My heart skipped a beat at the dark sight that seemed to have been ripped out of some fantasy book.

In the middle of a vast clearing surrounded by trees and covered entirely in snow with not a dirt patch or plant in sight, a bonfire made out of logs and broken branches-the biggest I'd ever seen- sat burning, its red, yellow and orange flames reaching to the sky like grabbing hands, hungrily devouring the wood below, the heat emitting from it radiating all the way to me. Surrounding the bonfire was a very large group of people which I estimated to be almost a hundred, all standing at attention, tense and vigilant with their shoulders squared and their chins raised in what I assumed was pride, staring directly at me with intense, inquiring eyes.

I felt like disappearing underneath their intense scrutiny, but something told me to stand tall and strong or there would be consequences to bear.

The flames's orange hue was reflected on their faces, which I noted were all quite beautiful and handsome, all looking like they were top Abercrombie models. How all of them could bare standing in the open like this while the temperature was subzero with so much flesh exposed was beyond my understanding. All the men were clad in nothing but shorts and torn jeans, proudly exposing their tan, rock-hard chests which practically begged to be caressed -though none of them could hold a candle to Xander. Most of the women were dressed in clothes that, though not skimpy, were simply insufficient for this freezing weather.

What I couldn't help but notice about all of them was that same tattoo of a wolf's face they all had itched to their skins at various parts of their bodies, so very like the one I had tattooed onto my back. But neither the group of suspicious half-naked strangers that possessed tattoos similar to mine, nor the blazing bonfire were the reasons why my eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. 

Standing midst the pack of scarcely dressed strangers were my mother and father, staring at me with blank expressions, their eyes hooded and their faces paler than the snow below their feet. My heart beat as fast as a galloping horse and my hands grew clammy despite the cold weather. A gust of icy cold wind blew by the clearing, sending my hair flying into my face and eyes. I pushed the erratic strands away, and then blinked a few times to clear both my vision and mind, thinking something was messing with my mind and my parents couldn't possibly be among these strangers.

"What's happening?" Surprisingly, I didn't stutter. I couldn't think of one possible reason why my parents were out here in the middle of nowhere amongst people I didn't recognize at all. The first -rather stupid- thought that sprouted to mind was that this was my surprise birthday party, but then again, these were people I had never ever seen before in my entire life, so I quickly eliminated that ridiculous notion. I even doubted it had anything to do with me turning eighteen today. Heck, I bet no one remembered -oddly enough. Not even Trey had remembered.

I found myself looking to Xander for answers. He had been standing nearby the whole time I was caught up in my thoughts. Why did he bring me here? My parents didn't look surprised to see me with him though, so did they put him up to this?

As if noticing my questioning eyes on him, his golden one met mine. I realized with a jolt that he knew something about this. The look in his eyes confirmed it. But what exactly was he up to?

"You'll find out soon enough." He answered after a while. His whole demeanor was suddenly different from the playful, taunting one. Somehow, he seemed changed. Different. More... serious. 

I frowned at that. He, a person I did not know at all and who'd basically kidnapped me, was basically asking me to move a mountain -do the impossible. Suspicion, curiosity and fear combined together to form this ugly, ferocious beast that was wreaking havoc at the pit of my stomach, my patience wearing thin by the second. I was inclined not to and demand answers that instant, but I figured I'd listen for once and hopefully, I wouldn't regret it.

"Carly..." My mom's soft voice drew my eyes to her, and just when they met, she looked to the ground, fidgeting with her hands. My frown deepened; my forehead creasing. And when I looked to my dad, I realized that he, too, refused to meet my eyes for whatever reason. Both of them looked nervous as hell, looking anywhere and at anything except for me, their behavior resembling that of a child who had done something wrong and was too afraid to admit it. 

Confusion swelled in me. I had never seen my parents act this way before. What had gotten into them? 

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I stepped away from Xander and toward my parents, who seemed to flinch away when I neared them. Did I smell or something? Losing all patience, I asked, "What's wrong? Why are you here? Why am I here?" All the questions that had been plaguing my mind seemed to pour out of my mouth like a flood. I gripped my mother's cold hands so she'd look at me instead of the ground. "Tell me what's going on. Please," I urged, sounding desperate this time and so very afraid. 

