Page 104 of This Blood That Binds Us

“Presley, keep him sane?” Luke said.

“Roger that!” Presley pulled my head back around to focus on the group. “Please don’t start talking about some little creepy girl following you or something.”

My entire body was weak. I decided to focus on moving one foot in front of the other. I lost my balance a few times and almost landed on my face. Everything was exhausting. I had almost forgotten what exhaustion felt like. Zach and Luke grabbed my shirt to keep me upright.

In the tree line, I saw a flash of white hair again. The same haunting apparition of the woman in a long-slip dress appeared. She turned around to wink at me. A giggle escaped her lips, and her eyes taunted me.

“Oh, no, this is much worse,” I said.

“Right. Okay. Call if you find anything. And Aaron?” Luke stopped just short of the tree line. “I promise. We’ll get her back.” He gave me one final smile before disappearing with Zach into the fog.

“I’-I don’t feel good...” I said, as we started walking. I forced every muscle to bend to my will. My feet were cement blocks as they pushed through branches and debris. I sniffed the air, constantly searching for the scent of Kimberly’s blood.

I was emotionally numb, and I could only focus on the possibility of finding her.

“I can tell. Considering you are shaking.” I turned to look at Presley, and he smiled. “What sort of things are you seeing right now?” He locked arms with me and dragged me through the trees.

“Well, I can tell you it’s a lot scarier than your fear of little ghost girls.”

You’re weak.That’s why you will die.

“Doubt it...Don’t knock it because you haven’t even seen half the scary movies I’ve seen.”

“I don’t think I need to watch any more for the rest of forever, considering I’m basically living in one.”

This is all your fault.

As we walked on, the voice was harder and harder to tune out.

“Thank god you never workout, Aaron.” Presley held onto the other side of me. “It’s way easier to carry your scrawny body.”

“You’re one to talk.” I closed my eyes, feeling sleepy.

The trees morphed together in a big blob. I blamed it on the blurry vision, slowly drawing my attention. Footsteps scurriedbetween the trees, and I sensed someone was watching us, but I had enough sense to know it was just another hallucination.

Kim came to mind. Light bathed her. Her skin glowed, and her hair was always in her face. Guilt was quick to snatch my warm feelings. I couldn’t believe I had let her down.

We quietly made our way through the forest. Despite me slowing us down, Presley was helping us make great time.

After a few minutes, he spoke again. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a shitty brother. I should have listened to you...I should have listened to her. She tried to tell me something was up with you.”

I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. This is all me.”

“You don’t get to play the martyr here. I think we can all take a share of the blame in this one.” Presley kept his gaze firmly ahead.

I sighed. I didn’t want them to take the blame. I wanted to drown in the guilt. I wanted to take the pain of it all. I deserved it.

“Well, I don’t think she is out here.. .We should check the front and the parking lot. They have staff we can ask,” he said.

I nodded, and I was thankful Presley’s navigation skills had always been better than mine.

I felt the strangest urge to look up at the sky. I obeyed the quiet voice in my head and looked up. I couldn’t see anything on the ground, anyway. But it was also because this voice sounded different from what I was normally used to. It felt good and hopeful. The beauty of the night sky was overwhelming. Little sparks of light lighting up a blue sky. Kim would have loved it.

Chirping crickets came back as well as the wind whistling through the trees. The breeze tickled my cheeks, bringing a smile to my face.

“Look, there’s the fence,” I said.

An iron fence was interwoven in the trees, massive as it towered over us.