Black Forest Bound

By Lorelei Gray

A dark fantasy debut perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrow, The Hazel Wood, and L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game trilogy.

It was supposed to be a fun school trip to Germany's infamous Black Forest, but the castle they're staying in doesn't match the brochure-it's old, creepy, and every room

• Language: English
• Publisher: Foxfoot Books
• Release date: Nov 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986636115

Book preview

Black

Forest

Bound

Lorelei Gray

Foxfoot Books

Once upon a time…

Prologue

Just keep running! she yelled over her shoulder, sweat spilling down her face, her forehead plastered with her wet, sticky hair. The forest grabbed at her with its branches and tripped her with its roots. Beady, red animal eyes surrounded her on all sides. Sharp, thorny vines shot out and scratched at her face, her arms, her legs. She pushed forward harder, slapping the vines and branches out of her way, toward what she hoped was out. Out of this dark and evil forest, out of this horror story she had gotten them into.

We’re almost there! she called again to her brother. She heard him bursting through the forest behind her; the sound of snapping twigs and crunched leaves trailed her like a noisy shadow. She was sure she could see light peeking between the trees just ahead of her. The closer she got, the brighter it seemed. A part of her began to relax; they were almost there. Almost out. They had done it.

They had escaped.

She broke through the tree line and into an open field, then stopped running. The sun was so bright it nearly blinded her, but she welcomed the pain. It meant she was finally safe. Her lungs screamed with exertion—she inhaled deeply, in harsh rattling breaths. When she finally caught her breath, she turned around, smiling.

But she was alone.

Hey! Over here! Follow my voice! she called into the thick woods. Every moment that passed added more and more weight to her chest. She had never looked behind her, she realized.

She had never looked.

But I heard him, she thought. She leaned carefully into the edge of the woods, making sure to keep half of her body outside the tree line. She looked into the darkness she had just escaped, and listened.

She heard the same crunching sounds she had when running through the forest. But no one was there. He wasn’t there.

It was an echo, she realized, her smile long gone now. The forest tricked me.

She had heard the crunching brush and trees and had assumed it was him right behind her. She realized she had never actually seen him escape that awful house. Panic rose inside of her in one big painful, hot burst.

She had left him behind to die.

1

Sadie Reyes woke up with her forehead stuck to the van’s dingy window. She stared for a moment at her own reflection in the glass—her messy, long black hair tumbled down past her shoulders, and her dark brown eyes glared back at her. Her mother was always scolding her for scowling. That’s just how my face looks, she would usually respond. Her round face gave her a slight chipmunky look her dad insisted was adorable but that she hated. She poked one of her ample cheeks and wondered when the baby fat would go away. At seventeen, she really thought it would be gone by now.

Sadie refocused her eyes to stare past her reflection and out at the thick forest surrounding the van. Skinny birch trees flashed white among bushy, deep-green spruces as the van moved slowly through the forest over the rough dirt road.

The van was just big enough to fit their group of eleven. Sadie was in the second to last row, with her best friend Hannah asleep next to her—her bright, burnt-orange head lolling side to side. They were almost exact opposites—Sadie with her dark hair, brown skin, rolling eyes, and sharp tongue; Hannah with her bright green eyes, practically translucent pale skin, and seemingly endless positivity. If she were awake, she would probably be babbling nonstop about some inane thing—like how each tree was even more exciting than the last identical tree. Across from them on the other side of the aisle was Rain, the petite girl’s pixieish face obscured by her mass amount of wavy blonde hair. She was turned toward the window, looking out the same way Sadie had been. Next to Rain on the aisle side was Charlotte, her white-blonde head tipped backward against the seat back, her apple-red lips slightly parted as she slept. Sadie imagined a fat spider shimmying down and slipping inside her open mouth.

It was quiet in the van except for the sound of crunching dirt and sticks as it drove forward. She glanced around at the rest of her classmates, whose heads were softly jostling around as they slept. Most of them were still struggling with the time change and jet lag. They’d survived a nineteen-hour flight—with not one but two layovers—from San Francisco to Frankfurt, Germany. Then they’d spent two days exploring Frankfurt, though it was mostly a blur to Sadie.

