In the Crook of a Tree...

"Where?" Cam's head snapped around. There was nothing there... A tangled vine of poison ivy crawled up the base of a dead tree. Gravels were spewed across the path from his fall. A shadow passed beneath the branches...

"There it went!" Was the demon still laughing at him? Or was it merely ringing in his ears?

"Look, will you help me find it? I'm sure it...whatever it was... intended us harm..."

In response, Cam merely wiped his hands across his pant legs, leaving finger-wide stains on his thighs. He looked off into the woods, his jaw clenching. Fear filled his eyes suddenly, and he whispered, "Maybe we should just tell the Headmistress... ((it IS a mistress, right? anyway...))" Then he shook his head vigorously and began to stalk off into the woods.

"I'm going to find it. You can come if you want."

Cam ground his teeth. "That thing has chased me before... I'm going to find out why."

Without another word, he disappeared into the thick of the forest.

Inwardly, Cam smiled. It would be nice to have company, and Kelly, while excruciatingly annoying at times, was loyal. From what he had seen of her at school... well, at least she had that going for her...

The shadow-thing darted across his line of vision, its laugh echoing quietly amidst the trees.

"This way..." he said.

"It." Cameron hissed, a vein bulging on his forehead. "IT has followed me before. It's hurt people before. Because of me. I won't let that happen again..."

He swallowed, remembering dimly. This demon, this shadow-thing... it was out to get him. Who commanded it, who ordered it upon this path, he did not know. But it had caused enough suffering for one lifetime. Time to make it pay...