Flesheater of the Forests

Chapter XIII

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Saturday 8:30 pm...

Since I am uncertain about how long we'd be staying at the festival, I decided to leave my hair untouched and only applied minimal makeup using the bathroom mirror.

In a questioning manner, Elektra asked. "You're not planning on going to the festival with your wendigo boyfriend to consume the people, are you?" she conjectured.

"You wish", I smirked.

"This is going to be soo boring."

"No it won't, we'll go on a couple of rides and puke our guts out."

"... He's outside."

I looked over at my phone, right on time. After turning off the light, I descended the stairs, feeling a twinge of nostalgia for my grandmother's warm hugs whenever I left the house. Despite her being just a few blocks away, I grabbed my wallet and phone before heading out.

As I opened and locked the front door, I noticed Mason sitting on the damp grass beneath the evening sky, his gaze fixed on the sparse scattering of stars. Catching sight of me, he beamed and said, "I'm prepared to leave whenever you are."

I lightly kissed his face and said, "Alright, let's get going." Instantly, our otherworldly transformations began - as we always did - with fur sprouting from our skin and our bodies growing taller. Antlers emerged from our deer skulls, their amber eyes gleaming.

With supernatural swiftness, we raced out of the city, taking care to stay hidden from the human gaze as we journeyed through the forest along the road. After a short while, I caught sight of the radiant lights of the festival and the joyful chants of both children and adults greeted my ears.

Together, we clung onto each other's hands as we made our way forward. With a release of any tense energy, I transitioned back into my human form, and he followed suit. Our spirits lifted as we approached the line of excited festival-goers eagerly awaiting their chance to enter.

Finally reaching the ticket booth, Mason confidently requested, "Two tickets, please," and handed over a twenty-dollar bill to the woman behind the counter. In return, she handed him two small red pieces of paper labeled with the numbers "Ticket 237" and "Ticket 238." Passing one to me, we joyfully stepped through the gates and into the vibrant atmosphere of the festival.

I gazed at the vibrant booths filled with various games and enticing prizes such as plushies, luminous trinkets, illuminated swords, and even cash. One game in particular caught my attention, and I eagerly pointed it out to Mason, exclaiming, "Take a look at this!" I guided him towards a blue booth adorned with plushies depicting mythical creatures.

The game involved throwing darts at balloons on a target board. "How about we play this game against each other?" I proposed, a mischievous grin on my face. Mason chuckled and accepted my audacious challenge. Each of us handed the cheerful booth owner five dollars, and in return, he provided us with three darts each, three chances to prove our dart-throwing skills.

We each had a chance to show off our dart-throwing skills, trying to burst the balloons on the boards a short distance away. As luck would have it, I emerged victorious by popping two balloons with my precise aim. The booth owner kindly rewarded me with a purple monster plush, exclaiming, "Congratulations!" I expressed my gratitude before scanning the amusement park for potential rides to enjoy.

Mason playfully taunted, asking, "Are you afraid of heights?" I confidently replied, "Not at all." With that, he suggested we venture to the top of the ferris wheel. Eager to embrace the challenge, we dashed towards the vibrant neon ferris wheel.

Luckily, the line was relatively short, allowing us to board without delay. We settled into our seats in one of the orange cargo cars, and as soon as we were situated, it began its ascent, gradually climbing higher and higher with each passing second. Looking down from the top, the people below appeared as tiny dots, reminiscent of busy ants scurrying about.

At once, the ferris wheel came to a halt at its peak, causing us to shift our gaze downwards where a stream of people were now getting on board. Exhaling deeply, I rested my head on Mason's shoulder, feeling his arm envelop my shoulders and draw me nearer.

The ferris wheel eventually came to a stop and we disembarked. Needing to use the restroom, I excused myself while Macon mentioned he would grab some snacks from the nearby concession area, gesturing towards the food trucks.

It didn't take long for me to become disoriented as I searched for a bathroom stall. Spotting a janitor, I approached him and asked, "Could you please tell me where the nearest restroom is?" He nodded and pointed towards a couple of bathrooms next to a garbage bin. Thanking him, I hurriedly made my way to one of the stalls, knocking to check if it was occupied before entering.

After finishing up, I exited the stall only to hear faint screams of children in the distance. Through telepathy, Elektra communicated, "I can sense another wendigo near the festival, and it seems quite hungry, as usual." Whispering back, I declared, "I can't just stand by and let some unknown wendigo endanger the lives of innocent children. They still have so much life ahead of them."

Silently, I made my way through the dense, ominous forest towards the echoing sounds of distressed children. With each step, I trudged through the soft soil, my senses heightened by the buzzing of unfamiliar insects and the echoing croaks of nearby frogs. The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting eerie shadows that engulfed my figure, while treacherous tree roots emerged from the ground, posing a threat to unwary travelers.

As my foot collided with a massive rock, I leaned forward to get a closer look, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and fear as the sight before me sent my heart into overdrive.
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