𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞. | ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs

𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬

Trees

I had first heard the crackle two weeks ago to the day. The terrifying sound of a falling  tree.  

The woods behind my apartment were always a point of contention for me; the scurry of  small animals outside my window often kept me awake. Despite my annoyance, late nights were  often spent glaring out of that window which looked upon the dark unknown; silhouetted only by  the distant town. Cigarettes and caffeine accompanied me on these long nights, the butts piling  outside my window. Soft breezes helped the leaves sing, dance, and call to me, challenging my  terror.

Though, that night, I did not look out the window. I could not allow myself to. I knew  that whatever was within the dense forest, whatever had caused that wooden crunch, was waiting  for me along the tree line. I felt its call as the crackle first rang out. It wished for me to pull back  the curtain and reveal the final act. Instead, I waited all night for the sun to rise.  

Two days later, I heard it again. This time in broad daylight. On a short walk to clear my  mind and finally escape my room, that same crackle, as if a recorded message, pierced through  the brush as I tossed my cigarette aside. The crows did not leave their perch, they watched and  relied on me for reaction. I did not know what I might see, but I could no longer allow ignorance  to breed such deep fear. Before I could turn around and face that beast, another crackle, this time  closer, told the birds to take to the skies. Their sudden flight, I admit, frightened me and so I did  not turn.  

Later that day, I could not shake the feeling that I had made a mistake in showing my  fear. To not allow that creature to overstep its boundary again, I decided to spend that night  watching the woods as I used to. Setting my chair next to the window, I scanned the treetops. For  hours I absorbed unlit green which shone brightly in my mind, the leaves revealed only under  fluorescent streetlights as they fell. The monster remained hidden within the trees, or so I  believed. As I awoke the next morning, having fallen asleep on the windowsill, I saw just  outside: a deep trail, dirt trenched and tossed aside, leading into the woods. Piles of trash, the  smell putrid and rotten, sat just beneath my window, a warning of some sort. 

No other day did the trees cry out in pain that week. For four straight days I spent anxiously waiting by the window for the crackle and snap I had come to associate with those woods. Mugs piling along the windowsill kept me company; reassuring me that I would not miss  a single moment. For when I could stay in that chair no more, I would lie in bed still listening  intently, and on the rare occasion that I would finally drift to sleep; I'd imagine the towering  thing that could cause such horrid destruction by simply traversing through the wood. For a  moment, I believed it had moved on to better ground, never had it waited so long to call for me,  but not a single moment inside of my apartment felt unwatched, unshared.  

This past week was filled with thrilling discoveries, not a moment was to be wasted on  sleep. I stepped outside once more early last Monday for a quick smoke (how dearly I missed it)  and out of the corner of my eye spotted a shape unnatural to the usual backdrop of trees.  Whereas the woods usually stood at attention, something between them slumped and dragged  between cover. The forest canopy spread open and accepted the moonlight to reveal the creature  to me. It moved slowly, further into the fog until suddenly it froze, recognizing the feel of my  gaze. The shadowed barbarian turned quickly and faced me. I felt the skin of my face tighten,  clearing away the bags beneath my eyes as my heart filled with fear and adoration. I sensed that  this in turn filled its heart with great joy. I did not continue forward, instead opting to return to  my chair at the window v. It did not present itself again that night.  

Last night, after five sleepless nights, I once again heard the crackling of weakened trees.  I drew back my curtain hoping to see that beautiful monstrosity again, to finally make out some  details and gain some information regarding its appearance. Instead, I was met by utter darkness.  At that moment it seemed to envelop my entire room as I suddenly noticed I could not see even  an inch ahead of me. All sense of direction left my mind as I searched for the light switch, instead finding the doorknob. 

I stepped out into the moonlight, able to perceive my surroundings once more, and saw  the monstrosity awaiting me at the window. Its body pressed directly against the wall, hovering above my decaying trash, looking in through my window.  It was not like anything I had imagined it to be, as if a complete shadow my eyes strained to see  it; hoping to perceive some sort of image but sensing nothing. The creature absorbed all light directly into its soul, appearing to be a hole in time and space itself. 

I could not help but let out a gasp, drawing the attention of the creature. It did not turn,  though I felt its eyes fall upon me. The shadow grew, larger than my own apartment, continuing  to rise until it beset even the towering trees. As it grew, the shadow expanded and flexed,  branching outwards in all directions. The crackling from its body could be heard from miles away though nobody stepped out to observe the commotion. My ears began to ring in such a tone  I had never heard before with such a great intensity that blood would first drip and then pour.  

I quickly turned away from the creature, its immense size was far too worthy for my observation. It did not harm me, it did not impose any will upon me, instead, it simply informed me of my place in this universe. Beneath such monstrosity, the world seemed clear. I felt its intention was not one of malice. but of love for a pet which had scratched at it's caring owner. This was not  some otherworldly being seeping into our limited vision, but rather some nearly visible presentation of mother nature herself. She had come to me to show the error of my ways and I accepted her gift.  

Upon doing so, she reached down to scoop me into her loving arms. I felt the warmth of  her embrace and the chilling pain she felt for her own creation. Within that embrace was an  endless void of suffering and madness. After what felt like a millennia within that empty space, I  was again back in my bed. Having felt her pain, the decay of her infinite heart, which I and many others have caused in our carelessness...

I ask that you do not litter.