Yesterday they’d done a walking tour of Frankfurt. Her feet were still sore, and she’d had difficulty paying attention during the long droning lectures.

Mrs. Braun, their English teacher and chaperone, had dragged them all out of bed early that morning to take advantage of the free continental breakfast one last time and then hit the road to their next destination, Schloss Lieser—a restored castle turned tourist trap in the middle of nowhere.

Sadie stared at Travis’s thick neck in front of her, his short buzz cut emphasizing the bulk of his neck and head. She saw tiny droplets of sweat glistening on his pink scalp and was sure when he removed his head from the window, there would be a big greasy sweat mark left behind. She grimaced and glanced over at the far more appealing head bobbing next to his: Aiden’s. His perfectly styled dark-brown hair was mussed and smashed against Travis’s beefy shoulder. Travis’s boxy form took up more than his fair share of the seat, squeezing Aiden to the edge of his seat.

Sadie allowed herself to glance briefly at the two heads bouncing along in the bench seat at the front of the van. Jenny’s mousy-brown curls leaned up against her boyfriend Ryan’s beach-bleached blonde hair. Even now, she felt a twinge of jealousy.

After what felt like weeks, the van finally escaped the woods and began approaching the castle. Sadie stared out the window at the imposing structure and frowned–it looked very different from the pictures she’d seen of it online.

The castle looked to have about four or five floors based on the rows of tall, narrow, rectangular windows winding around its large body. The building stretched out all the way to the edge of a cliff, where, fifty feet below, a river churned and snapped at the cliffside. The roof was painted deep red, but the rest of the castle was the color of natural stone: gray and dingy with age. Two turrets poked out from the roof on either side of the castle, their points piercing the dusky sky. The castle was immense, towering, and in total disrepair. The photos she had seen had made it seem much … nicer … than it was in real life. False advertising, she thought with an eye roll.

She turned to Hannah and nudged her awake.

Hey, we’re here.

Hannah yawned and rubbed her eyes, then leaned over Sadie to look out the window. Her long poppy-colored hair spilled into Sadie’s face. She swatted it away and leaned as far back into her seat as she could to make space.

Wow, it’s really beautiful! Hannah grinned at Sadie, her pale skin growing pink with excitement. Hannah could barely control herself when she got excited, her whole body would vibrate with it. She grabbed Sadie by the shoulders and shook her.

"This. Is. So. Awesome!" she squealed.

Sadie pulled away, a smile slowly breaking across her face. Alright, keep it together. You haven’t even seen the inside yet.

Hannah’s green eyes turned into saucers. The inside!!! she squealed again, bouncing up and down next to Sadie on the tattered bench seat.

Sadie rolled her eyes and looked back out the window at the castle, which grew bigger and bigger as the van approached. As the van drew closer, she squinted at the entry–a stone archway surrounded two impossibly tall wooden doors. Standing in front of those doors was a tall, thin woman dressed in a modest, long-sleeved brown dress that met with matching laced-up boots at the knee. Her blonde hair was tied up tightly on top of her head in a perfect bun, not a strand out of place. Sadie admired the bun briefly; her mother had forced her to do ballet for years, and she had never been able to master the perfect ballerina bun. Wisps of her black hair would curl at her forehead (gel be damned), and strands would jut out from the bulb of hair on the back of her head. Once or twice it had fallen apart completely during class—her long dark hair tumbling down her shoulders, the failed bobby pins still sticking to her head. Her teacher had always given her dirty looks when she came into the dance studio for class. In ballet, presentation was just as important as skill–one of the many reasons Sadie didn’t do ballet anymore.

The van slowed as it approached the castle and the mystery woman in the brown dress. For a brief moment, Sadie locked eyes with her and felt a tightness in her chest like she couldn’t breathe. Just as quickly the feeling was gone.

