I hurry along the road to my apartment. The buildings in this area are in disarray, and the smell of trash on the street is pungent. Even though I’ve been living here for a few years now, I really can never get used to how dirty this place is. Maybe I should have stayed in my hometown in the countryside? At least then I’d have clean air to breathe.

I open the door to my apartment complex and walk up the rickety wooden stairs. Inside the building I hear dogs barking and children yelling as they play. Once on the third floor, I unlock and open the door to my apartment. Inside, there isn’t much to see. The living area is on my left and on the right is the kitchen area. This room is about ten feet by ten feet, which doesn’t seem too cramped due to the lack of most furniture. In the living area, the only thing is a recliner and a small tv, and in the kitchen there is only a small table and two chairs. I sigh at my humble existence, but then shake my head as I remember that I need to hurry. I have to get to the forest and figure out how I can help Emi. I move through the door on the far side of the room, which leads to my bedroom, then I freeze. What should I even take with me? I think in silence for a few minutes, before the call of nature pulls me back to reality.

As I dry my hands on a towel, I glance into the mirror. My brown hair sticks up in odd places, from not having showered after work. I can’t help but feel, like I often do, that my face is kind of rat like. My nose is narrow and pointed, my lips are thin and pale, my chin is pointed, and my fatigued eyes are small and beady. I know I’m being a bit too harsh on myself; I’m not a particularly ugly person. Still, I purse my lips, before tearing myself from the mirror to head back into my bedroom.

I think for another moment and then decide to change out of my work clothes into a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain sweater appropriate for the autumn weather. With that, I put back on my sneakers and use an app on my phone for a taxi. It doesn’t take long for it to arrive, even in the night. I suppose that’s one perk to being in the city. The middle-aged man in the driver’s seat only asks to confirm my location before we drive away in silence. Too tired to even think, I simply watch the streets pass by. Thankfully, there isn’t much traffic, and we move quickly out of the city. It isn’t before long that we end up near the Gustol forest.

“You can stop here.” I say, leaning a little forward to ensure that the driver can hear me up front. He grunts, pulling to the side of the road. I get out, having already paid for the ride in advance, and the man instantly drives off. I look around. There isn’t anything but forest and the sound of sparse traffic behind me. My stomach rumbles and I sigh. I should have gotten something to eat before I left, though it’s too late to worry about that now. I remain in place, watching the forest, almost dumbly expecting something to happen. In the dark, the forest seems intimidating in a way, even though I grew up playing in the woods and know that there isn’t much to be scared of in this area.

This is for Emi. I resolve myself and begin walking forward. At least there’s some light from the almost full moon, which helps me pick out my path through the trees and brush. I move carefully to not trip over any rocks or dead branches. My eyes begin to slowly adjust to the low light, illuminating some of the shadows ahead. I continue to stare at the ground while I steadily push forward, knowing that I have to find someone or something in this forest. That is, if I can believe anything that man-cat has said. Though, I don’t have another option if Emi’s life is in danger.

As I move further into the forest, the sounds of traffic disappear, instead being replaced by the chittering of bugs and the occasional small animal. Both adding to my discomfort. Additionally, it isn’t before long that I realize it’s getting darker. I look up, and see how the branches intertwine above me, blocking out almost all of the moonlight. Of course. I pull out my phone and use the flashlight on it to see better in the darkness. A glance at the battery shows that it’s surprisingly over fifty percent life.

The leaves grow thicker as I get deeper into the forest, and soon the entire forest floor is covered in leaves of reds, yellows, and oranges. The air in the forest is seemingly colder than in the city, and despite wearing a sweater I feel a chill creep into my bones. It doesn’t take long for my hands and face to grow somewhat numb in the chilly air, and I try wiggling my fingers and rubbing my ears to get more blood flow to them. I really hope that I can find something soon.

It’s now that I hear something in the distance. I can’t make out what it is, but it doesn’t sound threatening in its tone, so I decide to head towards it. As I get closer to the sound, I realize that it’s a laughing child. A shiver runs down my spine, as the absurdity of a child being out here alone at night washes over me. There can only be one reasonable explanation. Ghosts…

I shake my head and chuckle sardonically at myself. I can’t believe I thought that for a second; however, why is there a child out here? I follow the giggling laughter that comes in spurts, followed by the sound of footsteps. The trees are even thicker here, showing the age of the forest, and there is no moonlight that slips in between the cracks of the trees overhead. The laughter is loud now, coming from just ahead of me.

“Hello?” I call out, my voice shaking slightly. The laughter stops. I step forward into the opening between two trees and enter into a glade. Suddenly my phone’s flashlight dies, and I’m left in darkness. Even though there aren’t any trees that I could see before my light died, there still is no moonlight. My eyes try to adjust as best they can to the night, but I can’t see anything. It feels like I’ve been dropped in a bucket of black paint, left to swim blindly through the murky liquid. I try to turn on my phone to no avail, then begin to stumble forward. I raise my hands in front of me to make sure I don’t run into anything headfirst and try to walk as straight as I can. I make it about ten steps before the laughter sounds out again, this time assailing me from all sides, and I wildly look around to find the source. My efforts are in vain, as nothing is forthcoming.

“What do you want?” I ask timidly. My heartbeat thunders in my ears as the silence stretches out before me, languid like a panther. Then once again, the laughter strikes me. This time, it’s not a child’s innocent laugh, but a man’s sadistic cackle. I take off running in what I think is the direction I came from, though the only thing I know for certain is that I want to get away from here. The laughter continues all the way, following me, cornering me, preventing me from breathing properly as it surrounds me so completely. I trip on my own feet and fall roughly onto my left elbow and side. The ground is dirt, which does nothing to cushion my landing.

“Fuck!” I exclaim and force myself back up instantly. It’s now that I notice the laughter has stopped. I look around and freeze in place. Directly in front of me are my parents, hung from their necks on two branches of a tree. Their lifeless eyes stare at me, their pupils enlarged in death. I can’t bring myself to move, nor to look away. What is this? This doesn’t even make sense. There isn’t any way for them to be out here. Still, I’m certain it is them. My breath is ragged, as I begin to hyperventilate. My eyes rapidly flicker over the scene, taking in everything. No. This can’t be. I fall onto the ground as the strength leaves my body. I can’t bring myself to cry, because if I did then it would be accepting this as reality, even when I know it makes no sense. This doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t.

Both of them wear simple jeans and t-shirts like they would on any normal day. My mom’s short, brown hair frames her face, which seems to stare directly at me. My father’s-tired eyes, which resemble my own, are without any of the joy they would have in life. They were, although a bit dry humored and usually exhausted, always happy people. So, to see them in this state, tears my heart apart.

As I look again and again at the scene before me, I notice something. My father has a tattoo on his right arm which should be visible as it comes out of the sleeve of his shirt. There’s nothing there though. When I think this, I also realize that neither are wearing their wedding bands, nor is my mother wearing the hooped earrings she usually does. As I’m thinking about these things, one after another the scene in front of me begins to fall apart, like I tugged at the thread on a knitted sweatshirt. Soon, there is nothing there anymore, except a path with no sign leading deeper into the forest. Moonlight peaks between the cracks of the branches above me and my phone is on with the flashlight shining at the ground in front of me. It takes a while before my heart begins to calm down, though I remain frozen in place. It wasn’t real. My parents aren’t dead in front of me. Now, I shed tears of relief for a brief minute before finally standing again. I rub my eyes fully dry and push the images of my dead parents from my mind. I breathe deeply.

“Okay. Let’s keep going.” I say aloud to myself and begin walking down the dirt path ahead of me.