Page 49 of Virgin Sacrifice

For a moment, I almost turned around to go back, but as I slowed to look behind me, I saw both sheep at the top of one of the other trails that connected to the main one that I was on.

I didn’t like that they had so easily figured out where I was going, but it was too late to change course now. I couldn’t do anything for Autumn if these two got their hands on me, and the idea that this might be a Halloween prank gone too far now seemed like a far-fetched dream.

Mind made up, I picked up my pace again and ran straight into the woods.

My feet were already tender from running on the gravel, and I had to bite down on my lip to silence my cries when I sliced one open on God knows what as I hurtled down the familiar trails as fast I could. I blinked back the tears threatening to well up in my eyes. There would be time to cry later, when I had escaped.

I took the main trailhead into the woods behind Hollow Oak. The trail I was on started out as a single path before splitting into a loop, which meant that if I stayed on it, the sheep would only have to wait at the start to catch me.

However, having spent countless hours out here, I knew that there were also smaller, less-maintained routes that branched off the loop and came out of the forest at various locations around the northern campus. The question was which of the smaller paths to take.

I weighed my options, the heavy thumping of my heart making it hard to collect my thoughts, and I kept running until I could make out the fork in the road where it split.

To the right, most of the smaller trails would take me deeper into the woods and past the largest hollow oak trees on campus. I could probably hide out in the base of one of the trunks and wait the sheep out.

To the left, I could take one of the other trails that crisscrossed through the backwoods before coming out near the athletic field. If I lost them in the forest, it would be easy enough to make it over to the main quad from there, where there were bound to be people out celebrating and I could seek help.

I was about to commit to my decision when my right foot slid out from under me. To keep myself from falling, I shifted my weight on to my left. I overcorrected, and my ankle twisted sharply, sending me down hard onto the rough forest floor below. Pebbles tore through the soft flesh of my palms, and it felt like electrical pulses were shooting through my already tender wrists.

A whimper tore from my throat despite my best efforts to remain silent.

Two sets of footfalls were coming up the path, and I had to shove down the pain and scramble back up. A tentative step forward on my left foot sent a searing shock up my leg, nearly sending me back to the ground. There was no way I could make it through the woods and back to the athletics field like this. My only option now was to hide in one of the trees before the sheep found me and hope that they walked right past.

Refusing to give up, I half ran, half dragged myself as fast as I could, down the trail to the right. I had enough distance on the sheep that they would probably only just catch the back of me as the path turned sharply after the fork in the road, and I hoped I would be out of their line of sight for long enough to get myself hidden away.

The moonlight was fading again as I veered off the beaten path and into the woods, searching for one particular oak that I had discovered early on in my runs. If I was lucky, I could make it inside before the moon disappeared behind the clouds entirely.

My ankle banged against a root as I hobbled as quietly as I could through the trees, sending another blinding wave of agony through me. My stomach roiled and my head throbbed, and I knew that if I didn’t give my body a break soon it would revolt.

I couldn’t hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing through my ears, but I kept on moving. I had to get out of sight.

The outline of my favorite tree came into view, offering me a dash of hope. Its gnarled limbs twisted out across the black sky, welcoming me into its embrace.

Clutching my battered hands to my chest, I dropped down onto my knees in front of the hollow and crawled in awkwardly on my elbows. Inside, I shuffled backward on my bum until I hit the rough inner walls of the tree. I leaned back, taking a deep stuttering breath as I tucked my legs up, wincing as I brushed my injured ankle along the ground. My white sweats were covered in dirt and leaves, and my filthy, bloodied socks looked even worse.

Sitting up straight, I drew a hushed breath and got into as comfortable a position as I could before settling in to wait.

The forest was far from quiet as insects hummed and an owl screeched. Still, when I slowed my breathing and forced my attention outward, I could hear the sheep approaching from a distance.

Heavy footsteps followed by slightly lighter ones sounded evenly, without the crunch of leaves, which told me that while they had managed to follow me from the main trail, they hadn’t set out into the woods in search of me.

I listened as the heavier footfalls came to an abrupt halt first, with the softer steps continuing for another couple of seconds before stopping as well.

They had paused in the middle of the trail, and for a few terrifying moments, there was nothing.

I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head against the inside of the ancient oak as I counted to twenty in my head, forcing myself to take deep, slow, even breaths.

The sound of leaves crackling and twigs snapping ripped my attention back to reality. My heart hammered so loudly in my chest that, against all rational thought, I worried that they might be able to hear it.

Is this what happened to the girls who disappeared?

I took another measured breath, in through my nose, out through my mouth, as the sound of boots crunching through the woods echoed in the oak’s hollow.

The only things I had on me were my phone and Autumn’s key card.

I silently debated the merits of throwing my phone at the sheep versus keeping it on me in case I got far enough away to call for help, but one thought kept creeping back into my mind.

If they found me, I was a dead girl.

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