The Silver King

King In The Woods Part 3

"I'm going to climb a tree." I said hands on my hips.

A hint of a smile flickered on Elly's face. I had no idea what else to do. Clearly, I couldn't walk along the trail without getting brought back. But I wasn't about to risk going into the woods. I would get put back on the trail or get lost in the trees. Maybe, just maybe if I climbed high enough, I could see something interesting. Or maybe the loop didn't reach high in the air. It was something I could try.

I placed my bag at the base of the boulder tree and started to climb.

"Watch my bag for me champ. You can have the water and snacks if you want though." I told Elly and started to climb.

I wasn't much for climbing but the branches were thick and close together so it made it easy. This tree was almost made for it. I slowly made my way up getting covered in leaves, sap and scratches from the bark. I didn't know when I should stop. I made the mistake of looking down and froze in fear for a few seconds. I learned in that moment I was afraid of heights. But I had to keep going. I had to get out of there and find a way to get Elly out of the woods. I don't know how long it took but I made it nearly to the top and where I could no longer grab branches to support my weight. I looked around seeing nothing special but I was still in the tree so maybe the loop didn't reach that high up. I took a risk and climbed one more branch when the world went dark.

I realized that the sun had set in a blink of an eyes. I looked up at a starry sky through the branches before an immense force suddenly knocked me from my perch. It felt like an invisible hand had grabbed around me and plowed my body through all the branches I had just climbed. The pain was nothing I had ever felt before. I heard my legs break before I felt it. My ribs were crushed and a knock to my skull thankfully making my world dark.

When I woke up, I was on the bottom of the trail right next to Elly who I'm pretty sure, just was poking me with a stick. I screamed sitting up patting my body looking for what was broken. Only to find myself in one piece. I was breathing hard looking frantically around to see I was back in the grey light of the trail and my body healed. Not even the tree sap remained.

"I guess that didn't work." I said with a small laugh enough through I wanted to cry. My body was healed but I still held that memory of the pain.

"It was a good idea. I don't think I've ever seen someone find an opening of the loop before." Elly commented in his small soft voice.

He had spoken about the loop. I no longer could doubt it was happening. The whole thing was now in the open and we needed to talk about it.

"I'm stuck in a loop." I said slowly still not fully believing it.

"Yes, you are." Elly said with a nod. He was making doodles in the dirt with his stick as if the strangest thing wasn't happening. Like all of this was normal.

I stared at him, and the sticks he had placed in a circle in the dirt. And a thought suddenly came to me.

"I'm stuck, but you're not."

The sticks Elly had been playing with remained when my phone was returned. It may have been because Elly hadn't moved, but his wording made me clue in. He didn't agree we were both stuck. Just myself. I pulled my pack next to him and patted on it giving him a place to comfortably sit.

"Alright champ. Take a seat and let's figure out what's going on. With both of us and unlimited time I'm sure we can figure out why this is happening,"

"You're not going to accuse me of trapping you?" Elly said and the surprised tone in his voice was the most emotion he showed since we met.

"Nope. You don't seem the type."

I could have sworn I saw his ears turn a little red through his hair. He sat on my backpack; knees tucked inside his sweater making him look very small. But for the small child he was, I knew in that moment he might not be human. But lucky for myself he had the answers to what was going on.

"Humans are born to die. Most creatures are. You cannot understand and endless existence. Not truly understand it. If you did, you would become something else. That is the purpose of this loop. For you to become something else. In this place you cannot die. You just remain for your mind to rot, or turn. The one that created this place reproduces this way. If your mind turns, and you become something else it twists your flesh into something the same as itself. The ones who cannot make the change are eaten. The loop keeps the victims fresh. I assume the missing children on the trail were taken for food. Children don't often manage the change."

I got goosebumps listening to Elly's words. I hated the idea of those two kids being trapped the way I was. Stuck in a forever loop not understanding what was happening and not being able to get out. I was lucky enough to come across someone to explain things to me. Elly kept talking so I pushed my thoughts aside to listen.

"Humans cannot break this loop. I am not human, so I cannot be trapped here. But I cannot break this loop to save you. It goes against what I am. I cannot save a human from a creature of the night. I however can make this offer to you once. I can turn you into something else. Once you come to my side, I can save you. I can remove you from these woods. I cannot guarantee your humanity though. You may end up as something far worse than the creature that has trapped you here."

Elly stared at me so intensely with his red eyes. It felt like the forest was closing in on me, waiting to hear my answer. I could either become a creature after suffering through and endless amount of time, or take him up on his offer and become something else. Or, take a huge risk.

"No thank you." I said with a small smile.

To my surprise, Elly smiled back. A small one but still a smile. I knew he wasn't going to offer to turn me again. But I also knew Elly was here for a reason. Maybe that reason would get me out of this mess.

"It's best for you to stay silent as I take care of why I came here. I cannot promise your life. I need to summon the creature who made this loop and speak with it. It may eat you." Elly said as he stood up.