The Love in the Woods

The wind and the leaves rustled by it are loud this night, but not loud enough to drown out the sound and sensation pounding from Emily Swanson’s heart. The thunderous and arrhythmic beat courses through her as she gazes at the roof of the tent. Her eyes search, as though looking for something, something internal, as though she were deep in thought. Clutching her sleeping bag, she shivers as she holds tears in, drenched in sweat and her chest rising and falling faster and faster. Her sandy brown hair is made a complete mess from all of the stress and anxieties plaguing her.

           Emily exhales and inhales as slow as she can, rolling over as she does so. Though it is dark, she can see the silhouette of… her. That dirty blonde hair, those full lips, and that cute button nose...

It is then it seems to her the world has slowed down and settled. Breathing a sigh of relief, a smile spreads across her face. She reaches out to her companion, all nestled in her sleeping bag, only to retreat it back into her own.

           Thank God for you, Rachel O’Donald, Emily thinks to herself. Sleepily is the way she gazes at Rachel; each blink of Emily’s eyes slows while her smile fades as she too fades into sleep.

           An orange hue shines through the tent, waking Emily, as she notices the tent is zipped open. Rubbing her eyes, Emily squints until she makes out that there is someone pacing back and forth outside. Frantically tapping at the sleeping bag beside her, Emily notices it is empty then scrambles to her feet.

“Rachel?” she pants. “RACHEL?!”

The figure outside stops, and turns toward the tent; Emily holds her hand over her mouth. Entering the tent, the figure is Rachel, who too looks frazzled and shocked. “Emily, what are you screaming about? Shhh…”

“Rachel, wha-” Rachel covers Emily’s mouth and focuses.

Birds are chirping, and leaves rustle softly against the wind, a stark contrast from the night before. Yet, there is more than just that. Outside, deep and heavy footsteps crunch the leaves; slowly, as though a predator awaits its prey just outside the confines of “safety.” The two women shiver as another sound sends chills down their spines. Hoarse, dry breathing and whispers in tongues they don’t understand pierces their very souls, almost as if it was going through them, as though it knew exactly where they were. It was then that the girls knew they weren’t alone.

Emily and Rachel are then aware they are locked in an embrace, holding each other tight. They loosen their grip, still not recovered. “Fuck, Emily!” Rachel whispered. “This was supposed to be a fun weekend getaway with my best friend. What the fuck is out there?”

           The blue fights back against the orange within the sky outside, driving it out. As the sound continues, the girls lock hands and sprint as fast as they can outside of it. Neither of them look back, nor towards each other. Dodging every tree that comes their way, one pulling the other towards a new direction passing every few trees.

           Behind them, the footsteps grow deeper, louder; the chase is on in the race for survival. What on Earth is following us? Emily thought. I swear to God, if it’s a fucking bear, I’m never coming here again. And neither is Rachel.

           Trees start to blend into each other, the only constant being the blue sky. Chirping birds whiz by, the trees merely bystanders. These oaks look increasingly as though they have faces, frozen in fear, but perhaps this was Emily just seeing things in her own fright. The footsteps are getting closer.

           The wind breezing past their faces whistles in their ears, yet the don’t stop looking ahead. Lord only know what’s behind them. In what could be described as a grievous blunder, neither girl notices that they are heading for a slope and they lose balance. Sliding all the way down to the base, they stumble and land. Searing pain envelopes Emily’s ankle as she grabs it and winces.

           Rachel grabs Emily’s arm, pulling her up. “C’mon, Emily we gotta go, we gotta fucking go.”

           “Go on without me, I’ll slow you down.”

           “Emily, stop. Go, I’ll help you.” Rachel tries to put Emily’s arm around her.

           “Please,” she yanks her arm away from Rachel. “Please go. But know one thing, Rachel. I’ve always been too afraid to say it but I…”

           Emily is interrupted as Rachel pulls her in for a deep kiss, holding her cheeks in her hands. “Yes,” Rachel parts lips. “I fucking know. I seen you last night looking at me. I always see how you look at me, and I wished you would be the first to say something, anything. I sure as hell was always scared to. But I know, Emily and guess what? I love you.”

           “Rachel, I-I-I love you too.” Tears stream from Emily’s face, as though she had forgotten all about her pain, as though she had forgotten the thunderous footsteps that stalk them, as though Rachel was all there was in that moment. Yet those footsteps get louder and louder, followed by the sound of sliding cutting through leaves and blades of grass.

           “Okay,” Rachel brushed her hair away from her face. “Now can we please fucking leave? Whatever it is, is gaining on us.” Once more, Emily is taken underneath Rachel’s arm and they hobble away as fast as they can. Not too far away is a clearing.

           It seems the closer they get, the louder and faster the footsteps are becoming. The hoarse breathing and whispering are closer as well; though they don’t see it, the women feel something graze the clothes on their backs, but not quite making contact.

           “On my mark, jump!” Rachel says, as the two approach a clearing, making out a children’s playground and some trash cans up ahead. “The park, we’re almost there! Okay, JUMP!”

           As Rachel and Emily briefly soar in the air, they meet the ground. Or at least Rachel does, having rolled over and breaking the fall for Emily. A tug on Rachel’s foot signifies that they are not out of the woods yet, by barely an inch. Pushing Emily off to safety, Rachel kicks at her shoe, and whatever grabbed her, only made off with that shoe. Its hand was hairy, with white skin visible underneath, with some disgusting chunks taken out of it; the innards looked a sickly grey and green. The nails looked yellow and broken. Quickly, it retreated into the woods.

           Whatever the creature was, it’s dark silhouette within the trees was massive and bulking. It tilted its head back, leaning its body as it did so, and the most uncomfortable bloodcurdling scream emanated. It was the worst thing Emily and Rachel had ever heard. The familiar sound of the booming footsteps dissipated the farther it got, whilst the silhouette shrank in size.

           Emily hobbled over to Rachel, straining as she helped her up. They looked at each other and smiled. Like two people who haven’t seen each other in so long, they embraced, and they kissed once more. Perhaps they hadn’t truly seen each other, at least not in the way they do in this moment. Parting lips, they smile then leave the edge of the woods.

           “We need to get you to a hospital.” Rachel chuckled, but her eyes kept watch over Emily’s ankle, her brow in a frown. “But how in the hell are we going to explain this?”

           “I don’t know,” Emily grimaced before mustering a smile, wincing with every step. “But I know one damn thing.”

           “What’s that?”

           “We are never setting foot near any forest or jungle or whatever, ever again. You got me?”

           “I always got you, Emily.”