AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, it's me. Yes, I live. Surprise!
DISCLAIMER: TEEN TITANS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics.
NO SAVING GRACE
"Oh, wow!" Karen exclaimed as she looked at the cottage in front of her. "This is beautiful! Good job in finding this, Kori!"
A girl with wavy red hair smiled gleefully at the compliment. "Thanks, Karen! I had help in finding this one, but it's perfect, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is, Kor." Victor sidled up beside Karen with two bags in tow. "Now we should go in and check the inside. These bags are killing my arms."
The small group, consisting of two boys and four girls, slowly walked up the small flight of steps. Before Kori can reach for the door, it swung open and another red-head popped out from inside. "Kori!"
"Barbara!" And the two girls locked in a jovial embrace.
The others watched the display in fascination. The two gushed at each other for a bit before Kori turned to her companions. "Guys, this is Barbara, a dear friend of mine. She helped me book this cottage for us."
Victor and Karen immediately went up to the girl and introduced themselves. Next to shake hands with Barbara were Garfield and Tara. In the background, Rachel stood, quietly observing the introductions.
"And the quiet one there is Rachel." She heard Victor say. She looked up and met Barbara's eyes and gave a small nod of acknowledgment. The red-head returned it with a smile.
"Nice to meet you all," Barbara said. "I hope you enjoy your vacation here in Gotham. Now, let me show you the inside of the house."
The interior was even more beautiful than the outside. It had the feel of an honest-to-goodness vacation lodge. The hardwood floors were polished to a shine. A fireplace is located at one corner of the living area and a quaint dining area was in the opposite direction. A little off to the side of the foyer was a staircase that led up to the second floor.
"You can use everything in the house, especially the kitchen stuff, but you may need to stock up the fridge yourselves," Barbara explained to them. She began to lead them over towards the stairs when a figure came down the steps.
"Babs, I've fixed the bathroom upstairs," a clear, masculine voice said before the figure clearly came into their view. It was a man with dark hair and blue eyes. He stopped and stared at the small crowd for a moment. "Oh. So they've arrived."
Barbara giggled at his reaction. "Yes, Rich, they have arrived." She turned towards the guests and said, "This is Richard, guys. His father owns this cottage."
As usual, Vic and Karen took the initiative to introduce themselves, followed by a blushing Kori.
"Hello," Kori greeted in a shy voice. "I'm Kori."
Richard stared at Kori for a moment, blue eyes shining with obvious interest, before flashing a friendly smile. "Hi Kori, I'm Richard." He extended a hand to her for a handshake.
Tara giggled at the scene and subtly elbowed Karen in the gut. It was quite obvious that there was instant attraction between the two. Richard held Kori's hand a little longer, making her blush bloom even more.
"Alright, enough of that for now." Barbara cut in the moment and disconnected Richard's hand from Kori's. "You can have more of that later. Let's check the upstairs and your rooms first." With that, she dragged Kori to follow her up the steps, the others quickly following behind.
It was then that Richard noticed the last figure in the group, a girl with dark hair and dark eyes.
He watched her as she followed behind the group, being the last to pass by him as her group took the stairs. And for a moment, as she walked directly past him, Richard felt a throb in his gut. The girl took no notice of him. He let his eyes trail after her, curiosity swimming in them. As he watched her disappear into the second floor, Richard let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding before following after.
As Barbara pointed at the different rooms of the upper level, she told them that there were three bedrooms and a common toilet and bath for them to use. "We have a fourth bedroom here but it's the master bedroom. We keep it locked," she added.
It was decided that Vic and Gar will bunk together in the first room, Kori and Karen in the second, and Tara and Rachel will take the third.
"Alright, that's it, guys." Barbara turned to them with a smile. "I hope you enjoy your stay here."
"I am sure we will, Babs," Kori answered kindly.
"Oh I'm sure Kori will enjoy her stay here," Karen said in a sly voice as she discreetly gestured toward the figure of Richard.
Kori's blush was immediate, much to Karen's and Tara's delight.
