A run in with the supernatural

CHAPTER ONE

Black. Pitch black. I couldn't even see my own hands - which were just a few centimeters from my eyes. Still panting from all the running, I decided to settle down on the earth to take a breath. Inches. The arrow missed my heart by just a few inches. I didn't know who would want me dead, but for now, all I could think about was how I deceived death by the slightest margin and how I'm going to make it out of the forest alive. How am I going to make it out of here?

They called it, "the forest" because no one could describe how terrifying this forest is - so I was told - I've never been here before and I don't know anyone who has. In fact, terrifying is just an understatement. And now, I was trapped in a place that is more terrifying than the most.

No green here. Not even the slightest hint of the darkest shade of green. All the trees were bare. They were the color of evil - black. One would think that they were dead, but they stood tall stretching out their branches like they wanted to warn anyone close by that they conquer this land and no one is welcome here.

I straightened out my long, flowy dress -clearly unprepared for this chase. Really? This had to happen today? Usually, I'm all about skinny jeans and combat boots, but when I need them the most, they've ditched me and left me with a long, flowy dress? I knew I shouldn't have stepped out of the house today!

I had lost him; the huntsman. Who was he? Why was he trying to kill me? As questions raced my mind, my lungs began to feel deprived of air. Maybe it was all the running or just my fear, but either way, I decided to calm down and take in deep breaths. I ran my hands against the mud, the only thing that wasn't all black in that place. It was a deep brown color, the color of the man's eyes who chased me into this dreaded place. He had this Robin Hood vibe - complete with a cape and a bow and arrows! It's not Halloween, is it? No, it's only September! What is going on?

I took some of the mud in my hand and brought it close to my nose - it smelled like the sweet aroma of rain. I bent to put it back where it belonged and.......swooosh! A chill ran down my spine and I froze like an icicle.

I turned back slowly and picked up some mud, my only weapon, as I made my way to see what terror I had to face.

To my relief, there was no one behind me. Perhaps it was a small animal or maybe I imagined it! Thoughts raced my mind - there are no leaves here, so that noise can't be the rustling of the leaves in the wind; I can't just ignore that noise. But if it was the man who chased me, then he wouldn't be hiding from me, right? Unless he wanted to come at me suddenly so I wouldn't have time to react! I waited for a few seconds and grabbed a thick black branch that rested against the foot of the tree I was sitting next to. It was just long enough for me to hold comfortably and thick enough to hold in both hands. I noticed that towards the end of this branch were tiny thorn-like structures that extended out to pierce anyone that came before it.

I gathered courage from every inch of my body and noticed how much mental effort it took for me to just get up. How was I going to survive here until I got out if it took me so much effort and courage just to get up?

The Sun's rays didn't even reach the forest's floor, but I could tell, by the hints of the tiny rays that found their way to the ground, that the Sun was done with its shift and the moon would soon take over. The forest will now be darker than ever.

As I moved one step in front, something tugged on my leg. I tightened my grip on the branch and turned around with full force. There was no one. I looked down to see the horror - the tree's branch had held on to me! It had wrapped itself around my ankle and I stood still, shocked by what I had just seen. The trees' branches started moving and like a still monster, it spread out its branches and grabbed my other foot!

I desperately tried to free myself by tugging on the branches around my feet. All my effort was in vain. These branches were stronger than anything I've ever seen in my life and their grip on my ankles had made me fall down, making a weakling like me, even weaker. I had surrendered to the tree.

Another branch came at me, this time going for my neck, and in a split second, I don't know what happened or what I thought my actions would do, I struck the attacker with my branch. The attacker fell off the tree and became a branch similar to what I had in my hand - a small branch with thorns on its side. I finally understood! The tree's poison is its own venom.

I quickly started hitting any branches that came at me and saw them fall like rain onto the forest floor. It was as if the tree had given up because after a few minutes into the war, it stopped sending out its soldiers. The ones on my ankles retrieved and went back to their master.

I ran as fast as I could far away from this tree, in the direction opposite to the direction I was chased into this forest - I didn't want to run into my huntsman again! On my way, I encountered similar trees since this forest was filled inch-by-inch with the same trees. I smacked any branch that came on my way, wondering how long more I would have to keep doing this.

Finally, I saw a small circular patch of land in what seemed like the middle of the forest with no trees on it. I hurriedly made my way towards it and breathed a sigh of relief. Seconds later, I saw an arrow pointing at me.