‘Come out, come out, wherever you are …’ Jennifer whispered, steeling herself for confrontation. Her heart froze as a sudden scream echoed throughout the forest.
‘Help me! Someone, help me!’
She ran through the thickening mist, following the screams to a copse in the distance. Her heart began to pound in her ribcage, and every fibre in her being demanded she turn back. A sense of evil intent emanated from the copse, but Jennifer drove onwards, feeling a hundred sets of eyes on her back. The sour smell was overpowering, and brought with it the tang of freshly spilt blood. Were the screams real or echoes from the past? Was she walking into a trap? She couldn’t leave now.
Swearing under her breath, her eyes searched for a weapon, and her fingers wrapped around a splintered piece of wood. Flapping black wings swooped through the sky as the ravens flew from their hiding places, but Jennifer’s attention was swiftly drawn back to an army of tiny legs marching up her arm. Screaming, she dropped the branch and furiously shook her hand to rid herself of the millipedes that claimed it. She thought of Will, and pulled her phone from her pocket. Groaning, she realised the newly charged battery was now completely drained. She couldn’t call for help even if she wanted to. She wrapped her fingers around her car keys, keeping the sharp edge exposed through her bent fingers. It was an old trick, but enough to gouge someone’s face if she had to. Her heart beating hard, she pushed through the prickly bushes, shielding her face as sharp-edged thorns scratched softly at the seams of her jacket and trousers.
[#]
Bert squinted at the sky as the raven’s caws filled the air. There was someone in the forest. His forest. He raised his nose to the air and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Could it be? His senses strained to reach the outskirts of the woods, and he fingered the knife in his pocket. It was a shame he didn’t have his shotgun. But there was something very impersonal about guns, whereas knives … A rush of excitement flowed through his veins. The madness had returned, and he would do whatever it took to protect the forest. His thoughts went to Jennifer Knight. Could she be looking for him? After all, their futures were intertwined. She would not stay long in a forest filled with anguish, but she was strong. She would fight against her instincts if it meant leading her to the person who threatened her the most.
[#]
A rat jumped through the undergrowth, startled by Jennifer’s urgent footsteps. The screams had stopped, but the silence that lay in its place was heavy and menacing. Jennifer slowly edged around an imposing oak tree. It was different to the others. The surrounding air carried a thickness that made it hard to breathe. Tracing the scarred bark with her fingers, Jennifer knew she had reached the beating heart of Raven Woods. She pushed her tousled hair off her face, determined to keep her emotions in check. But she was deep in the forest – and she was not alone. Pressing her hands against the bark, her eyelids fluttered shut in a last-ditch attempt at communication. Her senses blocked her attempts, screaming a warning; she was in danger, and she had to leave now. Sense finally prevailed, and shielding her face with her hands, she pushed her way back through the briars to leave the way she came. But it seemed the forest was not ready to release her, and the thorns that gently scratched her upon entrance now held her firmly in their grip. She pushed through the copse, gasping as thorny cables tore through her clothes and into her flesh. Blood beaded on her thighs and legs, as black flapping wings drummed a beat overhead. Jennifer’s legs weakened as her own vulnerability became evident. They were coming. The ravens were coming. The sight of the birds circling the pearly grey sky sent a dagger of fear through her heart.
Jennifer clambered through the dense forest, trying to find her bearings as the birds settled in the branches just above her head. Their stares were icy cold, and the noise of her backward steps in the still air seemed magnified a hundredfold. Jennifer swallowed, trying to calm her pounding heart. More and more birds roosted on the branches overhead, until they were thick and black, bearing feathers instead of the rotting leaves underfoot. Lost and disorientated in the dead, soulless forest, Jennifer whispered a silent prayer.
[#]
Bert was close to the forest now, he watched as a cloud of black ravens descended in the woodlands and held their prey. His tongue darted from his lips and he moistened them in expectation. Just a few more minutes and he would be there.
[#]
Disorientated, Jennifer forced one leg in front of the other. If the ravens beat her down now, they would tear her to shreds.
‘Get the hell off me,’ she growled as the first raven swooped overhead. Jennifer batted the bird away, staggering through the woodland as another took its place. ‘Help me! Someone, help me!’ her screams echoed through the forest as she pulled up her hood to protect her face. Warm blood trickled down her hand as a raven tore flesh from the back of her hand, its screams intermingling with hers in the fight for control. Jennifer spun around, lost and disorientated as she batted off countless birds while clinging desperately to her hood.
Suddenly a flash of white cut through the air. Jennifer instinctively followed the fluttering wings as they swooped to avoid the predators overhead. Her arms aching, she batted off the birds as she found her way through the forest. The ravens held back as she left, and the leaves underfoot were replaced by fresh, untainted soil.
‘Wait!’ Jennifer cried, reaching out with a bloodied hand. Relief flooded through her as the clearing came into view, and she scrambled up the grassy bank to her parked car, which was pimpled in a dewy mist. Peeling the keys from her sweaty palm, she jumped inside and activated the central locking. The car veered onto the dirt path, the ding ding of the car alarm protesting until she clicked in her seatbelt. It was not until the forest was out of sight that she pulled over, her stomach lurching from the adrenalin come-down. Taking in lungfuls of air, she leaned through the open window. Jennifer spat the sour taste from her mouth and lifted her hand to wipe it, sticky with a mixture of dirt and blood. Tears prickled the backs of her eyes as the pain from her injuries cut through her nerve endings. Who was she to think she could overcome such darkness? She grabbed her bag from under the seat, and tentatively dabbed her hand before allowing the tears to roll down her cheeks. Her wound needed dressing, and she was in no state to do it alone. But where should she go? Will would give her a telling-off for going to the woods alone. Amy would ask too many questions, and turning up in such a state would upset her nephew, who had told her not to go. Her eyes blurred as she stared at her trembling hands, trying to muster the strength to drive to casualty. A flash of black darted in her rear view mirror as she turned the ignition key. Jennifer drove away, the ravens’ cries echoing in her ears.