The car's engine hummed softly as I navigated the desolate roads that led away from the city. They went from straight to winding as I got further and further away from civilization. The clock on the dashboard read 3:15 AM, but the excitement (and one too many cups of coffee) coursing through my veins kept me wide awake. The faint glow of the city lights gradually faded into the rearview mirror, replaced by the inky darkness of the countryside that was only broken by the beautiful canvas of the night sky, which was sprinkled with stars.
As the first cracks of dawn began to beam over the horizon, the landscape around me seemed to transform. The dense forest on either side of the dirt road seemed to awaken, the trees casting long shadows that loomed large overhead in the early morning breeze. The sharp yet soupy scent of pine and wet earth filled the air, which itself was a welcome change from the suffocating city smog I had left behind. The GPS dragged me along a series of increasingly narrow roads, each turn taking me deeper into the heart of the wilderness. After what felt like an eternity, the GPS announced my arrival with a cheerful beep. I had arrived at a small building, some sort of small guard's post, and a barrier prevented me from going further up the road. I parked my honda civic and got out, looking through the dirty glass of the guard's booth, only to see a half empty mug of coffee and an empty box of donuts. When I realized that no one was here, I took a look around, taking in the dense treeline and foliage. I could swear that I saw those same glowing green eyes staring at me again. I was unsettled and both because of that and thinking I had somehow taken a wrong turn, I took out my phone and tried rereading the instructions. That thought was shattered when I read the words "no service" on the top right of my phone's dim screen.
"Fucking perfect." I mumbled under my breath, the cold air around me fogged my breath up enough so it looked like I was a damn chainsmoker. Seven year old me would've thought it looked cool. I was, however, not seven years old anymore. Nor did I think giving myself lung cancer seemed like all that good of an idea. Looking back towards the treeline, the eyes had vanished into the darkness of the dense forest. Just as I turned around to head back to my car, a high pitched feminine voice called out from behind me: "Alex?" Her voice carried easily over the clearing, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Taken aback, I stumbled out nervously "What- Yeah, that's me," I was now facing her, "you're the one I talked to on the phone right?" I sounded like a goddamn schoolboy talking to his crush, that's how startled and nervous I was. "You made it! Welcome to your new home, I'm here to escort you to tower 14. We'll get you all settled in, you'll feel right at home. If you like nature that is." Her amber eyes stared into mine and her uneven smile turned her eyes into slits. She had dark red hair which was swept up in a ponytail, dangling a quarter of the way down her back. Her stature was quite small, only reaching to just above my shoulders, but her frame was anything but wiry. She was quite muscular and could definitely hold her own in a fight, of that much I was sure. She wore a thick winter coat and ripped jeans, showing off some bruises and scrapes on her legs. Her left cheek also showed signs of some scruple, as it had a small gash across it. Her right eyebrow also sported a small scar, blending in with her pale skin. She held a half eaten pink donut in her left hand, which she occasionally took a bite of. "Y- Yeah, I like nature," I sounded like a fucking kindergartner, I know, "It's really beautiful here. I thought I got lost before you came to talk to me." I stumbled out a bit less nervously, but she didn't seem to mind my obvious stress. "It's easy to get lost in these woods, that's why I always carry a map. Don't wanna get caught somewhere you don't recognise in the middle of the night. There's.. Things out in this park, Alex." Her gaze turned ice cold and a shiver ran up and down my spine. My eyes grew wider and she noticed my unease or rather, my fear.
"Oh I'm just fucking with you, the job's fine. I mean it, and if there is anything unusual just call in and we'll help." This did little to settle my nerves but hey, a little goes a long way I suppose. She laughed and so did I. How did I fall for that? I suppose I'll chalk it up to stress, even if I am kind of a scaredy cat. The woman introduced herself as Nora, she'd been working here a while and enjoyed the isolation from the outside world. I supposed I would too, after the previous years, and with our introduction finished along with her donut, we hopped into a jeep after I'd put my backpack and boxes in its trunk and she drove me past the barrier that prevented me from going further along the road before. As we drove, I remarked on the beauty and color of the forest. Nora nodded, her gaze sweeping over the forest. "It really is something special. I love it here, and I bet you will too."
Shortly thereafter, the car came to a stop in front of a diversion off of the main road. "Come on, I'll show you around and get you settled in." I opened the door and stepped out. Looking to my left, I felt a rush of emotions overwhelm me. There it was, finally, towering above the surrounding forest, a lonely overlook watching over the vast expanse of greenery. The tower was both imposing and inviting, its wooden frame weathered and worn by years of exposure to the elements yet it still stood strong. The forest was just as it was a few days before, alive with the sounds of nature: the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, the distant call of a deer.
Nora and I climbed the narrow staircase to the top of the tower and we went higher and higher above the forest floor. The wood creaked under our weight as we struggled with bringing the boxes with us, but the structure felt solid, which was very damn necessary for me to feel even the slightest bit safe. When we reached the top, a breathtaking view greeted me. It stretched out in every direction and a sea of green was visible as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, a hill was visible or a small hiking trail but other than that it was just a vast expanse of leaves and dense foliage. The treetops swayed gently in the breeze. "This is incredible," I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away from the scenic view in front of me. It was so calm, so quiet and it made me feel warm inside, negating the cold of the biting air.
