The Silent Forest
Summary: A field trip becomes a nightmare when the gang is separated from the rest of the group in the middle of a vast forest. Things go from bad to worse when they discover that they are not alone.
Pairings: Chaylor, Troyella and some mild Zekepay. Ryan will also feature but with no pairing.
Disclaimer: Yep, I own it. *Keeps dreaming*
Warnings: Possible character death(s). Rated T for some language and quite a bit of violence/blood. Probable spelling and grammar mistakes due to my lack of beta.
12. The Fantastic Five
All sorts of thoughts were racing through Troy's head. What if Chad was lost? What if he was caught it a trap? What if he was dead?
He glanced to his left where he saw an inconsolable Taylor. Their previous argument instantly forgotten, Sharpay and Gabriella were comforting her. 'Don't worry,' They kept telling her. 'He's probably just taking his time.'
To his right, Ryan had his hands cupped around his mouth as he called out Chad's name louder than anyone knew his voice could go. His voice echoed through the woods for minutes. Never once was there a reply.
In the middle of it all, Troy felt overwhelmed. Useless. And lost.
This crazy, new, unknown world of fear and death was whirling all around him. The dead body of a close friend lay right in front of him, a constant reminder of what fate could have already met Chad. There were loud, screaming, panicked voices in every direction; buzzing in his ears and gnawing at his brain. All he could see in wherever he looked were the trees that had swallowed his best-friend whole.
What was he supposed to do?
He was captain of the basketball team. He was given that role due to his ability to make decisions. He was a problem-solver. A leader. And yet, he hadn't a clue what to do. He had no idea how- or even if- they could find Chad. They didn't even know which way he'd gone.
He couldn't focus. So much noise. His head was pounding. Another surge of hot pain with every beat of his heart. Every time blood pumped through his veins, his head endured another loud, internal thump. Every time he moved or even blinked his brain throbbed. He couldn't even think too hard without his mind hurting. At first, he put his headache down to stress and lack of sleep and dehydration. But, looking around at his friends brought another idea to mind. He thought back to Mr. Feeny's words on their first day there; 'The sulphur content in the air won't affect you…. If we were here for a long period of time it would be a different story. As long as you don't eat or drink anything, you're fine.'
The sulphur. They hadn't noticed, but it had slowly been starting to affect them all.
While Gabriella attempted to sooth Taylor, she was also trying desperately to fight back the dizziness that had been bothering her since she was rudely awakened that morning. The second she had stood up, as she reeled from the news of Zeke's death, she had been hit with a wave of nausea as her stomach threatened to spill its few contents. She thought the feeling would pass but she was still light-headed and off-balance. She guessed it must have been down to her lack of food. They really needed to eat.
Ryan had eaten. The day before. When they were following the rope after their pathetic excuse for a lunch and before the whole hole-fiasco. There were juicy, ripe, red berries on a bush he passed. They looked so irresistible. And he was starving. He couldn't help but secretly snag a few and discretely shove them into his mouth. They were nice as well. He regretted it now. He felt like he was going to vomit any second. His aching stomach had been growling in protest to the poison all night and all morning. To add to that, he had a terrible, dry cough which wasn't being helped by the fact that he'd been calling out Chad's name at the top of his lungs for so long that he could barely breathe.
Breathing, for Sharpay, was becoming increasingly difficult. It had started when she'd woken that morning. In fact, it was the reason she'd woken. She thought someone was sitting on her chest. And then she turned to her side to discover Zeke was dead. All hell broke loose. And throughout it all, she could feel herself wheezing. She could only take in short, quick breaths. She thought it was because of the amount she'd been crying because you often do get out of breath when hysterical with tears. But even now, as she spoke reassuring words to Taylor, she found she was finding it very tough to inhale and exhale. She had to take in careful breaths though her mouth as it was almost impossible now to breathe through her nose.
There was a burning sensation in Taylor's nose. There had been ever since Chad rescued her from the river. The water had gotten into her nostrils and eyes making both of them sting non-stop. Every time she inhaled, a jolt of pain would shoot up her nasal passages. Every time she blinked or even looked around, her eyes burned slightly. It wasn't overly painful. It wasn't unbearable. But it hurt. Her skin was tingling on the brink of being itchy. She hadn't checked but she was certain that a rash was forming on her stomach. She knew it was all down to the sulphur. It had to be. The water had a high sulphur dioxide concentration which could be very dangerous.
