Chapter 14

After the final event for the day, I made plans to visit the library with Cathy, study since we had an exam next week.

To say I needed it was an understatement. I’ve been so distracted with everything that if I didn’t double down on studying fast, it’d affect my GPA.

But Cathy had to bail suddenly.

“Why can’t you go?” I asked, confused, Cathy never bails on our plans.

“Something came up,” She said, guilt and sadness coming off her, probably from bailing on me so last minute.

But, when I asked if she could tell me what she had to deal with, she kept it vague and never really answered the question.

Cathy’s always been honest with me, sometimes radically honest if the need arises.

But today she was being cagy and hiding something from me and to be honest, it kind of hurt.

I trust Cathy, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to know.

Honestly the saying about curiosity killing a cat is kind of the perfect descriptor for me.

Yet, I’m not going to push for answers. I know that if something was really important she’d tell me.

“Alright, have fun or whatever,” I said, giving her a quick hug, smiling softly.

“Thanks Katie Kat,” Cathy said, squeezing me a little, “see you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I said, a smile falling slightly knowing she wouldn’t be back tonight, but letting it go.

Cathy has her own life, and even though I’d love to have her around to bring some bit of normal calm into my life, I couldn’t intrude on hers.

After parting ways with Cathy, I headed to our dorm to grab my books and everything before heading over to the library.

I was unlocking the door when I noticed a dark purple envelope tucked partially under the door.

Picking it up I turned it over, to find my name scrolled across the front in silvery-white, perfect calligraphy.

Flipping it over, I took in the black impressed filigree and the golden wax seal, the Lupine crest stamped into it.

Well being my name is on it, it should be fine to open right?

Maybe they got the name wrong and this was meant for Cathy, the envelope just screams A Class.

That's probably it, maybe it has something to do with what Cathy is up to tonight.

I’ll open it and check, if it’s really not for me I’ll get it to Cathy and explain why I opened it, that should be okay, right?

After talking myself into it, I break the seal, pulling out the fancy, expensive card inside.

It’s an invitation? To A Classes special camping event tonight.

Re-reading the card, I’m confused, A Class specific events are strictly A Class.

Even though they need to participate in our ordinary events now doesn’t mean that the school has opened up A Class events to ordinary students.

“So, this is what Cathy was hiding earlier?”

I’m pretty suspicious about everything that has to do with A Class after today.

However, looking back, Cathy was acting weird earlier. Could it be that she was trying to hide a surprise from me?

The invitation didn’t say what was going down at the camping event, just the time and place.

Unease, knotted my stomach, something was up, I just didn’t know what.

But I planned on finding out tonight.

I walked across campus, stopping at the treeline.

The sun had long gone down and the moon was high into the inky night sky, shining with the stars in beautiful harmony.

But the woods, they were eerie, the towering trees almost eclipsed the sky from sight.

My phone’s flashlight danced along the ground, over the green grass, and tree roots, stopped just outside the forest.

I held up the invitation under my light, double checking the location.

Nope this is the place. The invitation stated one location that no one outside of A Class was allowed into.

The back mountain, also known as Versipellis Mountain, turnskin or shifter mountain.

I’d never been back here before and there was a good reason for that. It’s forbidden.

All ordinary students were forbidden to enter.

I hesitated, the knots in my stomach growing.

What are the chances that Cathy did all this to surprise me? Probably…five percent?

Likelihood that this invitation was another way for A Class to torment me and possibly get kicked out of school? Probably…eighty-five to ninety percent? Maybe more?

That thought really hits me now.

Why didn’t I think of that being the most likely possibility before?

My curiosity about A Class and what Cathy was up to tonight got the best of me.

Damn it, maybe I’m over thinking.

Maybe I should go back to my dorm. Just talk to Cathy about it tomorrow.

That kinda seems like the best option right now.

Turning back to the school, I heard the fast pounding of footsteps coming from behind me, before a sharp searing pain erupted on the back of my head.

I crashed to the ground, darkness slowly seeping in.

Just before the darkness overtakes, a glimpse of a face, Rebecca smiling triumphantly above me.

The darkness takes me.

Throbbing pain on the back of my head is what manages to pull me from the darkness.

Slowly sitting up, I look around, dread filling me as I find myself entirely surrounded by trees.

There’s no sign of the school or the forest exit. I look around for my phone, the moon, the only light I have now, shines above me.

Gone, both my phone and backpack are gone, probably taken by whoever attacked me, the image of the person is distorted.

Trying to focus just makes the pounding in my head worse. Looking around, I’m lost, I have no idea what to do. It’s getting late and I have no phone and no light.

I’m also in the forbidden woods, with no idea how to get out.

Staggering to my feet, I steady myself, my knotted stomach now more like a taggled mess of Christmas lights, growing in size with no end to detangling them in sight.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

My anxiety spikes as I try and figure out where to go. It’s way too dangerous to stay here for long.

“Can anyone hear me?”

Only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the sound of the forest wildlife fill the silent night.

“Damn it.”

Looking up, I try to gauge if there's a way I can figure out where I am by looking at the moon.

That’s a thing right? Like old travelers navigated by stars or the sun or something. Surely I could use the moon to find my way out.

My stomach is cramping up with anxiety. I stare up at the moon, praying it will somehow give me a way out of here.

When everything goes quiet, the forest has frozen, no sounds from anything, not even the leaves rustling could be heard.

What the hell? What could possibly make the forest go quite all of the sudden?

Then a fierce growl fills the forest, a wolf's roar piercing the night sky from the bushes nearby.

“Why do I feel like I've just been dumped smack dab in the middle of a horror movie?”