The Forest

She's Dead, But I'm Drowning

Suddenly, I'm suffocating. I keel over, coughing and struggling to breathe as I lean against a tree for support. Where the hell did this come from?! I gasp for air as my lungs convulse, competing against the invisible, heavyweight pressing hard against them.

I have to stop for a second to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. As soon as I straighten, though, not even letting go of the tree yet, I start crying. At first, I don't know why. Then I'm once against hit with something: realization.

I'm so fucking scared, I realize. And, and much as I've been trying to deny it, Juliette is dead. I know she is. I don't know how I know, but I just do.

With that, thought. . . I don't know what to do other than keep going. . . There's no way I can turn back now. I've already come this far, I might as well keep going, right?

I don't want to see it, to face the truth. . . But at the same time, I do. Not only do I need to, but I have to. I have to know, and then maybe I can tell someone. We'll hold a funeral with a gorgeous ceremony. One that is only fitting for Juliette. We can remember her as she should be remembered. But I have this nagging feeling-. . .

No. No, I can't allow myself to think that way. Not yet. She's okay. Or. . . As okay as she can be at this point. I'm going to bring her home and everything will go back to normal. I wipe my face and continue North or North-East with a nod full of new-found false determination. Or, at least, I think it's North-East.

There's a rather large possibility that I've gotten turned around, considering I don't believe I've ever seen this part of the park before. Though, I doubt it matters now. I'm probably going to end up in the same place no matter what happens because that's where it wants me to be. It's where I'm supposed to go.

It's even darker now. The trees have closed in over my head, blocking the sky from view and even the slightest ray of light from the moon. I only realize just now that I haven't seen light for a long while. Or even a path. It's been just grass and dirt and sticks and leaves under my feet. All dry and aged.

That's when I realize the trees look old as well. There are no guiding signs anymore. It takes me a moment to realize that I'm no longer in the park, am I? No. No, I'm in his forest now. I can barely see my hand in front of my face, but I'm not turning my phone's flashlight on. I don't know why, but I feel like I shouldn't.

It's too quiet, I notice. As if the only thing living in these woods is me. Jesus. I don't know if I can do this. I'm so fucking scared. As I look around me in the dark, I can feel my heart and breath quickening. It should be a drinking game at this rate.

Fuck it, I'm turning on my flashlight.

I shine it all around me, not seeing anything. Suddenly having an odd spidey-sense feeling tingling in my arm, I shine the light on the tree next to it. I start at the base and slowly work my way up. There's an odd dark liquid dripping through the cracks in the bark, gleaming almost red in the light. Warning bells go off in my head as I continue to move the light up. My throat gets drier the father up I go until I stop, my eyes widen, and I cover my mouth, phone shaking.

A handprint of thick blood smearing away. There's no doubt in my mind of whom that belongs to. Oh, God. Oh, fuck. Oh my God. My tears stream more thickly, burning a path on my face before quickly chilling in the cold night air, drying on my cheeks in seconds.

Before I can stop myself, I'm sprinting through the woods. I'm not sure where I'm going or what my goal is now, all I do know is that I need to run.

"I'm sorry," I sob as my legs carry me faster than I knew they could, not even knowing who I'm apologizing to. "I'm so sorry, but I have to. I can't be here anymore. This – this is all wrong, this is fucked. This is –" I get cut off as I trip over something and go sprawling before I hit the ground heavily and knock the air from my lungs. I gasp for air as the taste of blood floods over my tongue.