To add to all of this, every one of them was suffering from irritation at the back of a throat. Like the beginning of a cold; when your throat is itchy and tingly but not yet sore and you have the urge to cough. Their exposure to the sulphur was gradually affecting their health. And most of them didn't even notice. Well, not until….
Ryan suddenly stopped shouting. His face turned an almost-green colour and, without warning, he doubled over. Clutching his stomach, he groaned before his mouth opened and he spewed out the mess of his digested food. When his stomach was empty, he continued to involuntarily retch and gag.
By now, the others had stopped their separate tasks and were watching him with worry.
"You okay, Ryan?" Sharpay asked from a wary distance although the answer was obvious. As concerned as she was for her brother, she was going nowhere near his sick. Plus, she could barely breathe when stationary, she couldn't imagine the strain that moving would have on her breathing. And she didn't want to alert the others to her near-asthmatic state. For once, she didn't want the attention.
Still gasping, he raised a hand to indicate he was fine. But it was clear to all of them that he was far from fine. When he returned to his full height he was pale and sweaty.
"What's wrong with you?" Sharpay asked. It came out sounding disgusted rather than the intended concerned. Ryan shook his head and shrugged. He didn't want them to know that he'd eaten the berries. He knew what they'd think.
"I'm okay." Ryan managed. He plonked himself down to sit on the floor.
Troy joined him and patted him on the back. "You sure man?" He asked. "That was pretty rough."
Ryan nodded whilst taking deep breaths. He still felt awful. He thought that relief would come after the nasty berries were out of his system but he still felt just as bad as he had done before. Maybe even worse.
Now certain that Ryan was no longer going to vomit, Sharpay approached her brother and knelt in front of him. He looked terrible. Although, right now, they all did. She reached out a hand and playfully ruffled his hair. "Oh, Ry…" She sighed. She shook her head and gave him a weak half smile. "We have to get to the bottom of this." She decided.
Troy nodded but Ryan was adamant that they didn't. "I'm fine now." He insisted. "Honestly."
"But what do you think caused it in the first place?" Troy asked him.
With Troy so close at his side and Sharpay right in front of him, bombarding him with questions, Ryan felt closed-in and trapped. He understood they were just trying to help but right now it just felt like an inquisition. "Could you two just back off?!" He snapped defensively. He didn't want their questions. He wanted to be alone.
Troy winced at Ryan's loud voice. His headache was growing more intense by the second. He backed off a bit, partly to comply with Ryan's request but mostly to distance himself from the noise.
Sharpay looked both shocked and hurt by her brother's words and tone of voice. "I was just trying to-." Her voice came out quieter than she'd expected.
"Well don't." Ryan huffed. He wanted to end this conversation here. He could see he'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to be so harsh. But they needed to stop digging. "I told you," He said, more softly. "I'm fine."
"Alright." Sharpay raised her hands as if in surrender. "You're fine. I get it. Whatever." The few short words were enough to take her breath away and she had to pause to get it back.
"Are you okay?" Troy asked, noticing Sharpay's laboured breathing.
She nodded but was unable to speak. By now her mouth was wide open and she was taking in desperate gulps of air. She was panicking. She felt as if she was about to suffocate. Drown on air.
"Sharpay," Ryan put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Calm down." He urged. "Breathe."
Gabriella and Taylor hadn't yet noticed the palaver. While all of this had been going on, they had settled on the floor, sitting cross-legged opposite each other.
"I didn't mean what I said before." Taylor admitted. "When I called you ignorant." She couldn't bear to look in Gabriella's eyes so she looked at the floor. "I'm sorry. I just-…. All the stuff with Zeke, I-…. I don't want to see you die Gabriella." She finally managed. "You're my best friend and I love you and I don't want to see you give up and die." She rambled, almost in tears. Her voice cracked with emotion.
Gabriella took Taylor's hand. She knew Taylor hadn't meant it. "I love you too, Tay." She said softly. Taylor looked up at her and, for the first time, their eyes met. "And I promise you," Gabriella continued with absolute determination and hope in her voice and eyes. "No-one else will die. I promise." It was a hard thing to promise. But, if she could help it, Gabriella would make sure she didn't break it.
Taylor gazed into the trees. She needed Chad. He wasn't safe out there on his own. How could he have been so stupid to wander off alone? Maybe, Taylor thought, if she'd told him about what was out there; what had really happened at the river, he wouldn't have been so oblivious to the dangers and he wouldn't have gone away on his own. She should have told the truth. He'd been gone for hours now. Judging from the position of the sun, it was past midday. Taylor would never forgive herself if he didn't return.
