The Darkened Obelisk

Trees in the Mirror

Dark rites that conjure or create shadows of nightmares and horrific visages from the deepest fears do not always happen in the withered mansions. Nor with century old incantations to long dead deities. Sometimes the images that wink in and out of our realm of reality can come from innocent gestures and fateful coincidence. Take, for instance, the case file that follows a peculiar gentleman of the name Martin Willows. Willows was found in critical condition in the midst of a small wooded area next to a state park. For nearly three days he had to be sedated while he was recovering from the ordeal. He was delusional, and quite violent toward both the initial rescuers as well as hospital staff.

When Martin came around he managed to share a very strange recollection of events that left the authorities under the sneaking suspicion that drugs of some form were involved, additionally, while telling the stories the lasting chemicals had not quite dissipated from his mind. According to him, Martin had been gone for almost a decade, and his maddened gaze seemed to portray this to some of the overseeing doctors. This was of course, impossible, as the man had only been called in as missing a few days before he was found, a week at most had passed. After a psychological examination and several drug tests the police concluded that he was not on any form of illegal stimulants, hallucinogens, or otherwise. Their interest and involvement in the case dwindled and eventually died entirely, leaving only a few intrepid investigators to pursue the hollow-eyed witness. It was then that Martin began to speak freely, feeling gradually more at ease around the people insisting he share the remainder of his story. Willows was hesitant, but began to get more comfortable telling investigators, requiring some other human to share in this experience, perhaps to solidify this event for himself.

However, Willows singled out one of the investigators, shouting and refusing to see him, believing he was simply reporting the story for a slow news day, rather than earnest belief in the damaged man. He complied, and to the three nameless souls that remained he shared a tale that surely could not have happened in the wildest drug laden fantasies of any creature, man or otherwise. Martin declared that when he was driving home he took the same route he always did, which led him down a particularly wooded area of double-lane highway. He stated that as he continued on one of the trees in the woods leapt onto the road. At first, he was asked why he declared it leapt, rather than fell, but Martin was insistent that the tree most certainly did not fall, but it was as if it picked itself up and moved, as if the singular arboreal form was intending for his demise. He barely avoided it, and as any confused person would (he stated) he leapt out of his car to examine what happened. This matched up with the abandoned motor vehicle that was discovered and originally called in to begin the search for Martin (though it is of note there was no report of any downed trees in the area). He stated he was forced to walk around the tree in hopes perhaps he could better understand what had happened. Investigators asked him why he simply did not turn his car around at this point to avoid the blockage. Willows laughed somewhat nervously, stating that was impossible, as he was being followed.

Martin claimed that as he was driving he noticed a strange light that was following him, and he did not manage to notice the presence of the light until he was already on the heavily wooded road, in which he had been walking for a decade. Asked to elaborate, Martin said that he looked back to see the light approaching slowly toward him, as if stalking his progress once he was within the wooded area close to the park. He said that even after he stopped his car he saw the light approaching slowly, and in fear he continued to flee the light, moving forward on the road on foot, hoping to find anyone else before the light caught up to him. He said that once he began walking the light looked somewhat like an oddly colored motorcycle headlight just down the road, too far out of sight to make out anything other than the light. When asked what color it was Martin continued speaking, ignoring the question entirely. This habit plagued the interview, and investigators could not receive an answer on these questions. They surmised the questions were either unimportant, or Martin was too petrified to dare answer.