Forest Chase

  Leann was running through the forest her breaths seemed to be deafening in the darkness surrounding her. Though her eyes were open she could not see a thing it was pitch black no matter where she looked. What was worse was feeling the trees and possible other things scratch at her as she ran. The reason she knew she was even in the forest outside of towns as the sounds, smells, and the feeling of rough bark beneath her hand as she occasionally stopped for a few panting breaths. Also the crunching of leaves that had fallen off the trees as fall set in. 

     Due to having grown up exploring the woods the lack of sight was disturbing but not debilitating as her pursuers may believe. What was truly debilitating was her fear that they would find her and catch up to her. She had never truly believed the legends or myths surrounding this forest believing that it was just small town superstition lingering to modern day. In the town that the forest surrounds on three sides it is mainly comprised of families who have lived there for generations, since the first settlers landed in America. As such many still believe in the old tales and superstitions. 

    Many of the trees are so huge that it is believed that they date back to when the first settlers landed there. With the owls hooting, insects chirping, and the sound of bats flying over head as she ran it was a very fear inducing experience for Leann. As she ran she kept thinking or hoping that in the next step she would hear, see, and feel the town, that she would be safe. Surely the beings chasing her wouldn’t reveal themselves to the townsfolk. Especially as she could hear the sounds of tonight’s festival floating softly to her on the breeze as she kept running. Though admittedly and disappointingly barely audible over her harsh fear induced ragged breathing. How deep had she been in this forest? She tried to push the fear slowly away to focus on running. To focus on heading toward safety while being aware of any changes in her surroundings, any indications of Them. 

    She had to be hyper aware of Them, for they could move in an almost other worldly way. Nearly completely silent in their movements, startling fast, with incomprehensible powers. They had already stolen her voice from her and she wondered about her sight if they had taken it as well as she was not even able to see outlines, just darkness. It was discomfiting,making her relieved that in this situation she was  on home ground so to speak. Just focus on getting out to the forest the rest can be thought about later, she thought to herself. 

     Refocusing on her surroundings becoming hyper focused on detecting any changes in what she could hear, smell, feel both with her physical and other senses. She couldn’t sense Them and it was perhaps as worrying as when she could, as without sensing them she didn’t know if they were on her trail, she lost them, or what. Though she did notice that the scents of homemade food, cooking food were something that was now floating to her on the breeze along with the sound of the festival growing louder as she continued running in the direction that she knew the town was in, which allowed hope to grow within her. Perhaps she could escape Them after all! 

     The night was steadily growing colder as it went on, Hearing nothing but the crunching of leaves underfoot as she ran. As she ran the noises of the forest steadily decreased while the sounds of the festival increased in volume, never sounding sweeter to her ears. She could also smell the scents that she associated with the festival and some of her few good memories from childhood with. After what seemed forever but was perhaps only another 10 minutes of running she had finally left the forest and was now on the outskirts of town in view of the first building.

      As Leann had left the forest her sight slowly ‘came back’ to her. While it was still dark out without both the trees and clouds blocking the stars and moon she was better able to see in the night. And as she approached the town she could see the lights hanging on posts including the extra lantern lights with jack o lantern faces on them. It was the first day of the town’s fall festival that weather permitting could last a full week. As she got closer to the central hub of the festival and started passing the vendors with their various foods and wares she let out a sigh of relief. Finally believing she was safe from Them. They had never come out of the forest that she knew of let alone into the central hub of the town. 

     No one tried to talk to her or grab her attention as she found her way home. Once in her home she closed the door in relief. Getting herself a bath to get clean and calm down for night, she decided to ponder her adventure and how to proceed in the morning. 

      The next morning she woke from a surprisingly peaceful sleep, almost willing to write last night off as something she imagined. She would if it wasn’t for her scratches and ruined clothes on the floor. Leann went about her morning routine as she normally would. 

        As she was sipping coffee she reviewed what she knew about the legends surrounding the forest. That no one knows exactly what the Beings in the forest are. But when the settlers first arrived they cleared the forest area of both forest and human beings not respecting the native’s at all. Whether the natives were driven away or massacred is unknown or rather not admitted to in town history. This is where the legends began, it is said that one of the natives called evil beings down upon the settlers. That they were to bring misfortune and vengeance upon both the original settlers and for all generations until the land is reclaimed by those who belonged there. Originally there were strange misfortunes and people going missing, sometimes never to return, other times returning without a body part, sense, or losing one or more ways to communicate. Crops would not grow, people were having a hard time hunting, fires would mysteriously start. It is said that those who had families that were or they themselves were more involved in the Natives being driven away had the worst of the misfortune happen to them. 

            It came to the point where Leann’s ancestor actually went missing though her ancestors spoke against the forceful claiming of the land. It is said that upon finding her son missing Leann’s so many great grandmother entered the forest and made a plea with the friendly spirits of the forest to drive away the beings plagging the town. Due to her respectful nature, her connection to the spiritual world and how she treated it with respect her request was granted. However there were conditions and that was that they could only keep the beings from entering the town. They couldn’t completely banish the beings but contain them deep in the forest letting them have full reign of the forest at night. After return the son and having dealt with the beings that is what the nature spirits conveyed to Leann’s ancestor. So the tell goes that whoever wanders deep into the forest whether during the day or night will meet with these beings and be harmed. During the night it is still to this day to even step one foot in the forest. 

            Leann had never believed it to be true until yesterday when she wandered further than she ever had into the forest after finding a trail she didn’t recognize while gathering herbs to use in her remedies, teas, and cooking. She has been curious since a little girl so while following the trail she didn’t realize how deep in the woods she was going nor how late it was getting. While she didn’t necessarily believe that malevolent beings lived in the forest, she thought someone did. She thought maybe the superstitions were based on a family who were unsavory, and that for some reason the family had generations who continued to be unsavory.

           After there the occasional weird happenings in the woods when people stay out there late. And the town was superstitious enough to believe that it is supernatural. While she can attest to there being actual spirits and even humans with powers she had never sensed anything like that in the forest before. It was believed that the forest was originally sacred to the natives and that is why they were so upset about what happened besides the possibility of a massacre. Perhaps she will get a few friends together and investigate…………….