Forest Justice

Forest Justice
Sarah's POV

As we ran through the trees, the warehouse behind us exploded.

I took Tommy's hand and dragged him farther into the woods. Just behind us, Elena was carrying David on her shoulder as if he were light.

"Is everyone okay?" Over the ringing in my ears, I yelled.

With his eyes bright and his face covered in dirt, Tommy nodded. "That woman was really frightening, Aunt Sarah."

I said, "She can't hurt you anymore."

Elena placed David up against a large pine tree. He was awake and talking, but his broken arm was still bleeding.

"Detective Chen," David uttered in a faltering tone. "You need to know more about Susan."

"What now?"

"She wasn't working by herself. Someone else is there. Someone who has been observing you for weeks."

My stomach dropped. "Who?"

Elena abruptly grabbed my arm before David could respond. Her worried silver eyes were wide.

"We're not alone in these woods, Sarah."

Nothing caught my attention when I looked around. "What do you mean?"

"We've been being followed. From here, I can smell his guilt and fear.

Elena tilted her head and closed her eyes as if she were listening to something I couldn't hear.

"He's near. Very near. And he's killed before, Sarah. Lately.

I reached for my gun. "Where?"

Elena gestured to our left. About fifty feet in that direction. behind those dense trees.

Elena stopped me as I started to walk in that direction.

"This man is dangerous, Sarah. I'll go first.

"No. I work as a police officer. This is my work.

Elena had a silver flash in her eyes. And I'm a killer-hunting thing. I own this.

Together, we made our way through the trees, leaving Tommy and David by the large pine tree. Ahead of us, I could hear a voice, but it sounded strange and broken.

The voice said, "Please don't hurt me." "I didn't intend to murder her. She simply made a lot of noise. She continued to scream.

Elena and I exchanged glances. We approached and took cover behind a large oak tree.

About twenty feet away, a man was sitting on the ground. He was conversing with the trees as though they were human beings.

He told a maple tree, "It was an accident." "I just intended to frighten her. However, after she fled, I became enraged, and..."

The man broke down in tears. "I laid her to rest beside the river. I apologize. I'm really sorry.

I knew who he was. It was Bill Park from the local gas station. He appeared timid and uneasy all the time, and he was around forty years old.

"Elena," I muttered. "I know this guy. He has never had any legal issues.

Elena's silver-glow eyes were fixed on Bill. "This man has murdered three women in the past six months, Sarah."

"That isn't feasible. The bodies would have been discovered by us.

He does a great job of concealing them. However, I can see the reality.

Elena emerged from behind the tree. When Bill looked up and saw her, his face turned white.

"You," he muttered. "I've been dreaming about you."

Elena approached him slowly. "Have you been experiencing nightmares, Bill Park?"

"Every night ever since I killed Jenny." Bill began to tremble. "You visit me while I'm asleep and show me terrible things."

"What things, Bill?"

"You demonstrate to me how Jenny felt when I choked her. I can feel her fear thanks to you. How painful it was.

Elena dropped to her knees before Bill. He screamed when she put one pale finger to his forehead.

All of a sudden, I saw what Bill saw.

I felt as though I was watching a movie in my mind. At night, I noticed a young woman running through the woods. She was sobbing and pleading with someone to stop bothering her.

Bill was chasing her when I saw him, his face contorted with rage.

As Bill grabbed the woman and placed his hands around her neck, I could feel her fear.

As she passed away, I could feel her suffering.

Then the vision shifted. This time, I saw an older woman. She and Bill were fighting in a parking lot.

The woman was saying, "I told you I don't have your money!"

Bill struck her with a stone. repeatedly until she ceased to move.

A third vision followed. Late at night, an adolescent girl walks home from work. Bill drove after her.

"Stop!" The visions stopped when I yelled.

Bill was sobbing uncontrollably while curled up on the ground.

"Make it stop," he pleaded with Elena. "Please stop the dreams."

Elena got to her feet and gazed down at him. "Bill, the dreams will never end. Not until you make amends for your actions.

"I'll be honest! I'll tell the cops everything! Please don't show it to me any more.

I pulled my gun out from behind the tree. "You're under arrest, Bill Park."

Bill didn't look at me, though. His eyes were filled with sheer terror as he gazed at Elena.

"You're not human," he muttered. "What are you?"

Elena's shape began to shift. Her silver eyes glowed like moonlight, and her skin grew even paler. Her teeth appeared as sharp as knives when she smiled.

"Bill, I'm what happens to people like you. The price you pay for taking the lives of innocent people is me.

Elena moved more quickly than anyone should be able to, even though Bill tried to run. He froze like a statue when she grabbed his shoulder.

"Look at me, Bill," Elena ordered.

Bill tried to turn his head away, but his head turned toward her.

Elena's voice deepened and grew ominous. "For the rest of your life, every time you close your eyes, you will see the faces of those women."

"Please don't—"

"Every time you try to sleep, you're going to feel their pain."

"I'll lose my mind!"

"Yes," Elena replied plainly. "You will."

Elena released Bill, and he fell to the floor, trembling and crying.

Elena turned to face me and said, "Sarah." "Make a backup call. Bill will admit to everything.

I kept staring at Elena while I radioed for assistance. She had changed in appearance. more hazardous. It was more akin to something that was alien to the human race.

"What did you do to him, Elena?"

"I told him the truth. Sarah, some people can take the truth. Others are unable to.

Bill was speaking to the trees once more, but this time he was confessing to killings. He was providing information on how he killed the women, where he concealed the bodies, and why he did it.

Bill abruptly looked directly at me and said, "There's something else." "I was paid to watch Detective Chen. to report who she spoke with and where she went."

My blood froze. "Who?"

"His true name is unknown to me. However, he drove a black car and had a scar on his face.

Elena's eyes blinked. "We must remove David and Tommy from these woods, Sarah. "Now."

"Why?"

"Because the person who hired Bill to watch you is fully aware of your location."

I heard it then. the sound of vehicles passing through the woods. several vehicles. And they were moving quickly.

Elena took hold of my arm. "Run, Sarah."

We dashed back toward David and Tommy, but they had already left.

A piece of paper nailed to the pine tree was all that remained.

I picked it up and read the red-ink message:

"You have something that is mine, Detective Chen. Visit the old cemetery on Hollow Road if you wish to see your nephew alive once more. Come by yourself. Additionally, leave the monster at home.

Over my shoulder, Elena read the note. The entire forest was illuminated by the brightness of her silver eyes.

"This isn't over, Sarah."

"Who has Tommy now?"

Elena's expression was one of icy rage. "Someone who just committed their life's greatest error."

Cars were approaching. And my nephew was in danger once more, somewhere in the shadows.

For the first time since I'd met Elena, I was more afraid of what she might do than of w
hat our adversaries might do.

"Elena, swear to me that you won't murder whoever owns Tommy."

Elena looked at me with those blazing silver eyes.

"I can't guarantee that, Sarah.”