"Are you ready for the summer of your life, Kors?" Tara whispered teasingly to the redhead.
"Quiet, Tara." Kori blushed furiously.
As the two continued to tease Kori, Barbara's smile slowly waned from her face. She looked at Kori thoughtfully, a mixture of slight concern and wariness. Then she tore her gaze away from the three girls and glanced towards Richard.
He stood by the window and quickly met her gaze as they landed on him. His blue eyes had an eerie glint in them and Barbara felt a strange feeling churn in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, Richard looked away from her and as she followed his gaze, she saw it land on the figure of Rachel who was examining a painting on the wall.
Then after a moment, he turned and walked towards the group of guests, coming to a stop beside Barbara and spoke, "I hope you liked the cottage. If you need anything else, feel free to call on me."
"Oh, that is an excellent idea!" Karen exclaimed. "In fact, why don't Kori here hold on to your number so she can ring you up if ever she needs anything?" The statement dripped with suggestive meaning that it would be impossible not to recognize it.
Tara tried to stifle her giggles against Gar's shoulders while Vic just shook his head. Barbara offered a smile but it appeared weak. As for Richard, he just gave a smile at Kori's hopelessly blushing mug before asking for her phone so he can key in his number.
"Interesting."
A low murmur was carried by the wind and Richards' head whipped towards Rachel's direction. "What?"
Rachel looked at Richard in surprise. "The… The painting." She pointed at the framed painting in front of her. "It's interesting."
Richard smiled, pleased. "It is."
For a moment, she just stared at his smiling face. He was quite handsome, really. But then her eyes caught Kori's and Rachel snapped out of the trance. "Yeah," she murmured again before tearing her eyes away and looking back at the painting.
She didn't catch Richard smile turn into a frown.
After all that, Richard and Barbara set out for their own homes, leaving the guests to themselves. Karen and Kori went to their room to unpack. Tara chose to accompany Gar and Victor to check the lake – the boys were quite excited at the prospect of fishing. Rachel went her own way to the room she'll be sharing with Tara. She thought to unpack as well but as she saw the cream-colored sheets atop her bed, she decided to just drop down onto it.
She heaved a relieved sigh at the feeling of the soft mattress under her. It had been a long trip from Jump to Gotham and this was just the perfect way to end it, a soft bed to cradle her in. She had been uncertain about coming to this trip with the group. Her last year in college had been nothing but hell to her and she was afraid she cannot afford a time off. But Tara convinced her to come otherwise, saying that she needs this break more than ever.
Rachel guessed this won't be too bad. That was her last thought as she finally succumbed to sleep.
Richard parked the car in front of the driveway. He leaned back and looked beside the passenger seat. "Here's your stop."
"It is," Barbara answered coyly.
Richard followed the movement of her hand as it rose and began undoing the buttons on her blouse slowly, one by one, letting her finger part the folds to reveal the skin between her breasts.
"You wanna come in for a while?" She asked.
He looked to meet her lidded eyes. "What for?"
Barbara gave a seductive smile, licking her lips as she shifted in her seat. She removed the hand on her chest and placed it on his thigh, slowly rubbing over the fabric of his jeans. "I'm sure we can figure something out." She gave a playful chuckle, rubbing higher on his leg. "So?"
When Richard said nothing, Barbara directed her touch up and higher but he quickly caught her hand. She looked up and met his disapproving eyes. "No."
She was surprised at his grim tone. "Why not?"
Richard tightened his grip on her hand before putting it away. "It's late. I have to see Bruce in the morning."
Barbara felt a flash of irritation at his excuse. Then a flash of another girl's face popped in her head and she frowned. "Is it Kori?"
"What?" He turned to her.
"Kori," she said as if that should be enough of an answer. She leaned back on her seat and huffed. "I saw how she looked at you, Dick. And I saw you return her look. God, Richard, she's my friend!"
Richard looked at her with mild amusement. "So?"
Her irritation spiked and she glared up at his smug face. "Not her, Richard. She's my friend."
"Barbara," his tone was low and grim. "I don't know what you're on to about but I think it's time you go." He kept his cold blue eyes on her, the eerie glint back and shining in their surface.
