The Heart of the Forbidden Forest.

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Shadow into the forest, running as fast as she could. The night was cold around her, but she didn't care. It was coming, and she could feel it. She had to get away from the school. She couldn't bear it if something happened and it was her fault. Her feet pounded on the mosy ground and she hurtled over fallen trees. She was nearly there, nearly there...

Holly faltered and nodded.
"I'm sorry. Cant help that I havent grown up yet."
She smiled slightly.

"It's not all that dandy," said Natalie, though this was certainly an understatement,"it's like you black out and feel the pain and as soon as it goes away, the light burns."

"Light burns?" Holly repeated, "Whaddya mean? Explain please."
She sat in front of Natalie, legs crossed, as if waiting on a bedtime story.

"It feels like, when the pain happens and you go into darkness, you are gonna be in the dark forever, but then when it ends, you open your eyes, and the light hurts to look at," Natalie explained.

"Next time I go through it, I'm open my mind to you and you can see." Shadow muttered.

Holly lay back on the grass and leaves, watching what part of the sky she could see through the gap in the trees.
"Anyone else have any good stories?" she asked.

"No...but I'd really like to hear...or find out...the story of how you guys got here," said Natalie, looking at Holly and Riley. She was beginning to worry.

"Ha, good luck finding that out," Holly muttered, "I havent a clue. Ri has no clue. .... Im not that worried about it to be honest. And we arent injured in case you havent- oh....."
Holly trailed off, noticing a slight stain on the front of her shirt. Pulling it up ever so slightly, she noticed there was the smallest of cuts on her stomach.
"Probably from hitting a branch," she said, but she wasnt so sure, "Weird...."

"Aren't you worried that you can't remember what happened yourself?" Natalie asked, "and you are hurt...see Holly...I knew it....I just knew you were hurt!"

"Im not hurt!" Holly said, pushing her shirt down again, "Im not! Look it creeps me out that I dont know what happened, but because I dont know what happened its not that bad! It would have been worse if I remembered like.....something awful!"

Natalie scowled at the thought.
"Don't even say that," she hissed, "never mind..I might have a vision about it later and let you know."

"Thank you," Holly muttered scowling. She had no reason to be mean, but felt it necessary.

Natalie was having a bit of a Glen moment.
Her right eye began to twitch because of the tension in the air.

"Are you okay?" Holly asked her, eyebrows raised looking bemused, "You look a little......weird to be honest."
"Holly dont be a meanie!" Riley said.

"Ok... let's calm it down." Shadow snapped. She was sensitive to emotion, being an empath, and high levels of it always put her on edge.

"Sorry!" Holly and Riley yelled in usison, but they continued to glare at one another.

Natalie glaced at Holly. Her eye twitched one more time, and then stopped.
She smiled slightly.
"Me and Glen have the same problem when there's tention in the air...though poor little Glen goes through it all the time when his parents are arguing," she said quietly.

Shadow took several deep breaths and calmed herself down.

Natalie also calmed herself down to her normal self again.
She gave Shadow a warm smile.

"Sorry." Shadow said softly, looking a bit embarrassed about snapping.

Holly grinned at the pair and lost all angry....ness at Riley.
"Im sorry." she said.
"As am I."
"What are we sorry for again?"
"I dunno but it feels necessary...."
"Aye."

"Tis quite alright," said Natalie softly, "I now know how you feel....a bit."
She smiled warmly again.

Holly decided she would also smile equally as warmly, as did Riley. It was almost as if they were in a competition to see who could smile the warmest.

Natalie didn't feel like playing this game today, so just kept her smile in place long enough for everyone to see it, then let it drop.

Shadow smiled as well, cursing her luck for being born an empath sometimes.

Holly laughed at Natalie and stuck out her tongue before blowing her a kiss to show she was kidding.

Natalie sat down on a nearby tree stump.
Natalie put a blood pop in her mouth.
"I was..hungry," she said, shrugging.

"Gross," Holly muttered turning away to look at something more pleasant. That ugly tree. That would do.

Natalie sucked the blood pop until it was done.
"So....you guys wanna stay here for a while?" asked Natalie.

Shadow shrugged.
"I don't mind."

"Me neither," said Natalie, "what do you think Holly."
She looked expectantly at Holly.

When Holly didnt reply, Riley tapped her with his foot.
"Bris, people are talking to you,"
"Oh," Holly said turning, "Sorry? What do I want to do? Um.....dont mind...."

Natalie frowned.
"Are you sure you're ok Hols?" Natalie asked Holly.

"Fine," Holly said shaking her head of all other thought, "Im fine it's just..... I think I remember something....like just vaguely....a necklace. On a guy. A gold necklace with like....a picture inside it....from earlier I mean. Maybe whoever brought us here has some connection with that...."
She shrugged.

"Like...the locket your parents left you?" Natalie asked, only remembering about that now.
She remembered the night Holly had found it in the graveyard.

Holly's eyes opened more.
"Yeah.....yeah exactly like that! I thought Id lost it....whoever brought us here has it!"
She stood up, got headrush, and sat again, woozy.

Natalie looked at Holly.
"Don't get up too fast," she said, frowning slightly as she gave Holly her cloak.

Holly shook her head once and stood up slowly.
"Okay....so we know who we are looking for. Sort of...."

"Mmm," said Natalie, "do you remember...were they tall...or small?"
She looked more at Riley than at Holly, for she had a feeling her knew something.

"I dont re-"
"Tall," Riley cut across her with an apologetic look, "Tall.....scary....."
Holly looked at him, puzzled.
"Do you remember anything else?" she asked.
"No." Riley said.

Natalie sniffed the air.
"Lier!" she shouted, pointing at Riley, "he lies!"

"I DO NOT!" Riley said, outraged, "I swear on Holly's life! Why would I lie about this? I just want to know what happened!"
Holly considered.
"I believe him."

But Natalie sensed more than this.
"Why is your hand behind your back?" she whispered, so that only Riley could hear her, "I think you know something Riley Farthing...."

Riley looked from one to the other and eventually stood up, using Holly to lean on.
Where he had been lying there was a gold locket. Holly's locket.
"OI!" Holly said bending down to pick it up, "Where did you get this?"
"What is it?" Riley asked peering at it, "IS that ...."
He looked from Holly to Natalie.
"YOu think I- No! NO I SWEAR!"
"Do you promise me you dont know anything about this?" Holly asked quietly.
"I promise you. On my father's grave I promise you."

Natalie knew Riley would lie about things when he said that phrase.
"Ok Riley....I believe you," said Natalie quiet, "are you ok?....Do you need a hug?"

"Yes," Riley said, "Yes please."
But Holly hugged him before anyone else could. It probably lasted a little longer than necessary...but oh well. Yup....still hugging. STILL hugging.....

THREE HOURS LATER

"I have to go to the bathroom," Riley whispered.

"There are alot of trees," said Natalie, prying Holly off Riley.
"Let the boy pee Holly," said Natalie.

Shadow had been watching the show silently, and was about to fall asleep.

Holly cocked her head to the side watching Shadow, as Riley hurried off.
"What shall we do now?" she whispered to Natalie.

"I dunno," whispered Natalie, "we need to let Shadow rest though...I am sure of that."
She sighed slightly.