Chapter 8

• ~ July 31st - 6:35 AM ~
• Zoe's eyes opened suddenly. With her heart pounding, she found her hands clutching the blanket. Remnants of a frightening dream were still fresh in her mind. Glancing around the room, the first bit of the sun's morning light was entering her room. She turned onto her side, Breathing harshly; her heartbeat had at least calmed down to a normal pace. Reaching for her phone, which was on the bedside table, and pressing the button, the display screen revealed that she had 25 minutes left before her alarm would go off, Letting her know she would have to begin the day.
• With a reluctant sigh, she set the phone back down. "It was just a dream!" Zoe whispered what she had been saying all week.
• Each dream was slightly different, yet one thing remained the same: Sophia's father's cabin. The next element to the dreams that stayed the same was that Don had joined the group. After an epic confrontation that Lance and Don had before they had the chance to leave the city. In the end, Lance caved and allowed Don to go to the cabin with the rest of the group.
• In spite of Zoe's apprehension about Don being there, everyone was in good spirits. The group shared stories that sent shivers down spines and sparked bursts of laughter. The atmosphere was filled with an abundance of positive energy. The unsettling feeling did not make an appearance during their stay, and best of all, nothing life-altering occurred. Zoe, along with the rest of the group, left on Monday with smiles on their faces, celebrating Sophia's successful dream of throwing an epic party.
• There was also the other side of the coin that she dreamed of as well. Zoe shivered as she recalled her other horrifying dreams. Disaster had struck, and the echoes of Sophia's cries lingered in her mind. In Zoe's dream, they had stumbled on to a chilling discovery of her body at the bottom of a steep slope. This marked the beginning of a downward spiral of events. How she ended up there, she was not sure, but she had a feeling the way her body lay on the ground. She had a feeling that she had tumbled down the hill and never got up.
• Zoe could not tell whether the gang had escaped the location as a whole. Everything had been spinning in a whirlwind of chaos, and she could not figure out what had happened.
• With her hand resting on her forehead, Zoe struggled to organize her thoughts. The nightmare she had suddenly woken up from lingered like a parasite. It was more lifelike! Its effects were more haunting than anything she'd endured in the past.
• In this dream, she wasn’t just an observer; she was part of it. Every detail was precise. Every emotion felt raw and untampered. Zoe wanted to convince herself that these were merely fragments of someone else’s life ... thoughts, .... experiences, ... even their emotions. However, an unsettling feeling deep in her soul told her that that would be nothing but a lie. Everything she had done had occurred. Explaining logically did not seem feasible. This would be something she would hide deep down, pretending it never happened. Yet, despite what Dr. Collins may say, this was her reality.
• Closing her eyes, she clenched the blanket close to her chest. With a shaky breath, she began to count one to ten and back again. Brief as it was, Zoe began to tremble from fear. With her thoughts go wild, and her logical side tries to catch up with her and make her see common sense and reason. Steadying her body, gradually, Zoe took a deep breath in and out through her nose. The more she calmed down, the more her mind was able to balance her thought process. Listening to her surroundings, she began to recall the dream.
• Settling into her meditation, Zoe allowed her mind to drift back to what had upset her so much. Standing by the fire pit, she could see everything clearly. Above her, birds were taking flight while smaller woodland birds sang from the safety of the tree branches. Gently pushed by the breeze, the tops of the trees swayed in the direction of the wind. The sun-kissed the top of the highest tree as it descended for the day, casting a warm glow on the deck of the cabin. The rest of the cabin was left in a shadow, thanks to the trees that stood at its back.
• Sophia’s father stepped out of the cabin, keys in hand, as he descended the stairs from the modest deck. The sun was setting quickly, casting the entire cabin in a shadow as darkness approached. The shadow was drawing near the fire pit, signalling that nighttime was almost upon them.
• Taking a quick glance back at the cabin, Logan made his way to the fire pit. In his hand, he held something indistinguishable object in his hand. Crouching down, he pulled out a lighter and, running his thumb over the spindle, ignited a flame.
