Shelby's P.O.V

In my head, I knew I shouldn't trust Mika, at least for a while. She did hurt me deep, after all. But... my heart said otherwise.

I brought this up to Cory as we trudged along the forest track, Em's small hand clinging onto mine. Cory nodded as he took my words in. "Well, your head lead to to making some pretty bad decisions," Cory began.

"No dip, Sherlock. Thanks for that," I scoffed.

"And especially in a trust situation, your heart knows best. You'll know when the time is right. You've had that feeling, surly."

"The feeling of just having everything click? You feel like your future is set out for something good from that one decision?"

"If that's how you think of it. Look, your head has been through some torment, but your kind heart has been through more. I say you listen to what it has to say more. Yes, some decisions are better made with the mind, but with your head in such a state, your heart is definitely more trustworthy. When your heart tells you you're ready to forgive Mika, and you've gathered up the confidence to do so, then go for it." Cory smiled. "If Mika really has a heart, she just may forgive you for being such a butt."

"Okay, you ruined the moment there."

"Sorry."

"But I... I'll do that."

The pair of us walked in silence for a moment, listening to the jumbled up noise of the different conversations throughout the group.

Em tugged at my hand. I looked down at her. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" I replied.

"The voice, it was defensive, it said not to listen to the darkness."

"I may not have heard the voice, but I agree with it. Don't worry about it."

"I'm going to go find the boys, okay?"

"Okay."

I let Em's hand slip from mine, and the small girl ran up from where we were near the back to up the front of the group.

It was just Cory and me now, avoiding the gazes from each other and staring at the trees. As my eyes traced the shapes of the bushes and towering trees, I saw her again. Her black eyes stared at me. Her pale face was contorted into a disgusting grin, and a knife was in her bloody hand. She wore the blood splattered all over her with pride. 

And of course, that sickly, black liquid trickled from her eyes down her cheeks.

I stumbled sideways, bumping into Cory. The two of us fell to the ground.

She started moving closer. I started scrambling backwards. 

Her figure got closer... and closer... and closer... and eventually, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I screamed, picking at a blade of grass and turning it into a sword. I stood shakily, giving Cory a small kick out of the way. I ignored everyone's exclamations of confusion, of protest. None of them came near me. 

"BACK OFF!" I demanded. Still, she advanced forward. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Oh, you know that isn't possible," she said, her voice echoing in my ears, her mouth still moving in a grin. "It's you alone, or the lot of you. Your choice."

"W-what if... what if I k—"

She was right in front of me now. But a pale hand phased through her, and she was gone. Mika stood in front of me now. A look of stress was in her eyes, despite her trying to look calm. "It was a spirit, a hallucination," she said. "No-one was really there."

"And you just got rid of it..? You saw her?!" I exclaimed, dropping the sword in my hand.

"I'm a Spirit Soul. Of course I see what isn't really there. And what is actually there. It's gonna take some getting used to."

"That's the way it is with powers."

Lauren looked up at the sky. "The sun's going down. We'll make a camp in the small clearing over there. Oli and Joel will take the three little ones and Stacy, Joey and Meghan to find sticks for a fire. Lizzie, Callum, Scott, Sasha and Yammy will go ask the nearby wildlife what we can do for food. That leaves Jack, Cory, Elise, Mika, Shelby and I here to set up a little area for tents and seats and stuff," she planned out.

"Wow," Joey said, impressed. "You seem quite confident about this."

"I've been thinking about it the whole walk." Lauren clapped her hands twice. "Let's go, peeps!"