Imposter Syndrome: Chapter 4, Part 2
The Circle That Shouldn't Exist.
Imposter Syndrome is a spooky young adult mystery set in the weird town of Shady Springs, where nothing’s ever quite what it seems. Paid subscribers can read full segments of the story as they’re released (and help support my fiction writing in the process). Annual subscribers will also get a free physical copy of the novel when it’s published in full.
Previously…
The narrow trail took them deeper and deeper into the woods, snaking between skinny trees and thorny bushes that snagged on their clothes as they brushed past. Theo imagined skeletal fingers in the darkness, tugging on the sleeves of his t-shirt, scratching his bare arms and legs with ragged nails. He kept his flashlight trained on Alex, refusing to let his gaze drift to either side for fear of what he might see looking back.
He was scared, wasn’t he? Of course you are, Theodore! his hammering heartbeat replied. You’re quaking in your boots. Survival video games and zombie horror movies were one thing, but this was something else altogether. This was actually happening.
He would’ve turned and gone back by now if Alex hadn’t admitted she was scared too. That emboldened him to keep going, tramping after her beneath the whispering summer leaves. It wasn’t that she was younger than him, or that she was a girl - neither of those things mattered in real life. It was the knowledge that he wasn’t alone in his fear. His fear had company.
And after a while that fear began to fade, and a familiar old sensation took its place.
“Did you bring any food?” he said.
“Food?” Alex replied, pausing briefly. “Just the Twizzlers. Why? You cannot be hungry already.”
“I’m always hungry,” Theo said. His stomach growled to confirm.
“Starting to realize that,” sighed Alex. “Ok, turn around and I’ll get them.”
He did, purposefully keeping his flashlight beam on the ground. The path here was all dried mud; he could see their footprints, disappearing into the darkness behind them.
Alex fumbled with the backpack. “Stop moving,” she said.
“I’m not.”
“You are. This is hard to do when I’m holding…”
She stopped. Theo waited, still staring at the ground.
“Alex?” he said, puzzled.
“Theo.”
It came out in a breathless whisper; he instantly forgot his hunger. Swinging round, he saw where she was looking, and followed her gaze.
His heart catapulted into his throat.