• Muttering softly under his breath, a string of unintelligible words, Logan cradled the object in the palm of his hand. As he spoke, a thin wisp of smoke began to coil upward. He returned the lighter into his pocket. With a gentle exhale, he blew on the item. Initially, it released only a cloud of smoke that drifted outwards. A few moments later, vibrant flickers of red and orange flames erupted. With care, he placed the enigmatic object into the fire pit. Lowering his head, he began to move his lips with no words coming out. Looking up to the horizon, Logan had his eyes open, and his lips continued to move.
• Standing to his full height, Logan glanced around the area. Within the woods, he listened to the sound of children laughing. “Remi, I have brought you a treat!” Logan bellowed as he continued to watch the tree line. He stuck his hand into his pocket. In the palm of his hand, he held something Zoe could not see.
• Zoe's heart bounced a few beats.
• Frozen in place! She darted her head left and right! Scanning her surroundings. Suddenly, she turned in the direction of a loud commotion, only to see a blur rushing from the woods toward Logan.
• Zoe tried to scream a warning, but no sound escaped her lips. Her heartbeat quickened, and fear crept into her soul. She felt helpless, unable to warn the man she had grown fond of over the four years they had gotten to know each other. Covering her mouth with her hand, all she could do was watch and wait to see what would happen.
• Logan let out a chuckle as if he had anticipated this event. "How are you, little one?" He had so much love for the little girl who had rushed to him. Opening his hand, the little girl snatched a gummy that he had brought.
• Her eyes widened at what she was watching. 'It is her!' Zoe had recognized the little girl from her search when she was using Google Maps to gather more information about the trip that she was going to undertake. Wrapping her little arms around Logan's leg. "You are back!"
• Logan laughed as the little girl looked up at him. "What made you think I would not come back for a visit? " He tapped her nose with his index finger. Crouching down to her level, he said, “My daughter Sophia is coming for a visit!”
• She took her hands away from her mouth, her anxiety calming. "They know each other!" Zoe realized this after observing their interaction.
• Her eyes widened to saucers, “Is she coming?” the little girl asked eagerly.
• Logan looked at the little girl with a puzzled expression, not understanding what she was talking about. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to, Remi, but Sophia is coming with her friends,” he replied, gently patting her on the head. “I know your father is concerned about having strangers visit, but you don’t need to worry. I’ve made sure that Zoe Godfrey will be with the group. Zoe is a responsible young adult, and I trust she will ensure that everyone follows the rules.”
• Logan chuckled softly as he watched Remi jump around in a circle, shouting, “She’s coming! I’ve been waiting for Zoe for a very long time!”
• Tilting her head to the side, Zoe wrinkled her forehead, 'How does Remi know who I am?' Zoe wondered as she continued to observe the scene.
• Logan maintained a smile, asking, “How do you know Zoe?” he had asked the question she was thinking.
• Remi stopped jumping and peeked up at Logan. “She is Sophia’s best friend. I’ve drempt of the day she comes here. I know we’re going to be the best of friends.” she twirled around in a circle. Placing her hands on her chest. "Zoe is going to love it here, and soon she will understand," she took a step toward Logan, "she isn't crazy! Zoe is 'just' like you!" she batted her lashes a few times with a sweet smile on her face.
• Zoe felt confused. 'I’ve never been to the cabin!' she thought, trying to rationalize the situation. 'And Sophia hasn’t been here in over a decade.' The creases on her forehead had deepened, 'just like Logan!?' she recalled what the little girl had said.
• Zoe could tell that Logan wanted to ask more questions, but the land was covered in one large shadow. With the remnants of a light blue sky nearly gone. With his keys dangling in his hands, he gestured with his feet toward his truck. After taking one last look around, he opened the truck door and prepared to leave.
• As Logan drove away from the area, a figure emerged from the woods. The figure did not look in Zoe's direction as she stood frozen in place. She felt an unsettling sensation creeping across her exposed skin. The dark mass seemed more focused on the path Logan was taking.
• Wrapping her arms around herself, Zoe felt a chill in the air. She hadn't even realized that the sky had shifted from sunset to night in the blink of an eye. In the darkness, the figure before her became more defined. Zoe forced herself to study it. Antlers protruded from its head, resembling those of a deer. Its gangly arms dangled at its sides, and deer fur draped over its shoulders, remnants of what seemed to be clothing. However, its legs were bare. Every inch of its body appeared to be like a void. as if it were absorbing all light around it.
