While the Forest Watches

Chapter Twenty-Four

I take the ring out of the box before slipping it onto my finger, taking some time to admire it.

I can see it all–Luke proposing to me, dress shopping with my parents, the wedding, even being married.

It’s everything I didn’t know I wanted. I sit, contemplating life, not forcing myself to move on too fast. I let myself sit in my thoughts and emotions.

When the shock eventually wears off, I repack everything I dumped out of the backpack.

I don’t take much care of how I organize it, a combination of not caring and the fact that space isn’t as limited as it was a few days ago.

One of the last things I grab is Luke’s bear spray.

I opt to leave it out, wanting it to be close and easy to grab.

“One must always be prepared.” I throw the ring box in last, choosing to leave the ring on as a reminder of what I have to live for but also, morbidly, in case I die out here.

If my body is found, I want my family and Luke to know I would’ve said yes.

The fire is burning steadily now, giving off a lovely amount of warmth.

I scoot as close as I can, holding my frozen fingers over the flame.

As I’m finally feeling a little relaxed, a quiet but clear crack echoes through the trees.

I already know what I’ll see when I look up, which takes some of the fear out of it.

The tall being is standing next to a tree, as clear as day.

Whether it’s my imagination or reality, it’s not bothering to hide itself.

It wants me to see it, so I look at it dead in the eyes, both of us expressionless, neither of us moving or breaking the stare. I’m having a hard time caring about it.

A vulnerable but true conclusion takes root in my mind.

There’s nothing to be done. Being scared, running or fighting–none of it would save me.

None of it would make any difference. If they want me, they’ll take me.

The only thing left to wonder is, why haven’t they?

It’s standing so scarily still it almost begins to blend in with the nature around it.

“Come with me,” it says in a dull, monotone voice.

Its body is twitching ever so slightly as it tilts its head side to side like it’s trying to figure me out.

I might not be feeling much fear anymore, but I still have enough sense that I slowly reach into my pocket and grab hold of the bear spray.

I hold it between my legs, hoping the creature can’t see it.

I don’t look away from it and it doesn’t come any closer.

I can hear the voice coming out, but its mouth isn’t moving.

“Help me. Come. I need help.” Still, neither of us makes a move.

We are in a terrifying standoff which I know I should break.

I should get up and move away but I don’t have the energy.

I’m willing to test how far this can go.

I muster enough bravery to say something back, “I’m not going to move.

I’m not leaving.” I keep eye contact, trying not to look nervous but it doesn’t react.

Instead, it takes one step closer to me.

My heart skips a beat, and I instinctively lean forward, grabbing one of the hot rocks from the edge of the fire pit.

It scalds my palm, but I don’t let go. Instead, I fling it at the creature and scream, “I said I’m not leaving!

” Instead of looking to see if I hit it, I look down at my palm, the skin bright red and angry.

When I look back up, the creature is gone.

I stand up and spin around, trying to spot where it went but the forest has gone quiet and empty.

It’s sudden, silent disappearance feels worse than having it stand over me.

The silence breaks way to something crashing through the trees.

Not something… it. The noise sounds like it’s coming from everywhere.

I continue to spin, trying to keep up with the sound, trying to make sure I can see where it’s coming.

Right as I’m feeling dizzy enough to fall over, it all stops. Silence.

Then softly, right in front of me I hear, “Hanna?” I know the voice.

The trees are spinning and shifting as my equilibrium is desperately attempting to settle.

I walk toward his voice as I see a shadow coming out of the trees.

I know it can’t be true. It can’t be real but all I can think is, ‘He’s here’.

I can practically feel his arms around me.

Just a few feet away. “Hanna. Come with me.” Those familiar words stop me in my tracks as I look toward his voice, leaning forward to concentrate my gaze.

He’s standing just out of the light, but right away I can tell he’s too tall.

I scan down his body; his arms are longer than they should be.

As it steps out of the shadows, its face is almost like Luke’s, but something’s wrong.

What strikes me the most are its eyes. They’re looking at me with hunger and hate, seeming to glow with it.

This isn’t real. No, this isn’t Luke, as much as I want it to be.

I stumble backwards, shaking my head. Anger, frustration, confusion all jumbled up in my nervous system.

“Get the fuck away! I’m not going with you!” In real time I see the switch, its eyes change colors, turning yellow like an animal at night. Its head and shoulders start twitching like it can’t control them as drool leaks down the corners of its mouth–the almost Luke’s mouth.

I can’t look away, frozen in terror as I wait for it to come at me.

This is it. It takes a step toward me. I bend over grabbing another rock and hurl it.

This time, I watch as it hits the creature.

I stand up tall and shout, “I said stop! Leave!” It doesn’t seem to hear me.

Instead, it mirrors me, standing up to its full height.

It opens its mouth unnaturally wide, its mouth filled with inhuman, sharp teeth.

I shudder as it lets out a deafening shriek that’s so loud the ground vibrates underneath me.