"It is," Nora agreed, leaning against the railing. "Just a piece of advice, though; try to keep busy, don't let the loneliness get to you. If you need, Justin and I are available through the radio. I'm up at tower 13, he's in tower 15." Pulling away from the railing, we stepped into the small cabin at the top of the tower. She showed me around the place I'd be living for the foreseeable future, it was cozy and functional, with a bed, a kitchenette, and a desk cluttered with maps, weather instruments, a box of matches and a weird looking set of binoculars that were equipped with heat vision. A radio sat on the left corner of the desk, propped up against the wall and its antenna reached for the sky like a lifeline to the outside world. "Everything you need is here," Nora said, gesturing to the various supplies. "Food, water, a first aid kit. We get resupplied once a month, so you'll need to keep track of your provisions." I nodded, taking it all in. I felt a thrill of excitement mixed with a twinge of fear. Whether that fear came from stress or the Friday the 13th movies, I couldn't tell.
"Thank you," I said, turning to Nora. "I can't wait to get started." She smiled, a look of understanding in her amber eyes. "I know the feeling. You'll do great here, Alex. Just remember to take it one day at a time and enjoy the peace and quiet." After that, she walked out and shut the door behind her.
I spent the rest of the day unpacking my belongings and familiarizing myself with the tower and its surroundings. The cabin was simple but comfortable, and I quickly found a place for everything. My hiking boots were placed by the door, the heater by my bed and a little action figure adorned my desk so that it felt a slight bit more relaxing. On my desk, there was a thick journal in which I was meant to report on weather conditions and such. That was my job, along with answering distress calls from lost or worried hikers. I picked up my pair of heat detecting binoculars and looked around the forest. In the distance, I saw another outlook tower. Halfway up the stairs, a female body was giving off heat within the cold. It was clearly visible, the form of a woman in bright orange walking in the dark blue, cold space above the trees. I watched her enter the cabin and sit down at her desk. At that moment, the radio sprang to life and I jumped, dropping my binoculars. "Tower 13, this is Nora. You all settled in yet Alex?" I paused for a moment, my heart still racing at a hundred twenty beats a minute. "Alex?" The radio rang out again, this time I picked up the receiver and spoke into the microphone; "Hi- yeah I settled in just fine." The words stammered out of my mouth and they were quickly picked up on.
"You sound nervous, I didn't spook you too hard did I?" Before I could even respond, a man's voice replied; "Nora, what'd you do to the new guy?" He sounded both tired and annoyed, yet a slight hint of humor was evident in his voice. I just sat there, third wheeling and listening to their conversation. "Nothing, nothing. I swear." The words were giggled, and a silence ensued. "There's somethin' out in them there woods, boy." Nora said with a thick and awfully parroted Texas accent. She was obviously laughing and I couldn't help but laugh myself. Justin laughed too, asking if I really fell for that stupid joke. Nora could hardly contain her laughter, saying, "You should've seen his face!".
"You two aren't gonna let this go, are you?" They confirmed that no, they were not, and we all had a good laugh about it. The rest of the day, I performed the various tasks that I needed to do and before I knew it, the sun had sunk halfway under the treeline, casting a warm glow over the forest. I felt a sense of contentment wash over me. I stepped out and leaned against the railing, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and watched as the stars slowly emerged one by one. I admit, I had thought about pouring some strong liquor in my coffee but I decided against it. I hoped to leave that life behind in my apartment but against my better judgment I'd brought a bottle of my strongest drink with me. The stuff was basically hand sanitizer and I was convinced it would burn straight through my throat. The night was beautiful, the light pollution here was at a minimum so even the andromeda galaxy was visible.
I admired the view for a while, thinking about life and, well, you know how it goes on these kinds of nights. Thoughts of the vastness of space turned to thoughts of home and, in turn, thoughts about Sean and mom. Sean was older than I, having left for the military when he was 19. I was only 15 at that point and seeing less of my brother hardly budged me. Fewer occasions to be annoyed and pestered, I thought. Of course, the idea that he could die wasn't at the forefront of my mind. It hadn't really seemed like a real possibility, not at all actually. Even when his brothers in arms came to our door with drooping faces, it didn't quite sink in. I cried, of course, but it didn't register that my brother was no longer of this earth until after the funeral. The grieving process was long and hard, and not helped by our mother in the slightest. I developed a taste for whisky at 16 and moved out when I myself was 19.
When Sean had left, when I saw him last (excluding seeing his cold, dead body), he'd told me that I'd see him again in no time and that I shouldn't get too comfortable now that he wasn't around to taunt me. I shrugged and gave him a half-assed hug. There he stood, uniform already on and his big blue eyes staring at me. The disappointment at my indifference was visible in those blue oceans and it was an image that was burned into my retina. My biggest mistake, which I'd never forgive myself for. Maybe if I'd have hugged him tighter, I'd be able to look at myself in the mirror again. But it's easier thinking up 'what-ifs' than facing reality, isn't it? I looked at my watch and saw it was already 12 AM. All that still roamed underneath were crickets, chirping away at the crescent moon. Well, I suppose pondering my brother's untimely death would have to wait for now. At last, I went back inside and for the first time in years, I slept deeply and undisturbed.
YOU ARE READING
The Fyrn
HorrorAlex is a young man living in the city. He has some past trauma and decides to move out, deciding to pursue a career as a ranger in a watchtower. However, when he finds a man standing outside of the cabin one night, things take a dark turn.
