Rising: The Priestess of Infinata and The Alphine

Chapter Four– Haunted In The Woods

Adrian's POV

I closed my eyes, letting the memories fade as I stepped away from the past.

The remembrance had been cathartic, but I was ready to rejoin the present. I took a deep breath, stomping the snow off my boots on the porch before entering the warmth of the house.

The cold air escaped my lungs as I shed my heavy coat and gloves, hanging them on the hook by the door. The warmth and familiarity of the house enveloped me like a hug, a welcome respite from the snowy day outside. The crackling fireplace drew my gaze, its golden flames dancing and casting a cozy glow across the room.

My name is Adrian Osbourne, and I'm 18 years old. I live with my younger brother, Seth, who's 16. We reside together, just the two of us.

On entering the house, the sound of explosions and virtual gunfire drew my attention to the living room. Seth was engrossed in our favorite video game, his eyes fixed intently on the screen. A grin spread across my face as I approached him.

"Getting destroyed, as usual?" I teased, dropping onto the couch beside him.

He chuckled without looking away from the game. "Hey, I'm on a roll! Just you wait, I'll show you my skills."

I raised an eyebrow. "Skills? You've beaten me the last five times we played."

"That's because I've mastered the art of crushing you," he joked, pausing the game and turning to face me.

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Well, I'm ready for a rematch. Let's see if I can finally break your winning streak."

My brother grinned, handing me the second controller. "Bring it on."

"You didn't wait for me to walk back from school with you?" I asked.

He looked up, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I couldn't wait to get back to my game."

The TV glowed brightly in the dimly lit room, casting a colorful light on us as we seated on the couch. Controllers gripped tightly in the hands, we stared intently at the screen as the game loaded.

"Alright, you're going down," Seth said, grinning confidently.

I shook his head. "We'll see about that"

We had been playing video games together for years, but lately, Seth had been on a hot streak. He had beaten me in 28 of our last 30 encounters.

"You know, I'm not worried," Seth said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I mean, your two wins were flukes."

"Flukes?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he replied. "That one time you won, I was still getting used to the new controller. And the other time, you only won because a fly flew into my eyes."

I chuckled. "Those are pretty convenient excuses."

Seth shrugged. "Just stating the facts. And today's not going to be any different. This is going to be my 29th win."

I smiled, determined. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

As our virtual battle ragged on, the warmth in the room faded. The fire in the fireplace, once crackling and robust, was now dimming to embers. We were too engrossed in the game to notice.

"Ah, man," I muttered, tossing his controller aside as the screen displayed Seth's victory. "29 wins, huh?"

Seth grinned, pumping his fist in triumph. "Told you."

Just then, we gazed at the dying fire and realized they were running low.

We exchanged a look, reluctant to leave the gaming session. But the chill creeping into the room couldn't be ignored.

"Time to refuel the fire," I said.

Seth nodded, setting his controller aside and grabbing his jacket. "Yeah, don't want the room to freeze."

We picked up our axes from the shed and set out into the crisp evening air, the darkness of the woods looming before us. The only sound was the crunch of leaves beneath our feet.

As we walked, I turned to Seth. "You know, I'm not conceding. I demand a rematch."

Seth chuckled. "Anytime, bro. But don't expect a different outcome."

Our banter was soon interrupted by the rustling of branches ahead. The woods seemed to grow darker, the silence more profound.The howling wind whipping through the woods made the trees moan, the eerie sounds made the atmosphere sinistrous.

"Let's hurry up and get the wood," I said, with a low voice.

Seth nodded, his grin fading. "Yeah, let's get this done."

Soon enough, it dawned on us that we had wandered far into the heart of the woods. The darkness seemed to close in around them, and the silence was oppressive.

"Look, a huge tree branch," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's dry, too. Perfect for firewood."

Convinced, we began cutting into the branch, each from his own side. Scarcely had we started when Seth paused, his axe hovering in mid-air.

"What's wrong?" I asked, while I continued to tear the wood.

Seth hesitated, his eyes scanning the ground beneath him. "I felt a vibration. Like the ground is moving."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're just spooked, aren't you?." I asked my, tone laced with amusement

But Seth continued to tear at the wood with his axe, his movements jerky and uncertain.

Soon after, he suddenly jumped from his position, his axe flying out of his hands.

"What's wrong now?" I asked, exasperated.

Seth's voice was low and uneasy. "The spot I was standing on... it felt uneven. Like it was lifting me up."

My expression became skeptical. I walked over to where Seth had jumped from and examined the ground. It appeared level, and I couldn't sense any unusual movements.

"You're just freaking out, bro," I said, chuckling. "Your fear of the forest is turning into an illusion."

Seth's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. He picked up his axe and began to cut into the branch once more, his movements stiff and mechanical.

I watched him, with a mocking glint in my eye. "Come on, Seth. Let's get this done. Don't let your phobia get the better of you."

Seth nodded, but his eyes were still wide with fear. I couldn't help but wonder if my brother's fear was contagious - or if there was something sinister at play

Intending to strike the tree that lay horizontally on the ground with my axe, it slipped and struck the ground instead. The sound of metal biting into earth echoed through the woods, making Seth jump.

"Easy, bro," I said, trying to reassure him. "It's just a little slip-up. Let's get back to work."

It was already past twilight now, and the darkness seemed to be closing in around us. I continued cutting into the tree, trying to reassure him that there was nothing to fear. But as I struck the tree again and again, I began to feel a sense of unease creeping over me.

Before I knew it, a dark liquid was trickling out of the ground, pooling around the fallen trunk. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was blood.

"Seth, look!" I whispered, my voice slightly trembling. "There's blood coming out of the ground!".

His eyes snapped to the spot I was pointing and his heart sank. "What...? How is that possible?"

We had seen trails of blood on our way into the woods, but we hadn't thought much of it then. Now, however, the sight of it made our hearts racing with fear.

As soon as we realized the trickling blood, we became unexpectedly frightened and scampered away, developing goose-flesh. The darkness seemed to swallow us whole, and the silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the sound of our own ragged breathing.

"Wait, Adrian" he whispered, tugging on my arm. "There is probably an animal beneath the ground"

My eyes scanned the darkness,mind racing with worst-case scenarios. "It's just an animal's blood and it's probably dead. Let's get out of here before it gets any darker. These firewoods should last us through the night" I said.

We turned to gather the firewood, I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were being watched, my heart was still racing from the shock of seeing the blood.

But as we bent to pick up the logs, suddenly the sound of the wind stopped, nothing moved, not even a leaf quivered. It was as though the earth was void, drained of all life and energy. The silence was oppressive, too quiet, and it made my skin crawl.

The birds had fallen silent, and the blood had stopped trickling out of the ground. The stillness was unnerving, and Seth's eyes darted nervously around the clearing. I felt a sense of unease, my senses on high alert.

A gentle breeze blew towards our direction, carrying with it an unsettling sound. On hearing the shuffle of convulsive shaking and a writhing movement, Seth stepped on a small branch, and the creaking of the wood made him jump. But I was there, gripping his arm, holding him steady.

But Seth was already gripped with fear, his hands shivering like leaves. I held him firm, trying to calm him down. We both stood in silence, under the thick shadow of the trees' canopy, our hearts pounded in unison.

As we stood there, we kept hearing the rustling sound, but neither a person nor an animal appeared. It was as if the noise was coming from the earth itself. We took a step forward, and the shaking of the leaves intensified. The ground beneath our feet trembled, as if an earthquake was about to happen. Cracks began to appear on the ground, like a web of fine lines.