"Wonderful!" Karia smiled and looked ahead of them, where the path wound around a tree and disappeared from sight. "It's a date." He looked back to Crystal just in time to see her trip and fall onto the ground. "Oh, gods, are you alright?" Karia stopped walking and dropped into a crouch next to her. "Is anything seriously hurt?" His honey eyes were darker in the shade of the big trees, but they were full of concern. "I have a first aid kit, if you need it." A glance around the forest showed that there wasn't anything around them– yet. But that log might have been put there by someone… or something. No, that wasn't it. He was being paranoid. Karia shook his head slightly and looked back at Crystal.
She sat up and laughed, using both hands, swiping them through her messy, though soft and now dry hair. She looked up at him with a smile. "I don't need a first aid kit. I'm a healer you dingus" she says looking down at her scraped hands. No blood had been drawn yet. But it would soon. She really didn't want to attract someone or something by the scent of blood nearby. That stuff is horrible putrid and strong to certain creatures.
The skin on her palm started to mend over the scrape and in almost thirty seconds it was as good as new. She didn't notice the small cut on her cheek though. It must have been a branch that smacked her on the way down.
"Oh, right. I forgot." Karia pressed his lips together, feeling rather embarrassed. He watched as she healed her hands, fascinated by how fast and effective it was. Hopefully she wouldn't need to do that very often, though. It was handy, having a healer, but getting hurt was not ideal. He looked at her face, eyes drawn to the scrape on her cheek. "You missed a spot. It's on your face, right there." Karia pointed to the cut, making sure not to actually touch it.
She stood up with a confident smile and a gleam in her eyes. "do I look hardcore?" she joked before grabbing a mirror out of her bag. Yeah, she carried a mirror but not food for herself to LIVE
She flipped open the small hand mirror and put her hand to her cheek, covering the scratch.
"there, done" she smiled as she removed her hand and looked into the mirror.
"About as hardcore as someone who just tripped over a log does," Karia answered, his mouth curving into a smile as he rose. "But that just might be because I saw you fall. If someone didn't know…" He tilted his head slightly, assessing what he saw. "Yeah, they'd think you looked hardcore." While Crystal was healing the cut on her face, Karia glanced around the forest again. A cloud had slid over the sun, plunging the whole place in shadow. "Shall we? I don't like the idea of staying in one place for very long."
She laughed at his comments, rolling her eyes playfully as she clapped the mirror shut and stuffed it into her back pocket.
"man I hate the dark" she ticked her tongue and started walking.
"let's go. Im afraid something's gonna jump out at me any second now… " she says looking around with wide eyes, trying to see
"Yeah, agreed. Let's keep our guards up from now on, yeah?" Karia glanced at her, then around at the forest again. He could swear he could see something sliding between the shadows of the trees– a squirrel jumped into the open, looking at them curiously for a few seconds before climbing up a tree and disappearing. Karia let out a breath and looked the other way. Standing between two trees was the silhouette of a person, eyes flashing in their shadowed face. "Agh!" Karia gasped and frantically tapped Crystal's shoulder, pointing at the figure with his other hand. "Look!"
She listened to the quite sounds of the dark forest to cool her mind so she didnt freak out. She was never the best with jump scares. And this was where in any horror movie a jump scare would jump out right in front of her face any second now.
She listened to the trees and the leaves, the crunching of gravel and small sticks below the twos feet as they walked. Karias breath with every step he took beside her.
A rustling made her snap out of her calm state only to see a squirrel in the pathway before running back off into the trees. A tap on her shoulder made her let out a small feminine yelp as she turned to him.
“What!? You scared me half to death” she says angrily, though not actually mad.
Looking to where he pointed and raising an eyebrow. “Do you see something?” She asks before stopping in her tracks. “N-never mind…” she says grabbing his hand and squeezing it as her other hand went to her side, gripping a thick black blade tucked and clipped onto her belt.