Barbara tried to keep her breath steady. Richard looked menacing and she knew she had to get out of the car right away. She pulled the car door open and stepped out, one leg after the other. But before she exited completely, she turned back to him one more time. "Not her, Richard. Not Kori."
He didn't say anything as Barbara got out of the car. He watched her walk up to her front door and fumble with her keys. In his mind, her last words rang in echoes and he cannot a sly, wicked grin break out on his face.
"Of course. Not Kori."
On their second night in Gotham, Barbara dropped by the cottage and invited them out for dinner. She led them to a barbecue restaurant, much to the delight of Victor. Gar, on the other hand, was chagrined.
"They let you grill vegetables too, Gar, no need for the dramatics." Rachel scolded as they seated themselves around the table.
Tara laughed at her boyfriend and began cooing in his ear to make him feel better. Rachel quietly observed the place as Vic and Karen engaged in a conversation as Barbara went up to the front to check in with the owner. Apparently, she was friends with the restaurant owner as well.
"So Kori," Tara suddenly called, turning to the red-head who was perusing a menu. "Have you spoken with Richard yet?"
The girl in question instantly reddened. "No."
"Oh?" Karen asked. "Why not?"
Kori blushed harder. "I…"
"You didn't call him?" Tara asked.
"No, I…"
"You did not?" Karen hissed. "Then what as the purpose of getting his number?"
Kori shook her head in embarrassment. "I couldn't."
"Why not?" Karen asked.
But Kori didn't get to answer as Barbara suddenly appeared on the vacant seat beside her. "Alright, guys, our waiter will be here in a bit. And I hope you don't mind but I also invited Richard. He'll be here in a bit, too."
Rachel watched as Kori's blush scorch the whole of her face and neck.
"Oh, that's just fine, Babs," Karen said with a meaningful wink at Kori. "In fact, that is just perfect."
Barbara just smiled and nodded.
As they waited for their waiter, small talks were made among the group. Vic and Gar discussed the probability of checking out some clubs after dinner, while Karen and Tara took turns teasing Kori about Richard. Babs joined them at first but after a while, her smile was beginning to strain her. She tore her gaze away from them for a moment and it landed on Rachel.
"Hey," Babs called her attention.
Indigo eyes looked up at the girl and for a moment, there was a familiar churning in Bab's gut, reminding her of a different pair of eyes that had the same glint. Eerie. Ethereal.
"Hey," Rachel returned in a husky alto.
Barbara quickly flashed a smile. "How's the vacation so far?"
Rachel returned the smile with a small one. "Good. It's doing good to me so far."
"I'm glad to hear that," Babs remarked genuinely. "I heard from Kori that college has been hard on you."
Rachel's smile brightened. She's not always the snarky, touch-me-and-die girl that most people thought her as. "Yeah," she said. "Sometimes I ask myself why ever did I decide to take up law."
"Because law school is awesome," Babs teased.
"That it is," Rachel joked back.
Just then, Karen's voice interrupted them. "There he is!"
And indeed, Richard was walking towards their table with an easy stride, flanked by two other guys. "Hey," he said as he reached them. "Sorry, I'm late. I brought company, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Barbara answered. "Well, hello, Roy, Wally."
"Hey, Barbie." One the guys, the taller one, greeted back. Then he moved his gaze over the rest of the company, stopping on Kori for a moment, and flashed a bright, charming smile. "Hello, friends. My name's Roy."
"Hey, man." Victor reached up a hand for a quick shake. "I'm Victor. This is Karen," he gestured to the girl seated beside him, who gave Roy a nod. Then Victor pointed at Gar, Tara, Kori, and Rachel, introducing them one by one. But Roy's eyes were fixed on Kori the entire time, making it obvious to the rest that he's only interested in getting to know her. It was even more obvious as he took the seat next to Barbara, with Kori on the girl's other side.
Rachel shifted a bit when Richard quietly sidled and took the vacant seat beside her. She glanced at him and met his eyes. He stared at her for a moment then asked, "Is this seat taken?"