2

Jenny Bell woke up as the van shuttered to a halt, her head falling forward off Ryan’s shoulder painfully. For a brief moment, she couldn’t remember what she was doing in this hot, muggy van in the middle of the woods. She felt groggy and confused. As she rubbed her neck and looked around, it came back to her: the school trip. The rest of her classmates, or rather the nine others that had chosen to go on this summer trip, were in various stages of waking up, rubbing their eyes, and yawning. She had grown up with most of them—they all came from the same dreary, sleepy coastal town in Northern California. Ryan was still sleeping, though, with his head resting against the van’s dirty window. She gently nudged him awake.

Wha— he started, looking over at her sleepily. She admired his lightly suntanned face and sun-bleached hair. It fell in gentle waves across his gold-flecked hazel eyes. He could have his pick of any girl, and yet here he was—with her.

We’re here, she said, smiling. She slid her hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. She’d been madly in love with Ryan since the first time she talked to him freshman year. They had been in the same AP English class then, too, but didn’t really speak to each other until she happened to run into him at the beach one afternoon. There was a small beach within walking distance of her house that she liked to go to sometimes by herself. She would walk around, look for shells, and take photos of the ocean on her phone. She was usually the only one there, it wasn’t a popular beach, but that day she saw Ryan sitting alone on the sand playing his guitar. The ocean breeze tossed his blonde hair around and his arms were bare, tanned, and perfectly muscled. She recognized him right away from class, and in a rare moment of courage, she decided to approach him. They talked for hours and were pretty much inseparable ever since.

Now they were entering their last year of high school together, and she was so excited to get to go on this trip with him before their senior year officially began. She was looking forward to having some alone time with him and was relieved to be away from her dad for a couple weeks. Ever since her mother had been sent away, he had become incredibly overbearing—always needing to know where she was, constantly calling her when she was out. She tried to be patient with him, but it was really getting on her nerves. She needed a break from it all: from her dad, from the awkward weekly visits to see her mother, from trying to figure out what she was going to do once she graduated. She didn’t want to think about any of it for a while.

Mrs. Braun turned off the van and turned around to speak to them. She was shorter than Jenny and a little plump, and her round face was etched in wrinkles.

Okay, everyone, we’re here! Make sure you don’t leave anything inside the van, and come collect your luggage outside. She patted at her short silver-gray hair, smoothing any wayward strands, and opened the driver’s side door to get out.

Jenny was excited to have Mrs. Braun as her AP English teacher this year. Everyone loved her. She was always making jokes and never gave anyone a hard time. This was the first time the school had organized an international trip for students, and Jenny was pretty sure it was Mrs. Braun who had made it happen.

Jenny followed the rest of the group out of the van and nearly bumped into her teacher, who was staring up at the castle.

Huh, she heard Mrs. Braun say softly to herself. She looked down at a brochure she held in her hand, then back up at the castle. Jenny followed her gaze and saw what she saw. The castle was in much worse shape than had been advertised, but it didn’t look too bad. Mrs. Braun shrugged and continued toward the castle. 

Once out of the cramped van, the boys stretched out their long limbs while the girls looked for their bags. Jenny stretched and rolled her neck. It had been an incredibly long few days of tight and uncomfortable traveling arrangements. 

She looked up at the castle again and was struck by how large and looming it was. The grounds were open and beautiful, but the thick woods that surrounded them made her feel a little claustrophobic. She couldn’t even see the road they drove in on farther than fifty feet.

They were standing in a dirt road that circled past the castle and looped back to the road they came in on. In the center of the loop, directly in front of the castle doors, was a large ornate fountain that gurgled and spat water. Jenny tilted her head, considering it. The fountain consisted of a statue of a little girl in a sitting position, her head turned downward, looking at her arms. Jenny grimaced to see both the statue’s hands had broken off, so it looked like the girl was staring down sadly at her two stumps. The water Jenny had heard gurgling and splashing was pouring down in two streams—one from each of the little girl’s eyes. The water pooled around her as if she were stuck on her own little island, trapped by her own tears.

Jenny recoiled. So creepy.

