Secrets of The Forest

Great Old One? More like... Annoying Old One. Take that.

When I say my whole life flashed before my eyes, I mean that. Not literally, of course, but still. Just as I was accepting my fate as an anemic Bigfoot's dinner, the creature stopped midway, examining me with its soulless eye sockets.
"M̴̟͕̖̔͠a̵̩̍̓r̶͔̊̄c̵̲̏͆̅̀͝ͅo̴̼̩̠̍͆͜'̶͎͋̓̕͠ͅṣ̵̖̹̐͐̽́ ̵͕̖͇͐̈́̈͌̑o̸̖͌͆̓̍͘w̶͎̰̰̃̎͠ǹ̴̡͇̥͈̝͒̇̆ ̸̱̙̤̪̈f̵̧̺̲̄̂́̔̚l̴̡͓̙̻̅̐̿̿̕e̵̢̛̖͖͊͝s̵͋͜h̴̥͘͝ ̴̨̤͚̖̥̄ą̸͚͛̑̿̈͊n̴͉̈̐ḑ̴̠̟̯̉ ̴̗͖͕̤͕͑͋b̴̦͇̯̱̊́̾ͅl̶̩̿o̵̗̘͒́̈́̆o̵̳̝̅̀͒̂d̵̝̣̘̳̈́̈́͑̑̚ ̶̤̜̺̗̆̓̍̉ȟ̸̢̝̹̂̈́̃͝ą̵͕̙͉̉͋̓s̵̼͓̉̾̔̇͝ ̴̰̪̘͔̇̋͊c̴͇͝ǫ̸̖͍̲̮͊̎͗m̶̖̈̔̄̔̃e̴̠͓̼̺̗͌ ̸̧͚̲͐͛͗̓̌t̶͍̫̼̘̐̓o̶̺͛ ̸̫̪̼̯̀̉̅p̴̖̭͗̐á̵͇̲̜̗̣͑y̸͇͑ ̵̻̻̋̒ẗ̵̟͙́h̵̳̞̣̟̍̐̎ͅe̶̡̫̻̮̹̓͠i̸̛̜̘̞̘̘r̴͕̒ ̵̛̭͓̦̃͛̋̓f̷̖̝̠͂̽͜͠á̸̻̻̲̹̩̄͠t̷̝͙̉ḣ̸̡̲͑͛͠e̶̹͍͈̅̎ͅṙ̸̡̞͝'̷̜̩͊̍̓͋͝s̸̜̼̅͋̈́͘ ̴̺̮͙̞́̉̃̒d̴͓͖̘̿̈́ë̴͖͓̍͠ḇ̷̬͍͑t̶͕̅̎,̴̝̹̯̓̈́ ̴͎̤̑͜h̶̜̑͛͗̓̈́ͅǫ̵̥̣̭͆w̶̺̬̅̇̕ ̴͕͕͍̹̏͒ẽ̵̹̊̉n̴̛̖̤͇̗͑̿̃͠t̶̝̊́̈́͘͝ǐ̴̗̔͊̅ç̸͍̲͔̌̉̔̕i̶̧̛͎̙̠͂n̶͓̗̏̈́͝͝g̵̭̹̤͎̊.̵̼͙̔́̀͌̍" It sneered, it's voice garbled and almost static like. I was about to run but I stopped in my tracks. "Marco", that was my dad's name, how did this thing know that? He had died years ago in a fire at his work place. "W-what?" I stammered, looking at Sam for support. The creature laughed, at least, I think it did. It was such a horrid noise that it could've been a variety of things.
