There's a Man in the Woods

Part 3: Futile

Previously on "Part 2: Accursed":

Sounds of nimble steps could be heard crushing the sticks who dared to be in their path, constantly making the repeated sounds all around Merula. Panic arised, her rapid heartbeat increasing by the second.

But then, it stopped.

Thinking the worst was over, Merula let out a sigh of relief, though it was known to her, she thought that she was now, somewhat, safe.

"Merula."

Continued..

"Merula," The deep voice said, Merula swiftly turned behind to the call of her name. There he was, smiling even in the worst of the storm, the man she had seen..was standing before her.

"NOO!," her shriek tearing through her throat.

She bolted into the opposite direction from where the man was standing, crushing the leaves and sticks that helplessly laid in her path. The trees screamed in anger with the wind, rain pounding against her, there seemed to be no way out. The man cackled in her fate, he appeared everywhere she looked before her eyes. She failed to realize even through her gilded spectacles,

He was one with the forest.

Merula sprinted through the obstacles, never looking back, forthwards was the only option that she had. She tripped over a branch on the ground, violently hitting the ground. She looked up, her face covered with a mix of mud and blood, though that was the least of her problems. She knew that the end may be nearing until..a house! She hoisted herself up with the strength she mustered together, looking back to see the man behind her, dragging an axe. His sinister grin never leaving his face. Merula left no time getting into that house, she jumped over the small flight of stairs and bursted through the door. She slammed the door behind her, fumbling with the small chain, locking it in its place. She panted as she collapsed onto the floor

.
.
.

The room was empty, rain could be heard as if it was pouring inside the shelter, due to how weak the wood of the roof must've be. There was a small window above the door, split into three blocks that were connected. Slightly away from the door was some sort of window, it's doors blocking the sight outside though having a potential to open, it seemed to not have that sort of function.

Merula glanced across the room to see a chair, placed directly in the middle of the room. Shelves and a few tables were particularly far from the chair, some were broken, some were intact. She got up, almost falling down in the process to go sit in the chair, limping from the fall. Her vision blurred from the pain throbbing in her face, wiping the grim and blood from her face, she fixed her glasses and continued to limp towards the chair. But soon enough, knocking could be heard on the other side of the door.

"Heyyy laaaddyyy," a voice that she most definitely recognized called.

It was him again, and he was here, but his was somewhat farther from where Merula was hidden.

"HEEEYYYY LAAADDDYY, HEYYY LAAADYYY," the man called a bit louder.

His calls to Merula constantly repeated, booming throughout the house. She shut her eyes tight as she covered her ears, wanting this nightmare to not be real. Though reality sunk into her skin like needles and frost, that it was real. She slowly took her hands from her ears, as only sound left from the man's call was the ringing in her ears.

SCREEEE..

"MERULA!," Merula flinched, causing her to fall into the chair, knocking it over in the process. Merula yelped in pain as her ankle throbbed, the knocking getting louder as she cried, loud knocks could be heard around throughout the house, up and down, left to right, he was there. He was everywhere that the house could depict, but to no man was it possible for someone to move that way around a house, or anything!

She covered her ears, pressing down harshly in the attempt to block out his calls as he called out to Merula, slamming her hands repeated on her already throbbing hands.

Until it stopped, it all stopped.

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.

.

To be continued.