She watched as Mrs. Braun walked up to a very tall, thin woman who appeared to be waiting for them. After a minute of talking, Mrs. Braun smiled and handed the van’s keys to the woman. Jenny noted the woman’s heavy brown dress and boots and wondered how she could be wearing all that in heat like this. Her own short, curly brown hair was a mess of humidity-induced frizz. With her poofy hair and long neck, she was sure she looked like a fuzzy lollipop. She tried to smooth it down with her hands but quickly gave up and pulled it back into a short, lumpy ponytail. She turned to say something to Ryan but saw he was no longer standing next to her. He was a short distance away talking to Aiden and the other guys, his sticker-covered black guitar case in one hand and his rolling suitcase by his side. She shook her head and sighed. They hadn’t been at the castle longer than a minute, and he had already abandoned her for his friends. Aiden, Ryan’s best friend, stood next to him awkwardly, eyeing Travis and Cameron, who were currently in the process of arguing over something Jenny couldn’t hear.

Cameron had his tortoiseshell glasses in one hand and was rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other in irritation. He looked fresh and clean despite the long drive. His button-up, dark-blue and plaid shirt, despite having spent a lot of time inside a suitcase, looked freshly pressed. His black hair was trimmed short and perfectly even. He was average height for a boy, but he looked dwarfed standing next to Travis, the largest guy in their grade, if not the whole school. Travis was the exact opposite of Cameron: a sweaty mess. His white T-shirt was stained yellow with sweat, and his loose-fitting gray basketball shorts looked like they hadn’t been washed in months. He was gesturing wildly toward Cameron, then turned to Ryan and Aiden as if he were looking for backup. 

She turned away from watching the boys’ antics to listen to whatever Rain, Ryan’s beautiful, almost ephemeral, twin sister, was saying to Charlotte, and attempted to slip into their conversation.

… History, and Advanced Art, Rain finished, in her light, breathy voice. Rain’s golden hair matched her brother’s but fell in soft waves all the way down to her waist. Her eyes were also hazel like Ryan’s, but his were more amber while hers had more green in them. She was very thin and petite; people were always picking her up or resting an arm on top of her head.  Rain was filled with unending patience, but it always bothered Jenny to see her treated that way.

Jenny’s eyes drifted down to the thick vertical scar running down Rain’s chest, exposed by her V-necked, peach dress, and quickly looked away. She knew how self-conscious Rain was of her scar—she had only recently started wearing clothes with lower necklines. She never asked Rain about it, but Ryan had told her about Rain’s congenital heart defect, the multiple open-heart surgeries she’d had growing up, and how there were things she’d never be able to do. He always sounded a little guilty when talking about his twin’s heart problems, like it was his fault her heart hadn’t formed properly.

What electives are you taking? Rain asked Charlotte.

I’m taking shop as my elective this year, Charlotte responded, watching herself reapply her bright red lipstick in a small compact mirror she had pulled from her oversized tote bag.

Aren’t you afraid you’ll cut a finger off? Rain asked, wide eyed.

No. Charlotte snapped the compact shut and stuck it back inside her bag. Her cherry-red lips blazed against her pale skin. Even in this heat, even after a million hours of travel, Charlotte looked completely put together. She always did. Somehow her clothes were never wrinkled, and she was never greasy or sweaty. Her dyed white-blonde hair was always perfectly styled in a severe angled cut that barely reached her chin. Her stylish clothes always fit her curvy body perfectly, as if they were made for her. Sometimes Jenny wondered if they were made for her. She eyed the bright red-and-orange tank dress Charlotte was currently wearing—it fit snugly up top, but the skirt flowed loosely down to her knees. The dress accentuated her hourglass figure, and the bright tropical flower pattern demanded attention.

Why didn’t Farrah come on this trip? Charlotte asked Rain. She’s in AP English this year, right?

Rain frowned and let her eyes wander past Charlotte and Jenny to something behind them. Jenny fought the urge to turn to see what it was.

No, Rain replied distractedly. We actually got into a big fight about it. She didn’t make it into AP this year, and she wanted me to skip the trip to hang out with her this summer. She hates being left behind.

