“But…why?” I finally asked after the shock of what Casper told me had warn off. I know I should have been appalled and absolutely horrified but actually I wasn’t in the least. It all suddenly made perfect sense to me really. And that was something that I didn’t get.
“I wish I knew how he picks who he picks Nick. Most of the time, these people are just old and ready to go, you know what I mean? But many times, people like you…well sometimes they just kind of appear here way before their time. Let me tell you something about my father Nick, he isn’t as powerful as legend makes him out to be. I mean don’t get me wrong, he is the last thing everyone sees before they well…go through the woods…but he can’t just take whomever he chooses.”
“Goes through the woods?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at where I saw so many people walking last night.
Casper nodded, “That’s the last place you go on your journey…Once you pass through those trees, and see my father one last time, you continue on towards the light.”
“The light was beautiful.”
“It is.”
“What’s it like on the other side of the woods, after you pass through the light?”
He shook his head at me, “I don’t know…I’ve never been allowed to pass. It’s not where I belong.”
“Is this where you belong?” He nodded at me with his head down. He looked sad about that.
“To help people like you.”
“And my friends?” He nodded once again but after a slight hesitation. “Will they be okay? I feel like it’s my fault they are here in the first place. It was my idea to go camping. They would have never been here if we had just stayed…”
“They are here because you love them and they love you. I wish I knew that kind of love.”
“You don’t?”
“Nick…my father is death, what do you think? Keep up!”
“Oh…right, sorry...you said he wasn’t as powerful as everyone says...”
“Yes, see…if it’s really not your time to go he can’t just come and get you. So he will do anything he can to lure you into the lights.”
“Is that why I saw two Howies?”
“Probably”
“And why Brian tried to drown me?” Once again he nodded.
“Who is the woman?”
“This may confuse you now, but my father takes many forms and she is just another. Some people are easily persuaded to come to a female rather than a male.”
“You’re right, that did confuse me.”
Casper laughed at me, “I like you Nick.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s why we have to get you home safely to your friends and family….now you should wake them up soon. Remember what I said about being gone before nightfall.” I nodded at him, but I wasn’t ready to start on the journey. I felt like there was so much more I had to ask and wanted to know. I felt a sudden sense of urgency when I saw him turn and head away from me.
“Wait Casper…you said they are here because I love them and they love me.” He turned and nodded.
“Nick, I really have to go now and so do you.”
“I don’t want you to go…I’m scared.”
He turned around and walked back my way, “You should be.”
“What kind of consoling is that?”
“I’m not here to console Nick; I’m here to keep you alive.”
“Will I make it?”
He smiled at me and nodded, “I hope so…stay away from the lights Nick, if you see them stay away. And remember that I will be watching you, I’ll be around, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Listen to your heart to, as you go on… things will start making more sense to you. Just allow yourself to trust in those instincts.”
“I hope you’re right about that because right now, I’m confused as all hell…and what do I say about the map? Where should I say I got it?”
“Got what? Who are you talking to now?” I jumped and turned around to see Kevin and AJ standing there behind me. Both looked sleepy and more than a little stressed.
“I think I’m going to start calling you Sybil kid; with all those people you must have living inside your head.”
“Nice AJ…”
“What’s this?” Kevin asked while pointing over to the map that Casper had made.
“It’s a map of how to get out of the woods.”
“And where did you come up with this?”
“Uh…I dreamt it?”
“Why did you say that like it’s a question?”
“Because?”
He shook his head, but then sat down and examined my map…well Casper’s map. “This actually looks like it could work.”
“I think it will, you’ve got to trust me Kevin, but we should wake up Brian and Howie and leave soon.”
“I think they can stand to sleep in a few more hours. We all didn’t exactly get very much sleep last night, remember?”
Oh my God, why must they make everything so difficult for me? Can’t they just for once listen without me having to do a dance to get them to move? “They had enough sleep. We have to be out of here by nightfall.” This time I directed that line straight to AJ, knowing he would believe me. After all he did kind have a Casper encounter. “We have to be out of the woods before dark…”
I could see he had a little light bulb moment because of the slow nod he gave me. That and the slightly pale tone his skin color took on when the wind suddenly began to blow, “Maybe the squirt is right. I’m going to go wake up D and Rok.”
“I’m sorry this trip wasn’t very much fun for you little man.” Kevin said when we were sitting there all alone.
“I’m sorry too Kevin. You guys wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me.”
He looked me in the eyes and grabbed my hand in his, it felt odd… so warm and close, suddenly I felt a little dizzy again. “You’re going to make it baby…trust me.”
And I did, at that moment, just by looking into those, usually scary green pair of eyes; I totally knew that he would do everything in his power to protect me. Just like he always did. But, how did he know I needed protection?
“Kevin…you know don’t you?”
“Know what?”
“That we are in danger.” He looked at me and suddenly, I realized okay maybe he didn’t know that at all…oopsies.
“In danger? Why would you say that?”
“Uh no reason?”
“Why do you keep answering my questions with questions?”
“Um…I don’t know?”
Brian and Howie staggered out of the tent a few awkward moments later and they were awkward…believe me, Kevin would randomly keep glancing over at me as if I lost my mind while he glossed over the map. I can tell he wanted to ask me, like really ask me how I got it, but at the same time, part of me had a feeling that he already knew. Isn’t that strange?
“So, we are all going? I thought only you and AJ were leaving.”
Kevin looked over at me, giving me another one of those ‘looks’ before turning back towards Brian, “Change of plans.”
Thank GOD!
