The Secret of the Forest

Chapter 6: Harsh Realities

She was falling, falling fast. Who did she think she was, jumping into the ravine like that? Her fingers had brushed against the rough surface of the tree trunk and she had stared in horror as the distance between them increased. She descended into the absolute darkness of the canyon and felt the cold air pulling her hair back violently. Seconds passed and she still could not glimpse the bottom of the crevasse through the immense darkness, causing her to wonder if she really was in an endless abyss and doomed to freefall for eternity. Dread of what was to come consumed her entirely and she squeezed her eyes shut and curled up in on herself. She was finally able to make out the jagged ground as it raced toward her and she braced herself for the bone crushing impact that was sure to come. However, the collision that should have cracked her skull and taken her life immediately never came as she landed softly and painlessly on the solid earth. What she had perceived as jagged rocks now revealed itself to be smooth gray stone. Surely she should not have survived that, and yet she stood without even a scratch. Bewilderment couldn't even begin to explain what she was feeling. Her attention however, was suddenly directed toward a pale light further along the chasm. She moved toward it, curiosity filling her mind and replacing the fear and confusion from seconds before. As if in a trance, she pursued the light and soon found herself in close proximity to it.

Phoebe was finally able to conclude that the dull glow was being emitted through the dirty window of a decrepit wooden shack. She placed her foot on the porch's first step and felt the deteriorated material creak underneath her weight. Her voice of reason told her that she shouldn't pass through the already ajar and broken door, and yet, she continued to feel as though there was an invisible string propelling her forward. Taking another step, she pushed the disfigured door entirely open and entered into the suspicious home. She soon found herself standing in a familiar room. The gray and filthy floor she had expected to see had instead revealed itself to be the polished wooden floor of her own house. Her tense body immediately relaxed and a giddy smile formed on her lips as she ran from the entrance room towards her kitchen. Just as she expected, her grandmother was seated in one of the kitchen chairs with her back facing her. Phoebe released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and concluded that all of the past events had been part of some horrendous nightmare. She had no recollection of waking up from the dream, but that held very little importance as she ran to her grandmother and encircled her arms around the older woman's chest. The younger girl nuzzled her head into the crook of the elder's neck and felt tears of joy brimming in her eyes.

"Oh my God, Grandma! I just had the m-most terrifying dream! I was l-lost in the forest

a-and there was this psychopath with p-powers, and I almost died!" she explained breathlessly. The woman said nothing in return and Phoebe noticed that she had not made any movements at all.

At last the elder moved as she patted the chair beside her and cooed, "Come take a seat, darling."

Phoebe found this odd as her grandma never really called her "darling". She quickly pushed the thought aside as she heaved herself onto the chair and let herself relax fully into the firm object. The elder's gaze remained fastened on the wall opposite from them and her body was stiff. A few more silent moments passed and a wave of uneasiness crashed against the girl's previously celebratory mood.

"Is everything alright, Grandma?" she questioned hesitantly. "You seem a bit off."

The woman stayed in her quiet and unmoving state until Phoebe began to get up from her chair. Suddenly, her hand shot out and began caressing the younger girl's cheek at first lovingly, but growing rougher with each stroke.

"Grandma what's going on?" she demanded, worry and panic beginning to lace itself into her voice. She was fully out of her seat now and was attempting to move away from her loved one's touch. Before she could move any further, her grandmother's hand slowly started to travel down her jaw and then to her throat. Phoebe was motionless as the older woman's hand lingered around her neck and when she finally ordered her body to step back, she felt herself being slammed up against the kitchen wall. The elder was stronger than ever before and her iron-grip continued to crush her airway. Phoebe's eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and horror as she struggled to remove the firm hand encircled around her throat. She kicked and squirmed, but her efforts to escape were futile as the unrelenting woman continued to pin her against the wall. The younger girl was growing weaker by the second and began to lose feeling in parts of her body. She desired to simply give up and succumb to a tempting, eternal sleep when her grandmother finally turned her head toward her fully. As Phoebe's heavy eyelids began to close one final time, she was met with the parting image of two cold, emerald eyes in the place of her loved one's warm and familiar brown orbs.