The forest was dark, damp and felt a little like something out of an old school horror film. Or perhaps a Scooby Doo episode. It was hard to tell. The sky was cloudy and the trees thick enough to prevent light from shining through, and Alexis was so very glad she had the forethought to bring a torch with her. Somewhere in this forest, there was something that would tell her just what really happened to her brother. Somewhere in this forest, she'd find something. Some clue, some trace, or failing that, some closure. Just sitting around back at the dorms would solve absolutely nothing. It wasn't like a solution was just going to drop out of the-
"Ouch!" she yelped, and rubbed the top of her head. Her torch, which was clenched in her other hand, cast down to the ground in time for her to spot the motion of an oddly shaped rock. She knelt down to pick it up, and peered at it by torchlight. It almost seemed reflective, shiny... and there was something about the shape that was driving a spike into her mind's eye...
She pocketed it for later analysis, and looked at her watch. It was getting on a bit... maybe she'd do best to turn in for the night, and continue the search for clues in the morning. Suddenly, her hand slapped down to her thigh in response to an insect bite. Internally, she wished that the girl's uniforms didn't have such short skirts, but she didn't quite word it that way when she mumbled her thoughts on the matter. "I wish these short skirts weren't such a hassle..." she groused, not noticing that the air didn't feel quite so damp or cold on her legs as it did a moment ago... nor did she notice how the insects swerved away from her shapely legs, as if afraid to land a bite there.
Thoughts of the rock disappeared from her mind by the time she returned to the dorm. She simply forgot that it was there, nestled in her pocket...
Sun Nov 14 21:39:20 2010