The Pool of Souls
Chapter 25
It rode the calm wind blowing through the camp as everyone slept making the fire flicker, the beautiful haunting sound of a female's voice whispering her name. Alex lay tossing and turning in her sleep. Sweat beaded her brow and her fingers twitched. A chill traveled through her body. It called her name again, gentle yet persistent. It sounded as if it were whispering right up against her ear and it woke her from her sleep. It didn't sound frightening, but comforting, like a mother's voice soothing her child. It was the familiarity of the voice she heard that caused her to wake. She knew it anywhere, but knew it was impossible that it was real it felt dreamlike.
"Diane?" she whispered back innocently, not fully awake. Her vision was groggy, she had a throbbing headache right at her temples that she tried to comfort with her fingertips.
"Aleeeeeexxxxssss." She heard a voice gently whisper. Alex stopped wiping her eyes when she heard the voice. Her eyes squinted as she looked around. She removed her glasses from her shirt and placed them on her face to get a better look and that's when she caught a glimpse of what looked like Piper slowly walking off into the woods.
What the hell was she doing? Piper knew better than to walk off into the woods alone, especially in the middle of the night. It was strange she appeared so calm and there was no sense of urgency in her walk, she looked like she was simply going out for a stroll in the woods.
Alex stood up and decided to go after her and bring her back. She also figured that now might be a good opportunity for them to be alone and talk.
She called out to her, loud enough for Piper to hear but not enough to disturb the crew "Piper?"
Piper didn't turn around or give any inkling that she had heard Alex. Piper just continued walking until she disappeared into the thickness of the trees, the darkness of night swallowing her whole.
It must be her watch. They were supposed to stay close to shore, but where the hell was she going? Alex rolled onto her feet and stretched her limbs before she started to follow behind her.
Alex started trudging through the woods using what little light the moon offered to guide her way. She still had eyes on Piper but she was also still a good ways out ahead of her. Alex called her name again and still Piper gave no answer. Alex didn't want to speak any louder for fear of attracting any wild animals.
"Aleeeeeeexxxxsssss." She stopped to put her hands over her ears to drown out the voice. It sounded like it was inside of her head and for a moment Alex thought she might still be sleeping. It left her feeling a little disoriented. When she regained her senses she was standing in the middle of the woods and she lost sight of Piper. She was alone. Alex risked shouting out Piper's name and it echoed through the trees.
She saw something move quickly behind the trunks of trees and then it was gone. "Pipes?!" Alex heard rustling behind her and turned towards the sound. There she was, still walking further away from her. Alex hastened her pace stepping over branches and logs. Once again she called her name even louder. Piper had to have heard her that time, but still she didn't, no response, nothing. Was she ignoring her?
"Piper!" she said in a harsher yell.
"Aleeeeeexxxxxssss." She clutched at her scalp. The voice sounded much more persistent. "What the fuck?" Alex managed to grunt out "Who the hell is that?"
Alex opened her eyes and Piper was gone again "Piper?! Piper c'mon stop this. Come back to camp. I want to talk to you…I need to talk to you….Pipes?"
Alex did not see Piper again. She was getting worried. Alex was getting further and further away from camp and deeper and deeper into the woods. Her survival instincts told her to turn back, something about these woods were just deathly eerie and unwelcoming and she couldn't help but have the strangest feeling that she was being watched, like walking into an empty room and feeling something lingering behind your back. But despite her fear she was not leaving without Piper.
"Piper?" Alex called pushing through the bushes and low hanging vines. She stopped suddenly when she heard the sound of light giggling and…moaning. Her heart jumped inside of her throat. She recognized one of the voices but who was the other? With every step she took her heart sunk deeper and deeper into her stomach and the sounds she heard grew louder, moans of pleasure, gasping persistent breaths. She pushed back the leaves of another set of bushes and her voice caught in her throat at what she saw. There up against a leaning tree struggling to hold on by its roots was Piper and Stella half naked and kissing passionately. Piper was running her hands over Stella's stomach and peeling back the rest of her shirt kissing the space between her breasts and her neck. And she was enjoying herself, she was really enjoying herself.
Alex nearly took a step back in shock her vision blurred with tears. Her lips trembled as she tried to keep from crying but it was no use. Her teeth clenched together as well as her fists. She wanted to look away but she couldn't stop, she didn't want to believe what her own eyes were seeing, but it was all there right in front of her, there was no denying it. The hurt, the anger, the betrayal, it was all too much. And Alex believed her.
Her voice caught in her throat "You lying bitch. How could you do this?" She mumbled angrily to herself "You bitch, and I was a fool to believe you." No longer able to stand the sight of it, Alex stormed away back towards camp, only she wasn't so sure of where camp was.
Tears came streaming down her face and she couldn't think, she was no longer mindful of her surroundings. She snatched her glasses from her face and wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. She couldn't get the image of Piper and Stella out of her head. The sounds they made, Piper's hands on her body, Piper's lips on hers, Piper…enjoying it. Alex felt like her mind was spiraling out of control and it didn't help that that stupid voice was ringing in her ahead again.
