I’m lost, running through a forest of dead trees; twigs crack behind me. Long slender shadows take shape beside the trees as I pass them.
They are watching me. Taunting me. Playing with me… and they’re getting closer.
---
The morning had rung brightly all around me, like many before It.
I often went on walks into the forest beside my home, enjoying the way the birds would sing to one another from across the branches. A glorious sun shone through the tall trees dressed to the nines in their green leaves dancing in the cool morning breeze.
How could I have ever predicted that my Sylvan sanctuary would turn into a nightmare, me running through its tall dead trees yet with nowhere to hide. My ears ring from the deafening silence the woods so firmly hold. Only my breathing and the ever-rapid snapping of twigs and the crunching of leaves echo through the empty forest now. No light shines in this hell hole, and mist carpets the mossy floor to reach up towards the sky. I cannot see any further than my outstretched hand.
I didn’t mean to; I was just so curious.
When a new bird perched itself on a branch close to me, I sat on the forest floor watching him. He was a small yellow bird as small as my palm, His yellow wings were streaked with faint black stripes. Standing up from my spot, I tried to get a closer look. He was unlike any other winged thing I had ever seen. When he took off, further into the woods, I followed. It hadn’t even occurred to me not to.
Looking back now, I guess there is truth to the old saying: ‘curiosity killed the cat’
---
I risk a glance behind me. Nothing, nothing is chasing me. I run further and stop beside a tree to catch my breath. I look in the direction I came from to see no shadows. Have they given up? Did I lose them? or are they just playing with me?
Hot air drench the right side of my face as a raspy gasp fills my ears. An electrifying feeling of danger rushes up the right side of my body. I scream as I stumble and fall backwards. Its large gaping mouth has carved itself into a smile with rotten teeth.
---
The bird had led me deeper into the woods where a lonely mirror sat propped up against a tree. It looked around, innocent. I watched as the bird flew straight into it without hesitation, sure of its destination. And so, without thought, I followed him inside.
The thick heavy air clung to my skin as I looked around for the bird. When his form didn’t immediately appear, an urgent need to turn around began to take precedence. But when I was turning on my heels to leave, I saw a flash of yellow in the distance. Suddenly, I forgot the mirror and ran before I could consider where I was going, or how I was going to get back to my only way out.
I was possessed, stumbling over roots and large fallen branches toward the promise of my winged wraith. When the ache in my legs and the insistent pounding in my heart were simply too much to ignore, I stopped. I finally realised there was no sounds, no birds chirping to one another. The leaves did not dance in the breeze. In fact, the trees did not have leaves, all of them laid on the ground dead and shrivelled.
When another flash of yellow filled my vision, it was like a radio has suddenly been turned on and I could hear them. The voices. Deep voices that rung through the silence as they sang. I followed the bird, moving closer and closer to the voices.
The mist slowly thinned out the closer I got to singing. When I stopped a few trees away, I watched tall, slender figures stand amongst the trees in a perfect circle. Red symbols covered the forest floor. Beyond where I stood, I saw three other humans watching in horror.
A boy with a red hoodie and scuffed jeans looked no younger than 15 stood mouth agape. It was then we all heard the bird’s chirping as they circled about the centre of the shadow people.
One broke off from the group and landed on the boy’s shoulder. Every head snapped towards the boy with large toothy grins covering their faces. It wasn’t long till one of the shadows jumped for him, pinning him to the floor.
I turned away, horrified. What was this sinister ritual? Who were these creatures?
The sounds of screams from those who watched echoed; they were unable to stop them. I turned around to see shadows chasing shadows. The darkness broken suddenly by a yellow bird flying with haste; I followed its example and ran.
---
Now, god knows how long I’ve been here, or how I came to be laying on my back looking up at one of these creatures. Its limbs as thin as a toothpick and as long as stilts, but it does not look down. It looks across the wide expanse. Has it seen me? No, not until I’m running. Not until I’ve slipped beneath it and continued running through this maze. Now, I can hear the thing behind me, following me.
They have no one else to play with. They ate every single one of them. I am the last one left.
More sounds of feet hit the floor. They sound like a stampede of elephants charging into battle, converging on me as I turn corners, dodge branches and hope, hope that I can find that...
A few feet away from me is the mirror. I’ve made it! And as I dash closer, closer, I feel a cold hand scrape against my ankle but it’s too late. I have come back through safely.
When I turned back around to see the horde of shadows crowding around the mirror, hissing and yelling from their side. They can’t get in. Or is it that they can’t get out?
I guess there is truth to the old saying; ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ it’s just that no one ever heard the voice that followed it: ‘But satisfaction brought him back’