The creature in the woods

The Choice

The morning sun streamed through Ethan’s window, but its warmth couldn’t chase away the chill that had settled in his bones. He lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, replaying Mrs. Bennett’s words from the night before. A life must be sacrificed to break the curse. The forest would not let them go, not without claiming something far greater than the tokens they’d left on the altar.

Ethan couldn’t shake the weight of what she had told him. Someone had to die—willingly—for him and James to be free of the forest. He clenched his fists, his thoughts a storm of guilt and confusion. How could he ask someone to make such a sacrifice? How could he live with himself if he let someone else pay that price?

He heard his mom calling from downstairs, her voice bright and cheerful, like everything in the world was normal. Ethan’s stomach churned. The house felt too quiet, too ordinary, compared to the nightmare looming just outside their town. He couldn’t sit still any longer.

Ethan forced himself out of bed, got dressed, and headed downstairs. His parents were sitting at the kitchen table, laughing softly over their morning coffee. It seemed like such a small, happy moment. Ethan felt a pang of envy. They had no idea what he had been through, what he was still facing.

“Morning, hon,” his mom said, smiling at him. “You’re up late. Everything okay?”

Ethan forced a smile. “Yeah, I just… didn’t sleep well.”

His dad looked up from the newspaper, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve been out in those woods a lot lately. It’s no wonder you’re having nightmares. Maybe you should give it a rest for a while.”

If only it were that simple. Ethan nodded absently and grabbed a piece of toast from the counter, but he had no appetite. He needed to talk to someone who understood. Someone who had been through it with him.

---

An hour later, Ethan was standing at James’s front door, feeling the weight of everything he had learned pressing down on him. He knocked, and after a few moments, James answered, looking just as exhausted as Ethan felt.

“Hey,” James said, his voice low. “You look like hell.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t look much better,” Ethan muttered. “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

James nodded, stepping aside to let Ethan in. The two of them made their way to James’s room, shutting the door behind them. For a moment, they just sat there in silence, the weight of everything that had happened hanging heavy in the air.

Finally, James spoke. “I’ve been thinking about it, you know. About what we did in the woods. What we gave up. Do you think… do you think it was enough?”

Ethan shook his head, his throat tight. “No. I talked to Mrs. Bennett last night. She knows about the creature. She told me… she told me the real price hasn’t been paid yet.”

James’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? We gave it what it wanted. The compass, the chain—that should have been enough!”

Ethan took a deep breath, feeling the crushing weight of what he had to say. “It wasn’t. Mrs. Bennett said the forest wants something more. Something… bigger. A life.”

James stared at him, his face pale. “A life? You mean someone has to… die?”

Ethan nodded, his heart pounding. “She said it’s the only way to break the curse. Someone has to willingly offer themselves to the forest. If we don’t… the creature will come back. And this time, it won’t stop.”

James stood up, pacing the room, his hands raking through his hair. “No. No way. We can’t just—what, find someone to die for us? That’s insane! There has to be another way!”

“I don’t know if there is,” Ethan said quietly. “Mrs. Bennett made it sound like this has happened before. Like the forest has taken people before. And if we don’t stop it… it’s going to take us.”

James stopped pacing, staring at Ethan in disbelief. “You’re seriously considering this, aren’t you? Asking someone to die for us?”

“I don’t want to,” Ethan said, his voice breaking. “I don’t want any of this. But we can’t just ignore it, James. We can’t pretend this will go away. We’re marked, and it’s not going to stop until it gets what it wants.”

James slumped down onto the bed, his head in his hands. “This is a nightmare.”

Ethan didn’t argue. It was. But it was a nightmare they couldn’t wake up from.

---

The next few days passed in a blur of anxiety and dread. Ethan and James avoided the woods, but the creature’s presence seemed to seep into every corner of their lives. Strange things began happening around town—shadows shifting at the edges of vision, whispers in the wind that no one could explain. People started reporting strange noises at night, sightings of something moving through the trees.

It was as if the forest was growing restless, its hunger intensifying.

Ethan tried to avoid Mrs. Bennett, but she seemed to be everywhere—watching, waiting, her gaze heavy with the knowledge of what had to come next. He knew she was right. The forest wouldn’t let them go. They couldn’t escape the inevitable.

Late one afternoon, Ethan found himself wandering near the edge of the woods, drawn by some unseen force. He stood at the tree line, staring into the dark, twisting branches, wondering if the creature was watching him even now. The air was thick with tension, the silence oppressive.

Then, a voice broke the quiet.

“You’re close to making a decision.”

Ethan turned sharply. Mrs. Bennett was standing just behind him, her weathered face serious, her eyes tired. She stepped closer, her cane tapping softly on the ground.

“You know what you must do, Ethan,” she said softly. “The forest won’t let you go until the price is paid.”

Ethan’s chest tightened. “I can’t just let someone die.”

She nodded, her gaze never leaving his. “No one ever can. But the forest… it’s older than you, older than me. It doesn’t follow our rules of fairness. It demands what it demands, and it always gets what it’s owed.”

Ethan clenched his fists. “There has to be another way.”

“Perhaps,” Mrs. Bennett said, her voice quiet. “But if there is, it will be far more dangerous than what you face now.”

Ethan stared at the trees, feeling the weight of the choice pressing down on him. He didn’t want to sacrifice anyone. He didn’t want blood on his hands. But he knew the forest was patient, and its hunger wouldn’t be denied forever.

Mrs. Bennett rested a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you choose, Ethan, choose quickly. The forest is growing restless.”

As she turned to leave, Ethan felt the cold wind shift through the trees, carrying with it the faintest echo of a growl. The forest was waiting. The creature was watching.

And time was running out.