Records of the Forest (Completed)

Murk

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"It's, *pant* well, last time I *pant* I checked it was about 9:48pm. Tracking the Carrot Brigade has taken *pant* a turn for the worst." Ian looked back over his shoulder as he ran, and decided he had better run like his life depended on it. He pounded forward all the faster. "In short: I was caught."

"Get him!" Yelled a voice from behind. "Don't let him get away!"

"Right, Dick!" Yelled two other voices in unison. All nasty sounding, young teenage boys. The Carrot Brigade.

Ian ran down a hill, nearly tripping on the rain-soaked muddy grass. "My only hope *pant* is to make it to the house and hope my dad's screaming *pant* scares them off- Wait! There an opening in the *pant* stone wall ahead! I'm going for it!"

"Wait!" Yelled Dick. He and the two other boys skidded to a stop further off. "He's going into the forest! The monster's'll take care of him!"

"Oh, that's just too mean, Dick."

"Shut up Nate! Just do what I say!"

Ian watched from behind a tree trunk. "They're just standing there, at the entrance of the gate, not coming in but now, well, now I can't get out. So, my options at this point are either go into the forest, or face a beating with Dick's imfamous baseball bat." He paused a moment. "Not that hard of a choice." Steadying the recorder on his back, Ian began trekking through the dark woods.

It was dark and moist, leaves and twigs squelching and cracking under his feet. Plants shifted around him, and a crow call resounded overhead. As he got deeper into the trees, the noises grew more vast and resounding around him. He walked in silence for several minutes. Nothing but nature.

"What was that?" Ian cut through the quiet, whirling around.

And suddenly, the wind shifted from a light breeze, to an incomprehensible voice. Over the recording it was nothing but pops and hisses and shushes. But, just as mysteriously, Ian began to respond.

"Yes, I can hear you."

"No, no it's alright... I don't mind-"

"Really, now?"

Ian walked on, turning into a clearing in the forest. The twigs underfoot turned into soft clover. "You're right..." He mumbled dreamily.

"It is beautiful."

The air filled with the sounds of hundreds of bugs, hundreds of tiny chimes and voices. The creatures living in Alderwilt, the Foraoise, all seemed to come out to see him. To welcome him. One flew close to Ian, and he held out his hand to catch it. "No, I'm not afraid." The tiny creature grabbed his finger and pulled, leading him... Somewhere.

He smiled at the creature. "Not anymo- MMPH!"

Ian was dragged away into the darkness.

Nothing but static followed for several minutes...

***click***
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"So, turns out I wasn't murdered or anything, I was more, um, kidnapped." Ian tilted his had on the couch-cushion, looking at the frazzled individual across from him.

"Its called a rescue, you ungrateful twit!" Haider sternly said from across the room. He turned on the fan and walked over to Ian, a milkshake in his hand. He passed it to Ian with a sigh. "Seriously, Ian, what on earth were you thinking?! Going into the Crow's Hold, into Alderwilt, alone at night?!" He sat, his voice growing momentarily dark. "You could have been lost in there forever, son."

Ian sniffed a bit, tears welling up. "I-I'm sorry. I had no idea. Please, please don't be mad at me Haider."

"I'd never be mad at you, Ian. And I'm not I'm just... you just gave me a bit of a fright." He put a hand on Ian's shoulder lovingly. "It's my fault for not being truthful about what's out there, what's out in Alderwilt. Come on, bring your recorder, we need to talk."

The two stood up and left the shop with a ding. Haider turned the sign on the door from "open" to "closed". Ian laughed a bit. "What about your customers?"

"Eh, it's good to irritate them sometimes. Makes them buy more the next time. But commerce can wait. We have things to talk about."

"Is it about that weed you're holding?"

Haider grinned, holding up the small, flowered plant. "No, this is our future."

"Well don't let the President know that!"

"Eh, the President can focus on outer space all he wants. You, my dear friend, have come to the attention of some very important, very powerful individuals. And we need to prepare you for what's to come." Haider gave Ian a friendly nudge, but Ian gulped nervously. Haider, too, grew serious. "Humans like us were, at one point, creatures of Foraoise. But we ventured out, began to build our forests out of wood and metal and, eventually, glass and steel. But even so, the shadows of our past keep watch over us." He grinned slyly, pointing at a flock of crows cawing overhead. "Actually, they're watching us, well, you right now. And last night, they nearly took you."

"Who almost took me?" Ian asked, looking at the sudden arrival of a flock of crows.

"The Shadows of Foraoise."

"Who of who?"

"It's believed they used to be the original guardians of the forests. They would choose a champion, take different names. Gaustshroud, Orgoror, Lriru, Weth, and many, many more. But as the trees died and the woods shrank, they grew into something more dangerous, malevolent. Nameless, faceless, they're only weapon is promises, whispers. They were always just spiritual beings but now more than ever they require a physical vessel."

The two moved to a small patch of flowers and grass beside the library. Ian looked down, worried. "You... mean me, don't you?"

"No, no," Haider breathed. "Just like all the creatures of the forest, like the Shifters, the shadows have only survived by becoming invisible to the outside world. You've seen them. And now they see you. It's how this begins. Once someone looks past the fog, listens past the ringing in the silence, the things they find begin to watch and listen back."

"So, what does your little purple flower have to do with anything?"

Haider pulled down on Ian's sleeve, and he squatted down next to him. "This is the Niari flower," Haider explained as he began to dig a small hole with his hand in the ground. "It's the power, the life of the good creatures. Like Jack and even Emerald Ash. It's what keeps u- them alive. I've been planting them for many, many years now. When they fully bloom they produce a small seed, which I keep safe, grow into a new flower, and start over again. Or, I can use them to... well, that'll come later."

"And what about the Crow Key, the one you told me about the other day?"

"That's a different matter entirely. When Jack gives it to you, we can discuss it more."

"Alright. But, if you keep planting these flowers, how come I never see them? They're a pretty distinct purple."

Haider grinned as he put the flower into the ground. Ian and him both pushed the dirt back over. And as they watched, the flower began to change.

"No way..." Ian whispered. "It's a dandelion..."

"Like I said," Haider said, standing. "Creatures of Foraoise survive by hiding in plain sight. They thrive in murk and mud. Heh, and like you, Ian, they are much more than they appear."

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