The Forest

Chapter 1: The Scorched Sky

The scope of our human senses is, to put it lightly, limited. We see many things with our eyes, yet some creatures can see further than we can, and even still, some can see in the midst of total darkness. We think of ourselves as the rulers of our planet and of all living things, merely because of our ability to think and make decisions. Yet, in the grand scope of things, we are but specks, living on a rock that is hurtling through the empty void of space. We tell ourselves that everything is normal, that everything is as it should be. We have nothing to fear. But there is a universal fear which every man, woman, and child, knows is buried deep within them, clinging to their psyche like a parasite. It gnaws at us, tearing at us from within. It is the fear of that which we cannot see. A subliminal, invisible, unconscious fear. Beneath our artificial facade of peace and safety, we hide like cowering wretches. We fear that which we cannot comprehend; things that science cannot explain, happenings and phenomena that cannot be quantified by the human mind. Yet we push those things out of our minds and continue in our unbroken pattern of blissful ignorance, discarding the weird and fantastical as mere myths or ravings. The shadows and shapes that lurk in the corners of our eyes become nothing more than hallucinations, false illusions conjured up by our subconscious mind. We comfort ourselves with these thoughts, assuring ourselves that we are perfectly safe and that no harm will come to us. And then we drift off to sleep, only to have our dreams and nightmares expose a harsh reality. When we dream, our helpless minds are laid bare and shivering in the presence of things and entities greater and more terrifying than we could ever comprehend.

True terror is not knowing what it is that stalks  you in the dark.

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                                          Chapter 1: The Scorched Sky

To the inhabitants of the sleepy village of Bergen located just beyond the gates of the forest, strange occurrences were nothing new. Since at least the eighth century, stories had been told of things and shapes moving in the trees, though now those stories had been reduced to old maid's tales; stories that grandparents would tell to their grandchildren in order to teach them discipline and manners. Despite the little town's reputation, it had escaped the fate of many so-called "haunted" areas, namely a transformation into a bustling tourist attraction. It remained practically the same since it was built over two hundred years ago. The houses that encircled the town square were old and worn, but there was a homely aura about them, and care had obviously been put into their construction. The cobbled streets were weathered and beaten, and occasionally flowers could be seen growing between the cracks in the stones. It was, by most accounts, a perfectly normal and average Norwegian village. It stood situated against a picturesque backdrop, surrounded on both sides by mountain ranges, and flanked by the ancient forest. It was a tranquil and serene place. I use the word 'was' to describe it, because that is how the village used to be. It would be unbefitting of me to use the term 'is,' because as it stands, it has become a shell of its former self. The wooden houses, once full of life and character, have become burnt shells and blackened skeletons, and the majority of their inhabitants have disappeared without a trace. The cause of the fire is unknown at this point in time. It is highly unlikely that it was a forest fire, seeing as the forest itself still stands. It might have been accidental, but given the seemingly endless string of mysterious happenings and tales associated with the place, it was worth investigating to my team and I. A team of five had initially visited the site in early 2004, but due to the extreme weather they were unable to find anything worth studying. In late 2007, my team and I travelled to Norway to investigate further, and our mission was to survey the area and the forest itself, so as to get a better picture of why strange occurrences plagued it and its inhabitants. When we reached the village, the desolation and isolation of the area stood out to me immediately. The landscape had completely changed due to the incident. It was no longer the picturesque and pristine sanctuary that it once was.