Jenny was surprised to hear Rain and Farrah had been fighting. She knew Farrah wasn’t coming on the trip, but she didn’t realize she hadn’t wanted Rain to come. It didn’t matter, though, Jenny knew. Even if Rain had wanted to skip the trip and stay home, her parents would have made her go anyway. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews were big on travel and wanted to make sure their kids took every opportunity they could to expand their horizons. They would never let a girlfriend, Jenny included, keep their kids from doing things.   

Hey, does this castle look … off … to you? Rain said, still staring past Charlotte and Jenny.

Charlotte turned and gave the castle a quick glance, then turned back and shrugged.

It’s no five-star hotel, if that’s what you mean.

No, I mean—

Okay, everyone, follow me into the castle! Mrs. Braun called, cutting Rain off. Make sure you don’t leave anything behind." Mrs. Braun shouted over to them before turning and following the tall, thin woman into the castle.

They followed behind like tired toddlers, awkwardly pulling suitcases or struggling with duffle bags on the way inside. Jenny threw her own overstuffed duffle bag over her shoulder and watched as Charlotte propped a vintage-looking small white suitcase on top of a rolling suitcase, while her tote bag was still hanging off her shoulder. Jenny couldn’t imagine why Charlotte needed so much stuff for just a three-week trip. Rain pulled up the handle of her own rolling suitcase, and one by one they disappeared into the darkness of the castle.

The castle’s lobby was incredibly dark, and it took a minute for Jenny’s eyes to adjust. The sun was setting behind them, draining the lobby of natural light. A dingy brass chandelier filled with flickering candles hung above them, and more candles were secured to the walls with iron holders. Jenny looked around but didn’t see any lamps or other modern light sources—just the dripping wax candles.

Ahead, a grand staircase beckoned them up. Jenny saw two other guests drift down the stairs toward them, then disappear down one of the hallways.

The group stood there in an awkward cluster, waiting for instructions. Jenny noticed the air smelled heavy and musty, like dusty old carpet. She felt a slight tickle in her nose and tried not to sneeze.

To their left, an impossibly old man in a faded blue uniform stared blankly at them behind a small weathered desk. He looked maybe a million years old, his skin practically melting down his face. Brown liver spots decorated his bald head, and a ratty gray beard grew helter-skelter down his face. His eyes were two milky, unseeing orbs. Behind him hung a dusty case, filled with keys dangling off small hooks. The blonde woman walked over to him in three long strides and mumbled something quickly to him in German. He turned to the case behind him and deftly removed keys from various places on the rack and handed them to her. Jenny wondered how he could find the right keys without being able to see them.

As the woman took the last keys from the old man, she hesitated and looked at him seriously. Nicht dieser, she hissed at him, offering them back to him. The old man smiled but didn’t move to take them back from her. She turned on one pointy heel and walked back toward them with the keys, with an angry look on her face.

This is Ms. Eckert, Mrs. Braun said cheerfully, finally introducing the mystery woman. She works here at the castle and will be our guide while we are here. You will follow her rules and treat her as you would treat me.

Ms. Eckert twisted her thin mouth into a tight smile. Alright, pay attention, she barked in a thick German accent. Come get your room key.

They looked over at Mrs. Braun for confirmation. She nodded. Unlike the hotel in Frankfurt, you will be sharing a room with another person. You all selected a roommate preference when you filled out your permission forms. I did my best to match you with the person you requested, but some of you may be rooming with someone else. It’s only for three days, I think you will be able to handle it.

It quickly became clear who would be pairing up with whom—Sadie and Hannah, Ryan and Aiden. Jenny and Charlotte had requested each other, so they would probably be roommates. Travis and Cameron, being the only other boys, were paired up by default. Travis, the class clown since second grade, grinned and grabbed Cameron into a side hug, nearly lifting the lanky boy off his feet. Then there was May. She stood slightly away from the group, a cloud of dark brown hair with lightning eyes glaring out at them.

Poor Rain, whispered Charlotte to Jenny. She’s stuck with May.

If Rain was upset that she had to room with May Fontaine, she didn’t show it. She was absentmindedly weaving her long golden hair into a braid and looking around the room. May was a different matter. She pulled further away from the others and stared down at the ground, hugging her black duffle bag close to her body, her long dark-brown hair concealing her expression.

