Harrington's Journal

Chapter 8: December 10th - Fears

December 10th

I am standing in world that is shrouded by darkness. I do not think that I will be able to escape here whatsoever. I came into a corroded part of the forest, its branches cascading over me in shadow. How I came in here...well, it seemed that my body unconsciously wandered in.

Now I remember. I stood at the entrance of a dark forbidding forest. The canopy was low, about three times higher than my height with branches that jagged outwards like skeletal fingers. Then, there was a woman in a dress of white and black. She stood within the forest and gestured me with a hand, beckoning me in. My mind emptied as if I was in some sort of trance. I ended up walking further and further, deep within this grim forest, until I saw the entrance no more. Finally, my mind snapped and I was no longer in a stupor. I turned, beginning to panic as I saw nothing around me but crusty grey boles. I was completely lost, as everything in all directions looked the same.

Suddenly, I heard a soft voice, a woman's voice.

"Welcome," she whispered, her voice echoing around me. "A mortal has come and he brings a foreign aura."

"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked, whilst trying to find where this woman was.

"I am the guardian of this beautiful woodland."

Nothing here is beautiful, I thought.

"I have a request." Her voice changed into a deeper tone.

"But first, you need to get me out," I demanded.

"Oh yes, you need not to worry about that. All I want is your body and you shall take me to your world," she explained. "I want to see your world with my very own eyes."

"No, even if you plan on giving me your rewards, there is nothing that will convince me to let a witch roam freely in my world," I snapped.

"Yet you have stepped into the wrong world. A foolish mortal. You dared to disregard me, then I shall just kill you trespasser!" she roared casting a wind that made me stumble back.

Clumsily, I tripped over a root that made me fell until my back smacked against a tree. The ground began to shook violently.

"I know all your fears," she whispered with a low monstrous voice.

The earth stopped shaking, but it wasn't the end of her malice. I felt something scaly and slick, travelling down my back. Then I heard it hiss, causing my body to jolt in fear.

"Serpents."

My hands clawed against the soggy dirt as I scrambled away in panic. When I flipped around, I saw nothing on the tree. However, something was crawling up my leg and looking down, a small black snake was travelling its way up my thigh and toward my stomach. I tried to get up but my legs won't move as roots had emerged from the ground, wrapping around my arms and legs. The head of the snake was at my neck, its tiny tongue flicking against my skin. I was so afraid that great amount of sweat poured down my forehead. With my greatest fears at my mouth, I had become stupefied as it edged its way between my lips. It tasted of dirt and I felt its scaly texture on my tongue. With the serpent's thickness rubbing against the back of my throat, it blocked the airflow, causing me to gag. My eyes stung of tears and my nostrils flared wildly in distress. 

It was a disgusting feeling that felt like it was going to last forever. But the snake managed to push itself down within my chest and as it did, the roots released itself from my limbs. I turned to face the decomposed ground, coughing ferociously as air gushed through my lungs. Thick saliva trickled from the edges of my mouth. With this unbearable sick feeling forming in stomach, I wanted to regurgitate the snake back out. But I couldn't. I was so stunned, shivering so much that I couldn't move.

Did a snake really enter my body? If so, I would've died, but instead, the wriggling feeling disappeared from my stomach, as if it wasn't there to begin with. However, I am still traumatized.

At this point, I knew she was no human and I knew that she would not let me go so easily. Is she a spirit perhaps? Or simply a magician playing mind tricks to frighten me? However, it is obvious that she was beyond the living; an entity who can create illusions. It wasn't the end; it was just the beginning of what she had planned.

I spun my head around to find this being, and I saw a shadowy figure who walked toward me from a distance. My heart pounded rapidly, as I recognised who it was.

"A man, you fear a man," she mused. "I do not know the reason, but he frightens you."

Even though my mind somewhat knew that it was all an illusion, I am still afraid just by looking at him. Unexpectedly, he charged at me, closing the gap between him and I in seconds. 

Still recovering from the trauma, I tried to evade him, but I was a second too late to react. He tackled me to the ground, his razor teeth aiming for my neck and I screamed for help, even though I knew that there was no one who would help me. With his weight crushing me and his fingers pinching into my skin, it felt real enough for an illusion.

With my arms thrashing about, my fist finally hit its target. The man's head was thrown to the side, but not enough that he would get off me. In fact, my punch was weak and he turned his eyes at me with a grin. My mouth opened slightly, letting out a silent gasp as I looked into his glowing irises. He opened his mouth widely, revealing the saliva that dripped from the edges of his teeth. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for him to bite into my flesh and tear it apart from my body, but several seconds later I felt nothing.

Very slowly, I opened my eyelids and saw nothing but the grimy roof of the forest. I sighed in relief, though my heart still pounded rapidly against my chest. For several seconds, I stared up, waiting for something else to happen. Nothing did. I then sat up and looked around. No man, no snakes, and no voice of the apparition.

I grabbed my belongings and walked in a direction that I had picked randomly. Minutes later, I had entered into a moss-filled region of the woodland. Tiny mushrooms spouted out from the ground and even the trees.

The ground made a squishy sound on every step I took. I was stepping in mud that became deeper in minutes until it was below knee level. However, I stopped, as it was difficult to breath and so I took the last remnants of water in my bottle.

I am still scared, very afraid. Even right now. It is still very dark, and I could just barely see what I am writing. The air grows heavy. I had fallen so much and I think it is because my legs are falling asleep. This strange illness, is it me or is this the forest's doing? No matter, all I need to do is to get out. But what happened to me so far, it's killing me.

The man's beastly visage appeared in my thoughts; I could feel his hot breath on my face and the lingering pain of his nails digging into my arm; and his voice calling my name in a quiet whisper. I'm falling into madness, I know it.

A few moments ago I was laughing and then afterward, I appeared normal as if nothing had happened.

Next, the twins' voices entered into my mind. They spouted revolting methods of ways to cook me, and I clutched onto my ears to block them out, which did nothing to silence them. Ryla's voice cursing me, telling me repeatedly that I had killed his sister. It is killing me, making me tremble more than I should be. This is all but a trick, but I can't take it anymore. 

I should just give in as I am falling into eternal darkness, for that I am continuing to be tortured by a plaguing existence, which follows my every step and scent. The aura in this world had me spellbound, I doubt that I will ever escape, as I am falling into a world filled with madness, where I can never wake. They are here. All wanting to devour me. I do not want to die...not like this...

Something is killing me, making me weak and I cannot escape it. My eyes...they are...beginning to blur. The mist is growing and soon enough I won't be able to see. I am slowly losing conscious, I can feel my hands growing limp, with the forest air thickening around me. But I must keep moving or else...the forest will consume me... 

Harrington. H