When the ghosts were well and gone, Ava felt safer.

Her mind was clearer. And now that she could think lucidly, she was painfully aware of how lost she really was.

She was hesitant to turn around and retrace her footsteps - she would just wind up even more lost.

If she continued forward on a straight line, she would assuredly make it out of the woods. This forest couldn't be that big.

So she kept moving forward.

"Ava!"

This wasn't in her mind.

Somebody was calling out.

Adrian was calling out to her.

She looked around. There - a large rock, a standing stone. A boulder, clothed in thick emerald moss. And at its base, in a tangle of vines and purple spiderwort, her brother.

"Adrian!" she exclaimed.

Ava ran over to him, stumbling over rocks and fallen branches. She fell to her knees by his side, holding his head in her hands, crying out with joy. Sweet tears formed in her eyes, clouding her vision.

"Adrian," she cried, "Adrian, I thought I wouldn't found you."

She took in a deep breath.

"I didn't know where you were. When I heard you, I just ran. I found you. I found you."

She beamed down on him. He smiled back weakly.

Ava's smile faded. Something was wrong with him.

"Adrian, are you OK? Since when can you do telepathy? How? And how did you get here? Why are you here? Are you OK? Are you OK?"

He looked overwhelmed by the frantic stream of questions.

"Adrian? Adrian!"

His smile faded, like the effort of moving his facial muscles was too much. His eyelids fluttered and closed.

A look of complete peace spread across his visage. He looked like an angel there, or an elf, entangled in the purple weeds, his white-blonde hair shining in the small light filtering through the treetops, peppered with small green leaves, burrs clinging to his clothes.

He looked at peace. At rest. The picture of total tranquility.

Ava sobbed.

And a line of blood spilled from his nose, channeling like a small river, streaming down his face, painting his lips red.

Ava screamed.

And Adrian stopped breathing.

***

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please check out my other story, Survival Zone, which I'm now updating constantly. What do you think will happen next?