Chapter Five

"It's some few minutes passed 3, Peterson. Aren't we there yet?" Mr. Daniels asked the driver who was obviously tired of the long driving. Only twice had he stopped for a break so him and anyone who was pressed could take a leak.

"Relax Jack, you're not the one driving and besides you haven't gone to the forest, have you?" Peterson said making Dane to chuckle.

"No but I've made my research that's why we need to get back before dark." He replied solemnly.

"Um! Mr. Daniels, something tells me we're not gonna make it back before nightfall. I think we're gonna sleep overnight." Dane said and Larry and Ezra laughed.

"Stop trying to be funny Dane, you're just spoilt." Lesley spoke out, she has really gotten tired of Dane's attitude.

"Oooh!" Ezra gasps, trying to subdue his laughs.

Dane shot him a mean eye but Ezra felt unconcerned. "Didn't know the ironic forest guide could make a joke. Guess you aren't boring like you look." Dane said chuckling at his own words.

Lesley didn't say anything, she slowly stands and walked up to Dane's seat. "Look here boy, you watch your mouth alright. I hate spoilt brats like you and trust me when I say this, one more bullshit from you, and you're gonna keep mute till this trip is over."

"Lesley, it's okay." It was Callum that spoke out. Mr. Daniels just watches on. Dane has been beginning to be a problem, maybe he just need to be taught a few lessons on when to be quiet.

"C'mon bro, give it a rest will ya." Alec said from the back seat.

"Alright, sure... Whatever." Dane      said looking outside the window.

"So guys I've been doing some online digging about the forest and I think y'all have to see what I've found." Emma said surprising everyone.

"You did some digging into bear forest. Since when did you start doing some research cause I know you so love YouTube videos,  subscribing to Nicki's Videos all day long." Helena said rather not interested in what she may have found out.

"Ah ah! Very funny. I hope you realize that everything connects to everything else. And thanks to the wonderful creation of the internet I found something." Emma said disgustingly, not surprised by Helena's outburst.

"She just quotes Leonardo Fa Vinci, unbelievable." She laughs.

"What you got there?" Larry asked drawing closer to her.

"Well. Not much but there's this website I came across that talked about the forest, everythingdark.onion. It says here that the twenty five tourists we're not the first to go missing, there's three more cases before the tourists. First was the Phillips family that disappeared when going to visit their hometown for the holidays. Everyone thought they must have been kidnapped or something since there was no ties to the forest. Second was two friends who was going for an interview and they took the Locke road, they never came out the other end. Third was a a man and his brother going to their sister's wedding. On their way coming back they picked up a man by the name Daviot and they disappeared, though it states here that there's no solid proof linking it to the forest but it suggests that all these people went missing when they drove through Locke road. Now there's a case here, remember the name Daviot. Well they did a research on him and there's nothing about him. It's like he doesn't exist. No database could find him."

"Cause Victor Daviot is a myth, an urban legend created by silly people to keep kids away from forests, kids like you." Callum said dryly and pointed at them.

"Then how do you know his first name?" Jack asks Callum who suddenly had interest in the Daviot of a guy.

"My mom always scare me with the Daviot story, how he's going to eat your flesh and devour your insides. She told me and my brother that story whenever we stayed out long enough for she to worry. During those days I heard whispers that Victor isn't a human, that he doesn't age. He's been living in the forest for two centuries." Callum ended his Daviot story.

"Woah! Creepy and scary... But you don't think it's true right?" Helena said wishing it was not true."

"C'mon Helena, it's just a scary story made up to scare kids like he said." Larry said trying to calm Helena as he noticed she was getting a bit agitated and worried.

"Guys, it is believed by the Indians and some religious group that Daviot or Victor Daviot rather is responsible for the disappearance of all the people that have gone missing along Locke road." Emma said scaring Helena the more.

"Really Emma, you just have to say that now." Larry spoke as if Emma had given him a big blow to the chest.

"We're here guys. Everyone quiet down." Jack announces as all the students went back to their seats.

"Welcome to bear forest." He added little excited.

"God! This forest is huge." Joseph and Claire sounded happy to finally see the 'Evil Forest'.

So guys, we should get ready to go in, ready your stuff cause in twenty minutes time we go in. Carry your camera, book and pen and maybe a recorder and yes. Before I forget. We'll all be leaving our phones in the bus." He announced, the students groans, surprised by the new development.

"Why's that?" Dane asked Mr. Daniels who totally ignored his question.

"Yes, Mr. Daniels, why are we gonna leave our phones out here. And how, in case one of us gets missing, could we contact each other?" Hayley said from the back seat.

"I love that question, very good question. Well first, it could distract you from what we're doing here, second it will be our last resort. And for the communication part, we're gonna be using walkie talkies." He said making everyone looking confused about the whole thing.

"Walkie talkies." Ezra said flatly, not surprised.

"For some of you that haven't used a walkie talkie before, here how it works. If you wanna send a message, that is, if you wanna communicate with each other, you press the push to talk button on the front view, when you're done talking, you let go of the button and the other party would do same to reply." Callum directed. Ezra got out of his seat with his phone in his hand and handed it to Mr. Daniels.

Alec followed suit, so did Claire and Hayley.

Soon everyone was done giving up their phones to their History teacher.

Callum and Leslie were eating sandwiches, the students were all waiting. Some eyes were straining into the forest, some wondered what they could find inside. Some prayed. Some just ate.

With five minutes to get ready, they all began putting their cameras, books, pens and everything they'd need in their backpacks.

Callum checked the magazine of his pistol, he took an extra magazine and straps it. Leslie didn't bother to check her revolver, she took her Bowie knife and strapped it by her left leg.

"Alright everyone let's move. In three hours, it's gonna get dark, so we should all know we have only two hours inside. And please, one more thing, we walk in groups of three at all times. Even when you wanna take a piss, do not go alone. Ezra, Hayley and Claire are in Team A. Dane, Larry and Helena are Team B. Joseph, Emma and Alec are Team C. Now for your escorts in the need of you needing one, ask Agt. Callum or Leslie or me." Mr. Daniels said.

"This is gonna be fun." Ezra exclaimed and joggled off with Hayley and Claire.

"Ezra stay in the group please." Mr. Daniels called after him.

Peterson is left in the bus as he decided to take a nap.

***

"Oh! this is creepy." Helena voice is heard in the middle of group. "It's almost getting dark." She wails quietly.

"Quit your whining, Helena, we've only been thirty minutes and you're already complaining." Mr. Daniels glared at her, she whimpers and stomped her feet.

"Well I think we should break into another group of three so we could cover more grounds and round up quickly and get back to the bus since it's gonna get dark soon." Ezra suggested and most of the group loved the idea, they still had two hours before sunset and they do not want to stay in the forest till dark.

"Good idea. Callum, Ezra, Claire and Hayley will take the south part. Lesley, Dane, Larry and Helena will go east while I, Joseph, Alec and Emma will take the north. I don't need to remind you guys that we meet back at the bus in one hour time, if we're late, it shouldn't exceed thirty minutes." He ordered.

"Don't forget to make a landmark so as not to get lost. If you're in trouble, you have your walkie talkies with you so I don't have to remind you on how to use it." Lesley said and they all nodded.

"Okay let's get moving before it gets dark."

****