"Not anymore," she quickly answered carelessly.
Richard looked taken aback and Rachel mentally slapped herself. But then his face broke into a wide smile, making his blue eyes shine under the lights of the restaurant and Rachel was mesmerized.
"Ahem." Someone cleared his throat from behind them. It was Richard's other friend, a younger looking boy with shaggy red hair.
"Oh," Richard shifted suddenly in his seat, making his chair rattle as he gestured to the boy. "And this is Wally, you guys."
Everyone around the table gave a greeting at the standing boy before he was gestured to the remaining empty seat at the end of the table.
For another moment, the table was filled with mild chatter. The girls were subtly watching Roy's over-attentiveness at Kori, much to Bab's annoyance as she was between the two. "Here, Roy, why don't we swap seats," and the red-head pushed Roy off of his chair to slide on it.
Roy's smile only widened as Kori's face flushed. But her eyes did a quick glance towards Richard. She wanted him to be the one seated beside her.
Two servers came up to them, bringing their food and drinks. Then the delicious meal began. After the first course was done, Vic and Gar had got up and ordered seconds. The girls settled for their deserts while Babs told them of the shopping district. Rachel wasn't much of an eater or a shopper, so she just sat and sipped on her iced tea, contenting herself with the comfortable feeling of being with good friends.
Beside her, Richard was carefully watching her.
Then the pink-haired waitress approached them once again to place another batch of drinks. "You guys here on vacation?"
The question wasn't directed at anyone in particular. When Rachel noticed that she was the nearest to the girl, she took it to herself to answer. "Yeah."
The waitress gave a hum in response. "You're the guys staying at the Waynes' cottage?"
"Yeah."
"So you guys gonna do the trek in the woods, too?"
No one noticed Richard's form stiffen.
Rachel raised a curious gaze at the waitress. "What about the woods?" It was then that she noticed the waitress' neon pink hair.
"Didn't your host tell you about the woods?" The waitress directed her eyes towards Richard beside Rachel.
Rachel followed the girl's eyes and looked curiously at Richard.
"It's just an old tale," Richard said, taking a swig of the beer in his hand.
"Is it?" The waitress asked.
Barbara noticed the discussion from across the table. "What is?"
"The woods," Rachel answered.
Roy and Wally whipped their heads towards Rachel.
"What is in the woods?" Karen picked up on the conversation.
The waitress looked down at Rachel as she served her a mug of beer. "A monster."
"A demon," Richard corrected.
Rachel looked at Richard again. "A demon," she mimicked, tone slightly disbelieving.
"A demon, a monster, a beast, whatever. But something's in the woods. And most tourists make it a must-do to visit the woods, like a tradition of sorts. The perfect time to check the haunt would be on a full moon," the waitress roved her gaze across the curious faces on the table, "which is coincidentally tonight."
"It's just an old legend, though," Babs stated. "People have gone into the woods and they all got out alive."
"I went in there once," Roy piped up. "Perfect place for illicit rendezvous."
Wally laughed aloud as Babs hit Roy on the shoulder. "Damn you, Harper."
The others joined in on the laughter, except for Richard who remained with a thoughtful expression.
"Well," the waitress spoke once more, "You guys could still try your luck in it. Who knows, maybe the demon will show itself for you," she said in a low voice as she locked eyes with Rachel.
"Maybe we should," Tara opined.
"Yeah, sounds like fun." Gar agreed.
"I dunno, you guys." Kori voiced in a weary tone. She never did like scary stuff.
Mild chatter erupted once more but Raven's eyes followed the form of the waitress. She cannot help but get the feeling that the waitress was trying to tell her something. Then she saw the pink-haired girl look back and meet her eyes, then gave her a secretive wink, before disappearing into the kitchen.
What was that?
"You okay?" A deep voice broke through her thoughts and she looked beside him. Richard was directing a concerned look at her.
"Yeah," she answered.
He looked unconvinced for a moment, keeping his eyes on her face. But then Roy called his attention to something Kori had asked and he was immediately sucked into the conversation. Of course. Kori does tend to get all the male attention in the vicinity.
