Wild Afflictions

Introduction

The silent woods of Whale Island are always a serene place. It holds so many mysteries and knowns, especially when the tree and plant growth starts to impede on the path to the sky, blocking all light from ever gracing upon the forest floor. The silence within the walls of trees is daunting, and as becomes even more so as the night casts over the island. Creatures begin to situate themselves into their own little hiding places, only half alert to their surroundings — as the night is a time where prey and predator refuse to venture too far from what is familiar.

Then it comes. A large crash and the reeving of an engine alerts the forests residences as a car's light flash through the trees. The car moves with speeds that are verging on fatal, the rush it's in becoming all too obvious. The creatures become scared, fleeing far from the man-made vehicle which wishes to cause such treachery to the calm of the deep forest.

    Despite the thick growth and the unknown twists and turns, this car seems to be immune to damage and even more to any thought of slowing down. It continues on a straight path, even further into the forest, further from where it should have ever strayed.

    Deeper it drives into the forest until it comes to an area where it can no longer move it halts. The two front doors swing up simultatniously. Out of the passenger side emerges a tall, elegant woman, with long straight dark hair, dressed into a prestigious looking dress, a shadow cast over her slim face from the large brimmed hat, hiding any sort of expression of any distinguishable facial features. The other, who exited from the driver's side of the car was a tall and muscular man who seemed to have a permanent scowl cast on his face, hair long and in a controlled mess, and dressed in a standard, but expensive looking, business suit.

    The women moved to open the back door, pulling from the back seat a small child, who had to be no older than five, dressed in a child's sweatpants and sweater. His hair breaks in tiny wafts from underneath the hood of his sweater, color almost identifiable in the dark, but when it hits the small fragments of the moon, it's a shockingly white child.

    The women put the child on the ground almost as soon as she had picked him up, walking away and over to the man on the other side of the car. "Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked in a hushed voice, like someone was just around the corner, waiting to jump out to surprise her.

    "Darling, I assure you that no one has ever been this deep into this forest ever. I asked all the inhabitants of this island and they all say it's essentially a death trap—"

    "Mama," the small boy called, waddling his way over to the women holding a small bunch of an unknown flower out to her. "Looky Looky. Aren't they pretty?"

    "That's nice," she said in a passive voice before pointing over to a tree about three meters away. "We're going to play a game. You're going to turn around and face that tree. Count to as high as you can as loud as you can with your ears covered, kay?"

    "Oh, that sounds like fun, mama." The boy clapped his hands whilst nodding vigorously before waddling his way over and started counting.

    "1 2 3 4.... 5, it's 5. 6 7 8... I think it's 9.... Yeah! Then 10.... 13, 15... oh this is hard mama. But I'll try," The boy shouted, hands clamped tightly around his ears. "Ummm, I'll start over. 1 2 3 4 5... 6 7 8...9"

The boy continued to count out numbers, laughing at his mistakes and starting over a few times. And eventually, when he turns around, ready to start the game and see his mama and papa again, he sees no one.

"Mama?" he calls out walking a few steps, looking around him. It was dark, almost pitch black, not as it had been with the car lights.

"Papa?" He called out loud, starting to walk aimlessly in some random direction.

He continued to search, unaware of the direction he walked in and where he choose to go.

"Mama? Papa?" he cried out eventually, small legs starting to give underneath him from all the walking. "I don't wanna play anymore. I'm scared."

"I wanna go home. Mama? Papa?"

Then, a snapping branch called his attention behind him. He saw a pair of eyes and he grew confused. "Mama? It's me?"

"Papa?"

Then there was a growl and they boy finally let out a screech, willing his small legs to carry him away from whatever was behind him, little heart pounding rapidly from the fear and adrenaline coursing through his body.

He continued to run and run and run, just trying his best to get away from the thing that was chasing him. He ran aimlessly until he saw a twist of roots giving way to a small hole he could hide in.

He quickly slipped into the hole, curling into a ball and trying to keep quiet. With his hand clamped hard over his mouth, he rocked back and forth, tears streaming down his face and his whole body aching from the strain of running and the cuts, bruises, and scrapes he gained from his scramble.

"Mmmama? Papa?" He cried into his hand, starting to feel the chill of the cold island air wash over him. "I wanna go home. Take me home, please."

"I promise I'll be good. I won't whine anymore and I'll listen and I'll never stay up past my bedtime. I promise."

But there's only silence.

"I wanna go home."

He whispers.

"Papa?"

He asks no one.

"Mama?"

His attempts continue to fall on deaf ears

"Take me home."

"I don't wanna play no more."

"JUST TAKE ME HOME."