(It was no use!) Susan stumbled over a log and hit her head against the ground. She curled up inside a small space she found in a tree and waited. Iris was an experienced hunter, after all she's been doing this for ninety years or so. The faint pounding of the child's heart in fear awoke the killer inside of her. She crept behind the tree where she saw her aura and knocked lightly.
"We got off on the wrong foot. I'd like to come in."
The girl whimpered softly and yelled "No!"
Iris smiled as a crystalline scorpion tail pierced through the tree, skewering the child within. A pool of blood came from the opening.
"I was just being polite before I killed you." She breathed into the dead child's ear. She decided she was going to use the child as a prop in her game. She ripped her arm off and poured the remaining blood into a jar.
I can create blood trails and hang the corpse up somewhere in the forest. Why not give them the fullest experience possible.
The group continued forwards, feeling around the trees and trying to stay on course. They realized they had gotten turned around somewhere when they saw the red string wrapped around a stump.
"Oh no don't tell me.."
"We've been this way already."
The friends started to become frustrated and Iris laughed as they tripped over each other's feet. Eventually, the friends were half way through the forest. A grisly way point was set out for them. Their friend had been tied down to the tree directly in front of them, bloodied names were written on rocks next to what looked like nooses.
"Oh my. It seems as though others have died in this forest before us."
"I really want to get out of here."
They took one last look at their friend before they continued onwards.
Iris had a feeling that a few some bodies were watching her. She looked behind her and saw that Mephiles, Tails Doll, and were watching.
"For goodness sake you guys...why?"
"Well, I did come alone to see how you were doing, but these two followed me I guess." Mephiles said as he gestured towards the two other demons besides him.
"As long as you don't interfere, I don't mind. One demon per ritual please." Iris said as she ran forwards and jumped into the sky.
The others stayed behind her a distance while they blended into the darkness.
The children were almost out of the forest. They could see the other end was near and paid no attention to the blood Iris so lovingly displayed. They hit aside the hanging twigs and ran as fast as they could. Somewhere the chime of the clock was ringing in twelve thirty.
"We have to hurry! Come on!" Cream said as legs sprinting across the ground.
Nearly there.
Five of the friends jumped into the circle. But as the last chime was heard, Cream's sparrow friend became blocked from entering the circle. She hit at the invisible shield with tears in her eyes. All her friends could do was watch. Iris dropped down and wrapped her arms around the girl, slowly twisting her neck until it broke. She gave one last glowing stare at the friends who were being warped home. She waved when she saw Cream and mouthed "congratulations."
Cream waved back slowly until the remaining friends popped back out of the mirror. The mirror was now red and could no longer be looked into. They completed the ritual and shattered the mirror. They lay in their sleeping bags in silence until sleep had washed over them. Then, they forgot that their friends had even existed when they woke up the next day. The dead friends' things had vanished in thin air over night.