Rachel sighed and mentally reprimanded herself for sounding bitter. She doesn't need any male attention anyways, Kori can have them all. What she needs is a relaxing vacation before she returns to her personal hell called law school.
After the drinks were dried up and Gar was beginning to get a tad too loud, the group – minus Wally who decided to hang back to chat up the pink-haired waitress – decided to finally head out for home. It was nearing eleven in the evening and indeed, the moon was high up in the sky.
"C'mon guys, let's check the woods."
Tara jumped excitedly next to her boyfriend. "Yeah!"
"But it's already late," Kori objected. She was walking in between Roy and Richard, with Barbara on Richard's other side. Rachel followed them while Vic and Karen took the rear.
"I wanna check it out, too. The waitress said it's a tradition of sorts for tourists." Karen looked towards Victor. "What do you say, Sparky?" She asked, using her special moniker for him.
Victor, who was obviously buzzed up from the beer, giggled at the pet name. "Anything for you, babe."
"But guys…"
"Don't worry, Kori. I'll protect you." Roy declared.
"Charming, Harper." Barbara teased.
"Alright, let's do it!" Tara cheered and the others nodded their agreement. Kori's protests lost against the majority.
As the group walked on, Richard slowed down and fell in step beside Rachel. "You okay with this?"
She looked up at him, wondering why he was always asking if she was okay. "Yeah. I don't mind ghost hunts."
"Demon."
"What?"
Richard kept his eyes forward. "Demon. The thing in the forest."
She didn't know what to say to that so she kept her mouth shut. After a moment of silence, he turned to her. "Do you believe in demons?"
Rachel adopted a thoughtful expression as she pondered on his question. "I've read a thing or two about them."
"So you know a lot?"
"I know enough."
Richard glanced beside to her. "But do you believe in them?"
She gave a small smile at nothing and Richard was mesmerized at her face under the moonlight. "Honestly?" Then she paused in her steps and looked at him directly in the eyes. "I do."
Richard felt a rush of satisfaction at hearing her answer although his face betrayed nothing. He merely gave her a smile and continued on walking.
The group stopped by a convenience store to purchase a dozen flashlights for their spontaneous trip. Then with Barbara leading them, they arrived at the entrance to the woods. "Alright, here we are. The Demon's Haunt."
"Alright let's go!" Gar made to rush into the treeline but Victor clamped a hand on his bony shoulder.
"Easy there, Green Bean."
"Who will go with whom?" Tara asked.
"We have to split up?" Kori asked, a worried tone in her voice.
"Of course! That way, we'll find the demon more quickly." Tara answered with a scary leer.
Kori cowered beside Richard and clutched on his sleeve. "There's really no demon in there, is there?"
"Of course not, Kori." Barbara patted the scared girl on her head.
"That is debatable," Gar protested. "That's why we're going to check. C'mon, Kori. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"It's just a dark forest, Gar," Rachel commented impassively. "Not much of an adventure in there."
"Says, you, Rae. I bet you'll at least give a little scream in there."
"You wish."
"Alright, so who goes with whom?" Tara interrupted.
Roy quickly raised a hand. "I'm going with Kori."
Barbara scoffed. "Right. I'm going with Kori, too, to make sure Harper here behaves."
Kori then pulled on Richard's arm and looked imploringly at him. It was her charm at work. "Will you be accompanying me as well, Richard?"
No one can really say no to her puppy-eyes. "Sure," Richard answered good-naturedly.
"You're with us then, Rae-Rae." Victor slung a large arm around Rachel's frail shoulder. "It's hunting time!"
The group parted into two sub-groups: Barbara, Kori, Roy and Richard in one; Victor, Karen, Gar, Tara and Rachel in the other.
Rachel frowned as she followed after her group. In front of her, Karen walked snuggled to Victor. Beside the couple, Tara and Gar were holding hands while whispering furiously to each other. Rachel wrinkled her nose as she directed her flashlight somewhere off to the side. She hated being the fifth wheel here. She hated being a wheel at all.