"I̵̖̺̍̂͜ ̷͔̜̏̈̔s̴͎͕͍̼͑͜ḩ̸͙̟͌̕ó̶͚̱͉̤̠̒u̵̝̍̉͌l̶̡͎̼̙̂̊̄̑d̶̠̬͌͐ ̴̢̬̇̒͊̀͜h̴̛̟̹̯̮̼a̴̡̯͖̰̋͛̐̐v̸̡̮͉̔ë̸̺́ ̸̦̮͂̇̓é̵͕͙̺͜x̸̥̙̖̭̗̒p̶̘̟̜͛̂̃̍ė̶̻̮̓̃̓̊c̴̲̹̘̒̔̈͌̍t̶̘͌̈́́͗̕ḛ̴̱̭͝ď̷̡̪̹̥͐͜ ̸̤̰͔̖͑̈́f̶̹͚̒͋o̸̢̻͋r̵̼͂̆͠ ̷̢̬̑̌̒h̸̠͎͖͓̦̓͝͝͝ị̴̭̈̆͋͑͛s̵͓͖̪̱͔̍̅ ̷̫̦͓̪̔͂͠ḥ̴̦̫͙͚̂̚͝ę̶̛̘̗͑̎̂i̵̙͊̋̆̈r̷̹̝̖̍͋̆ ̸̣̳̫̓̓̚t̴̨̧̗̀͘ǫ̸̦̼͗̉̒̎̕ ̷̣̯͖̘̫̽͐̿̌b̷̡̞̭͎͔͒̇̓̕͝e̶̦̔͌͌̑ ̸̻̺͘ĵ̶̞͈̗̰͑́̈́̌ū̴̻̭̟͐̍s̶̰̬̽̌t̷̺̭̝̞̊ ̴͔̋͛ạ̴̧͝s̵̨͈͋́̅ ̸͓̤͑o̷̢̫̲͕̰͋̊̑͆̈b̶͙̯̋̍̊́̋ḷ̸͕̆̇͘͠ì̶̹̠̐͐v̵͈̄͌͝͠ḭ̵̪̫̿̓͗ŏ̸̜̟̺͋̕͝ȕ̴̬̦̱̗̲s̷̟̹̱̓͋̿̐ ̷̟͂ą̵͙̹̞̣̅̿́̕͝n̶̡̘̯̈̓̏͠d̸̜̊̇̃̿́ ̵͖̮̫̎s̷̲͛̇̂̔ͅt̶̢̞̋̈́̑̚u̶͓͋̄̍̔̕ṕ̵͎̞̅ȋ̵̯̬̜͐͗̔̑ḑ̶̣̓ ̸͚̝͍̱̓̅͛́͘͜a̵̡̪̥͜͝s̸͉̳̭͊͜ ̶̹̣̪̭͋̽́͗h̶̞͖̩̖͇̋͌͠e̸͚̯͔̽̓̅ ̸̩̙̍̓̕͝͝w̸̭̻̜͑͐̕͝a̸̘̦̤͊͜s̸̩̩̜͒̊́͌." It garbled, grinning. Our surroundings seemed to warp as it spoke, bending and contorting in impossible ways. I looked into it's lifeless, dark eye sockets. "H-How do you know my dad's name?" I said, surprisingly confidently given the situation.
"O̵̘̬̅͂̍͝h̴͎̬͍͂͑͌,̴̢͈̮͙̭̞̤̦̗̈̔ ̸̧̢̯͉̘͇͙̗̻͍̃͂̍̑̓͊̒̓̀̈h̶̺̮̱̱̗͙͆̈̍̈́̄̕̕ͅo̴͖̪̱̙̘̗̱̅ͅw̵̗̺̱̫̩͑̈́̆͘̚ ̶̩̯̈̽̓̚͜l̵̺͈̒͊̀̉̈́̚i̴̲̩̙͕̹͆̀̅̈͋̇̾͛t̷̛͉̿͌̿̑͑͂̿t̷̯͓̱̙͋͊̐̐l̸͖̰̫͑͊̕è̷̡̤̭͍͙̝̈́͌̏ ̵͉͇̹͉͍͇͌̆́̆̽̇̿ỳ̶̢̢͕̲̥͕̟̙͑̏̽̎̌̌̑̚͝ȏ̷̢̙̠̮̼̣͖̘̪̊͒̓̆̈́̀͊u̶̢̙̫̐̽̓̕ ̵̧̣͚̜̃͊̃̓̀̔̕͠ķ̶͚̯̝̀̈́̚͘n̸̹̰̙̱̫̳̐̀̚ȯ̶̧̗̘͈̝̩͚̘̟̐̌͛̔̿̆̔͝w̴͖̓ of ̴̭̹̾͛̀̎̿̏̽̏͝͝y̴̡̬͉͔͎̜͐̂͊̇͛̚ő̷̠̙̱̻͚̰̣͌̐͋̄̌ͅû̵̡̦͖͔̳̝̘͈̈́̆͛̏̀̒̋͠r̵̨̹̄̌̇̍́̓ ̵̱̟͉̘̣̜̻̈́́̐̉͂͜f̴̛̩̍͋̂̅a̵̠̲̙͕̻̿̑̽͗͠ͅt̸͕͉̺̼̳͍̂̏̀͗̈́͗̊h̴̞̼̒̀̍̆͆͝e̷̤͆͆r̸̲̝̀̀̓͒͐̈́̈́̇̅̕.̷̠͎͑̈́̋͆̍̕͝ ̷̙̦̘̺̼͔̲͙͆̓̃͑̅H̵̛̯̪̳̺͎͉̜̣͙̱̏̋́̆͋͛̐͝ẻ̴̝̣̞̪͂̿̏̎̒̔̓ ̴̡̠̪̱̹̳̞̭̞̩̄̀͒͝g̸͎̞͎̼̭̩͐̐͆̀̾o̶̳͙̦͍͑t̸͉͕̱͕̊͒̀̊̌̈̒̆̃͝ ̷̢̜̗̲̦̝͖́̿̕ǐ̵̱̓̾̓͊n̴̨͔͎̬̖̲͎̑́͗ ̶̡̦̻̖̩͖̲̪͍͚͆́̔̎͂̀͘͘o̶̫͎͕̺̼͖̹͍̟̬̒͐͆̃̐̇̾̇̉v̴͓̘̩͈̈́̀̂̽͗̌͘͝͝e̵̛̺̪̗̦̰̾́̏̂́̀ͅŕ̸̨̢͚̳̟̦̂̾̀̈̍̈͐ͅ ̴̧͈̩͙̫͕̥͈̬̓̉̔͋̊̐̾̈́̐͠ḧ̶͍̬̬̘̹͖̣̱̜͓́̔̅ì̵̭̜̟̂͛s̵̡̜̻̱̳̣̅͗̎̕ ̷̛̼̩̪̖͔̼̑̈́́͗͗h̸̙̹̥͐̔̅͑͝ȩ̸̩͔̥̥̤̣̫̒̂͊̈́͂̾ǎ̶͇̫̣̰͓̬d̸̢͉͇̱̣̫̪͂͆͒̓̂͛̚͝,̶̼͔̞̜̹̭̰͇̏̀̌̂͊̍͝ͅ ̸̹̝̞̺͔͈̘̪̌͝w̴̖̽̒̒̅̈͑̚͝ḛ̵̇͆̏͒͗̑̊ ̴̡͈̌̅̈́̎̐̉̈́̈́̚ç̸̢͈̳̼̫̉̆̂́̃̋̐̚o̴̺̊͋̓͛̌ȗ̵̖̱̐̐̇͆̎l̵̹͔̓͊́͌̓̆̃̈͗͆d̴̮̙̲̉̓͂n̸̡̩̟̰̓́̊̿͗'̴̨̜͇͓̜̇ẗ̶̡̨͉̳̮̗́͋̍ ̸̨̧̭̤̱̩͕̩͓̌̀̓̋̚l̷̢̗̣͎̫̗͌e̷̼̮̳̿̈́̒͋̓̂͝ͅt̸̘̹̋͂ͅ ̵̛̹̥̲̘̼̟͍̥̃͛̐́̓̌̚ŵ̸̥͎̙͕̓͗̈̍̕͝o̵͓̻͙͙͓͗͋̇͘͠r̶̨̬͙̖̣̦̻̝͗̄̐̊̇̑̽̊͜ḑ̸̧̼̜̜̳͙̤̒̆͛̽̀́ ̴̨̧̧͖͇͖̬͔̠́͜ơ̶̭̺̋́̍́͌̉f̴̦͖̫͕̹͊͑̂ ̴̗̹̑̐͒̈́́̊̿̿͂̚͜ͅo̷̡͌̈́͆̒û̷͕̻̻͉̺̜̼́̇̅͌r̶̡̻̀̐͂̿̚ ̶̧̛̰͓̫͇̫́́͂̏́̑̚̕ͅè̴͚̲̥̹̝͉͔̮̈́̀̈̕͝ẍ̵̢̨͇̞́̈́̀̀̑̂ī̵̻̻͚̹̜͂́͌̊s̵̖͎̚͝t̵͙̝͖͍̹̟̙̎̒̀ͅḛ̵̗̙̄̈́̒̾̒n̸͖̪̖͇̖͊͊͘ç̸̝̺̺̞̞͊̾̂̃̋̇͑̚̕e̸̢̧̲̣͖̩̫̫͇̓̽̋ ̷̤̟̖̹̺̝̹͓̬͑ͅg̵͇̤̩̪̗̈́̀̄̑̕ȩ̴͎̱̗͕̲͊̇̌̾͂̅͝ṯ̴̨̪̙͈̰̰̊̉͆͋͋̔͗͌̔͠ ̵͙̉̏̂õ̶̢̩̼̞͆̒̆͝u̶̢̬̻̯̰̇̒͐̉̒͝͝t̶͍̘̰̅͌̌͘,̷̟̭̀́̄͑̇̽ ̶̢̱͔̬̀̐́̿͑̚ṇ̶̨̱̱́̀͌̈́̒o̵͚̲̬̬̻͖͙͚͐͗̉͂̀̀͂̊͘ͅw̷̡͍̝̥̯̦̟̹͓̆̆̑̏̅́͂̕̚̚,̷͈͙͈̼͆̓͐̔̏̂͘͜ ̶̧̧͈̐̃͗͠͝c̶̺̗̺͙̤̪̺̳͙̔͗̽̑̋̅̓̚̚̕ǫ̷̦̙͈̂̃̕͝ȗ̵̙͔̊̈́̃̍̇͛̕ḻ̸͔͖̇̒̏͐͜d̷̤̞͎̯̾ ̸̖̬̞̳͉̖͚̍͛̓̽̔͆͜ͅͅw̸̧̘̙͕̙̯͒̋̓̾͘e̸̢̲͇̭͓͓͋?̵̩̺͈̫̲̬̩̙̄͆̽͝ͅ" it asked, probably rhetorically. "What are you—? what do you mean he was in over his head?" I asked. "
Ỏ̸͈̮ḩ̷͠,̷͙̹̆ ̸̟͎̉͝ỵ̸͗̍ò̵̝̣̤ú̵̢̜̙̕ ̷̛̓͜k̶̙̙̭̀n̴̢̜͊̃ö̷̠́w̵̤͍͎̌͝,̴̫͖̳̾̌ ̶͕̟̝́t̸͓̀h̸̬̞̠͆̿ë̵͈̭́́͜ ̶̡̤͙̔u̶̹͆s̸̢̲͖̉̿̎u̵̟̅͌̒a̷̘̅̀̍ĺ̵̲͕ ̵̞̲̅̂͜͝d̷̛̻̆̆a̵̞̐̓͝b̴͉͘͝b̷͓̞̣̈́ļ̸͈̽i̷̹̜̐̑ṇ̶̾͑g̸̪̽ ̸̙͗̎ͅi̸̲͛̒͐n̸͇̗̆̏͛ ̷̰̥͓͑̉̽s̸̝̳͑̄̃u̵͔̯͜͠p̴̻̐ë̸̲̳̳̕r̴͎̔̈́͂n̷̤͖̪̒̎́ā̶̡͎̈́ẗ̸̰́̆̄ú̸͖̓̐r̵̖͎͓͝a̸͉̞͓͑͐ļ̵̗̬̇͗͒ ̵̝̮̅́̕p̸̰͂ỏ̵̥͠w̸̼͈̅͌ė̷̟̭̫̅̎r̷̨̛̝̊s̶̳͔̔̇͠ ̸̙̱̋̋ẗ̷͈̯͋̈́h̷͓̟͍͒ȧ̴͔̻̅t̷͓̄̃̑ ̶̡̭̉͂̒ḧ̸̘̹̀̚ė̴̹͐̌ ̷̯̠̆̇s̸̪̜̍h̷͙̞̄̇̏ọ̷͌u̷̬̍͝l̵̩̼̙͛̊d̵̾ͅņ̸̪̣͗̆'̶͈̙͘t̸̠̠̿͑̋ ̴̺̳̓ḣ̵͓̦̍a̴̳͉͛̋̎v̷̝̣͚̊e̸̙̰̽͆,̷̼̝͆ ̸͔̈͠a̴̦̰̒n̸̞͕̿͜ǵ̴͇̀ḙ̵̩͊͗͠r̴͕̺̿ḯ̷̢̖̾͘n̸̻͖̈́̈g̶͕͑̏ ̸̨̞̮͊̾͛T̶̤̄̓͠ȟ̴͖̫̈́͝e̷͎͒ ̶̹̱̆͠G̴̡̀r̶̪͇͗̃͝e̷̙̥̎̇̽ä̸̮t̴̙̅ ̶͈͕̈́̾͒ͅÖ̴̱̩́l̵̐ͅd̵͚̪͐ ̷͓̣̆O̵̖̹͝͝n̶̬̲̫͋̽̉ḙ̵̤͔͑̒" it answered, acting like that made perfect sense. "The Great Old One? Who—?" Sam asked.