"He'll come back." Gabriella said, sensing her friends worry.
Taylor didn't believe a word of it. "You don't still think he's taking his time, do you?" She said.
Gabriella shook her head, regretting it instantly for the dizziness it caused. "No." She admitted. "But you know what he's like." She continued. "He'll surprise us."
Taylor believed that one. Gabriella was right. It would be just like Chad to suddenly appear and shock them all. He'd tell them about how he'd gotten lost and spent the day trying to get back to them.
"You're probably right, Gabriella." Taylor agreed, smiling with hope for the first time that day. Gabriella didn't answer. Taylor looked away from the forest and back at her friend, noticing instantly that Gabriella didn't seem right. "Gabi?" Gabriella was holding herself up with her hands buried deep into the soil. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was biting down on her lip. "Gabriella, what's wrong?"
"My head," Gabriella breathed. "Is spinning." She opened her eyes briefly to see the world around her spinning wildly out of control. She knew she was sitting still but it felt as if she was on a crazy rollercoaster ride.
She gagged as bile rose in her throat. "Make it stop." She whispered desperately. She felt like she was about to be sick any second. She shut her eyes again but felt Taylor's warm hands on each side of her face.
"You're alright." Taylor said. "Just focus on one thing. Open your eyes."
Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "I can't" She said.
"You can." Taylor told her forcefully. "It'll pass." She assured her friend. "But first you have to open your eyes, okay?"
"Uh-huh." Gabriella was on the brink of tears.
Taylor sighed. "Good." She said. "Now, I want you to look straight into my eyes and only in my eyes, you understand?" Gabriella groaned in reply. "Do it." Taylor demanded. "Now."
Gabriella opened her eyes. The world around her was a mess of moving colours and shapes. She'd never experienced anything like it before. She struggled to find Taylor's eyes in all of it but finally located the familiar brown orbs. She kept her eyes locked on them and, just as Taylor had said, the dizzy spell passed.
She took a deep breath as her vision finally returned to normal. "Whoa."
Taylor finally removed her hands from Gabriella's cheeks. "You better now?" That had to have been one of the scariest and most unexpected things that Taylor had seen so far in their adventure.
Gabriella barely had a chance to regain her composure when the girls heard Ryan call out for help. Both she and Taylor instantly got to their feet and hurried over to where Ryan, Troy and Sharpay were sitting, not far from them.
"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked, noticing a red, wheezing Sharpay.
"She can't breathe." Ryan explained with panic. "I don't know what to do."
"And Troy?" Gabriella continued when she caught sight of her boyfriend. He sat at quite a distance from the others with his knees tucked to his chest and head in his hands and he rocked himself back and forth.
"I don't know!" Ryan snapped, not even looking at Troy. "We have to help Sharpay."
"Alright." Gabriella knelt reluctantly in front of Sharpay, casting another wary glance at Troy. Sharpay was clearly a priority but, to be honest, she was much more concerned about her boyfriend.
"Come on!" Ryan begged. He felt so useless. He didn't know what he could do to help. Sharpay was suffering and he could do nothing. He could see how afraid she was and he could do nothing. Nothing. "Help her! Please!"
"Shut up!" Troy yelled suddenly. His migraine was so intense now that the corners of his vision were clouded with white light. The others stared at him in shock.
"Troy?" said Gabriella.
"Just shut up!" He yelled again.
Ryan ignored him. This wasn't about Troy and his temper tantrum. Whatever his problem was could wait. Sharpay needed help. She was losing oxygen. She was slowly suffocating. She was dying. "Help her!" He repeated, even louder.
Troy groaned and buried his head further into his knees. His fingers clutched at his hair so hard he was almost tearing it out.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Taylor asked Troy.
He growled and continued to rock back and forth.
"Someone please help my sister!" Ryan pleaded just as Sharpay fell onto her back with her hands grasping at her throat and chest.
Gabriella snapped into action. She knelt above Sharpay and looked into the other girl's mouth. Sharpay's throat was enflamed. It was red and swollen and narrow. If she didn't calm down, her air passages would close up altogether.
"Sharpay, you have to relax." Gabriella said. It seemed like it would be an impossible task. Gabriella thought for a moment. What would make her calm down? "Shar," she said again, putting her face right in front of Sharpay's darting gaze. "I want you to think of being back at home."
Sharpay nodded and shut her eyes though her hands still frantically clutched her chest.
