Volume 1 p6 The Forbidden Path
In a field full of seemingly frozen deer, Alex and Zoe stood facing uncertainty. The wind blew gently through the grass, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The opposite was true. The girls had many complex thoughts vying for control of their minds, including excitement, confusion, and fear, among others. Alex looked at Zoe, hoping she had an answer, a suggestion for any of this. Alex desperately wanted anything that might help to understand what was going on. Her mind is still trying to understand the deer's lack of reaction to them. What could have the deer so sedated mentally that they ignored their instincts to flee? Zoe sees panic growing on Alex’s face; she can feel her fear at the supernatural event they are in the middle of. Deep down, she is clinging to the hope that there is still a scientific explanation for what they are experiencing. Zoe takes a deep breath. The scent of deer fills the air, and the distant sound of cars hums from Ash Street. She says to herself, "You've got this. Put your science process to work; let’s see what you've got. “Ok, I got it,” Zoe says out loud. Alex responds, “You have an answer for all of this?” “No, not yet, but I have a plan for figuring it out; we need to collect and analyze data that will tell us what is happening.
This is an idea that is foreign to Alex. In her world, you solve problems by fighting or running. Sometimes, both are needed. Instead of arguing, she nods and asks as she wipes a small bead of sweat from her brow, “What do we need to do?” Zoe scans the area around her; the trees full of rustling birds are to the left, the deer are to the right, and their only moment is an occasional weight shift. She points back to their left. “Let’s walk over there; it will put us in a better place to observe the entire scene. The two begin walking to the new observation post. Alex keeps her head toward the deer, fearful that something horrible will happen at any moment. “Why are some deer looking this way, but the ones closest to us are facing away?” Alex asks. Zoe stops and whips her head around. She begins to smile; Alex might have found the key to solving this mystery, she thinks to herself as she focuses on Alex's question. Looking at the two sets of deer, near and far, to confirm Alex’s observation, she says, “Alex, you are a genius; how did I miss that.”
It was Zoe’s turn to take off; she needed to test a hypothesis. Alex watched her walk for a few seconds, then jogged over to catch up. Zoe briskly walked along the edge of the deer; she was looking for something. Watching the direction the deer were pointing to, she wanted to find the exact spot when the direction changed. If her hypothesis was correct, there should be a noticeable space between the two sides. When Zoe finally stopped, it was in an area closer to the stream. The sounds of the water running past the rocky bank could be heard in the background. From their new vantage point near the stream, the field stretched out wide. The deer flanked an invisible corridor that ran straight to a tree-covered ridge. Zoe turned back to Alex, “Here is what we have been looking for.” Alex responded, “You have found what is causing this?” Zoe did not answer; she turned back to the field full of deer and pointed. Alex’s eyes followed the direction of her hand. Her mind was already racing, flooding her system full of emotions…fear was the most prevalent, but anxiety was a close second.
At first, she did not see what Zoe was pointing toward; Alex only saw an empty path. The path extended across the field to the other side. Confused and nervous, Alex’s instincts screamed at her to run. But she held her ground. Then, suddenly, in a moment Alex would remember forever, the mental fog lifted; she could see it, and she understood. It wasn’t just a clearing; it was a path. The deer on either side had formed a line, a symmetrical formation as if flanking an invisible road. She turned toward Zoe, her lips trembling, “The path is separating the deer; each side is looking toward the same thing, just from different directions.” “Nice job, Alex, well done,” Zoe responded. “But why are they being separated? What is it for?” Alex asked. “That is the question to be answered, Zoe said. But I think it is a path for someone or something to walk through.”
They each turned back to look at the path as Zoe’s words echoed in their minds. "Someone or something…the phrase contains unlimited possibilities." It brought another round of anxiety and fear. What could they be facing that has the power to create this scene? Alex was wrestling with two ideas: running away, which was the obvious thing to do. The other notion she wrestled with was that deep down, a part of her wanted to run across the field, scale the ridge, and see what was on the other side. Zoe wanted more information; she wanted to conduct the test, and she tried to learn more about what was happening. She turned to Alex and said, “I'm going to try something. Be ready for anything, especially to run.” Alex responded, “Wait, what… what are you going to do?”
Zoe didn’t answer. She was already running her first test.
She would find out what would happen if someone walked on the path.
She took her first step, then waited. The deer did not respond. Zoe took her second step; this triggered a reaction. Deer all across the field turned their heads toward the girls. Alex grabbed Zoe’s arm to pull her back, but Zoe shook her off; she needed to do this. More information was required even if it was not safe. Zoe took the third step. This stirred the deer to an even bigger reaction. The deer turned. Moved into the path. Blocked it. One step forward, then, in unison, a sharp snort. This time, Alex did not take no for an answer; she jerked Zoe back, pulling her back to safety. “I hope you are happy, Alex shouted; you could have gotten yourself trampled.” Zoe was smiling. “That was awesome and terrifying at the same time. But at least we know more about what we're up against.” “What is that?” Alex barked. “We know that the deer are not just interested in something…they are being controlled by it,” Zoe responded. “What could be possibly controlling this many deer so strongly?” Alex asked. Alex feared the answer; she was afraid of many things simultaneously. One of them was her sudden concern for Zoe. She struggled to understand why she cared enough to stay by Zoe's side during this perilous moment. Then, to protect Zoe as she had now multiple times, Alex had not cared for another person for so long that she had forgotten what it felt like. The warmth crawling up her chest unsettled her. Caring was unfamiliar and dangerous. It was easier to run… easier to hate herself later. Zoe snapped Alex back to reality by saying, “We also know that the path is not for us; the deer made that crystal clear.” “If the path is not for us, then who?” Alex asked.
A rustle broke the silence behind them. Alex spun around.
Two women emerged from a grove of trees two hundred feet away, calm and deliberate, watching.
Thank you for reading this part of Volume 1. For fan reaction, follow us on the X at @TeamMAD. If you'd like to share your thoughts on this or send some fan mail to one of the ladies, you can email us at TeamMADzakmaj@gmail.com.
