Julie chased after me. "How about after this, we grab lunch. I'm craving a big, juicy burger."

"Mind if Jesse joins us?" I asked.

Fred offered an exaggerated eye-roll.

"That'd be great," Julie said. "It'd be nice to get to know him while I'm sober."

I laughed. "Do you remember leaning against him and telling him how pretty his eyes are?"

She cupped her mouth. "No way! Did I really do that?"

I nodded as she looked away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know how much you like him. I promise I'll never do that again."

I laughed. "It's okay. You were pretty smashed, and we both knew it."

She grabbed Fred's arm. "I was soooo wasted."

He smirked.

We walked for a little ways and enjoyed the beautiful, serene landscape. Having come from New York City, I knew I'd never take all that natural beauty for granted. Streams of sunshine poured down through the towering trees all around us. Insects hummed, and birds chirped.

Max barked, then pulled so hard that I tripped over a log and let go of the leash.

"Max!" I wailed.

Fred offered his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, jumping to my feet and peering ahead, "but where did Max go?"

He pointed. "That way. I hear him barking."

I shuddered, recalling the last time Max had gotten away. "I don't know why he does that," I complained. "He just takes off."

"He's a dog," Julie said. "He's just acting like one."

"Well, I'm sick of it. I need to train him better."

We stopped at wire fence with a "No Trespassing" sign on it. I yelled for Max to come back, but he refused again, just like the last time. Having no other choice, I slipped my leg over the fence and jumped over it.

"Wait. What are you doing? That's private property," Fred scolded, pointing at the sign.

"He's right," Julie said.

I shot her a look. "Since when do you care?"

"Since now," she said, pointing at a long line of skulls dangling from a rope stretched from one tree to the next.

I gasped. "Are those...human?" I asked, completely frazzled.

She walked over to more closely inspect them. "No. Animal."

I let out a sigh of relief. My gaze shot to a long, horizontal rock, about ten by three feet, carved with weird symbols and ancient writing. I traced the engraved letters with my fingers. "What do you think this means?" I asked.

"I have no idea what the symbols are, but the letters are in Latin," Julie said, squinting for a better look at them in the bright sunlight.

"Latin?"

"Yeah. Maybe it's some kind of memorial or something."

"Think it's a headstone?" I asked.

"I don't know, but this whole place is givin' me the creeps. I'm not going past that rock, dog or no dog."

I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture. "There. Now we can Google it when we get back."

Julie shuddered. "I wanna get out of here."

"Wait here," I said. "I have to get Max."

"I'll come with you," Fred said, trying to sound brave and chivalrous.

She grabbed my arm, then Fred's. "Are you two crazy? You guys can't leave me here in Freddy Krueger's back yard all by myself!"

I sighed loudly. "Then you'll have to come with us. I'm not leaving my dog behind."

"But it's some kind of creepy cemetery, and-"

"Go or stay. It's your choice."

"You expect me to wait here by the skull collection and the hieroglyphic mummy headstone for some chainsaw-wielding maniac to come after me?" she said.

"You've watched too many horror flicks," Fred said, laughing.

"Well, maybe that's why I'm still alive. Consider it research."

I sighed. "We'll be right back. I can't leave Max."

"Let's just wait here for a minute. Surely he'll come back."

The place was strange, even more frightening than the mountain lion, and I didn't like the thought of my dog running around over there. My gaze shot to the animal skulls knocking together in the wind. My stomach was in knots. "Look, Julie, we have no idea who owns this land. They might shoot him on sight. Clearly, they've got no problem killing animals."

"Fine. Let's go get your dog," she said, climbing over the fence. "But if I get killed, just know I'll be back to haunt you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I said with a smile.

We walked through the thick woods, calling for Max. I stopped when I heard a twig snap, as if someone was following us. I took a deep breath to settle my overactive imagination, then pushed through some ferns that opened up like a doorway into an Easter-grass green meadow. There, we saw Max, barking at a fire ring made completely out of stones. I cocked a brow, confused. "Max?"

"He must be barking at a little animal," Julie said, "like a mouse or something. It's probably hiding behind one of those rocks."

I gazed at all the rocks in the large ring, guessing someone had once camped there. But then, as I looked closer, I noticed a pile of boulders in the center, with a black tin box sitting on top of them. I swallowed an egg-sized lump in my throat. "Oh my gosh. Do you think this is some kind of...altar?"