"Think about the first thing you're gonna do when we get back to Albuquerque." Gabriella continued as she gently stroked the top of Sharpay's head. "A long hot bath." She soothed calmly. "Nice, fresh, clean clothes."
"Food." Taylor added from where she stood beside Ryan.
Ryan nodded eagerly. Now they were getting into it. "A soft, comfy bed." He input.
"And… guacamole facial." Sharpay added. She was still quite breathless but a lot better. It no longer looked like she was going to die.
Gabriella sat back. Her job was done. "Feeling better?" She asked as Sharpay sat up.
Sharpay nodded and smiled with gratitude while pulling leaves from her hair. "Thanks."
"And you, Troy?"
Troy didn't look up but nodded as well. "Just as long as you guys stay quiet from now on." He said. His headaches came in waves. Right now, he was okay, but what he'd just experienced was a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt before. At one point he even wanted to die, just so the pain would stop.
"What's wrong with us?" Ryan asked, having noticed a negative change in all of their healths.
"It's the sulphur dioxide in the air." Taylor explained. "We have different immune systems so it affects us in different ways but… we're all suffering one way or another."
"What do we do about it?" Sharpay said, not wanting to have to endure another asthma-like episode.
Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "Unfortunately," she said. "There's nothing we can do. In fact, the longer we stay here, the worse it gets…. Eventually, we'll die."
That news didn't come as much of a surprise. They had embraced the idea of death by now. Now that Zeke was gone, it seemed a lot more likely that they'd join him.
Sharpay looked up hopefully. "But you seem okay Taylor." She said. "And Gabriella." Maybe Taylor was wrong. Maybe they had caught a bug. An easily-curable bug. Maybe their symptoms would just pass and they'd be fine. Maybe they wouldn't die.
Taylor shook her head sadly. "We're not." Was all she said.
The acidic water had badly affected her eyes and skin. She was itchy all over and her vision was permanently blurred. It wasn't terrible. She could see. But it would get worse. And she knew it. She'd lose her vision. The effects of the water were irreversible. Even if they did get found, she'd be blind for the rest of her life.
Troy finally raised his head out of his hands. "You're not?" He asked, mainly directing his question at Gabriella. All this time he'd been caught up in his own agony, he hadn't thought about how she might be suffering. And he'd promised her she'd be okay.
"It's nothing." Gabriella dismissed. She knew how protective Troy could be and really didn't need his woe.
Taylor shot her a look. What she'd just seen Gabriella go through was not nothing. Gabriella's eyes discretely pleaded with her not to tell so, for now, Taylor decided to keep her mouth shut. Instead, she looked at the floor and let herself get lost in her thoughts. "Chad's not coming back, is he?" She accepted sadly. "He's dead…." She had to expect the worst in this forest. Chances were; they'd probably never see Chad again. That thought was almost unbearable for her.
Gabriella stood up and walked to Taylor. She held her best friend in a tight hug. "We'll find him." She said, her voice muffled as her mouth was buried in Taylor's hair.
Taylor pulled out of the hug. "Will we?" She looked doubtful.
"Of course." Troy chimed in. He too stood and approached Taylor and Gabriella. "And we'll start looking now." He looked to the others for their approval. Ryan got to his feet to indicate that he was ready.
Sharpay nodded but did not stand. "Just gimme a minute." She said. She wanted to say goodbye to Zeke. She still felt like she couldn't leave him just lying there. It would be like abandoning a sleeping child in the middle of nowhere. He'd be so exposed and vulnerable and alone. It just felt wrong. "You guys go ahead. I won't be long."
Ryan shook his head. "No more splitting up." He insisted. The others nodded with agreement. "From now on, we stick together."
Sharpay sighed but knew there would be no swaying her brother's decision. Her farewell to Zeke would have to be public.
Not bothering to stand, she crawled over to where he lay and sat down by his midsection. She ignored the eyes that were undoubtedly burning a hole in her back and leant down so her face was almost touching his.
"I know I never told you," She whispered so only he could hear. If he could hear her at all. "But I always really liked you." She admitted with regret. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and knew the others were waiting for her so she decided to cut the moment short. "I'm sorry." She said. It didn't seem like enough. She was never going to see him again. Sorry didn't quite cut it. Her body's instincts took over and, before her mind could do anything to stop her, she leant down further and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. His skin was cold but soft under her lips. "Sorry." She whispered again.
Sharpay got to her feet and, with a flick of the hair and a semi-deep breath, she regained her usual composure. "Which way are we going then?" She asked as if she hadn't a care in the world. She stunned the others with her ability to detach so suddenly. But then, that was just Sharpay's way.
