The Dark Forest

The Dark Forest Written By: Moonlight8

You open your eyes, thinking that you’ll wake up in your bed. But what you see is not your den. The forest has the tallest trees you’ve ever seen. You squint, trying to see the sun through the dense branches and leaves. But you can’t. The trees of this strange forest block out the sky. Waiting for your eyes to adjust to the gloom, you look around, hoping to see a trail to find your way out of here. You see nothing. Taking a deep breath, you scrunch your nose in disgust. The forest reeks of decay. It’s been almost an hour, and you’ve been wandering through the seemingly endless trees, hoping to stumble upon a clearing, so you can rest. But the forest is cunning, waiting for the moment you take your eyes off the ground, so it can trip you and slow your progress. Panic stabs you like a thorn, and you began running desperately. What was that? You hear a twig snap from somewhere up ahead. Gingerly, you move forward. With a shudder, you imagine the creatures that might live here. Pushing the thought away, you focus on trying to be quiet. You don’t want that thing to hear you. Crunch. There it is again. You still see nothing, so you ignore your growing fear. If you just keep going, the landscape must change. You’ll soon need water and rest. It’s been another half hour, and you haven’t heard any more sounds. You probably just imagined them. You’re still lost in thought when another sound stops you in your tracks. Is that a river? You sprint towards the sound, and your heart soars as you see a river. When you reach the bank, you don’t hesitate to plunge your hands into the water. But as you touch the river’s surface, you realize that something is wrong. The water is warm and slimy. How will I drink this? You think in disgust. Are you really thirsty enough to drink this? You may have no choice, you realize, your body stiffening in horror. If dehydration sets in, you’ll have to drink this water whether it’s clean or not. It’s been a long time, and you’ve left the river. Just so you don’t get lost, you make sure you can hear it at all times, but you need to rest. Wandering through these treacherous woods has not been easy. Snap. You freeze. Not again! You think despairingly. Fear grips you like a talon as you wonder what is lurking in the trees, tracking you, trying to find a chance to strike you down. You try to push the nasty thoughts out of your mind, but you can’t. You will have to live with your fear. A clearing! Now I can finally have some peace and rest! Your thoughts are jovial as you peer into the clearing you’ve found. It’s not huge, but it’s plenty of space for you. Scanning the area, you spot a boulder in the center, with clusters of smaller rocks around it. I can’t sleep there. You think. Then a small patch of dead grass catches your eyes. Thinking that it’s better than sleeping on stones, you walk over and lay down. Before you know it, you’re asleep. Crack. You wake to what has become a dreaded sound. Looking around, you let out a yelp of fear and surprise. A pair of big yellow eyes is staring at you menacingly. You back away, trying not to make a sound. Spotting a large stick near the boulder in the center of the clearing, you make a plan. If you can grab the stick and get to the top of the boulder, you might be able to defend yourself from this monster. Taking a deep breath, you run to the stick, snatch it in your teeth, and climb the boulder. And then the creature walks out. It’s a wolf. Its eyes never leaving your face, it tips back its head and lets out a long, eerie howl. Why is it doing that? You wonder, your stomach churning with fear. Crack. Crack. Crack. Your heart stops as more wolves appear, surrounding you. They led me here. You realize. The wolves knew that once you were trapped in the center of the clearing, no boulder, no stick, would protect you. Breathing heavily, you watch the wolves creep towards you, slowly and steadily. Their amber eyes burn into you, and you cannot turn away. The wolves reach you. For a moment, everything is silent. The world seems to stop. You scream as the first wolf jumps.