"Yeah, I see something. Creepy person!" Karia squeezed Crystal's hand, for the comfort of her… and him, as well. This place really could be scary when it wanted to be. And it seemed like it was trying extra, extra hard at the moment. Karia pulled the sword out of its wrapping with his other hand, keeping his eyes trained on the figure. It still didn't move– not even its eyes seemed to blink. "Uh, any ideas?" He breathed, leaning towards Crystal slightly so the figure couldn't hear him.
“I-i have no idea.” She whispered back at him, slowly unsheathing the blade, the black Damascus steel usually would have a shine to it, but there was close to no light flooding in through the leaves, leaving git almost invisible to the human eye.
She took a deep breath and looked at Karia warily. “Maybe….if we keep on walking we’ll be fine. Though watch our backs in case it follows us” she whispered before biting her full lip nervously.
"Hmm… that would probably work." Karia took a hesitant step forward. The figure didn't seem to move, so he took another step. And another. And another. And the figure continued to stay still as a statue, which greatly eased the fear in Karia's heart. He still kept the sword out, though, in case it made any sudden moves. He'd moved far enough that he had to glance over his shoulder to keep his eyes on the figure. Praying silently to the gods that he wouldn't trip on something, Karia took another step. The figure was almost out of his sight– and then it darted behind a tree and disappeared. "Uh… do you think it left, or is it getting a better angle?"
She felt as if her heart would jackhammer out of her chest as she walked with Karia, not daring to let go of his hand, squeezing it hard as she took a soft shaky breathe.
"I…. Don't know" she whispered. "we should get out of here fast if we don't want to die in the first hour we're on this trip." she looked at him with wary eyes. "how much longer is this path in the forest anyway?" she asked swallowing her fears. Well…. Trying but epically failing.
"Yeah, probably a good plan." Karia nodded, his breathing more shallow than normal. "Uh, most of this walk is in the forest, but I'm pretty sure there's a meadow up ahead. I'm not sure how far away it is, though. Hopefully not too far." He quickened his pace, glancing around wildly. There weren't any sure signs of the strange figure just yet, but he could see a shadow flitting between trees, coming closer and closer to them. Hopefully, it was another squirrel.
Nodding and biting her lip nervously, she didnt dare let go of his hand, nor look in the trees.
She hated the feeling of being watching, and she felt eyes on the back of her neck like crazy.
Yet she saw it out of the corner of her eyes. The shadow moving towards them.
If it attacked them, she was ready. Ready and nervous as hell that was for sure.
She mentally smacked herself across the face and told her to man up! She could handle this! She wasnt a little girl that needed taken care of! She was a strong independent woman who could slaughter anything that came in her path! So regaining her straight posture, she had confidence written on her face and determination.
She was going to get through this whatever it took. And this was just the start
"Okay, we might have to start running soon." Karia breathed, his eyes tracking the shadow from tree to tree. He couldn't focus on anything other than his heartbeat and the feeling of the sword in his hand. They rounded a corner and he looked up. Ahead of them– too far ahead for comfort– the trees opened up into a meadow of long grass, the path winding through it. "Hmm, yeah, that's too far away." Karia glanced over his shoulder again, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the shadow a little more than an arms-length away from him. His eyes met the figures' for a split second, his breath catching in his throat.
She took a deep breath and looked forward, happy to see the exit of this cursed forest, but disappointed to see how far away it was. Her weight, due to her curves, didnt help the situation at all.
She squeezed his hand and tugged him forward for a second before she turned around to see what he saw.
The nerves in her chest seemed all tangled into a heavy not that sunk in the sea of her stomachs like an anchor, catching any rocks and making it even more heavy when she looked at the figure.
Before she could even think she turned around, pulling him along and bolted as fast as she could towards the opening. The could see the light. This was it. She was probably going to die here. (So dramatic)
If Crystal hadn't pulled Karia towards the light with her… well, who knows what would have happened. He'd probably have gotten his face eaten off– if that's what the figure did, anyways. Karia almost tripped on his own feet in an effort to get as far away from the figure as he could, but managed to keep his balance. A strange sound, almost like a laugh, but more along the lines of a knife being sharpened sounded from behind him, prompting him to look over his shoulder again. The figure had disappeared back behind the trees, though Karia noticed it streaking through the trees almost right next to them. They wouldn't make it, would they?
