The ringtone echoed in my ears.
The call ended, and I could only stand there, trying to make sense of the words I had just heard.
Instead of fear all I feel is guilt.
"It's my fault" I murmured to myself, Zach's words echoing in my head.
'West, listen. Whatever happens, don't stop. When you hear my voice, run, there's no one here'
"There's no one here" I repeated before opening my phone, the bright screen displayed a map and my profile, it was my cat, Tabby.
I was meters away from the school grounds, according to the app, so it shouldn't take too long for me to return.
"When you hear my voice, run. There's no one here" The words rolled off my tongue, it was harder to forget than I thought.
His supposedly last words.
"What does he mean by voices?, Could it be the same as mom?" I thought aloud.
Did he encounter something like the fake of my mother, is that what he meant by saying that if I heard him I should run, because it could be a fake?
"Then, could it have originated here?" A thought struck me but I shook my head.
'It's impossible, the campus was kilometers from our town.'
All I could do was sigh, nothing makes sense, all the things that I discover don't add up.
I stood there for minutes before finally snapping out of it.
"No point in dawdling" I mumbled taking my first step back.
The sound of leaves being crushed echoed as the light behind me flashed orange. Looking at the time, it was already 4:20.
My gaze shifted to the map before my finger quickly hovered over my phone and exited the app, in a frantic motion I called Zach back.
"Please, pick up" I muttered as the ringtone slowly consumed my sanity.
The phone rang for minutes before I was left on voicemail.
"Busy right now doing your mom!, Call me back later bro"
"....."
Maybe I should feel less guilty about this.
After that slight detour, I continue on my way back.
Nothing happened as I walked, literally nothing.
I wasn't getting closer to the soccer field at all.
I was already drenched in sweat and my body was screaming for me to take a break but it's getting closer to noon and I'm not stupid enough to take my chances here in the dark.
My phone doesn't help at all, the distance wasn't shrinking in the slightest, it was like I was going in circles and the forest doesn't want me to leave.
I looked back at that forest.
It was still that serene place, and the leafless dark trees were everywhere
while the dry leaves cover the ground.
But looking at it now, with the eyes of a tired man who has no way out, I could only think of how wrong this whole place is.
The trees look strange, it's like dark Birch trees and I haven't seen them once in our town since the moment I was born.
'What can I do?' I couldn't help but ask myself
Ring
The call jolted me out of my thoughts , I looked at the unfamiliar number, hesitating for a second before finally answering the call.
"...you can't leave either?" A static familiar voice.
"Zach?" I called out and the voice answered panting
"Yup, I lost it, whatever it was"
A large breath escaped my lips as I stared at my phone in relief
"What's wrong with you?" Zach asked.
"Nothing. Anyway, where are you?" I asked
"Look around bro, that's a stupid question" he answered before a notification popped out from my phone it was a coordinate
'47.9045 N, 124.5339 W, try using this, found it at the bottom of the map.'
"You could have sent this without the insult" I grumbled before heading towards the coordinates.
"By the way, what did you see?" I asked and he answered quickly
"You"
Thump
'It's the same creature' I thought before saying "Then, how could I get near you?"
"Bro, I sent you the number thing" The static voice answered dumbfounded, I could see Zach facepalming in my mind.
"That's not what I, how would you know it's me approaching you?"
Silent, I walked for minutes before finally getting a glimpse of his silhouette holding the phone.
"The answer?" I asked panting, I could barely stand, looking below I could see my legs trembling.
"Answer to what?" He questioned
"How would you know that it's me approaching you" I asked again, squinting my eyes at him as I walked closer, but I couldn't make out his figure from a distance.
"I'll know, his face is the only part that looks like you" His long-awaited answer.
My heart thumped as I finally got to see him alive, the relief of knowing he didn't die because of me caused me to breathe deeper as I walked.
Crunch
The leaves below my feet announced my arrival.
"I can see you" I said and the silhouette looked around before locking onto my location.
"Wait, wave your hands while walking" He said and I could see his silhouette backing away.
I did what he said no question, I slowly walked closer until finally his shadow got colors and I could finally see him.
"Do your map works?, Mine is bugging, my location isn't moving closer to the campus at all" Zach said moving closer, relief plastered on his face.
"Who are you?" I asked, moving back.
This isn't Zach.
It was a lazy work of copying him, the only thing that was Zach, was his face.
"What's wrong bro?" It asked, the creature looked like a deer standing upright, but instead of a deer's head, it was using Zach's.
Blood oozed from the creature's neck as it got closer.
"N-nothing" I answered my body trembling from fear, I couldn't look at it anymore.
"That's good, let's get out of here then" It said, but Zach's mouth didn't move at all as it talked.
"Wh-where did the creature go?" I asked and it just stared at me for a minute before answering
"It's gone now, I lost it"
"That's good" I said my mouth twitching as I forced a smile.
It put one of its legs on my shoulder and I couldn't help but shudder in response.
"Let's go then, we don't know what's gonna happen if it gets dark."