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Duskwood: Into the Forest: Pt 11

A Duskwood Fanfiction

By Gorejess StonePublished 2 years ago 16 min read
1
All characters belong to Everbyte and can be found on their mobile game DUSKWOOD

You stir in your sleep as you hear muffled voices outside. You try to open your eyes, but your body will not cooperate. You try to remember what happened just before, but your memory is hazy at best. You remember arguing with Jake and taking off on foot. After that, you do not remember much.

You try to move your body, but it will not respond. Your hands and feet do not seem bound, but most of your body is numb.

“How could you be so stupid, Phil?”

“I didn’t mean to antagonize her!”

“SHE WAS ALMOST KILLED!” Jake’s voice shakes at a volume I have not heard from him before, “If we’d have gotten there a few seconds later.”

“Dude, stop it! We got there in time!”

“We didn’t! She is all drugged up, cannot even move. Who knows if she’ll ever recover from this!” Jake’s voice cracks and I hear someone shuffling around close to me.

“She’ll wake up soon.”

“You don’t know that.”

Something warm falls on your cheek. You try to lift your hand to brush it away but can’t. You want to move so badly. No matter how much you will it, your body just won’t respond. You wish you could reach for his hand, apologize, talk this through.

“You know, this all could have been avoided if you’d just be more honest with the girl.”

“You think I don’t know that? Do you think this is what I wanted? Do you think that I was just sitting in the gas station thinking about all the ways I could break her heart over and over again? Jesus Phil. Maybe if you weren’t so hell-bent on taking her for yourself..” his voice trails off.

“I am not hell-bent on anything, Jake. I just want what’s best for her, just like everyone else. Do you think they all warned her about you for no reason, Jake? WE ALL WORRIED ABOUT HER. She’s stronger than you think she is. She can do whatever it is you need her to do. If you need her to live a happy life without you, then TELL HER THAT.”

“You know that’s not what she wants. That’s what got us here in the first place. She wants us to be together. She’s picturing some happily ever after that doesn’t exist! That can never happen!”

“Who knows, Jake. What if you only do a few years in jail, and she’s waiting for you when you get out? Did you consider that?”

“I have! I don’t think it’s that simple! You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Even if I do my time, there will always be people out there, looking to make sure I can’t make the same mistake again. By any means necessary. Don’t you get it! I could die or disappear any day. The longer I’m with her, the more attached we’ll both become.”

“I’m sorry dude. I guess I don’t understand it perfectly, but I want to. I want to help.”

“Then, maybe you should carry on without me, with her.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Maybe, while she’s out, I’ll just disappear, and work from the shadows again. You can take care of her, right?”

“What are you even saying?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along?”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no? Is this all a game to you?”

“I want her to be happy. It’s abundantly clear, even to me, that the only way she’ll be happy, is with you. Next to you. Beside you. How many other ways do I need to say it, Jake? If you leave now, while she’s like this, she’ll never forgive you, but she won’t be able to forget you either. Do you understand what that means?”

“I’m not sure either of us knows what that means.”

“What you just saw, her running blindly into the forest, full-on freak out mode, was because she pictured a life without you, even for a moment. If you leave her now, she’ll never recover.”

You hear Jake sigh. His hand must be stroking your hair, as you start to feel a sensation near your brow. The feeling starts to return to your body, and your eyes flutter gently. You try to force them open, but they still will not bend to your will. You strain yourself, reaching blindly with your fingers, tapping them against the softness where you lay. You try desperately to get his attention.

You remember learning morse code in school. If you can just tap out something, he’ll recognize it.

“Wait.” Jake gasps, his grip loosens on your hand.

He opens his palm and waits. You rap against it the best you can, hoping that your movements reflect your thoughts. You can barely feel your fingertips connect with his palm.

“What’s happening?” Phil asks quietly.

“She’s, awake, but not?” Jake says cautiously.

“What is she doing?”

“It’s code. Hang on.”

“Okay, what’s she saying.”

Jake hushes him so he can focus, “Sorry. Was scared. Attacked. Can hear you. Can’t move.”

