The Watcher at Hidden Dale

Sky

 dropped into the seat next to Trevor as the bus filled up with chattering students, the hum of conversations blending into the low rumble of the engine. He barely gave me a moment to settle before nudging me with his elbow.

"Yo, you were talking to Victoria?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah," I replied nonchalantly, pulling out my phone. I scrolled through some notes about the place we were headed to, half-distracted.

Trevor leaned in slightly. "What were you guys talking about?"

"School."

He gave me a skeptical look. "Really?"

I sighed, not bothering to look up. "Yeah, she paid for info about what she needs to know—who's who, which groups to avoid, the whole social survival guide."

Trevor frowned, confused. "Why? She's been here for, what? Two months?"

"She wanted the full picture," I said with a shrug. "Guess she prefers to have all the details up front."

Trevor groaned dramatically and slumped back in his seat. I glanced at him, already knowing exactly what was going through his head.

My friend was a fool for love.

I shook my head, turning my gaze to the window. The familiar schoolyard blurred past as the bus idled, students still boarding. Then, something caught my eye.

The figure.

Standing near the school gate, still as a statue. The same long coat. The same hood pulled low over their face, shadow swallowing their features. Hands shoved deep in their pockets. But this time, it was different.

This time, I was sure they were looking right at me.

A cold unease crawled up my spine, prickling at my skin like static before a storm. My fingers twitched against my phone, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look, but the figure didn't move. Didn't flinch.

"Sky."

Trevor's voice yanked me out of my thoughts.

I blinked and turned to him. "Hmm?"

"What movies are we watching tonight?"

I cringed instantly. "Aye, that's kinda sus."

Trevor burst out laughing, throwing his hands up. "My bad, my bad."

I shook my head, but a small smirk tugged at my lips. The unease from earlier lingered, but I pushed it to the back of my mind.

The bus rumbled forward, the vibrations humming through the seat. A nagging feeling pressed at the back of my mind, and I quickly turned back toward the window, scanning the school gate.

The figure was gone.

As if they had never been there in the first place.

A shiver ran down my spine, but I pushed it aside. Maybe I was just overthinking things.

"Sky, you good?" Trevor's voice pulled me back to the present.

I turned to him, forcing a relaxed nod. "Yeah, I'm good. What were you saying about movies?"

Trevor's expression shifted back to its usual carefree grin. "Yeah, when we come back, let's have a movie night."

The bus caravan rolled steadily toward our destination, the hum of idle conversation filling the space around us. Trevor, unsurprisingly, didn't last long. Within ten minutes, he was out cold, his head slumped against my shoulder.

I sighed. Typical. Trevor could fall asleep anywhere as long as the ride was long enough.

Carefully shifting so I wouldn't wake him, I pulled out my phone again, double-checking the details of our destination.

The Hidden Dale Forest.

A stretch of dense woodland just outside town, notorious for its unnatural weather patterns and strange environmental conditions. I skimmed through old reports—mentions of eerie fog, sudden temperature drops, and unnatural silence. The forest also had its fair share of abandoned buildings, relics of failed settlements and projects long forgotten.

And, of course, there were the rumors.

Dark stories. Missing people. Strange sightings.

I scrolled through the information, mentally mapping out the key locations as the occasional burst of laughter interrupted my focus. I glanced up to see a group of jocks pointing in our direction, snickering to themselves. Probably laughing at Trevor drooling on my shoulder or just being their usual obnoxious selves.

I rolled my eyes and went back to memorizing the map.

The bus finally pulled into a clearing at the edge of the forest, the towering trees casting long shadows over the dirt path. One by one, students shuffled out, stretching their legs, chatting excitedly.

The air felt... different. Crisp, but heavy, as if the forest itself was watching.

Before I could think too much about it, a sharp voice cut through the noise.

"OKAY, EVERYONE! PLEASE BE QUIET!"

Miss Brown's voice rang out, instantly commanding attention. The chatter died down, and all eyes turned toward her.

The trip had officially begun.

As Miss Brown continued organizing the groups, I tilted my head back, looking up at the sky. It was clear, a brilliant blue with the sun sitting right at its center. Despite the peaceful scene above, I already felt mentally drained.

After eight long minutes, my name was finally called.

"Sky Blake!"

I sighed and made my way toward her, spotting two figures already standing there.

Minnie and Natasha.

Great. Just great.

Minnie barely glanced up from her phone, her fingers tapping away, completely uninterested in anything happening around her. Natasha, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, a faint bruise still visible under her left eye—a souvenir from the fight she'd had with Minnie's boyfriend.

That entire situation was still a mess, and now I was stuck with the two of them. This was going to be awkward as hell.

I pushed my glasses up, already dreading the dynamic of this group.

More names were called.

"Victoria Skasila, Rose, and Trevor Kane!"

Trevor was the first to approach, and we clasped hands in our usual handshake. He was still shaking off his drowsiness from the bus ride but grinned all the same.

Victoria smiled at me as she joined, and I gave her a simple nod in return. Rose arrived last, offering everyone a warm smile before immediately launching herself at Minnie, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.

Minnie, of course, didn't react much. She barely acknowledged Rose's presence, still glued to her phone.

"Alright, now that everyone has a group, we will begin moving into the forest!" Miss Brown announced, clapping her hands together. "Stay together and look after each other!"

With that, the march into Hidden Dale Forest began.

I walked in silence, running through the mental files I had on everyone in my group.

Natasha Skasila —Victoria's older sister. 17. Member of the volleyball club. Moved here four months ago.

And, based on recent events, possibly a lesbian. I mean, she literally fought Minnie's boyfriend for Minnie. If that wasn't a sign, I didn't know what was.

Still, I needed more details. The situation was too murky to draw conclusions just yet.

As we trekked deeper into the forest, the air around us felt heavier. The trees loomed tall, their branches intertwining like skeletal fingers above. Shadows stretched long across the path, and despite the steady chatter of the students around me, an eerie silence lurked beneath it all.

Something about this place felt... off.