The Trees Have Eyes

A feeling of dread floated throughout the decrypted forest, the omnios alders towering above the decaying ground. I stepped forward my foot sinking into the hollow soil, a sense of misplacement filled me as I glanced around myself anxiously. The trail I was following seemed out of place, the trees staring at me with dismay. They beared a face of sorrow as they stood their lives edging the brink of death and decay as their tendril like roots reached out to me, clawing their way through the sunken dirt. The branches of the trees where unsettling, finger like appendages held their hands out for me to take. A light fog slowly grew from the dilapidated ground, my heart slowly quickening in pace as I eyed the phenomena, I turned my body filled with a rotting terror. I marched onward dismissing the growing mist, small droplets of sweat forming on my brow to be quickly chilled by the brisk winds.

I moved faster nervously looking either way with shrill shivers. The temperature dropping immensely as I tried to flee the woods, but to no avail. The trail slithered off gradually disappearing into scraps of gravel and chunks of stone, the trees still standing at attention. I heard a low toned whisper... It came again... And again... Edging closer to my ear as I looked towards the source, a large trunk of a decaying alder awaiting me. I looked into the gaping aperture on its front, my hands resting on the lower seem. The tree was at least three times my size, and could easily hide a body.

The winds let out screams of horror as I backed up from the large wooden pillar it conceded a feeling of awe as I stared up at into the misted sky. The fog held like a barrier blocking beams of light from the deprived ground, a blanket of sorrow fought into the land as I traveled on from the tree. My feet sank into the cooled earth as I walked deeper into the thicket, I heard small muffled cries plead their way through the soulless air. I turned, my breath falling loose from my lungs as I stared at the large guardian-esque timber. Holes covered it, large gaping passageways linked together by vein like roots consumed the plant. I moved closer to the phenomena my hand lightly grazing the thick wood as I peered into the oblique aperture. A dark black sap flowed from the wounds, slowly moving down the tree, my eyes focused onto the dark spots adorning the trunk.

Small, delicate worms crawled from them they trailed the black substance as they moved along. The creatures were painted with a mundane black and white pattern, splotches of nonpigmented hexagons covered the charcoal based insect. It bore many eyes, more than any being I had ever seen. Each tiny pupil looked straight through me with devilish intent, It's petite pincers opened once more as a near inaudible squeal came from it. It was joined by many others, hundreds of them joined in unison creating an enfeebling screech piercing my eardrums as I fell down onto my knees holding my ears.

It continued onward for what seemed to be hours, the shriek grew in volume as I kneeled there begging for it to stop. Silence overtook the forest once more as I looked up dazed from the shrill sound. My vision wobbled as I looked forward into a cavity in the alder, small scrape marks lining the stretched entrance. Scratches marked around the giant entrance giving it a shriveled appearance, I heard the small whimper again. It was closer... It came from the hole, but how could that be? I edged closer still shaken from the worm's squeals, my hand reached into the blackened abyss consumed by shadows as the whimper continued progressing into an heartbroken sob.

I crawled, hands and knees into the threshold following the young girl's hopeless cries. The tree was hollowed, the hideous worms covered the walls skittering up and down secreting the familiar fluid. The enormous tree trailed into the ground, a large passageway carved its way through the dead soil. I looked into the tunnel wary of my choices as I moved closer, the cries growing even more intense; I knew what I needed to do, no matter the consequence.

I slid down into the awaiting chamber, the walls quickly morphing into a slick ebony nest. Hexangular holes covered the pitch-dark material, worms transferring between them as I moved deeper. The tunnel grew in size, now easily fitting a fully grown man standing up straight. Curiously I stood, my head at least two feet from the ceiling. As I stood my foot sunk into the hive like material, thick goop covering my boots as I continued onward. The sobs grew louder and louder as I neared the source, but something was off, the voice sounded inhuman as it grew beyond any voice I knew possible.

The passage came to a large room, cords of the thick substance linked between the walls and the ceiling like a web. Liquids dripped from the ceiling as cleared my vision stepping down into the chamber. This was the first time I had seen it, a large mutilated grey and black creature laid upon the net of webs. It had limbs stretching out off all sides, the beast's open stomach poured out the inky fluids covering the floor in a macabre way. Tens of hundreds of the worms crawled from it's body as I witnessed it's grotesque birth the creature twisted and turned, whining out bellows of pain. I stepped back reluctive as the monstrosity eyed me, it's cadaver bulged even more as a second orb like apparition appeared in it's open corpse. The skin began to split as it's sobs turned into screams as it's body spasmed the spherical oddity grew in size ripping open. Slender beam like arms reached out, tipped with claws and spikes lining down it's hairless skin, It erupted from the beast's body covered in a thick layer of the black liquid. It had thousands of eyes each one focused on me as it left its mother's womb, it's body was cervine and oblique covered with geometrical protrusions matching the ones from the caterpillar's coat.

It's body shuddered sporadically as it dragged its lower half out with strong stake like appendages dug into the ground. The screams became silent as the mother stopped moving... It's child looked at me turning its head to the side as it's mouth slowly opened pincers sprawling out from each cardinal direction as it released a familiar sound... A faint whisper echoed throughout the tunnels as it moved closer, it's whispers growing into clicks. Wide eyed I turned racing out of the nest, I fell down onto my hands and knees in fear. I looked back in terror as the spider-esque being moved closer to me, I turned away moving as fast as I could out of the tree. My mind spun as I stumbled outside of the chamber, my feet lightly scrapping and tripping on the cold hard soil. The air had dropped several degrees as I looked around in the empty woods, several trees bearing holes and small tunnels at the bottom of them adorned the forest. Each one looking at me as I ran in trepidation, unable to think straight I turned in unpredictable ways. I didn't care where I was going, I just needed to get out of here; out of this forest.

I kept on running until I came across the gravel trail I took before hand. Relief traversed over me as I leaned over settling my hands on my knees trying to reclaim my breath. What was that thing!? I looked back into the mist filled woods, nothing in particularly out of the ordinary- not even a hole covered tree in sight. I sat down leaning onto a strong oak wood tree, my back comforted onto the hard bark. I sighed sweat dripping down onto my pants as I looked down onto the dark soil. My body froze as I looked at the dirt... It was stained a deep inky black, thick liquid settling deep into it. Paralysed I sat there hearing a low pitched whisper enter my ear, I sat there unable to move as a long spindly fingered hand reached out from the gaping hole to my right. It slowly drew back wrapping around my mouth as It pulled me into the darkness, I struggled looking forward as the bark closed around the open wound... As my last ounce of light was cancelled I looked up, consumed in a sheet of terror thousands of eyes looked down onto me each one glowing a distinct orange.

It's hand moved pulling my head closer to it as liquids drained down my throat. I struggled my lungs filling with acidic black fluid, unable to fight back my eyes began to shut. A contemptuous wave of exasperation rippled through my body as I laid there unable to move as worms invaded my body through every orifice... Tired I faded into a deep slumber, only to awake in the threshold of the forest. My body was filled with a unbearable burn as I looked into the dawning sky, faces of family members hovered over me tears streaming down their cheek as my mind awoke. Through all of the commotion I heard a small... Distant whisper turn into a devilish clicking sound...