The House In The Forest

Chapter XXII

Chapter Twenty Two

The cold air was bone chilling, it was getting colder as the month was going on I think. Elias and Damian walked in front of me down the sidewalk, looking around as if the girls would still be close by. Sasha walked a bit behind me, I assumed he was thinking with how slow his steps were.

"Do you seriously think a ghost is haunting my dreams?" I asked him, slowing my pace to match his. As crazy as that sounded.

He glanced at me like he wasn't so fond of me. Not surprising. "Beatrice didn't believe in ghosts, but I don't know what else to think right now, this whole thing feels like Beatrice's influence."

"If Beatrice really was around, why wouldn't she just go to you and Giselle, why seek out a third party?"

"I don't know."

Damian sighed, pulling out his phone. "We should just call them, this is ridiculous, how fast do girls walk?"

Elias slowed his speed to walk beside me and Sasha. "I wouldn't be surprised if they went into town for coffee, what with how cold it is."

"I could see that," I agreed, looking up at the dark sky, I bet it was going to snow again.

Sasha stopped, holding his arm out to stop us as well. Damian narrowed his eyes, "What?"

I followed his line of view, stopping to stare at the sidewalk in front of us, stained with, blood? That was, that was blood wasn't it?

Elias held his hand over his mouth. Damian just stared blankly. "Is that-"

Sasha narrowed his eyes, showing those lines between his brows much like how Giselle did when she was reading something she didn't like. Disgust, that was the emotion.

"They wouldn't dare," he spoke with an anger that was slightly scary, not that I'd admit that.

Damian threw his phone at Elias. "Hurry up and call Marlowe."

"Her phone's dead."

"Then call Beatrice!"

"She doesn't have a phone, stop panicking," Elias spoke, even though his voice was shaky, showing he was panicking too.

"Then ring the other one, it's not that complicated," Sasha spoke like he was annoyed at their antics.

While Elias stumbled over Damian's phone, mine rang. I checked the screen to see Grandfather's number across the screen.

"Is that Amber?" Elias asked me.

"No, it's my Grandfather."

"Well call him back later, we're a tad busy," Damian spoke with a sigh.

I should have, but grandfather didn't call often. Somehow, I felt like I shouldn't ignore him. So, I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Or answer it, that's fine too."

His voice over the other side of the line sounded tired. "The girls are at my house, where are you?"

"They're at your house? Hold on, we'll be over there right away," I told him, glancing at the boys, "The girls are at his house."

Sasha seemed confused but walked off down the sidewalk anyway, without us, as if he knew where he was going. I doubted it, but we hurried after him nonetheless.

They were there, Amber and Giselle sat on the sofa in the living room. My eyes instantly went to the blood stains in their clothes.

Sasha was kneeling in front of Giselle almost impressively fast, his hand on her chin to move her head side to side to check for injuries I guess. "Are you alright?"