The Forest's Secret

Act 1 | Ash and the Shadowed Path | Part 4

A narrow but well-defined pathway. Ash made a mad dash towards the well-defined pathway, his heart racing, and his breath ragged. He could hear the sounds of snapping and cracking behind him, getting closer and closer with every passing moment. Ash pushed himself harder, faster, his legs burning, his muscles straining.

Ash's feet slapped against the ground as he sprinted through the forest, his heart racing, and his breathing rapid. Every crunch of a twig and rustle of leaves made him flinch, his imagination running wild. He could almost feel the creature's presence behind him, its crackling bones growing louder with each passing moment. But Ash kept pushing forward, his mind set on reaching the pathway

As he drew closer to the pathway, he felt relief wash over him - he was so close to safety. But just as he was about to reach the edge of the forest, he felt a hand grab his ankle. Ash yelped as he fell onto the wet leaves and the slippery mud the flashlight falling out of his hand sliding across the mud. Ash whipped his head around. He looked up into the darkness and saw two yellow-glowing eyes staring back at him. He could feel the cold mud seeping into his clothes, his hands scraped from the fall, and his ankle throbbing from the vice-like grip that was holding him tight.

The creature was a hideous spectacle - a hybrid of human and animal, with rotting fur, and jagged claws. Ash froze as the creature leaned closer, its stench overwhelming him. He could hear its laboured breathing and smell its sickly-sweet breath. The creature spoke, its voice like sandpaper on rusted metal. "What brings you to *my* forest, human," it rasped.

"I-I... I just wanted to prove... prove that there are monsters here," Ash stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

The creature's eyes narrowed, its grip tightening on Ash's ankle. "And now you have found one," it growled, its breath hot against Ash's face.