I can’t hold back any longer. This thing has no intention of leaving, so I turn and take off into the night, not looking back.

I feel the sharp stings of more small branches and twigs cutting into my face and arms as I run through, but I don’t stop.

I can hear the creature behind me, quickly catching up.

I break the first rule and look back. Then, I’m falling.

I feel my body rolling and sliding down what seems to be a hill because I can’t stop.

I hit the ground hard as I flail helplessly for a long time.

There’s no time to react before my head hits the ground.

The nature around me seems to be zooming in and out.

My vision and hearing feel like a buzzing static before everything goes dark.

_____

I’m floating above my body, looking down.

Everything is shifting in and out of focus, the image altering and stabilizing.

It’s hard to get a grasp on what’s happening.

I’m sinking down, closer to my body which is asleep.

I watch someone stroking my hair but I’m unsure who.

All I can see is long, boney fingers running though the strands. Then there is pain before I’m falling.

My eyes open as I gasp, startled awake. I feel so stiff, I can’t sit up. I focus on turning my head and looking around but it’s slow. It takes me a few moments to remember what happened and where I am.

It’s light out. I look up at the sky and the sun is high.

I was out all night. That knowledge frightens me.

I slowly push myself up until I’m sitting and scan down my body.

I’m seemingly still in one piece. There’s nothing around me except the same monotonous looking trees and birds.

Their singing makes the dull, aching pain in my head turn into a throbbing that matches the feeling on my forehead.

Slowly, I bring my hand up, lightly touching the area that hurts.

There’s a huge bump already forming where I must have hit it.

“Shit,” I say as I hunch forward and sigh. My poor head will never be the same.

Just then, I realized, I left all my things behind.

I don’t have Luke’s backpack. I glance around trying to orient myself, but I already know I’m completely turned around.

It doesn’t make sense to go wandering through the woods trying to find the bag, as much as I want to.

I’ll have to make do with what I have on my back.

It isn’t a lot, but it’s not nothing either.

I have warm clothes, my phone… my ring. I catch a glimpse of it on my finger and think of Luke. I miss him.

When I stand up, my legs feel unsteady and achy.

My head pounds harder once I’m upright, so much so that I almost fall back over, but I catch myself and force my body to straighten and stand up tall.

I see the bear spray lying in the grass just a few steps from me.

I can’t believe I somehow managed to hold onto it as I ran and fell.

I limp over to it and slowly bend over and grab it.

My entire body hurts. Fingers crossed I don’t completely fall apart in the next hour.

Once again, I’m back to this never-ending walk that’s starting to feel more like a death march.

I hear constant whispers in the trees, words I can barely make out and some I don’t understand at all.

I know one of them is following me. It’s matching my every step, but it never comes out. It only watches me.

Paranoia is taking over and I become sure I can see Luke behind every tree, sometimes my mother singing to me and I even hear a hospital monitor beeping.

I cover my ears trying to drown out the noise, but that only makes it louder.

It’s coming from inside my own mind and the more I fight it the worse it becomes.

I try to focus. All I have to do is put one foot in front of the other but I’m in such a daze, I can barely see what’s in front of me.

Something bumps into my leg, so softly I barely register to look, but when I hear a yip, I glance down. My silent wish has come true. It’s my fox. It’s standing at my feet, looking up at me. The sight of it warms my heart and clears my mind.

“Oh my god… Hi, little guy.” I kneel, impulsively reaching out to pet it.

To my surprise, it doesn’t flinch away, instead letting me stroke its head before it yips again and scampers away.

Before I lose sight of it, it looks back at me and stops.

I guess it wants me to follow again and I have no reason not to listen.

Maybe this is the universe finally sending me some help.

I don’t follow for very long before it runs back toward me, jumping onto its hind legs and stretching its front legs up and onto me.

I take my boldness to another level and lean down to pick it up.

It doesn’t fight me, seeming quite content in my arms. I stand there, smiling ear to ear, contact with another living thing feels beautiful and comforting.

As I’m standing still, enjoying this moment, I hear a strange noise.

I don’t recognize what it is at first. It sounds alien out here, it doesn’t belong in my memorized sounds of this forest. I hear it again and this time I know.

It was the sound of a car, tires on a road.

That clearly manmade sound fills me with hope.

I run toward it as I cling to my new friend.

Panic, desire and anticipation– I’m feeling it all stronger than I ever have. “Please please please...”

Just like that, I burst out of the trees and am standing on a paved road.

I can’t believe it. Everything I was feeling comes together to completely overwhelm me.

This is what I’ve been looking for, but in an instant, I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know what I envisioned, but I guess I just thought that once I found the road, I wouldn’t have to do anything else.

Someone would be here to pick up the pieces.

I didn’t count on having to make more decisions.

My body is shaking as I slowly turn, trying to figure out where I am.

There are trees on both sides of the road and it goes as far as the eye can see in both directions, but this is it.

Someone will find me now. A car will come; it’s only a matter of time.

I look down to thank the fox, but my arms are empty as they cradle nothing but air.