She pulled her phone from her back pocket and checked the time. It was a quarter to midnight. She vaguely heard Vic say something that made Karen and Tara laugh while Gar let out a protesting groan.
"What was that?" Gar suddenly asked.
Everyone stopped and looked around, shining their flashlights in the surrounding trees.
"What?" Tara asked.
"That."
Vic shined his light at Gar's face. "What?"
"Quit faking, Gar." Karen reached out and bonked him in the head lightly. "It's not funny at all."
Tara frowned a little at Gar before breaking out into laughter. "Nice try, babe."
Gar merely grinned before shining his light towards Rachel. "Were you scared, Rae?"
"Are you drunk, Gar?" She slipped her phone back into her pocket and shot an un-amused face at the grinning boy. "Try harder."
Vic and Tara erupted in roaring laughter while Gar pouted. Then they resumed their exploration of the woods, looking more like they were just taking a leisurely stroll rather than hunting for a rumored demon inhabitant. Rachel tuned out the conversation in front of her and let her eyes wander around. There was nothing but trees, darkness, and more trees. She vaguely wondered how the other group was doing. That red-head Roy was probably hitting non-stop on Kori. But she could just imagine him getting ignored as Kori focused on Richard. Hah. Not even a week here and the girl already has a love-triangle going on.
Then there was a sharp crack from behind her.
Rachel paused in her steps. She glanced forward and saw her friends chattering. Then she turned to look behind her.
Nothing.
"Rae?"
She turned back and saw the others looking at her. "Yeah?"
"You've been quiet," Karen said. "Are you okay?"
She gave a nod. "Yeah. I was just—" Something flashed just ahead, in front of her friends. She quickly brought the light up, unintentionally beaming Gar and Tara in their faces. The two protested at the brightness but Rachel's eyes were focused on the spot ahead of them where there was – nothing.
"Rachel, what is it?" Karen asked, coming near to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing," she answered.
"You sure?" Vic probed.
She nodded at him, "Yeah. I just thought there was something there."
"Something where?" Gar asked, looking around worriedly.
For a moment, Rachel felt like scaring him, payback for his lame attempt at scaring her. She gave a playful smirk at Gar. "Scared yet, Gar?"
Gar's eyes widened at her tone before his face contorted into a frown. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
The others laughed at Gar's expense as they trudged on in the darkness. Once again, Rachel fell behind but she kept her hearing sharp. She ignored the hushed conversation in front of her and alerted her eyes and ears.
Then— CRACK!
Rachel quickly whirled and flashed her flashlight. Nothing.
Her eyebrows knotted into a scowl, a cold feeling slowly creeping up her spine. What was that crack? It wasn't the sound of a snapping twig – she's been stepping on those since she's set foot in the woods and it didn't make the same sound. And it sounded so near, just directly behind her.
Rachel glared at the thin air in front of her before turning back. "Guys, I…" she trailed off as her light shined on the spot where her friends were. Nothing.
They weren't there.
"Vic!" She called out. "Karen!"
There was just silence.
"Fuck," she cursed under her breath. "Not funny, guys." Were they seriously pulling this one on her? "Is this the best you can think of, Gar? A jump scare?" She berated into the dark woods as irritation slowly trickled into her. "You better hide good, Gar 'coz I'll punch you in the balls when I find you."
She stomped on the forest ground, cracking the crisp fallen leaves under her steps. "You too, Vic!"
But there was just silence, thick and looming. Rachel was slowly losing her cool and was an inch away from breaking out into a tizzy in the middle of the woods. "GUYS!"
CRACK!
She whipped around so fast, the breath caught in her throat. The crack sounded directly from behind her. But once again, there was just the forest.
But she knew there was something else there.
Gathering all her cool, she turned and continued forward. If her friends want to play jump scare then let them. But she wasn't going to stay and play the victim. They can lose themselves in the woods for all she cared, some friends they were.
Rachel kept her breathing even. She walked at an even pace, trying to suppress the growing dread inside her and kept her eyes forward. The fine hair on her nape had stood on their ends as a cold wind gusted around her. Another shiver ran up her spine and she walked faster. Maybe she can meet up with Kori's group.