“Let’s take down the tents, Nick you and Howie just sit and relax while we do that okay?”
We both nodded at Kevin, like Howie was going to argue about it, like I was either. “How are you feeling D?” I asked him when he started rubbing at his leg.
“I’ll live, I’m a little sore but overall I think much better than yesterday, how about yourself?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded at him, “Yeah…I’ll be much better when we are back in our car though.”
“Me too I think.”
“Howie…can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you believe in the afterlife? Like people going into the light when they die?”
He thought about it for a few seconds and nodded, “Yes…I mean you hear countless people talk about that when they have near death experiences. They head toward a light and it’s really calming. I would like to think it’s true. Why?”
“I was just wondering.”
“Do you believe it?”
“Wow…I don’t think any of you guys have ever asked me for my opinions on this kind of stuff before.”
He laughed at me and ruffled my hair, “Well, do you?”
“I never used to, but I think I kind of do now.”
“What changed?”
“Let’s just say a good friend changed my mind.”
“Okay, let’s say that then.”
I laughed at his mocking tone but then stopped and thought about his sister for a second. Maybe she had passed through this very place we were sitting when she went through the light. Maybe Kevin’s father had too. Anyone we ever cared about and loved, maybe they were once sitting on this very log that Howie and I were sitting on. But what did that make us? I still was kind of confused about that part of things. How is it, a bunch of living breathing humans can enter the woods where only dead people live?
“It’s normal to question stuff like that every now and then…” I looked back over towards Howie, who was staring at me. Again, why all the stares?
“It is?”
“Sure it is, I mean when Caroline died, I used to have the worst nightmares that she was stuck…kind of in a place like this ironically enough.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, but then I’d wake up and realize that she has gone onto a better place. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts Nicky…listen to what your heart is telling you and everything will begin to make more sense.” I got those chills again, because those words came out of Casper’s mouth not very long ago.
He smiled at me and I felt goose bumps all over my skin again. Oh no, not another evil Howie! You know next time I go on a camping trip, remind me to bring a vat of holy water please! He didn’t look evil though; his smile was sweet and kind, just like Howie is sweet and kind.
“Okay guys, we’re just about ready to go.” We both looked over at Brian and nodded.
“This is going to be the hardest part baby…are you ready for it?” Now that was weird for Howie to say and side note, why the hell are they calling me baby?
“I’m ready…are you?”
“I’m not the one that matters Nicky.” Oooookay.
I stood up and grabbed the backpack Brian handed to me, “Can you carry that or do you need me to?”
“I got it.”
“You sure?”
“Brian, I’m used to carrying this thing around.”
“Okay but if it gets too heavy, let me know.”
“Will do.”
Howie grabbed his bag as well which left the other three to lug everything else. “Maybe we should just leave everything here?”
“How did I know you were going to say that AJ?” Kevin asked rolling his eyes.
“Because you knew I wouldn’t want to lug a huge ass tent and backpack around for gazillion miles in a forest from hell?”
Kevin nodded, “Yeah…that’s it exactly. Come on AJ, you carried it down here.”
“I didn’t really, that weird guide carried it.”
“He did?”
“Yup, all I had was the backpack.”
“You made Grim carry OUR tent?”
“I didn’t make him, he volunteered.”
“Well, I’m volunteering you then. Come on, it’s not too heavy. Don’t be a baby. You and Brian can keep switching out.”
“I can help too, if you want.” I offered, I mean it was the least I could do after the hell I had put them all through the last few days.
“Not this time buddy, you just worry about yourself and carrying that bag, same with you Howie.”
“I’m really okay Kevin.”
“I know D, but him I can carry if he needs me to, you I can’t.” did Kevin just say he could carry me? I know he didn’t just say that!
“Okay guys, let’s blow this taco stand!” AJ said, taking the tent and slinging it over his back, making sure to groan his disapproval as he did.
“According to Nick’s map, we should go through this way.”
“Nick’s map? This is the kid that got lost going to his own house Kevin. Why are we counting on Nick to get us out of here?”
“Because AJ…” He started and then looked over at me again, “He’s the only one who knows the way.”
I do? Now call me paranoid but when Kevin says stuff like that I suddenly start having my doubts. This was all a little too easy. First convincing him that we all needed to go, then he agrees to use my map with no arguments at all…sounds very un-Kevin like! Then I remembered what Casper had said, that death could take on many forms, he would do anything to coax me into the light. What if this time he was using Kevin?
“Fine have it your way, but when we end up in freaking Timbuktu I am going to say I told your ass so!”
“Are we ready to go? Nick?” I realized I had spaced out briefly, but I couldn’t get the fact that maybe we were walking into a huge trap out of my mind. What’s worse is maybe we were leaving the real Kevin here somewhere.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Okay good…let’s roll!”
I took one more look back, just in case, but this time I saw Casper standing there. He nodded at me, which didn’t really help because it was either a ‘go with him he’s the real deal’ nod or a ‘you are right, that’s my dad’ nod.
“Kevin?” I decided to say his name; maybe my ghost friend would pick up on my thoughts if I did.
“You’re safe for now Nick…my dad is asleep.”
“Death sleeps?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know that? What a weird question!” Oh…right. I just said Kevin’s name.
I turned to him and shrugged to cover myself, “I was just wondering.”
“I swear, you are the most random person ever!”
Casper smiled at us before disappearing again. I took one look at the menacing tree from last night, the one that looked like it was ready to tear anyone apart who walked past it and took a deep breath as I did just that, and we started on our journey out of the Shadow Woods
Thanks for reading lol and have a great weekend!