"Aleeeeeeeexxxxxs"
Alex stopped to lean up against a tree and clutched both hands to her head "Shut up!" Alex screamed with a tearful cry.
"Aleeeeeeeexxxxxs"
"Stop it! Whatever this is stop it!"
"Aleeeeeeeexxxxxs"
"Leave me alone!"
Something quickly darted through the trees. It was so fast Alex couldn't tell what it was. And then it moved again and again and again. It was getting closer and closer to her. Not knowing what it was or waiting around to find out Alex picked herself up and started to move in a fast walk through the woods that soon turned into a fast run. She saw it, a white figure of something tall moving through the trees. Alex ran as fast as she could even as she grew tired she kept on running. Whatever this thing was it right on top of her and Alex drew the knife from her belt knowing that soon her legs would give out and she would have to fight.
Alex suddenly bumped into something hard that knocked her backwards into the dirt and she dropped her knife. As she scrambled to pick it up she paused when she realized what she had hit, or more specifically, whom. It was Lolly.
"Whoah there, you really ought to watch where you are going."
Alex sat back in shock. She was hyperventilating, tear stains and dirt covered her face. "What the fuck? Lolly what're you, what the hell are you doing out here?!"
"I followed you, just what are you doing out here all by yourself?"
Alex wasn't listening she turned around frantically to see if that thing was still following her. It was gone. Though she knew it was only for now.
Lolly waved a hand in front of her "Yoohoo, Vause what're you doing out here?"
As much as she didn't want to admit it out loud she was happy to see a familiar face even if it was Lolly.
"What are you doing away from the camp?" Alex asked.
"It's my watch I was keeping watch. Like I said I saw you leave so I followed you."
Lolly tilted her head to the side as she looked at Alex. "What's wrong with your face it's all blotchy, like you've been crying. Have you been crying?"
"Lolly shut up. We have to get out of here." Alex said in a panic as she stood up "Can you lead the way back to camp which way is camp?"
"Oh yeah it's that way." Lolly pointed through a thick group of trees. She looked up and pointed over Alex's shoulder "Hey look it's your friend, Spout."
Alex turned around and there was Piper coming through the trees towards them in a slow a run.
"Alex, Al? Are you all right. What happened?"
Alex just looked at her with a harsh glare "You got a lot of fucking nerve!"
Piper shook her head "What? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me Piper. I saw you I saw you both!" Alex's voice cracked and she started to cry all over again "And I believed you. I fucking believed you!"
Lolly looked at them both not having the slightest idea of what was going on.
Piper said nothing she just looked at Alex for the longest time. Her eyes moved from Lolly then right back to Alex. Then she smiled at her. "Well it was bound to come out sooner or later. I'm just sorry you had to find out like this. It's been fun Alex, it really has, but truth be told I've just grown bored of you and this ongoing paranoia that you have has just become a little too much for me to handle. Stella is just better company."
Alex couldn't stop the tears from falling. She was speechless and looked away because she could no longer stand to look at her. Suddenly there was a loud popping sound and Lolly pointed and screamed.
Alex looked up and saw Piper's mouth had stretched into a wide grin with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. She didn't even have time to react before Piper took a savage leap towards her and before she knew it she and Piper were grappling on the ground. Piper had Alex pinned down on her back and Alex had her hand clenched around Piper's throat as Piper gnashed her teeth at her. It was a horrible sight Piper's face looked half human half creature.
Alex threw a punch to Piper's face, another, and another but she didn't budge. Piper chomped her teeth closer and closer to Alex and slobber dripped onto her face. Lolly moved in fast to help Alex by throwing herself onto the creature but the monster threw Lolly off of her and Lolly went flying into a tree. Alex continued to roll around grappling with Piper trying to gain the upper hand. Lolly quickly recovered and tried to tackle the creature again by kicking at it's sides. It stopped only to screech at Lolly and swiped it's claws at her tearing through Lolly's shirt. Lolly fell back again on her back.
Alex managed to find her knife. She fumbled it in her fingertips until she had a good grip and then with all her strength she stabbed the creature just below it's collar bone and it stuck there. It howled in pain and leapt off of her. Blue blood oozed from the wound and the creature grabbed at the blade's handle and pulled it out.
Lolly used the time to help Alex up and the two of them started to run but the creature leaped onto Alex's back and once again threw Lolly out of the way. The creature had Alex pinned to the ground. It drew back it's lips opened it's mouth big and wide and took a bite into Alex's shoulder. Alex screamed at the pain and she could feel it's fangs still buried in her skin. It didn't let go. Then the pain became something else, she felt her body becoming sluggish and warm, her vision getting more and more blurry and then her sight was gone. The last thing Alex remembered was Lolly screaming her name.