Muted

      Suddenly, I was acutely aware that I was the only source of noise left in the forest. The darkness was blinding- the silence, deafening. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, the sound of my breathing was like an alarm, a beacon in the night- a scream, alerting them to where I was.

           The night was filled with uncertainty and confusion, but there was one thing I was sure of: if I was found, I would die.

           I drew the breath in through my nose and exhaled slowly. There should have been all sorts of noise surrounding me- the wind in the trees, the rustling of animals in the brush, the flapping wings of insect-hunting bats. Even though the trees bowed to the wind, the leaves fell silent, as if they too were afraid of being found. It was unnatural, but everything about this place was.

           I risked taking a step back and discovered the first stroke of good luck I had had since entering this wood- just as silence enveloped the trees and the wildlife, my footfalls were muted. I considered for a second turning and running, but no- even if my feet made no noise on the carpet of dry leaves below me, my breath would rise. As that was the only sound in the forest, I could not risk it.

           As calmly as I could manage, I turned and began to walk back the way I had come.

           There was no moon to shine through the canopy, and all I could make out was shadows. Even though I controlled my breathing strictly, my heart continued to pound in my ears.

           Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum.

           Then, a scream pierced the night, shattering the façade of calm. Noise returned- a heavy shuffling followed by a deafening gurgling of some kind. There was something out there- something big. The forest shook with every step it took; the leaves were left trembling in its wake.

           I could hear more frantic cries- high pitched, but notably male.

           Good. I thought, allowing myself a small bit of relief. It wasn’t her.

           I continued my calm and steady retreat, listening to the other encounter.

           I could hear frenzied footsteps, the snapping of twigs. For every three hurried human footfalls, there was one large one. I focused closely on the sounds- I could hear branches scraping the big lumbering body but it wasn't just down where one might expect. No, the rustling seemed to go all the way up into the canopy.

           Impossible.

           There was more screaming- “Aah! Aaaghh! AAAAAAGH!”- then silence.

           I froze-if I listened very closely, I could hear the wet crunching of something gnawing on bones. I prayed that was only my terror-filled imagination.

My body locked up; my heart felt as if it were seizing in my chest. I tried to breathe through the rising terror- panic, I knew, would only seal my fate.

I allowed myself a moment to breathe- just breathe. Just when I thought I'd calmed myself, an unholy bellow shook the forest. It enveloped me- a sound that inspired madness, a sound that could crumble stone, melt steel. It was as if time itself had stopped in respect of this creature’s rage- all that was and would ever be shattered around me leaving nothing but this awful bone rattling roar.

When it faded away, it took the rest of the sound with it, leaving only thick, tense, resounding silence.

I could not afford to stop here, nor could I afford to die here. I pressed on.

My sister, sweet little Nettie Mae, had been last seen picking flowers here. The Faewood was cursed- entry was forbidden for this exact reason.

The monsters here were horrific and deadly.

If I could imagine a world without Nettie's lopsided smile, I might have abandoned her to its depths. But Nettie Mae was the only family I had left. She'd only seen six summers. If one of us had to pass, it should be me, her good-for-nothing brother.

In the silence of the Faewood my feet made no noise- only my breath. Only my heart.

           Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum.

It was estimated that 200 people of varying races went missing in the Faewood every year. I always wondered what kind of fool would willingly step into this place.

As always, when it comes to fools, I am chief among them.

I cursed the heavy silence- I had no idea where the creature was, and I couldn't call out for Nettie Mae. This was a needle in a haystack- impossible. I began to address the idea that I may never see my little sister again, and the misery that overtook me was more powerful than any panic I had ever felt.

Then- movement to my right. A tiny voice called out, “Brother!”

Her voice should have been music to my ears. It should have flooded me with sweet relief. Instead, a new kind of fear swelled within me.

The sound of rustling leaves in too loud footsteps filled me with dread.

Nettie ran to me and threw her tiny arms around my leg. “Big brother, I’m scared!”

I scooped her into my arms and let instinct take over. It was big- that meant it was slow. I could outrun it. We could hide. We could live. I shushed her, clutching her close as I dived into a full sprint.

           Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

           Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

The beast was gaining and I began to realize what a fool I'd been. There was no way I could outrun this thing- trying to do so would only get Nettie killed alongside me.

“I'm going to put you down,” I said, hissing the words in a desperate hope that it would not hear or understand what I said to her. “I need you to run and hide. When you're sure you can, walk home- don't run. And don't make a noise.”

“Brother…” tears and understanding welled up in Nettie's eyes.

“I'll just distract him, okay?” I could feel my own heart breaking in my chest- without me, Nettie had no one to support her. She would have to rely on the kindness of the community. She was cute, she had that going for her. It was possible that a kind family might take her in. I told myself they would- but Nettie had a strong spirit, and even if they didn’t, I was sure she would grow to be a much better person than I was. She would survive; she had to.

I looked into her eyes and forced a smile, but when she met my gaze, I could tell that she knew.

It was getting closer.

“Promise me, Nettie. Walk. Don't make a noise.”

She sniffled, wiping her eyes but she nodded, and that's what I needed to see.

“Careful,” I said gently, putting her down. I had no time to slow, and the speed and force made her wobble on her feet. I took a quick left sprinting away from her. When I looked back, I was horrified to see her standing there dumbstruck.

I gathered as much air in my lungs as I possibly could, through my head back and screamed.

The footfalls followed me for what felt like only another 100 yards- then claws that were hard like ivory gripped me around the waist. I continued screaming, both from true horror and in hopes of masking any noise my sister might make. I found her in the darkness as I was lifted up- up- impossibly high up.

The look on Nettie’s face was pure terror- her eyes were wide, her mouth agape.

With a shaky hand, I lifted a finger to my lips.

The last thing I heard was a loud, wet crunch.