Untitled Kopec

by Anne Kopec 

“C’mon, it’s going to be fun.”

I slowly backed away from the overgrown wood in front of me, even though my friends were backing into it, grinning. The forest seemed a little too dark and creepy for anyone to enter. In fact, I was sure I could hear whispers of voices, calling out my name in long, drawn out, “Deeeeelia. Deeeeeeeelia.”

“This place is haunted,” I mumbled, tugging my windbreaker closer to my chest as the wind picked up.

My more fearless friend, Jayla, scoffed. “So it’s haunted. Who cares? It’s probably nothing.”

“Besides, it’s only a rumor,” my other friend, Gianna, piped up, examining her dark green painted fingernails. “Rumors are 90% of the time not true anyway.”

“I can literally hear voices, Gigi.” I jumped backwards in fright as a squirrel skittered past me.

“I literally can’t.” Jayla grabbed the hood of my windbreaker. “C’mon, you’re coming with us, whether you like it or not.”

I made choking sounds as she dragged me with her into the forest. The voices I heard grew louder by the second. They were even beginning to form sentences: “Deeeeelia, we want to dine with you. Deeeeelia, we want to have fun with you.”

I made an effort to pry Jayla’s fingers off my windbreaker hoodie, and, to my delight, they released me. I took a few deep breaths, tenderly touching my neck with two fingers. Sighing, I lifted my head so I could run opposite of my friends.

I saw nothing. Nothing but fog.

“Jayla?” I called out, walking around blindly. “Gigi?” I felt my hand touch rough bark, and I quickly hugged the tree, still swinging my head back and forth. “Someone?”

“Deeeeeeeeelia.” A child’s head emerged from behind the tree, a simple smile across her snow-white face, hair as dark as the night sky falling down her back, a bright white nightgown glowing i the fog. I shrieked, falling backwards, the palm of my hand scraping against tree root. The girl giggled, but it wasn’t any giggle I’ve ever heard before. It was like a willow tree blowing in a gentle breeze, softer than untouched snow. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

I tried to scream again, but nothing came out of my throat. I touched my neck with my now-bloodied palm in horror, crawling away from the young girl.

“I’m sorry I had to turn off your vocal chords like that.” She stepped out from behind the tree. I could see her bare feet walking towards me in slow, dragging steps. “I didn’t want anyone else interrupting us.” The girl flicked her pointer finger up, and, almost immediately, my body shot up in a standing position, I couldn’t move anything, but I could finally speak. “Who-who are you?” I managed to utter, holding back yet another frightened cry.

She moved her finger in a “come along” gesture. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

My legs began to move on their own, as well as my arms, which were swinging back and forth as I treaded behind the young girl, her silk black hair swung hypnotically as she skipped in front of me.

“I’m not a ghost,” she said suddenly, stopping her skip so she could saunter alongside me. “I wouldn’t think of myself as a witch, either.” She giggled again, that same, soothing giggle from before. “I guess you could probably say I’m an apparition that just happens to be alive and with magic powers.”

I nodded dumbly, trying to squint my way through the fog. I could feel warm blood dripping down my fingers, and I quickly squeezed my hand into a tight fist, hoping that it would cease the bleeding.

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