"What the actual hell?"

The words came out involuntary, my voice ringing out loudly to the vast open space before me. It was the only thing I could even think of saying as I stared at the castle.

I slowly ease myself down into a sitting position, feeling a slight sting coming from my wound as I moved.

Whatever they put on me is starting to wear off.

I grumble and rest my chin on my knees, blinking slowly as I observe the castle and the surroundings around it.

The creek led into a wide, filthy moat that surrounded the castle, the castle itself looked as if it were going to collapse at any given moment.

This couldn't be a dream, right?

I must be going crazy and hallucinating from the blood loss.

I sigh loudly and rub my eyes, then look back up.

Castle was still there.

I scowl at it.

There's not suppose to be anything in the woods. Not from what they told me, at least.

There was only trees.

And fog.

And the campsite.

So what in the hell was I looking at?

"Clearly a huge fucking castle dipshit."

I contemplate going down to it, but I felt great trepidation weigh me down, keeping me from investigating it.

I hum, shivering once more from the cold.

A gentle wind had begun to pick up, intensifying the chill that sunk deep into my bones.

I hug myself tightly, hoping that it could give me some sort of warmth, but it gave me none.

"Maybe it's time to go back to camp."

I thought, my eyes still locked onto that castle.

Though dread pooled in my stomach, warning me that something would happen if I went, this strange tugging sensation urged me to go.

I grit my teeth in frustration, despising this inner conflict I was having.

I decide to save it for another day, and force myself up into a standing position.

With one last look behind me at the castle, I sigh and begin to follow the creek upstream, back to the campsite.

After walking for a few minutes, I hear a soft rustling in the undergrowth nearby to my left. I squint, trying to see through it but the fog had grown too dense for me to see through it, so I just convinced myself it was wind, or some sort of small animal.

While walking for a few more minutes, the rustling has grown louder. My heart rate began to pick up, nervousness beginning to overwhelm me.

"Am I being followed?"

I pick up my pace, my brisk walk quickly transitioning into a jog.

I don't get far before a heavy weight suddenly slams into my side, taking me by surprise. I yelp, the noise being a mix of shock and pain.

I hit the ground hard, my forehead slamming against the earth roughly and my vision goes fuzzy, my whole head throbbing.

My wound felt as if it were on fire, and I let out a small whimper as the pain mercilessly seared through me.

I tried lifting my head up to see who or what had attacked me, only to feel somebody's foot step on the back of my head, cruelly shoving my face back down into the dirt.

"Trying to find your psycho girlfriend, Sunshine?"

A male voice mockingly said from above and I go stiff at his words.

He had followed me.

But how much did he see?

"What's it like being a killer's bitch, huh?"

His voice was a low snarl as he applied more pressure to my head, pushing my face down further into the ground and making it difficult to breathe.

"I knew there was something off about you the second we found you. You're way more fucked up than the rest of us! Hell, even combined you're just... you're ruining everything."

He let out a dark chuckle, and I was struggling to breathe more than I was before, cold damp dirt now going into my nose and mouth.

I struggled to get up, my lungs burning for air. He moved his foot off of my head to kick me in the side, extremely close to where my wound was.

I let out a loud cry of pain as his foot collided with my ribs, a soft cracking noise coming from it. I clumsily roll onto by back and stare up at his hate-filled face through teary eyes.

"So now you actually cry. And it's not over a damn bird this time."

He scoffs, scrunching his face in disgust as he studies my broken figure laying before him. Rage lit up in his brown eyes once more and he kicks me again in the same spot, a louder crack sounding this time.

I yelp loudly, just wanting to pass out from the pain at this point.

This cunt probably just broke my ribs.

"Are you gonna even say anything?"

He hisses through clenched teeth, glaring down at me.

Swallowing the pain for a moment so I could speak, I glare up at him and spit out the three words that were on my mind.

"Fuck you, Jake."

~~~

sorry that the chapter

was shorter than usual!

seeing you guys vote

and comment gives me

motivation to keep writing,

thank you all <33