This was the first time they'd thought about it. They had no idea which way Chad had gone. Whichever direction they went could be the complete opposite way that Chad had gone in. As if on cue, something then happened to give them a very large clue.
Troy looked around. "Did you guys hear that?"
Of course they had. They all had. A shout. Distant but audible. Chad's shout. It was almost as if he knew they were looking for him. As if he was trying to lead them the way. Either that or he was hurt. Scared. In danger. Maybe all of them.
Taylor took Gabriella's hand. "Let's go." She said eagerly. They were going to find him. He wasn't dead. Gabriella nodded and began to walk with Taylor in the direction they'd heard Chad's voice come from. Neither of them dared to look back at who they were leaving behind. Zeke. Poor Zeke.
Sharpay followed slowly, not wanting to cause herself too much strain and risk another breathing disaster. Ryan wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders and shot her a feeble but supportive grin. Maybe things would get better.
Troy made his way to the front of the group, anxiously leading the way. He wanted to find Chad. He needed to find Chad. It was too weird to be without his best friend. At the same tine, however, venturing even deeper into the forest; away from the territory they had only just started to get used to, seemed extremely daunting.
It was getting dark again. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day in this place. The sun was already disappearing under the horizon. The sky was already a darkish blue. And yet it seemed they had only just woken up.
They hadn't heard Chad shout since the first time. By now, they weren't even sure if they were still going in the right direction. By now, they were starting to doubt their senses. Maybe it wasn't Chad they'd heard after all. Maybe it had just been wishful thinking. By now, they were regretting their decision to leave their resting place. What if Chad had returned when they were gone? He'd have no idea where they were.
Before long, it was almost pitch black. They'd been walking without talking in the vain hope that they'd hear another of Chad's cries but sadly, the forest lived up to its name. Silent.
Well, mostly.
There was a loud rustling sound to their left. Instinctively, the group hastened their pace and huddled together. They looked around but were surrounded by mostly darkness.
"Did you hear that?" Taylor asked quietly. She hoped it was Chad but, realistically, she knew it probably wasn't. Something about it seemed more sinister.
There was a click like a twig snapping to their right. This was getting freaky. There were no animals in this forest. So something else must have been causing the noises. Something. Or someone.
"I don't like it." Sharpay peered into the darkness, her imagination conjuring up horrible images that might explain what she was hearing.
Then, the most terrifying of the noises. It sounded like the wind whistling through the trees, making a whisper-like sound echo all around them. Except there was no wind. The night was still.
"What is this?" Ryan whispered. They were walking quickly now. Panicking. "What's happening?"
Behind them came an echo like an animal panting. It lasted only a couple of seconds and then was suddenly silenced. They walked quicker still.
"I'm scared." Gabriella whimpered, tightening her grip on Taylor's hand. It was an uncharacteristic display of weakness but, in the circumstances, you couldn't blame her.
"Chad!" Troy called out suddenly, shocking them all. His own loud noise was enough to make his head throb in protest.
Sharpay frantically smacked him on the arm. "Don't!" She hissed. For some reason she didn't want their whereabouts to be known. As if there was something out there. Stalking them. But she was too late. Their location had already been given away.
A loud noise erupted all around them. A long, agonised moan like some kind of creature being slaughtered.
Sharpay clasped a hand over her mouth to silence the horrified gasp that threatened to escape her.
"What was that?" Ryan asked so quietly that his voice almost couldn't be heard.
They quickened their pace again but there seemed to be no escape. The noises were surrounding them. In all directions. A snap here. A hiss there. Thuds. Cracks. Whispers. Growing into a loud crescendo.
By now, despite their exhaustion, hunger and individual ailments, they were running. Sprinting. Desperate for their own freedom. The unnatural moan returned. This time so loud that whatever had caused it seemed to be right inside their heads. For all they knew, behind the blanket of pitch-black darkness, the creator of the noises could have been right in front of them. They could have been running straight for it. Whatever it was.
A/N: Phew, that was a long one. Call me a wuss but writing that actually really freaked me out. Cyber-hugs and kisses and a playful pat on the head to the reviewers for the last 2 chapters;ChocolatexChicaxCasey95, Always-Here-Imani, ILuvZacEfron, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, utmy123, RissaIzDeBomb, Saynt Jimmy, charlotteloveszacefron, TheDiamondPrincess and chaylorlover101. I'm glad you're still reading this and hope you tune in until the end (which will be chapter 20 for those who were wondering)!
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