“Christ.” Phil whispers, “What else?”

“Dummies. All of us. Stressed. How long?”

“You think she wants to know how long she’s been out?” Phil says.

“Not long. We’re at the hut.” Jake kisses your hand.

“We’re looking for clues. Jake thinks you’ve been given some paralysis drug, and you’ll come around completely soon.” Phil says gently.

You try to force your eyes open once more, and they seem a little lighter, but do not open. You’re frustrated and concerned. Time is running out. You’ve finally found yourself at the hut your friends were staying in just hours before. You wanted to be with them so badly, to enjoy the serene, wooded area and warm yourself by the fire, listening to Thomas play guitar.

You tap your fingers against Jake’s palm.

“What’s she saying now?” Although you cannot see him, you feel Phil’s gaze on you as you try to communicate with Jake.

“She wants us to keep looking for clues. She says she’s fine.” Jake sighs loudly, “What choice do we have?”

“I don’t see why one of us can’t start searching while the other…”

“No. This place is too large. If we hope to find anything, we have to get moving now.”

Your stomach churns with regret. What were you thinking, running off like that? You knew better. As you lay prone to the world, you feel an acid burn rip through your throat. It wasn’t just regretted your stomach was churning with. You feel physically sick. You tap Jake’s hand frantically, embarrassed.

“Quick! Help me roll her over to her side!” Jake stands and wraps your torso in his arms, rolling you over carefully.

“She’s going to be sick?!” Phil jolts for your feet, assisting Jake carefully.

Your eyelids finally open, but the world is spinning rapidly. You squeeze them shut once more. Your lips barely part as a torrent of liquid spews from between them. You gasp for air, choking on the putrid substance, purging it from your body, ejecting the drug lingering within the pit of your stomach.

“She okay?” Phil stands back, covering his mouth and nose.

“Don’t tell me you’ve got a weak stomach, barkeep?”

“I wish it wasn’t so.” He hacks, turning away from the pile of bile you’ve laid at his feet.

Jake carefully wipes your mouth, rubbing your back in circles with his free hand. Finally, you feel like you can speak.

“Water.” You groan.

“On it.” Phil rushes out of sight and returns with a glass of water.

Bringing it to your lips, he tilts it carefully. You drink it down in one go.

“Do you need more?”

You nod and wait for him to leave before looking up at Jake bashfully, “I’m sorry.”

“There isn’t a damn thing you should be apologizing for. I did this. This is my fault. I tried to protect you. I still ended up hurting you.” A single tear glides down his face. He wipes it away quickly.

“No. Jake, if you have to leave, I understand, but then…”

“We can’t be together.” He says quietly.

“Right.” You slip back down onto the bed.

“Let’s talk about this later. Are you able to stand?” He quickly changes the subject.

“Not yet, but I think I got most of the drug out of my system. At least the room isn’t spinning anymore.” You glance at the floor.

“I’ll clean that up. Just rest for now. Phil and I will look for clues. Now that you can speak, I feel a little better leaving you alone.”

Jake hurries around the room, cleaning up the mess and making sure you are comfortable. He fumbles with your phone before propping it up with the camera facing you. He turns his phone in your direction. He’s enabled a monitoring service, so he can keep a close eye on you.

“Is that really necessary?” You ask quietly.

“Yes. That’s twice in the last 24 hours I’ve thought I’d lost you.” He frowns, furrowing his brow. “I’m not taking any chances. If I thought you could stand, I’d handcuff you to me.”

“You carry handcuffs?” Phil’s voice interrupts your conversation, “Kinky.” He smirks and sets a fresh glass of water at your bedside.

Jake rolls his eyes but says nothing. He smiles gently at you before joining Phil in their search for clues. After some time, they return. You are feeling much better, but still a little weak. You wait patiently for them to tell you what they’ve found, but unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any new information. As lucky as it may have been that you were so close to a safe place to rest, you wasted quite a bit of time here.

