An Entire Year of You

Chapter 29: The Forest

Trees, they are us. They stand tall like giants and strong like armies against mighty storms. One or two offer comfort and company, but hundreds close together make it easy to get lost. Trees. They. Are. Us.

This wasn't the news being announced throughout Night Vale, it was more of an understood thing. What was news, however, was the sudden and unexplained appearance of a dense pine tree forest on the east side of town. It was thick and dark and dangerous, not a place to be explored without caution. Which was perfect for Carlos. He had been looking all over the place for the sudden and unexplained. When sudden and unexplained things were happening, he could leave the lab for research, something he'd been trying to do as much as possible.

Carlos hadn't felt comfortable in the lab for a long time, at least not while the others were there. Robin was as honest as he could be and he didn't believe Jess and Marsha's secrecy was malicious, but the weight of knowing that they were hiding something from him was back breaking. He still hadn't built up the courage to insist they explain. Confrontation wasn't his strong point. People weren't his strong point. Silence and science, that was his strong point. So, to avoid the pressure of the stifling work atmosphere crushing him completely he found something new to keep him far, far away. The forest was perfect for him, even if Cecil was convinced otherwise.

"I've never trusted trees." Cecil had told him as the crossed paths on their ways to work. They'd been crossing paths before work more often recently, but that was just a coincidence. Carlos' insisted to his team that he wasn't timing his walks. No, Sir. That wasn't something that rational, totally in control of his emotions Carlos' would do.

It wasn't like anyone could prove it.

"Why? What did the trees ever do to you?" Carlos laughed.

"Oh nothing, but I remember this bedtime story when I was young about a boy who became a tree. It was supposed to be relaxing I think but it was kind of terrifying. Maybe it would have been better if I was ever awake to hear the ending, but I don't think I ever was. At least, I don't remember being."

"Well...I'm sure I'll be fine as long they don't fall on me."

"But what if they do, Carlos. What then?" Cecil asked frantically.

"Well then I'll just have to live in the forest. You can visit all the time." Carlos smiled. "Don't worry, Cee. I'll be back before you know it."

The forest was cool and damp despite the lack of rain fall since its appearance. Carlos set to work collecting dew samples and soil. The air was clean and fresh and every breathe melted his stress away. It was the safest he'd felt since the night on the hill with Cecil.

"You. We haven't seen you before." An un-gendered voice whispered. It was soft and factual. It didn't care that Carlos was a stranger.

"Hello?" Carlos called out into the forest. He couldn't see another person there with him. Not even a shadow.

"Come closer. Let us meet you."

"Where are you?"

"We're here."

"Where?"

"Everywhere. All around you. All of us."

"The...trees?" Asked Carlos.

"Yes. Come, sit." The voice was only a whisper, but it was so warm, like a caring parent. Carlos couldn't be afraid in the forest. He sat down at the foot of one of the trees and leaned against the trunk. It felt as if he was being held was close in a protective hug. He'd never felt so loved before, even though he was alone. "You're so tense."

"Yes." Carlos mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"It's...not important."

"It's important to you. We can feel it. Talk to us. Trees will always listen."

Carlos sighed. He supposed that the forest was a good place to get everything off his chest. The forest couldn't get up and spill his secrets. The trees could be trusted. That he could feel that for himself.

"I'm a scientist. I came to Night Vale because of a one of a kind offer. Everything fully funded. All the research I could do in a year in a town like this. The most scientific town in America, maybe the world. It was perfect, it was everything I could have ever wanted. It still is everything I ever wanted but..."

"But?" The voice asked softly.

"But I was so caught up in how good the offer was I never thought to ask the right question, the one's I did ask I didn't insist on getting answers to. Why would a stranger want to fund my research? Why Night Vale? Why a year? Something is going to happen after this year is up. Something like it has happened before. Something is being kept a secret. My goal in life is to find answers. All I seem to find is more questions."

"You're afraid."

"Yes."

"Stay here. We'll protect you. If you stay close for long enough the forest will always accept you as one their own in the end."

Carlos closed his eyes. He was so tired that he just wanted to stay. The trees wouldn't lie. The trees would let him talk and actually listen. The trees would hold him forever, long after he was supposed to be dragged away from Night Vale. He could stay. He could sleep. Nobody could force him to do otherwise.

But sleeping was not living. Sleeping would not give him the answers he needed. He couldn't help anyone from the forest floor. His eyes snapped opened. The sky above was black and jewelled with stars. What he'd thought was just a few seconds had been hours. He stumbled to his feet and gathered up his samples before he could lose more time.

"Where are you going? Don't you want to stay with us?" Asked the voice.

"I'm sorry, I-I can't."

"Please stay. You're such a good man. We can make you happy."

"I need to go. Goodbye, whoever you are." He started to head back towards the clear desert, lit clearly by the moon above. Something grabbed his wrist and tightened its wrist. Carlos' blood ran cold. A vine clung to his arm, bruising and scratching his skin.

"It'll be safer if you stay. Out there, with the radio host, you're never going to be safe again."

"H-how did you-"

"We feel, scientist, we see. Everything you dream when you're close to us. You know your influence isn't going to end when the year does. One way or another you and this town are always going to be a part of each other, 'till death you do part."

Carlos pulled to finally break free, spraining his wrist in the process. He paid no attention to the pain as he sprinted towards the forest entrance, which seemed to move and warp further away. But the forest knew that he no longer wanted it and in return it no longer wanted him. In the end, it gave up and let him go. He stumbled into the desert and fell to his knees, panting for breath. He was free, but he was no longer safe. He'd traded the temporary peace of the forest for the ache of permanent knowledge.

'Your influence isn't going to end when the year does.'

Perhaps the vague but menacing government agents had been right to fear him.