Fantasy - The Anthology

The Woods

⚠️ This chapter does contain some non-consensual touching, but everything else is consensual.

I lived to be outside in nature. It was my home from home. I wouldn't be able to tell you how many times I'd walked through these woods. If I need to think, or feel, or even just be me I would walk these woods. No matter what time of the day, no matter what day of the year I would be outside.

I loved to listen to the nature, living in the trees. The birds who nested here or the crickets that filled the perfect silence. It was my dreamland. My happy place. Somewhere I felt at peace.

My walk started off how it always does. I usually go down the dirt track to the river, along to the waterfall and then along the nature track, back to my house. But today was different. It wasn't until I got to the river when I first saw him. I almost didn't notice him at first, but then he coughed, purposefully drawing my attention to him.

First of all I thought he was a normal looking person, just out for a walk through the trees like me.

'Hi.' I smiled and waved.

He said nothing in return. He didn't even move. He just stood there staring at me.

'Are you ok?' I asked, incase he needed help, but the eerie silence made me feel a little weird so I offered him a weak smile and left.

I couldn't get him out of my mind as I walked. The way his dark eyes bore into me. The way he had all my nerves standing on edge from his silence.

I tried to push him from my mind as I walked, but even the cool breeze on the hot day did nothing to help my mind wonder.

Maybe a swim would help? It usually did when I was fixating on something.

When I neared the waterfall I pulled my top over my head and my shorts down my legs. I dumped my clothes on the floor, not bothering to fold them as I kicked my shoes off and tip toed into the cold water.

The ice water was a shock to the system, compared to the heat of the summer day. You would have thought maybe the sun would have warmed it up a bit, but it didn't. A few minutes passed, freeing my mind of the silent man. I was adequately relaxed so I turned back to the bank where I'd left my clothes, wanting to return to the warmth of the sun. But as I located my clothes in a pile near the waters edge I saw him again, standing not 5 feet from my clothing.

Fear ran down my spine as I looked at him, staring at me, before he looked down to my clothes lying on the floor.

Without thinking I ran from the water, over to my clothes, just in case he was going to do something to them. I bend down and reached for my top, pulling it over my head as he walked over to wear I stood.

'Can I help you?' I asked as he stopped, just a couple of feet from me.

But he says nothing. He just stares at me. This close I could see his features better, compared to earlier. I could see the green in his eyes and the hard facial expression he wore. I could see the way his eyes darted down my body to my bare legs before coming back up again, filling me with a mixture of curiosity and dread.

'Listen, I don't have anything on me, so if you're looking for money or something you got the wrong person.' I tell him, reaching for my shorts, keeping my eye on him.

Just as my fingers brush the material laying in the floor he lunges for me, grabbing my wrist.

'What are you doing? Let me go!' I almost scream at him, but he just smiles.

He pulls me close to him, grabbing my hip with his free hand, leaning into me as he inhales.

'Get off.' I try to push at him, but it's no use. He was too strong for me.