The sun isn’t quite over the horizon, yet you can hear the seconds ticking away. With the Pine Glade Festival’s car show just under 12 hours away, you can’t help but feel like the proverbial walls of the case are closing in. If the culprit intends to make a show of Hannah’s death at the festival, you must find the others and get back to Duskwood well before it begins.

Your legs feel heavy, but you refuse help on your way out the door. You must be strong. If you can’t stand on your own two feet, literally, how are you going to avoid capture and rescue your friends? You stumble slightly as you approach the vehicle. Jake offers to drive, setting the second location, that of Hannah’s newly discovered device, on the truck’s GPS. You slump into the seat feeling drained. You have too much time to swim circles around your own head.

Uncertainty hangs in the air. You have many unanswered questions. Questions that only the universe can answer. You know that if it were at all possible, Jake would clear his name tomorrow and stay by your side. You know that if he chooses not to do that, Phil will be there to catch you when you stumble until you’ve recovered. You think about your friends. Your dear, sweet friends, trapped in some dark, dank, dirty cellar. When did they last eat? Have they been offered water?

Is Hannah there? Is she one of the figures you saw hunched over in the dark? What would she say when you came to her rescue? Would she throw herself in Jake’s arms, praising his abilities? Will she understand the secrets? Will she accept you?

Is she even alive?

You shiver as the thought crosses your mind unbidden. She must be alive. He needs her. Michael needs her. The town of Duskwood, Alan Bloomgate and his staff, and whoever helped the girls bury the body, all did wrong by Michael and his daughter. They failed her. Had they only told the truth, they may have brought closure to a family that so desperately sought it. A family that would go to the ends of the earth, commit murder, kidnap the innocent, just to prove their point.

You lean into Phil’s shoulder absentmindedly. Jake shoots you a glance, pressing his lips into a thin line. Your conversation early must have really shaken him. While you aren’t truly okay with him leaving your side, you want to understand where he’s coming from. He only wants to protect you, and that alone should make you feel full, warm, and light. So, why does it make you feel so heavy and hallow?

The sun is hanging low in the sky as the truck slows to a stop on the side of the road. According to Jake’s tracking system, the rest of the trip will be carried out on foot. You are still a mile or two away from the projected destination. The wooded area is unfamiliar. Thick with trees and underbrush, you make your way into the depths of the forest. The air is thick, heavy with everything that’s been left unsaid between you and Jake. Ominous sounds fill the air, carrying the weight of the journey, settling on your shoulders.

“We’re almost there.” Jake reaches for a hostler hanging from his hip, “You two should be armed as well. We don’t know what we’re going to find when we get there.”

After some time, you come to a stop in front of a makeshift shack. Rotten and falling apart, it leans to one side. It smells of dirt and decay. The scent of copper or blood hangs in the air.

“I can’t go inside.” You swallow thickly, shaking on your feet.

“Phil, you stand watch with her. I’ll go inside.”

“Are you sure about that, Hackerman?”

“I’m sure.” He settles into a fighting stance, arms outstretched, and clicks the safety off on his gun.

You hold your breath. The stench of death settles in your lungs as you wait.

“GUYS!” Jake’s voice echoes through the trees. “I need your help! Now!” He shouts frantically.

You swing open the door and enter the dark, damp room that is only vaguely familiar. It’s the same as the video the culprit sent you. Dried blood speckles the walls. You gasp, clamping a hand over your lips. On the floor lay five people, completely unconscious. Jake is already working on the ropes that tie them as Phil starts to ungag their mouths. Familiar smell envelopes you.

“The paralysis drug.” You mutter.

“What?” Phil says glancing from where he’s crouched down in front of Jessy.

“The drug! The culprit used the same drug on me. I can…” Your stomach churns threatening to overwhelm you at any moment, “I can smell it.”

“Shit,” Jake says in a low voice. “What now?”

“We can’t carry all five of them back to the truck. We must do something. We’re running out of time!” Phil shouts as he shakes Jessy by the shoulders, “Please, Jess, you have to wake up!”

“Stop! We must get her to throw up. Wait! I have some water in my backpack!”