CRACK!
And her flashlight went out.
"Shit." She flicked the switch repeatedly but it didn't work. "Seriously," she hissed and pulled out her phone. She saw that it was already half past midnight. She still had a full battery but the signal was weak. "Shit," she cussed again and typed out a text to Kori.
CRACK!
She stiffened. She held her breath and listened intently.
There was just the wind, the rustling leaves, and the faint sound of crickets.
Then a shrill scream pierced the air.
Rachel's head snapped up. "Kori?"
Another scream sounded and Rachel quickly moved. "Kori!" She called loudly. She ran and followed the direction where Kori's group headed to. "KORI!"
"RACHEL!"
She abruptly stopped in her run and looked around. That was Tara's voice. "TARA!"
"RACHEL!"
"Tara!" Rachel cupped her hand around her mouth as she yelled. "Where are you!?"
"AAAHHHHHHH!"
"Fuck," Rachel hissed. "KORI! Kori, I'm coming!"
Rachel resumed running, dodging trees with only the light from her phone. What was happening? Are her friends alright? Why were they screaming? She vaguely wondered if this might be another scare tactic from Garfield. But Kori was screaming. And she doesn't like anything scary so she'd never take part in a scare joke.
"Dammit. KORI!" She yelled into the night air. "TARA!"
There weren't any answers.
"KORI!"
The screams had ceased.
The sudden lull made her heart race. Are they alright? Rachel stopped for a moment. She was starting to get really scared now.
Could there really be something in here?
Rachel continued to run blindly until she spied a small clearing off to her left. She saw it clearly with the moonlight shining down on it. She changed direction and sped towards the spot. But a figure appeared out of nowhere and she crashed directly into it.
She fell back on the forest ground, her phone slipping from her hands.
"Rachel?" The familiar voice of Richard sounded from above her.
A sweet rush of relief swept over her. "Richard," she said his name breathlessly.
In the darkness, Richard's breath hitched at the way she called him, and the eerie glow in his eyes brightened. He reached out a hand and pulled her up. "Are you okay?"
She tried to meet his face in the darkness but the full moon barely penetrated through the thick foliage. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good," he answered in a low murmur.
Then she remembered. "Where's Kori?"
"Kori?"
"Yes," she replied frantically. "She was screaming."
Richard kept his eyes on her flushed face. Even in the darkness, he can see her clearly, her wide eyes, her mussed hair, and her panting mouth. She looked perfect.
"I don't know," he replied to her question. "We got separated."
"What?" She looked at him disbelievingly. And as her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that he looked ruffled.
"Are you okay?" She tentatively asked, feeling the familiar shiver up her spine.
Richard smiled, sharp and predatory. "I am now."
His smile made her gut clench. There was something off about it, about him. He appeared larger under the moonlight, the angles of his face were sharper, much like his smile, and his eyes were glowing. As he stood in front of her, tall, stiff, looming, he looked dangerous. Her instincts were sounding the klaxons in her head.
She flitted her eyes to the ground, looking for her phone. "Where's Kori?"
Richard sensed her unease and he smiled wider, flashing his teeth. "I don't know."
"She was screaming." Rachel slowly inched away.
"Was she?" Richard didn't even look concerned. "I didn't hear anything."
"I heard her," she clenched her hands into fists and took another step back. "What happened to her?"
"I honestly don't know." Then he took one step after her and Rachel felt her knees shake.
"What's going on?" Her question was breathed out into a whisper as she took another step back and watched Richard step after her. "Richard, what's going on?"
"Do you believe in demons?"
Her breath hitched at his question. She froze on her spot as she watched something slither just beneath the skin of his face, running from his chin up to his forehead as his eyes burned a brighter blue. Fear swept all over her as she stared at the danger approaching her.
He stopped, standing a couple of inches in front of her, wearing a sinister smile on his face. Demon.
"Do you?"
TO BE CONTINUED~
AN2: Please, do tell me, is my writing still readable?