The Secret in the Forest

Trigger Warning:

This story contains themes of emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, and non-physical abuse, which may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution.

The forest was a place where Nadine’s deepest fears lurked—wild animals, looming threats hidden among the dense trees and shadowed undergrowth. The towering trees with their thick, dark leaves turned the woods into a dim maze of uncertainty. Every rustle, every whisper of wind, made her skin prickle. She wasn’t just afraid of the animals; it was the vastness, the unknown. The forest had always represented something uncontrollable in her life, much like her childhood memories of fear. Her thumb instinctively brushed against her lips, a habit she hadn’t fully outgrown—one that Levi never failed to mock her for

.

Yet, here she was, walking alongside Levi, someone she had once trusted to protect her, guide her, even teach her how to survive in this untamed wilderness. But it wasn’t going as she had imagined. Levi always teased her, calling her childish for clinging to such habits. “You’re such a baby,” he'd say, and she'd shrink a little more each time, her voice silenced by his mockery. He was the hunter, the protector—at least, that’s how he wanted her to see him.

Levi had known about her fear of wild animals from the start, but he didn’t seem as concerned as he should have been. He glanced back at her briefly, his voice low and warning, “Don’t tell anyone.” His cryptic words hung heavily in the air, unsettling her further as they ventured deeper into the forest. Those same words, or perhaps that same tone, had been used countless times over the years when he wanted to remind her that her feelings were small, insignificant, not worth sharing with others. This time, though, they held a darker weight.

The trees cast long shadows, and with Levi’s broad, muscular frame blocking her path, Nadine found it difficult to see ahead. She strained to keep up, having to dart glances to her left or right, just to make sense of her surroundings. Turning fully to check behind felt like an impossible task—each time she did, she stumbled and fell further behind.

“Shh. Keep quiet, and watch out,” Levi growled as Nadine tripped on a fallen log and crashed onto the damp forest floor. She hit the ground hard, her hands sinking into the cold, muddy earth. Before she could gather herself, Levi was there, his large hand extended toward her. He yanked her back to her feet, pulling her so close that she could feel the warmth of his body. He wrapped his arms around her for a brief moment, but it wasn’t comforting. It was forceful—possessive.

Nadine’s heart raced, not just from the fall, but from the growing tension between them. She tried to steady herself, whispering in her mind, “I’m okay, I’m okay, but I’m still so scared”. As she looked past Levi, something in the distance caught her eye. Her breath hitched in her throat—a wildcat was prowling between the trees. It was too far away to be an immediate danger, but the sight of it sent a wave of panic through her.

Instinctively, Nadine opened her mouth to scream, to alert Levi, but before a sound could escape, his hand clamped over her mouth. Her scream was muffled, her terror swallowed in silence. She stiffened, not just from fear of the wildcat, but from Levi’s touch. His grip on her mouth reminded her of all the times he had silenced her before. “Don’t tell anyone.” The words echoed in her mind, repeating from a hundred different moments, a hundred little transgressions Levi had inflicted on her.

He leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “You’re safe with me.” But Nadine didn’t feel safe. She didn’t feel safe at all. His words were hollow, a veil for something darker. He forced her back against a rough tree trunk, his body pressing against hers, trapping her there. The wildcat had vanished into the shadows, but now the real predator stood before her.

Nadine’s mind raced as she tried to recall the survival lessons Levi had taught her about the wilderness. But now, those lessons seemed trivial in comparison to what she was facing. She had to survive “him”.

Her thumb moved to her lips again—a subconscious gesture she hadn’t intended—but she quickly dropped her hand, determined not to show any more weakness. She had to be strong, or at least appear strong. Levi couldn’t know how scared she was, how his presence had locked her into a trap more dangerous than the forest itself.

Without warning, she pushed against him, her body thrashing in a desperate attempt to free herself. Levi tightened his grip, his anger flashing in his eyes. Nadine’s heart pounded in her chest as she screamed for help, her voice echoing through the empty woods. She fought back, kicking and flailing as Levi tried to overpower her. Her mind was racing, survival instincts kicking in.

“I have to get away. I have to run.”

With one final burst of energy, Nadine broke free from Levi’s hold and stumbled backward. Adrenaline surged through her veins, giving her the strength to sprint. She didn’t look back, her feet pounding against the ground as she dodged branches and leaped over logs. The trees loomed above her, and the dim light of the forest made everything feel more sinister, like the wild animals she had feared since childhood.

Fear tugged at her from all directions, but Nadine forced herself to remember the techniques she had relied on as a child. Whenever she was scared—like waiting at the bus stop in the woods—she would turn to the North, East, South, and West, searching for any sign of danger while whispering prayers. "God, keep me safe." She would repeat this in her mind as she ran, just as she had done every morning at the edge of the driveway, her heart racing with every step.

Her thumb, still a source of comfort after all these years, slipped unconsciously to her lips. The same habit she had used to self-soothe as a child now helped steady her breaths, even in the midst of terror. But this time, the words she repeated silently weren’t just prayers for the bus to come or for the animals to stay away—they were prayers for Levi to stop following her.

The forest, once a place of refuge during childhood walks, now felt suffocating. The wild animals she once feared seemed far less threatening compared to the man who was supposed to protect her. "I’m alone in this. No one can help me now," she thought. "But I have to keep moving."

In the distance, Nadine spotted a cabin—Nire’s cabin. It was the same direction she had often run toward when playing in the woods as a child, imagining the safety it represented. Now, it was her only hope for escape.

Breathless and panicked, Nadine reached the cabin and banged on the door. Nire opened it, concern filling her eyes as she pulled Nadine inside.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Nire asked, guiding her to a chair. She placed a hand on Nadine’s shoulder, but the touch made Nadine flinch, the memory of Levi's grip still too fresh.

“I—I just need to breathe,” Nadine whispered, the words catching in her throat. She curled up in the chair, her knees pulled to her chest and pressed her thumb to her lips without thinking.

Nire crouched beside her, her eyes scanning Nadine’s face, trying to make sense of the unspoken terror.

“Nadine,” Nire said softly, “You don’t have to tell me anything right now. But when you’re ready, I’m here.”

Nadine’s body shook, her mind swirling with the trauma of what had just happened. Levi’s words echoed in her mind—Don’t tell anyone. She had lived in silence for too long, always retreating behind her own fears. But maybe, this time, she would find the courage to unlock the truth. She had been silenced once, but not again.

Since that day in the forest, Nadine retreated into her own world, locking herself away behind closed doors and walls, hoping they would offer some sense of safety. But safety was an illusion, she realized. Each night, as she turned the key, it was as if she was locking away the fear inside her mind, but it always found a way out, seeping into her dreams. The forest, Levi, the wildcat—all those memories pressed down on her like the shadows in her room, making her feel trapped, as if no lock could keep the real danger away. Sometimes, the things you’re most terrified of aren’t out there at all—they’re locked inside you.

No dreamcatcher, no lock or key, could protect her from the memories. Some secrets, once locked away, refuse to stay buried.