Fred glanced around. "Whoa! Do you think they sacrifice animals out here?"

"Or humans," I whispered.

Julie clutched her chest. "What if it's some kind of satanic cult?" She picked up the black box and tried to open it, but it was too tightly sealed. "Won't budge. I wonder what's inside. Whatever it is, they're trying to keep it a secret."

"Dude, you touched it!" Fred said.

"One, I'm not a dude. Two, I'm sure it's just an empty box," Julie retorted.

"You don't know that."

"It's light as a feather."

"Maybe we should just leave it alone," I said. "If I remember right, Julie, you didn't even want to come over here."

"I know," Julie said with a gleam in her eye, "but aren't you curious?"

"Maybe curiosity is what killed all those cats hanging on that clothesline back there," Fred said.

"Yeah, we really shouldn't be messing with it, Julie. I don't wanna be cursed or something."

"Do you really think it's witchcraft?" Fred asked.

"Maybe it's just teenagers experimenting," I said, grabbing the box. "Let's just put it back where we found it." But as I held it, curiosity struck me, and I turned the box over in my hands several times, looking at it carefully. When the lid opened, seemingly on its own, I jumped.

"You did it!" she shouted. "What's in there?"

The box was empty, but I read the words scrolled in dust: "You are the chosen one."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Julie asked. "Chosen for what?"

"How would I know?"

"Maybe you're the chosen one because you opened up the box," she said.

"That's silly."

"Maybe you'll get superpowers or something cool like that."

I playfully slugged her, then set the box down exactly where I found it. Letting out a trembling breath, I secretly recalled that old story of Pandora's box, and I hoped I hadn't unleashed some kind of evil on the world, my friends, or myself.

Fred bit his lip and pointed down at the rocks. "Look! The altar is surrounded by circular patches of burnt grass."

"What burned it?" I asked.

"It looks like they were left by a ring of torches or candles."

"So it was some kind of occult ritual!" Julie said. "Man, I don't wanna be a Blair Witch sequel!"

"Enough with the horror movies," I said, then glanced around and up into the trees, overcome by the eerie feeling that we were being watched. When the breeze stirred, I could have sworn I heard someone whisper my name, and I froze with fear.

"Taylor, what's wrong?" Julie asked.

"I thought somebody called for me."

"I didn't hear anything but the wind," Fred said, looking around.

I swallowed another lump. "Yeah. I'm sure it was just my imagination."

All of the sudden, the wind picked up immensely, swirling our hair around our heads and rustling the trees violently, causing them to sway and creak.

Julie's eyes widened. "What's happening?"

Next, music began to play, an ancient melody in flutes and bells.

"That's weird," Fred said.

"Where's the music coming from?" Julie asked.

I glanced around, darting my eyes in a slow circle, but I couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. It was freaky, and a chill ran up my spine. I wanted to bolt, but my feet were suddenly glued to the ground, as if some invisible entity was holding me in place.

"Taylor," a soft woman's voice said lightly in my ear. "You've been marked. Know that you are in danger from my enemies. But do not fear, for you will have our protection until the full moon, the first day of the new year. Know that it is your destiny to free us from our curse."

"Taylor!" Julie said, her face pale.

Fred softly gripped my shoulders, and I stared into his green eyes. "What's wrong?" he said.

"Breathe," Julie said, "and then tell me what's happening."

Beads of sweat rolled down my face as I gasped for air. I couldn't talk. All I knew was that I needed to get away as fast as possible.

Suddenly, I could move my legs. I bolted toward Max and grabbed his leash. My heart was beating a million times a minute. "Let's go!" I said between gasps, grabbing Julie's arm and pulling her along. I gripped Max's leash tightly with my other hand. We tore through the woods, past the weird rock and animal skulls, then jumped in her truck and breathlessly locked the doors.

"Go, go, go!" I shouted, glancing out the windows.

"What's going on, Taylor?" she asked.

"Just start driving! I'll tell you on the way!" I yelled.

"Yeah, let's just get outta here," Fred said. "That was freaky how the wind kicked up like that. And what was with that music?"

Julie put the truck in drive, and we sped away. No one said a word until she reached town and pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant.

"Taylor, what happened back there?" Fred asked.