The Forest

THE FOREST

‘Stop! You are never to go in there! Do you hear!’

My great aunt was screaming at me. I was visiting her and her husband for the summer holidays. She and my great uncle lived on a farm on the edge of a forest and I had not seen them for many years and only when they visited my parents in the city. Besides my parents they were my only living relatives. 

This summer my parents had decided to go overseas for a second honeymoon for a month and they hadn’t wanted to take me with them. My great aunt and uncle had reluctantly agreed to take me. My opinion was not asked for.

So here I was miles away from my friends in the middle of nowhere. The farm buildings consisted of a small house and two large barns. All made of wood and painted white. 

My name is Michelle. It’s not a bad name, my parents are “The Beatles” fans. I shudder to think that I could have been called Lucy or Rita. I am fourteen, five foot two inches tall, blond and I’m good at sports. I have been told I’m reasonably pretty.

The farm had been interesting at first and it was good seeing my great aunt and uncle again. My great aunt was only as tall as me and had a crinkled, ruddy face and white hair. My great uncle was six foot two inches tall with grey hair and also had a crinkled ruddy face. They were both well-muscled and tanned, which I suppose was because they both had worked on the farm almost all of their lives.

 I enjoyed meeting Jack the border collie that helped with the sheep which seemed to be the major livestock.. They also had chickens, a duck pond with ducks, two cows and several pigs which lived in an extremely smelly pigpen. There were also several black cats that lived on the farm, one of whom had recently had black kittens. One of which attached itself to me. I called it Kit Kat. My great aunt and uncle told me I could keep it if my parents agreed.

What kept attracting my attention was the forest the farm adjoined. The forest was about a mile away from the farm buildings. My great aunt and uncle had told me it was out of bounds. It looked dark and foreboding. The trees were gnarled and stubby. I had walked along the edge of it and could not find any paths. I decided that at least for the time being I wouldn’t try to enter the forest.

I had been at the farm for almost two weeks. I had helped move the sheep, feed the chickens, milk the cows and feed the pigs. I was doing this every day and I was bored. The most interesting thing that happened was that another cat had kittens. All of them looked like the previous litter, black.

I needed to do something interesting and exciting. I kept looking at the forest wondering what it would be like inside of it. I decided the next morning after I had done all the jobs I had been given, I would go and find some way to enter it. As I’m not completely stupid and had been a scout I dug around in my luggage until I found my torch, compass, Swiss army knife and whistle before I went to bed. I dreamt of being a brave explorer, finding new wonders to present to the world. 

The next morning after completing my chores and showering, I went to my room and changed into a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and my hiking boots. I put my torch, compass Swiss army knife and whistle along with a water bottle and some chocolate in a shoulder bag and headed for the forest. 

My great aunt must have seen me because now here she was screaming, ‘Stop! You are never to go in there! Do you hear!’

‘It’s just a forest.’

She continued screaming, ‘It’s not just a forest! It’s evil! Do you hear me! Evil!’ She calmed a little. ‘Michelle, it’s a very dangerous place. I would hate for you to get hurt. You must promise me that you’ll never, never enter that place.’ My great aunt looked desperate and was wringing her hands.

‘Ok auntie. I promise I won’t enter the forest. I was just looking for a little excitement. I do go camping in forests you know.’

‘Not this one you haven’t. This isn’t like most forests. It’s …. Well I’m not going to say anymore. Only you are never to enter it.’ She emphasized every word in the last sentence in a staccato manner. ‘Now promise me.’

‘Ok auntie, I promise. But why?’

‘You should never question your elders. Just do as you’re told.’

I kicked at the grass, ‘Yes auntie.’ We both walked back to the house.

My great aunt had been baking in the kitchen when she saw me walking towards the forest. I was in even more trouble when we got back and found that her pastries had burnt.

Several days later it was a pleasant warm day and I had finished my chores. After showering I dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. I decided to go and lie in the field near the forest and read a book, “The Twins of Falconia,” which I was finding quite exciting and humorous. I had just got to the part where the hero had been badly injured in a forest, when out of the corner of my eye a black object flashed past. I looked up. It was Kit Kat running towards the forest. I dropped the book and leapt to my feet. ‘Kit Kat stop. Come here.’ I started to run after her.

Kit Kat completely ignored me and continued running towards the forest with myself chasing her. Kit Kat scrambled between two bushes and disappeared. I scrambled after it and found myself in almost complete darkness. The dark, gnarled, stubby trees grew closely together. Even though they seemed stubby they were tall enough and leafy enough to block the sunlight. I thought, ‘Great, I’m looking for a black cat in this much light.’  

I called out, ‘Kit Kat come here.’

There was a rustling in front of me, slightly to my right. ‘There you are you naughty cat.’ 

I walked towards the noise. As I walked, the close tree branches started to scratch my arms and legs. The rustling continued but I seemed to be getting no closer to it. Then the rustling changed direction. I continued to follow it getting even more scratched. Then the rustling was to my right. I followed. Then to my left. I stopped, I realised I was now not just scratched but bleeding from several cuts. I had to go back before I got lost. I turned around. The rustling was very close to my left. I dived down hoping to catch Kit Kat but she wasn’t there. I got up and looked around. I realised I was unsure which way to go. Then I heard rustling behind me. I turned and walked towards it. 

The rustling was getting louder. I was on top of it, ‘Come here you naughty Kit Kat.’ I bent to pick her up but there was nothing there. Then there was more rustling behind me. I turned. Then it was to my left and then my right. I spun around. I was completely lost. I sat with my back to a tree and cried as the rustling continued now from all around me. 

The rustling got closer. I waited.