You fling your backpack over your shoulder, grabbing a bottle from its contents. You sink down on your heels next to Jake. He works on Lilly, while Phil attends to Jessy. You grab Cleo and gently ease open her lips. After a few tries, you successfully induce vomiting. Phil and Jake have some luck as well. After some time, all five have rejected the contents of the liquid and are slowly regaining consciousness.

You watch as Jake paces back and forth across the room. He slumps his shoulders, kicking a piece of fallen timber across the floor.

“Where the hell is Hannah? What about Richy?”

You hear a cough and a sputter before Lilly opens her mouth to speak.

“They took them. Both.”

“They?” You sink back down to face her.

“Iris and Michael. They took them. They’re in danger.”

“Where did he take them? Lilly?” Jake’s voice cracks and shakes.

“Festival. Their parents. Alan Bloomgate. They knew.” She coughs loudly.

You help her drink something. You offer the bottle to the others, but they are still regaining their movements. It’s hard to watch, but you know that they will be okay if you help them. You continue to watch them for the next hour, and eventually, they all come around enough that they can walk.

It’s a long slow journey back to the truck. Jake and Phil take two people each, leaving you to walk with Cleo. As they start to come around from the drugs that rendered them incapacitated, you start to wonder if this is just another trap. Why would he leave them unattended, alone, unless he was up to something?

“Jake, Phil, stop!” you screeched without thought. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but something feels off about this. What kind of person goes through all that trouble to capture and kidnap five people, just to leave them alone in the woods for discovery. Something isn’t right here.”

Jake’s pace slows to a stop. Phil nearly slams into his back.

“You’re right.” Jake’s voice is small as he thinks through the situation, “We need to search each of them for tracking devices and destroy their cellphone’s GPS chip.”

“WHAT?!” Thomas is awake and startled, “If I do that, every last trace of Hannah I have is gone.”

“Thomas, Jake can recover your photos and conversations later. We might miss his disgusting little show if we don’t get a move on. Is anyone capable of moving on their own yet?” Your arms ache from carrying just one person. Your legs burn from the hike into the woods. You’re sure the others are struggling as well.

A uniform whimper of “I think so” rolls over them. Each takes a moment to steady themselves on their feet, checking their clothes and hair for tracking devices. Once that’s complete, each of them hands over their devices, and Jake gets to work. He shuts them down, removes the data cards, and smashes the GPS chips to pieces. Most of the devices remain intact, but a few are shattered beyond recognition.

“I’ll fix that later. Come on, let’s go.” Jake says in a hurried tone as he passes each of them their SIM card for safekeeping, “Don’t lose these, or I won’t be able to do much to recover your data.”

“We have to save Hannah.” You smile brightly at each of them in turn, “It’s a little late for this, but it’s so nice to meet you all!”

Dan chuckles between Thomas and Cleo, who continue to support him, “Welcome to the Duskwood Detectives Club.”

You’d almost forgotten his car accident. You’d been treating him very much like the rest. He’s limping and having trouble staying on his feet even with support.

“I didn’t see your wheelchair at the hut.” You whisper as you drop back to speak with him.

“Yeah well, I’m not sure what the feathered prick did with it, but he definitely didn’t carry be like a sweet baby. I’m sure I’ll have to replace it.” He rolls his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Thomas asks as he readjusts himself under Dan’s arms.

“I think I’m okay. I just shouldn’t put too much pressure on this one leg. The pins in it, they hurt like hell when I do.”

“I see.” Cleo says quietly, “Just hang in there. I can see the road.”

You glance up and see the truck you’d rented just up ahead. On the side, a bright red color catches your eye. The truck you rented was white, wasn’t it? Are you seeing things? Is that what you think it is? Just as you’re about to speak up, you see Jake and Phil slow to a stop nearly at the same time.

“The mark of the raven, Jessy says under her breath. “You’ve been marked.”

Young Adult
1

About the Creator

Gorejess Stone

I love Storytelling, but unfortunately not on this site. See my tumblr link in the linktree below to find more work or my amazon link for my published book.

https://linktr.ee/agorejessstone

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