NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: The Forest
The office buzzed with its usual noise, but Mara couldn't bring herself to focus. The weight of her thoughts about Alexander and the lingering unease from last night's encounter pressed heavily on her. No matter how hard she tried to push it aside, the urge to return to the forest gnawed at her relentlessly. It was irrational, even reckless, but the questions in her mind demanded answers.
By afternoon, unable to ignore it any longer, she grabbed her camera and flashlight, packed them into her bag, and left. She told herself it was for the story—she needed evidence if she ever wanted to convince her editor. But deep down, she knew it was more than that.
Mara stood at the edge of the forest, her heart hammering in her chest. The sunlight filtered through the canopy above, dappling the ground with golden spots, but it did little to ease the unease curling in her stomach. The forest stretched out before her, dense and alive, its towering trees swaying slightly in the afternoon breeze. She gripped the strap of her bag tightly, her camera and flashlight tucked safely inside.
What are you doing, Mara? she thought, shaking her head. This is insane.
But it wasn't just about the story anymore. The thought of the yellow eyes haunted her, and the memory of her lost necklace pulled her forward. She couldn't leave it behind, not without trying. That necklace was her last piece of her mother—a connection she wasn't ready to let go of.
Taking a steadying breath, Mara stepped into the forest.
The ground was soft and damp beneath her boots, the rain from the night before leaving a faint earthy scent in the air. The trees around her seemed taller than she remembered, their thick trunks stretching high into the sky. Leaves rustled overhead, and the occasional birdcall broke the silence. She tried to focus on the sounds, on the familiar rhythm of the forest, but her nerves buzzed like static in her ears.
She moved cautiously, scanning her surroundings as she walked. Everything looked different in the daylight—less menacing but still foreign. The shadows that had terrified her last night were now just patches of shade, and yet the memory of running for her life was still fresh.
When she reached the area where she'd seen the yellow eyes, she paused. Her pulse quickened as she scanned the forest floor, her eyes darting from root to rock to patch of moss. There was no sign of her necklace, no trace of whatever had been chasing her.
Until she saw it.
A dark stain on the ground caught her attention. She crouched down, her breath catching in her throat. It was faint, but unmistakable—blood. Her fingers hovered above it, the dried spot stark against the wet leaves.
Her stomach churned. Blood meant something had been injured, or worse.
She stood slowly and scanned the ground. There were more drops, sparse and faint, leading away from where she stood. Most of it had been washed away by the rain, but there was just enough to follow. Her instincts screamed at her to turn back, but something deeper—a mix of curiosity and stubborn determination—pushed her forward.
The trail led her deeper into the forest, where the trees grew closer together, their branches intertwining to block out most of the sunlight. The air here felt cooler, heavier, and the chirping of birds had faded into an unsettling silence.
After what felt like hours of walking, the trail ended abruptly at a clearing. Mara stopped at the edge, her breath hitching.
The clearing was strangely quiet. Sunlight poured in, illuminating a space free of trees, but the warmth did little to chase away the chill in the air. And there, in the middle of it, stood a hut.
It was small and weathered, its wooden planks gray with age and streaked with moss. A crooked chimney rose from the roof, faint wisps of smoke curling lazily into the sky. The windows were dark, their glass smudged and cracked, offering no glimpse of what lay inside. The door hung slightly ajar, creaking faintly as the breeze passed through.
Mara's fingers tightened around her bag strap. The hut seemed impossibly out of place, as though it had been plucked from another time and dropped here, in the middle of nowhere. She swallowed hard, her throat dry.
Why is there smoke? Someone's here.
Her legs felt rooted to the spot, fear and curiosity warring within her. She hadn't come this far just to turn back, but the idea of stepping closer sent a shiver down her spine. What if the owner of the hut wasn't friendly? What if…?
She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. She had come for answers, and she wasn't leaving without them.
Mara took a tentative step into the clearing, her heart pounding in her ears. Each step felt heavier than the last as she approached the hut. The closer she got, the more her instincts screamed at her to turn and run, but she pushed forward.
When she finally reached the door, she hesitated. Her fingers hovered near the handle, her breath shallow. The forest was so quiet now, the only sound the faint creak of the hut's old wood shifting in the breeze.
Steeling herself, Mara placed a hand on the door and knocked slightly on it.