You probably have been told stories when you were little. You know, the typical stories they tell kids to scare them off. Like, go to sleep or the boogeyman will take you, or the weeping woman story, or like don't go deep into the forest because you are going to disappear forever and no one is going to remember you ever existed.

Or maybe general teachings, like don’t talk to strangers, or lying is wrong, or stop jumping on the bed under the ceiling fan ‘cause you’re going to chop your head of (was I really the only one whose siblings told him that?), or don't go deep into the forest because you are going to disappear forever and no one is going to remember you ever existed.

You get me, the typical.

The thing is that I grew up in a very superstitious town. I mean very superstitious. Like hecking superstitious.

Especially about the forest thing.

My town was your average, modern, living área. There were houses, a small lake with swams, schools and all the other stuff.

Then, there was the forest.

You know how every town has its own miths depending on its anatomy? Well, our forest inspired a lot of stories kids we told.

The most common ones told things about people who went there to never come again, witches, curses, being erased from existence, etc. For seventeen years, I had heard this kind of stories, never suspecting they were true, of course. But then, I just so happened to discover not that the legends were real, but another truth, not only about the forest but also the entire town, and the people living in it.

This I found out when we ignored the advertences. When we didn't hear the stories. We discovered the truth when we entered the forest.

...

“For the next assignment” the history teacher was saying, the day it all started “you will make groups of three to make a report on the revolutionary war. You will have four weeks to do this. Before you ask, yes, you can decide the groups yourselves. You have ten minutes to hand in a paper with the group members before the bell rings. If you don't, you won't get a one as a mark on this assignment. You will get a zero."

Classmates started murmuring around me, as I searched the area for Steve. Like how had been going on lately, he wasn't on sight.

“Jason!” A voice called behind me. I turn around to see Bella, as beautiful as always, surrounded of boys who wanted to group up with her, as always “Wanna team up? With Steve, of course."

“Sure” I tried to sound cool “I'll write us down."

Before I could do that, a classmate named Jack took the pen from me.

“But beeeeella” he pouted.

“How old are you?” I murmured, grabbing my pen back “Six?”

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My friend giggled.

“I'm sorry guys, but Jason—”

“He didn't ask you before we did” another boy, Matt, interrupted.

“I was going to say that Jason is one of my best friends” Bella explained calmly “I barely know you, guys."

There were a few secinds of silence. Then, they all dispersed, murmuring things I didn't hear neither cared about.

I was writing us down, when it was my turn to turn down an offer.

Debbie was someone I may would have been with if I hadn't liked Bella for about twelve years. Debbie knew it, and made it no secret that she would have liked that alternative option. Bella knew that too and that's why they didn't get along, despite my friend's efforts to behave well with Debbie.

Not that either of them knew that I liked Bella, though. That part I tried to make it, indeed, a secret.

The thing is that Debbie was right in front of me, pen and paper in hand.

“How was your sirname written again, Jace?” she asked me.

I saw Bella's discreet frown.

“I'm sorry Debbie, but—”

“But our paper has already been handed” Steve's voice sounded behind her.

He was panting, sweating (he had probably run, whether it was to catch the bus or not to be late for school, but I suspected that in none my friend had succeeded) and his backpack was halfway through his arm, but Steve was smiling mockingly.

Did I say that Debbie and Bella didn't get along? Well, I lied.

Debbie didn't get along with any of my friends, not even with Steve, who was her cousin.

She fulminated him with her green eyes, murmured something about he and Bella I am not going to repeat, and left quickly to find a group in the little time she had left.

Steve extended his arms.

“I'm a life saver, I know. You can thank me later, guys."

Bella smiled playfully at him.

“You heckin' are, man” I clapped “for a moment I thought it would have to be Bella, Debbie and me. You know, just World War Three...”

Bella crossed her arms.

“It's not that I dislike her, it's just—”

“Yeah, right” Steve laughed “you just despise her."

I choked down my laugh when I saw her indignated glare.

“I just find her an unpleasant person, that's all. Don't ask me why."

“That's because she is” I explained. I looked at Steve “but seriously, I thought that would happen."

His expression tensed, like if he had remembered something he didn't intended to.

“Sorry dude. I promise the alarm didn't ring this time."

Bella giggled mockingly.

“Like yesterday? Or the day before?”

“Dude, Bell is right” I agreed “I mean, it's the third time this week."

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and?”

“Dude, it's Wednesday,"

My friend look away.

“But, seriously, Steve” Bella put a worried face “is everything alright?”

He forced a smile for her.

“Don't worry, Bell. I'm just not sleeping very well these days. I've been having these... Strange dreams."

The whole classroom got silent all of a sudden, as if the people were waiting for an indication to jump and yell Surprise!. Or maybe... They were eavesdropping.

“Like nightmares?” I asked quietly.

“Not quite...” Steve looked around, stranged at the people, who seemed to be starting at us “I'm sorry, don't you have better things to do?”

Our classmates continued their conversations as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Bella herself blinked, confused.

“Well, that was weird."

Steve was still looking around, suspicious.

"Yeah..."

We waited, I don't know what for. Maybe to see it the surprise *surprise! *was still bound to happen, but the room was filled again by teenage talk.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"How come not quite?"

He sat down, leaving his backpack on the floor.

"Don't know man. It's almost like memories, just that I know they are not. You get me?"

"No."

Bella shook his head.

"Yeah, I though you'd say that" Steve sighted "I mean, they felt like memories, but I don't actually remember having lived them. Understand?"

"Oh" Bella nodded "now I get it."

Before I could agree, a girl entered the room. She looked around, as if she were scared of having missed something important, and when she saw she hadn't, she walked over to the professor.

"Hello. I'm the transfer student."