Alright, line up to get your room key, Ms. Eckert continued.

Sadie Reyes and Hannah Turgle, said Mrs. Braun, writing their names in a notebook as they approached.

Room 306, said Ms. Eckert as she held out a bracelet, a silver chain with a key hanging off of it, to Sadie. Third floor.

What’s this? Sadie asked, taking the bracelet from Ms. Eckert as if it were something disgusting.

It’s a key bracelet, Mrs. Braun answered. It’s how they do it here at the castle. Isn’t that cool? You put it around your wrist, and it has an adjustable clasp so one size fits all! It’s so you don’t lose it.

Sadie, who Jenny knew to be practically allergic to wearing jewelry, gave her a look of irritation and shoved the key bracelet into the pocket of her jean shorts. They headed toward the staircase—No elevators! Hannah squealed with joy—pulling their rolling suitcases behind them. The rolling bags made echoing click, click, click sounds as they bumped over the rough cobblestone floor.

Jenny watched them disappear up the dark staircase and felt a familiar tug of loss and guilt inside her chest. Things used to be so different between them … She shook her head to keep the memories from surfacing. She didn’t want to think about that right now. She looked over at Charlotte instead, who was struggling to balance her tower of suitcases as she dug around for something in her tote bag.

Next in line were May and Rain. May hung back as Rain moved toward Ms. Eckert for their room key.

May Fontaine and Rain Andrews, Mrs. Braun said, scribbling again in her notebook. Ms. Eckert handed Rain a key bracelet. Room 208, second floor.

Rain smiled, carefully clasped the bracelet around her wrist, and dangled it in front of her face. Pretty, she cooed as she picked up her duffle bag from the ground where she had set it. She turned back to Jenny and Charlotte and called back to them, I’ll catch up with you guys after I unpack! and practically skipped to the staircase. May drifted slowly after her like a shadow. Jenny smiled at how quickly Rain had set aside her fight with Farrah. She wasn’t going to let that dampen her trip.

Poor Rain, Charlotte repeated, shaking her head. It’s too bad they don’t have a triple.

Ryan, his golden hair darkening to burnt honey in the flickering candlelight of the castle, approached Ms. Eckert with Aiden.

Ryan Andrews and Aiden Isa, said Mrs. Braun.

Ms. Eckert reached to hand Ryan a key but stopped midway to his hand.

Andrews? Ms. Eckert gestured in the direction Rain and May had gone. Are they twins?

Yes, they are! said Mrs. Braun cheerfully, her pen raised over her notebook as she waited for Ms. Eckert to announce a room number.

Don’t you think brother and sister should room together? Ms. Eckert asked Mrs. Braun, ignoring the boys standing directly in front of her.

Oh, no, they should be with their friends. I’m not going to force them to room together—I’m sure they get enough of each other at home! Mrs. Braun smiled and continued to wait for a room number to write down.

Mm, okay, Ms. Eckert said, finally handing over the key bracelet in her hand. Room 305, third floor.

Ryan hesitated and then took the bracelet. Do I really have to wear this? 

Yes. Don’t worry, it’s very fashionable. Everyone here is wearing them, Mrs. Braun said with a wink.

Jenny watched Ryan as he and Aiden walked toward the staircase. He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked back at her and smiled before disappearing into the darkness.

Alright that’s enough of that, Charlotte snapped, nudging her out of her trance. You are not going to ditch me for Ryan on this trip.

Jenny rolled her eyes. I would never! I was … just … enjoying the view. She smiled at Charlotte, who rolled her eyes while making a gagging sound.

Travis Williams and Cameron Jones, room 307.

Travis didn’t move to take the bracelet. He looked at Cameron. Cameron looked at him, then the key bracelet, and made a face. Fine, he mumbled, taking the bracelet from Ms. Eckert. They headed up the stairs behind Ryan and Aiden. Then it was finally their turn.

Mrs. Braun smiled as they approached. Last but not least, Jenny Bell and Charlotte Lane, she said.

Room 404, top floor, Ms. Eckert said coldly, then paused with her hand half outstretched to them. She considered