The Journey

Noah and Ava laid against the tree, their hands linking together enjoying their closeness. Ava woke up from the sound of small sounds of rustling bushes and the howl of the wind. She sat up from Noah's shoulder and looked around seeing his phone next to his hand. She picked it up and looked at the time to find out it was almost midnight. She heard some footsteps to the side of her, so she quickly turned around to see nothing. The footsteps came again but this time from behind her. She turned around again to see nothing. She looked back at Noah who was peacefully sleeping. he shook his body hard trying to wake him up.

"Noah. Noah let's go. There's someone here and I want to go home."

He slowly opened his eyes and look at Ava with his tired eyes.

"What's wrong?" he sleepily said.

"We fell asleep and I hear footsteps," she whispered.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched getting up. He checked his pockets and looked around worriedly trying to find something.

"Did you-?"

Ava handed his phone and gave him a small smile. He arched his eyebrows and looked at her.

"I was checking the time."

He nodded and got up helping her up as well. Ava grabbed unto his arm and stayed close to him as they walked inside the woods again.

"Ava are you okay?"

She slowly nodded, looking behind her every once in a while. Noah stopped and looked at her.

"Ok, tell me what's wrong. You keep looking behind you."

"There's someone following us..."

Noah looked around him, but he saw nothing. He listened carefully but he heard nothing.

"Ava there's nothing here. It's just the two of us."

"No there isn't. I heard it myself."

"Ava, you're tired. You're probably hearing stuff."

Noah grabbed Ava's waist and they began walking home. She looked bad hesitating at Noah's conclusions. They walked further and further until they started to see that the trees were less and less thick and plenty. They soon saw a road. Ava was so happy that she pulled herself away from Noah's arm and she ran, forgetting about her bruised leg. Halfway through, she fell over and tightly grabbed unto her leg sucking air in through her teeth. Noah ran over to her and looked at her leg chuckling to himself.

"Why are you laughing?" Ava asked.

"How could you forget that you can barely walk, and you go ahead and run. What did you expect to happen?"

"I don't know, I just can't believe we're nearly home. I thought we were going to stay in the forest forever. And I don't want to be stuck with you." Ava stated proudly.

"Ouch."

Ava giggled, she tried standing back up but fell over again. Noah grabbed unto her and lifted her up carrying her up to the road.

"Put me down."

"Why?"

"I can walk myself."

"Yea, keep telling yourself that."

Ava rolled her eyes. When they reached the road, they looked around to see if they saw anything recognizable. Noah looked to his right. He squinted his eyes at the building far ahead of him.

"Ava, is that our school?"

Ava looked in his direction and saw their school flag waving in the cold rushing wind.

"Yes!" Ava said contently.

Noah smiled at her reaction and starter walking towards the school. As they were walking, Ava felt a weird sensation on her chest. She looked down at the amulet, but nothing was wrong with it. She looked over Noah's shoulder and saw a man who was staring straight at her with an axe. Noah kept walking towards the school, not having a clue that something out of the ordinary was going to happen. Ava ignored the man and kept looking at the school, glad that she was going to come soon.

As they were walking, they heard a brazen yet intimate voice yell after them. Noah turned them around and looked at the man. He ran up to them and stood in front of them, his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. He breathed heavily one last time and stood up straight looking at them. Noah held tightly unto Ava as he stared at the man. The crazy man looked at Ava confused; Noah then put Ava down as he held her hand.

"You guys a couple?"

Noah clenched his fists in anger as he breathed heavier, "That's none of your business."

His bloodshot eyes twitched uncomfortably, under his un-brushed, jet black hair. Bloody red crossed stitches climb his crooked neck, under his corruptive and perpetual grin. A baleful cackle suppressed from behind chipped teeth that bent like broken piano keys. He was never standing bone-straight since they saw him; always crouched awkwardly, imitating a tarantula's scuttle. He had unnaturally long thin fingers, each like the tendril of a parasitic plant, reaching, searching. He held the axe next to his foot holding it with a tight grip.

"So...What are you guys doing here so late at night?"

"Walking home," Noah answered.

He picked up his axe and put it over his shoulder with a fake grin, "You know, it isn't good for two young people like you to be out in the dark so late, especially you Miss."

"Go away." Noah snarled.

"Now it wouldn't be a gentleman like for me to leave this poor young woman to go home alone. I'll take it from here young lad."

He grabbed Ava's wrist and as he was about to drag her away Noah grabbed him and pushed him away.

"What do you think you're doing?" Noah yelled.

"You don't want to be messing with me boy. You're making the wrong decision."

"Get the hell away from both of us." Noah snarled.

The evil man grinned and lifted up his axe. Ava limped to the middle of both of them.

"STOP!"

"Ava move!"

Ava stared deep into his eyes trying to make him look at her.

"Ava. Move, now!" he insisted.

"Noah!"

He looked at her shocked at her reaction.

"What, Ava. What do you want!"

he looked away flaring his nose.

"Look at me."

Noah still looked away, ignoring Ava's demand.

"Look at me!"

Noah looked at her, his stare meeting her eyes.

Ava shook her head, in a way of saying that what he's doing was wrong.

The man laughed as Noah eyed him his anger rising. He looked away from Ava, forgetting everything he just did.

"You should listen to your girlfriend."

Noah clenched his fist and was about to run to him when...