• Gasping for air, Zoe was frozen in place, paralyzed by a sense of dread. The darkness enveloped her like a chilling blanket of pins and needles.
• 'The darkness is coming from him!' Zoe cried, her realization dawning. She glanced back, noticing that the trees remained untouched, seemingly immune to the shadows.
• As she struggled to comprehend the situation before her, Zoe watched a little girl bounce around the figure as if nothing frightening was happening. Cheering, "She's coming!"
• The figure glanced down at the little girl. The darkness that had been filtering through his body ceased as he studied the small bundle of energy before him. He placed a hand on her head, and in a soft, deep, masculine voice, he spoke in a language that Zoe did not understand. In response, the little girl began to chirp like a bird.
• It was clear to Zoe that the two knew each other. As far as she could tell, he had a soft side to his threatening and intimidating nature.
• Just as Zoe felt a sense of calm beginning to settle over her, an icy wave of fear crashed back into her body. To her horror, the figure turned its head as if it was aware of her presence. Standing tall, nearly reaching nine or ten feet tall, she could see its deep-set eyes piercing through the shadows.
• The defined features of its face were apparent to her artistic eyes. The nose seemed to melt into its face. With the nostrils widen. Smoothing into its cheekbone. With a long oval-shaped bone structure. With its thin and elongated lips. Zoe watched as the creature curled its lips, smiling down at her as it took one step in her direction.
• With her arms dangling at her legs, she tried to pinch her leg to wake herself up. The dream had become far too real for her liking. With her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. It was as if her heart was working overtime.
• Her lips quivered as her eyes scanned downward. The deer's hide is still dangling over its shoulder. What she could not see then, she could now. The creature's arms were bulging muscles. The kind you would picture on a bodybuilder. The hide had done nothing to cover the front of his body. His front lay bare for no imagination at all. Muscles rippling across his abdomen, a clear testament to the creature’s strength and fitness.
• 'Don't you dare look any further!" She mentally scolded herself. Zoe's jaw dropped, her disbelief as her mouth opened in a silent scream. 'He is taking another step!' Zoe screamed in her mind.
• She stood frozen in place. Fear gripping her like a vice, unable to make a sound as the creature's gaze bore into her very soul. 'He can see me!' she could feel her eyes filling up with tears.
• 'What does he want?' Zoe asked herself as a shiver raced down her spine. 'WAKE UP!' she frantically screamed in her mind.
• He was standing only a few feet away from her. 'If there was any time you were to wake up Zoe, this would be the time!' she urged her mind and body to work together.
• The closer he got, the more she felt the sensation of insects crawling across her skin. A distant male voice echoed in her mind. "Zoe!" he said, each syllable slowly. He sniffed the air around her.
• Boom! Boom! Boom!
• A distant sound of native drums reached Zoe's ears. With each string of the drum, the creature took a step back, breaking the spell the apparition had on her. A low rumble of laughter erupted from the apparition. The creature turned on its heel and entered the northern section of the woods. As the figure disappeared among the trees, Zoe wondered what had just happened.
• Zoe's body jolted awake.
• The alarm blared in her ear. She rolled over and snatched her phone, turning off the alarm. As she lay there, wiping the tears off her face, she thought, 'Mental note ... Stay away from the northern section.' She sighed. "That’s where he lurks," she warned herself.
• With a soft groan, Zoe tossed aside the blankets. "Alright, here I go!" she declared, squeezing her eyes shut. "It was just a dream, Zo!" Taking a measured deep breath, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed, feeling the floor beneath her feet. She mentally ran through her to-do list; in her mind, she prepared to face the day ahead. The day she had been dreading since she had agreed to Sophia's wild plans.
• Pushing herself up and off the bed. "It's too late to back out now!" Zoe said as she moved toward the dresser, rifling through the drawers. She picked out the clothes she would wear for the day. But first, she had to complete her morning ritual of proper hygiene.