The Forest--Allicia

The moment she stepped into the forest the bright, blue sky gave way to trees and darkness that seemed to press inwards, confining her. She looked back where she came from, and seeing only endless trees, she turned back to face her destination: her brother. She didn’t know where he was, only that he’d run into the forest after telling her not to follow because “little sisters aren’t allowed”. She was going to find him and show him that she didn’t need to be left at home. She could handle whatever he was doing. So she walked. And walked. And walked. Until she realized that she was too far in to ever find her way out, and there was no sign of her brother. She turned around and saw a looming, dark figure standing there looking down at her. It bore no resemblance to any kind of creature--human or animal--than she had ever seen or heard of. It appeared to her to be more black smoke than substance. Her childish imagination having not yet abandoned her, she did not assume it meant her any harm. Perhaps it would even turn out to be a friend. “Hello!” she said tentatively. “Who are you?” It tilted the dark mass that she assumed was its head and grinned, displaying sharp, shining white teeth. “You are lost,” it said simply. Its voice was as grating as nails on a chalkboard though it spoke in what was closer to a rush of air than a true voice. “Yes,” she replied, not feeling any sense of unease. “I’m looking for my brother. Have you seen him?” “Yes, but I am terribly lonely,” the creature said. “Come play with me and I will show him to you. Let us go this way.” It glided past her and she did as she was told for once in her life, and began to follow. As it led her deeper into the forest she began to realize that it was odd that there were no birds or other animals. It was almost as silent as death, the only sound being her own footsteps and the subtle rushing of air from the creatures gliding in front of her. Suddenly it stopped, her right behind. They were in the middle of a small, gloomy, clearing. “Is he here?” she asked, craning her neck to see every possible inch of the area surrounding her as if her brother might pop out from around a tree. Maybe he would be there to play with them. “Oh yes, child,” the figure replied. “He is here in spirit. As are so many children before him.” It flashed its sinister smile at her again. She frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t get it.” Where there was only shadow, there was suddenly bright, blinding circles that she assumed were the creature’s eyes. Around them, the clearing grew brighter, glowing shapes swirling all around them. She spun around, her eyes widening in shock, awe, and suddenly fear. She immediately recognized the shapes as humans, though they seemed to be floating in midair. They had their eyes closed. She turned slowly, looking at all of them, eventually facing the creature again, its face locked in a perpetual grimace. A familiar voice whispered in her ear, “Run. Don’t trust it.” Her brother. Now she was truly, utterly terrified. Directly behind the creature, she could see his form, as ghostly as the rest, though he was standing upright in one place, eyes open, his brow furrowed as if it took all his concentration to remain stationary. Suddenly the shadowy figure’s eyes snapped shut and its smile vanished instantly. “You have chosen to play with me, as did your brother. Would you like to join him?” She shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes. “I wanna go home,” she whimpered. “This is your home now,” it whispered, drawing close to her. “You can’t leave me now, not after you promised you’d play with me.” The grin had returned, and now it was so close to her that she could see a very real mouth behind the teeth, unlike the misty surface of the rest of the creature. She screamed, tears streaming down her face. Then suddenly everything was dark and hazy and cold. Very, very cold. And she could hear her brother’s voice saying “I told you not to follow me.”