"D̶̢͖̦͌͛͋ö̸͓̹́̑̽e̷̡̯̜͗s̴̟̰̉̓̚n̵̜̆'̶̮̘͝t̷̳̯̝̋̈́ ̸̗̠̈́m̸̳͎͖̽̉ą̵͍́t̵̯̬̱̕t̶͉͙̝̅̃̋e̷͎̭̍͜r̵̼̀,̶͓͔̓̑̕ It announced. Yö̵̧̖͈́ȗ̸̧̠̟̐́ ̴̢̨̜̽̋̕w̴̻̺̼̍̉͠ò̵͈͉̱͘n̴̟̞̗̒'̵̡͉͂̓t̸͚̩͘ ̴̯́b̷̡̳̼͆̆̿e̴̫̾ͅ ̷̙͐̆a̶̜̒̅l̷̞̘͓͑͆͠í̶͓v̷̧̆͛ȇ̴̙̋͝ ̴̡̰͗t̴͔͒̈̔o̸̜̞̞̐ ̷͈̖͎̐̍m̷̧̖͙̅̃͘ȩ̵͇̺͗e̵̩̖͈̔t̵̛̥̜͑͐ ̴̭̇̍h̶̛̳̓ḭ̸͎̕ṃ̷̰̭́͆͝ ̵̡̺̳͐a̵̭̲̠̒̓̚n̴͚̊̚y̵̗͋̆͜w̷͉̏̄͋ä̵͉͉́y̶̖̋́ś̸̱." "Well I intend to stay alive, let's go, Sam." I grabbed his arm. "Yep we're out—" He grabbed me and just started running, the dry autumn leaves crunching under our feet. I didn't look back but I could hear the creature following us, it's massive footsteps sounding like jackhammers.
We are thought we were in the clear for a while, there was no sign of the monster or any other supernatural things hellbent on killing us. Sam looked over at me "You good?" "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." I said, while definitely not being good. The place we stopped at was a clearing in the woods, the tree's canopy forming a thick layer of leaves and branches above us. I took my backpack off and started rummaging through it, looking for any supplies that could be useful. I looked through and the most useful things I could find were my dad's journal, a bottle of Tylenol and some Tic Tacs. Sam paced around as he tried to get cell service, this far out in the forest I doubted he'd be able to. They looked over at me "What's that?" He pointed to my dad's journal. "This?" I held up the journal "It was my dad's, it's the only thing I have left of him." I opened up the book to a random page and started to look through it. "The creature said something about a guy named Marco, and you being his heir, Marco was your dad, right?" He walked over and squatted down in front of me like a Slavic dancer. "Yeah, that's him." I looked through the various drawings and entries written in the small leatherbound book. "Maybe that journal has some sort of information about what we're facing here?" He leaned closer to look at what I was reading. "Hm, mayb-" I stopped, the page I was looking at was strange, I hadn't gone that far in the journal before.

I shakily flipped the page.

What these were, I had no idea. "W-hat the hell—" I flipped the page again, blank. "What is it?" Sam asked. "I— I don't know." I flipped through the next few pages, still blank, except for one.

Longhorse. I'd seen it before, had my dad seen it too? "Longhorse. . ." I showed the hastily taped in picture to Sam. "Woah, weird." They said. "Alright," I closed the book. "Let's just— rest here for the night, it's getting late." I looked around and spotted a small cave on the edge of the clearing. "There," I pointed. "We can sleep there." We both got up and brought the little stuff that we had over to the cave. "It's small, but, it'll do I guess." Sam said, setting their backpack down and sitting up against the wall. I did the same, the musty air of the cave making it a bit hard to breathe. "Welp, if you're all good, I'm off to bed, night Jac." They said as they closed their eyes and promptly fell asleep. I didn't fall asleep so easily. The past events had lefts me rattled, I looked out into the darkness of the forest around us and, for a split second, I saw a tall, pale figure in a suit, just standing there. Then it was gone. I blinked rapidly, hoping it was just a hallucination, although, knowing our luck recently, it probably wasn't. I decided to let future Jac deal with it and closed my eyes and fell asleep.