owner with these scratch marks all over me.
I hiss when one tears into my black stockings. Weird smells and the scent of wet earth tickle my nose, bringing with them nostalgia.
With one hand, I protect my face and quicken my pace. I stay alert and listen for threatening sounds that may be alarming to my well-being. I don’t think I’ll relax until I’ve reached my new home safely.
New home? More like a gilded cage.
The deeper I go, the more uneven the ground becomes until it takes half my strength to haul my bag. Pulling up my phone, I check I’m going in the correct direction. Taking my eyes off the path is a big mistake because I miss the huge rock too late and it smacks into my suitcase, sending it skidding into a ditch to my right.
“Ahhh!”
I almost trip over my own feet and my phone with the flashlight on slips out of my grip and thuds to the ground, engulfing me into complete blackness.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.”
Kneeling on the dirty ground, I grab my phone and check for damages. I can’t afford a new one. I sigh in relief when the screen is intact and it lights up.
“Oh, thank Christ,” I mutter to myself.
Rising to my full height, I ignore the sting in my toes from tripping and search next for my suitcase. It contains all the remaining belongings I own to my name, which weren’t snatched from me cruelly.
However, it’s too dark for me to catch sight of it in the thick bushes. Plus, the woods are creeping me out.
Dammit.
I scratch my temple, scrambling for a solution.
A light bulb moment strikes.
I'll come back tomorrow with help and hope nobody steals it until then, not that they’ll hit the jackpot. There's no point waiting here like a sitting duck for slaughter.
With a sad sigh, I continue to hike. As minutes pass, the temperature drops, the air becomes colder, and I regret wearing a skirt and a thin sweater top. The weather here is absurd. As warm as it is during the day, it’s twice as chilly as night.
A stab of fear jolts my system at the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. For all I know, it could be a dog crying and my brain is confusing it with a feral animal.
Why are these small towns always surrounded by thick forests?
Is it, like, a requirement?
It wouldn’t be a spooky and scenic town if there aren’t miles of woods bordering it.
The random musings vanish when I glimpse a clearing in the distance. I must be close. Marching faster, I become excited to be out of here and the prospect of soon finding a comforting bed. I’ve been traveling since morning, I’m exhausted.
The closer I go, the clearer I can see the street lined with the houses and the smooth road lit up with streetlights.
I fall into a jog, but just as I’m within touching distance, I skid to a halt at the menacing sight of two tall figures entering the woods. One is bare-chested, showing off the lethal muscles of his torso and holding a long and thick metal chain, while the second is in a fitted black tee with full sleeves and jeans, concealing every inch of his skin.
Both have their faces hidden behind black ski masks with only their eyes visible.