She hesitated for a second but then met my anxious eyes. I dropped her hands as if I'd been singed. I was stricken at how miserable she looked, what looked like tears welling in her bloodshot eyes. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of the mother I knew to be strong and determined so fragile and in despair, desperation shining in her wet eyes. She looked... absolutely terrified. And ashamed. But what could have possibly made my mother so distraught? She behaved strangely this morning as well.

My eyes searched for my father and found him still standing by my mother's side, though he was looking over my shoulder at Xander.

When I turned around so that I could look at both my father and Xander, I was shocked to see what looked like a glaring contest of some sort transpiring between both men, the air around us becoming filled with tension. My father's eyes leaked the same grief and desperation my mother's did and, surprisingly, anger. No, more like uncontrollable rage. On the other hand, Xander's were completely cold and impassive, uncaring at the obvious feelings of contempt my father was directing at him full-heartedly. I hated how openly rude and superior he acted toward my father, his demeaning behavior annoying -like he were a king and no one compared to him.

So I simply had to ask, "You know each other?" I was almost certain of the answer. These people, though unfamiliar to me, knew my parents. There was something very wrong transpiring here; I could sense it deep in my bones and I had to figure out what the hell was going on, otherwise I'd go crazy.

They didn't answer. 

To be ignored like this by both my parents and Xander when I needed acknowledgement brought out my inner demons in a split second. "Can someone please start explaining?!" The outburst was completely unexpected, even by me. My words echoed in the vast clearing, coming back to haunt me over and over again. I could feel the group's gazes on the back of my neck, chilling me. But a certain pair of mystifying golden eyes burned all the way to the bone, heating my cheeks.

Seconds of lingering silence stretched into minutes as I grew wary and embarrassed, everyone's eyes set upon my fidgeting, irate figure, though I did not allow it to take my mind off of what needed answering.

I directed my eyes to Xander since my parents seemed unable to provide me with answers. Xander understood the silent demand in my eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but my mother interrupted him with a resolute voice, "We will be the ones to tell her."

I felt my mother's hand land on my shoulder, making me face her with a fluttering heart. She started by saying in a melancholy tone, "I want you to know that I never wanted this for you, but your father and I didn't have another choice; not when your life was at stake." Ignoring the confused look I shot her, she went on, "I know this won't make sense yet but hear me out to the end, alright honey?" -she didn't pause long enough for me to answer- "It was almost seven years ago when you got lost here in this very forest and you were just a little girl. That day, you went to play alone out after it heavily snowed and wandered off deep into the forest. Your father and I realized you got lost when you didn't return an hour later and were so terrified when a blizzard started. We searched high and low for you and even went to the police for help who only searched the outskirts, refusing to go deeper into the forest. Time was wearing thin and mortal aid wasn't going to save you, so our only option was to go to people who could, and that's exactly what we did." Her eyes -that had glazed over as she recalled what I suspected were locked up memories- focused on Xander behind me.

The things she was telling me.... I had no recollection of what she spoke of. None whatsoever. So were they lies? No, my mother wouldn't lie to me in a situation like this. Seven years ago meant I was about eleven or twelve years old at the time, but I did remember things from when I was that old. So why couldn't I remember something traumatizing and dangerous as that?

I had heard countless stories of people ending up lost in the Evergreen Forest and never finding their way back; it was that big. Going through that would have left its mark on my memory, theoretically. 

"Have you ever heard the rumors and legends that circle around the Evergreen Forest? About the monsters?" It was my father who spoke this time. Though he tried to conceal that bitter, angry note in his voice, it was still pretty detectable.

My mind instantly went through every single story, legend and rumor I knew about the Evergreen Forest. The first thing that popped into my mind was the legend of the frightening man-eating monsters that the town's parents -including my own- had whispered into our ears as children to scare us into sleep -which had worked splendidly. Throughout the years, there had always been nasty, gruesome reports of dead bodies -or what was left of them anyway- being found all over the Cursed Forest. Of course it could have been the work of serial killers of animals, but almost everyone decided the fictional beasts were the ones to blame, if only for the purpose of feeding the local legend.

Slowly, I nodded my confirmation, not really knowing where this was going. From everyone's solemn expressions, I could tell this was extremely significant, even though it did nothing but fill my head with more question marks.

"Well, they're real. One's standing right behind you."