(Dramatic for a good reason, though… this is like a horror movie.)
(I KNOW! And its only the beginning! XD)
Her breath ragged and sharp as her feet pounded on the ground. She sure was glad she wore he combat boots today instead of those ugly tennis shoes.
She felt like she ran into a spider web, but that didnt even stop her. Glancing to her side, she saw it flitting right next to them. Her heart raced and her blood ran cold when she saw it. Shivers went up her arms and down her spine as her head pounded with every long step. They were getting closer.
Though she was afraid it would only continue chasing them once they were out. It just wouldnt be a shadow and they would actually see what this thing was.
She didnt know which sounded worse.
(Yep. They're in for a super fun time… evil laugh)
The meadow was so close Karia could taste it. And in good time too. The figure was now running with them, that strange sound coming from it. A few more steps and they burst into the meadow. The figure stopped at the edge of the woods, still veiled in shadow. "Do you think it's going to go away now?" Karia gasped, running a little more into the meadow and stopping. He let go of Crystal's hand– it was probably sweaty and gross, and he didn't want to stretch their friendship that much– and spun around. The figure was hovering at the edge of the woods as if it was considering whether to follow them or not.
Her hand slipped from his as she bent down and tried to catch her breath. Her lips rose to a scowl as she stood up straight and flipped it off. "screw you, coward" she says, not loud enough for it to hear with how far away they were.
She turned back to Karia with a little smile. "I think the forest is the safe place. I can live right here. It's fine. I don't want to go into that place again" she panted still. Her throat burned as her lungs gasped for air and her arms her so tired already. He chest rising and falling. Rising and falling. Rapidly and heavily. Man, she hated running. Why did she always end up doing it? It this the universes way if punishing her for being gluttinous. We'll she didn't care. She was staying in shape. If that shape was an hourglass that it.
"We're going to have to, though." Karia glanced over his shoulder, eyes following the path as it wound its way through the open space and disappeared back into the darkened woods. When he looked back, the thing had taken one small step out of the forest, and seemed to be complementing whether a second step would be with its time. "Are you good for some more running?" Karia looked at Crystal, noting her heavy breathing.
She groaned and her lips highered into a scowl.
Standing up straight, she put her hands on her hips and let out a deep breath. “Sure why not” she shrugged.
“I dont think we have a choice. Where’s a safe spot? I’m starvin “ she grumbled before taking a step back, keeping her eyes on the figure, sending her hateful vibes its way. Mumbling curses under her breath.
She turned around and looked to the path then to Karia. “So just follow this path?”
"Safe spot? I think– wait, I have a map." Karia took his backpack off and rummaged through it, finally pulling out a folded piece of paper. After putting his backpack back on, Karia unfolded the map and held it out so both he and Crystal could see it. "There's a safe spot. It's the closest one, I think." He pointed to a circle, drawn onto the map in glittery blue pen and labeled 'safe!' "It doesn't seem too far away. Only… a few minutes, I think. That thing," Karia nodded at the figure, which was still figuring out whether it wanted to go after them or not, "will probably take a little while getting across this clearing, so if we run we could probably get a good headstart."
She laughed a little at the glittery blue penned circle, though not surprised by it. She looked at the rest of the map, biting her lip as she tried to think.
“Sounds good. Its around 3 in the afternoon, so it might start getting decently dark soon. Will that be our camping spot?” She asks, starting to already walk along the path. Hopefully that thing… whatever it is, wont follow them. Though she had a feeling the night was going to be quite dangerous.
She didnt know what she sighed up for. She’ll remember that next time she comes on an adventure with this dude. Or anyone for that matter.
"Yeah. I was hoping to get to this one," Karia pointed at another glittery circle a little way down the path from the first one, "but I don't think we could run all the way there." He laughed weakly, folding up the map and stuffing it into his pocket before glancing over his shoulder. It looked like the figure was having a hard time getting anywhere– there were lots of strange knife-sharpening noises coming from it, though they had an enranged edge to them. That was good, at least. "When we get to the woods again, we should probably start running." He wasn't too excited about that idea, but it had to be done.
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