The Forest of the Damned
by Aaron Buchanan

The year is 1881.  There is a man walking in a field just outside of his house.  Upon the edge of that field comes he to the entrance of a forest that no memory can recall.  For even though he had walked this field once a day for the last fifteen years never had he come across this deep, dark forest.  Curious as he is, tentatively does he enter.  From first footfall he knew that different this journey would be.  For the moment he crossed the barrier and turned back; the world behind him vanished. The light of the bright midday sun replaced by what little moonlight could fight its way through the vast canopy of trees above.  The sound of birds chirping replaced by the calls of beasts unknown and the mournful woes of what one could only assume to be lost souls left to linger.

Panic grips the man as he stands trembling and wandering where he is and how to escape.  The sound of a beast startles him.  His palms become sweaty.  Suddenly, as if lead by something unseen, he takes a step forward; his foot falling on the soft ground below.  Squinting to see what lies ahead of him, what he sees is only forest.  Suddenly pair of eyes appear, as two fireflies floating in the air do they glow moving ever closer towards him.  As they draw nigh the mangled hairy form of a large beast becomes visible.  But it attacks not.  Instead it veers to its right, and from some distance off does it wait.  Cautiously does he take his next step aware that in the distance stalk him this beast does.  Aware that with every step it follows.

On he walks through the forest.  His way does he make, pushing past branches that impede him.  He stops as if whispered words had told him to do so.  Slowly he descends, sliding down a ledge that only moments ago he would have fallen down had he continued.  He looks to the left hearing claws scraping as slowly those ominous eyes ascend what he can only guess is a tree.  A long, loud, and eerie howl fills the night air.  From the beast that stalks him did it come.  And from somewhere off in the distant forest was that call returned.  The terror in him rises as the fear of there possibly being more of those foul creatures becomes real.

Pressing on, trying to calm the fear inside, he comes upon a hollow black cave wherein he hears crying.  Hopeful that another resides within the forest, slowly he enters.  Inside on a rock sits a young woman with a strange glow emanating from her, sobbing into her hands.  This strange glow is what illuminates the cave making it possible for him to see.  Slowly she looks up, and although surprised to see another, with a sure voice she spoke unto him: “Who are you that you enter without permission?  And by what means did you enter this forest?”

And he said unto her: “Forgive me this intrusion, for I knew not that my entry would cause offense.  And by what means did I enter the forest, I know not either.  For one moment I was standing in a field a thousand times before had I roamed when suddenly I was here.  But if you will, please thy name give unto me so that I may ask forgiveness for my intrusion.”

She wiped at the tears on her face, and slowly she arose and finally said: “Isabelle.  And it is I who must seek your forgiveness.  For you see it’s been almost a century and a half since last I had a visitor.”  The mans mouth fell open.

Then regaining his composure he asked her: “I’m sorry, but did you just say that you’ve been here fore a century and a half?  By what means is that possible?”

A smile appeared on her face and she replied: “No.  I’ve been here for over a thousand years.  Which is as far back as I can recall.  But I haven’t had a visitor in the last century and a half.  And it is possible for I am neither alive, nor am I dead.  But still I linger here.”

The man, so shocked was he that he had to take a seat on a rock opposite the one Isabelle had only moments ago risen from.  Placing his head in his hands, and resting his elbows on his knees, he spoke though his words were muffled.  “Do you know the way out of this forest?”

She drew closer to the man, and looking down upon him said: “If thou dost wish it.  Then I will guide you.”  She headed towards the entrance of the cave, and turned back to beckon him that he should follow.  He arose from his place on the rock and followed her back out into the immense forest engulfed by the night.

After traveling on for hours she turned to speak to the man.  “You must beware the creatures of the forest for they are among the foulest known to man.”  And he said in reply to her: “Yes, I know.  Upon my arrival I’m afraid I had an encounter with a rather gangly, yet never the less still terrifying beast with the most menacing, glowing eyes.”  Off in the night they could hear the beast still following.

On they continued, through the forest when suddenly Isabelle stopped.  “Stay close unto me.”  She said to the man.  Standing directly next to her, frightened unto death the man waited as slowly the silence turned into a low chant.  As the chant became louder, only then did the man realize that this can’t possibly be a human language.  Suddenly Isabelle was snatched up by the throat.  But there was nothing holding her.  Only darkness.

Slowly emerged the figure of a giant of a man holding tight Isabelle in his right hand.  He turned to the man who is standing still, for in fear he is frozen.  He had the legs of a goat, and the body of a man.  The face hideous, his mouth open revealing razor like teeth.  Its eyes glowed the color of red with two horns protruding from his skull.  The skin of his face having long ago been burned away.  It turned back to the figure of Isabelle, who to the man appears helpless in the grasp of this evil looking creature.  The thing leaned in close to Isabelle’s ear and in that strange language he spoke to her.  Releasing her, the creature turned on the man.  Just before it reached him there is a bright, blinding light accompanied by the voice of Isabelle, who in that strange language she speaks.  With eyes burning from the brightness the man fell unconscious to the ground.

He awakened to see the figure of the neither dead, nor alive Isabelle above him.  Stunned by what he had just witnessed he spoke unto her.  “What manner of creature was that?”

She smiled at the man before she replied: “Azriel.  He comes here often from the third section of the seventh circle.  I’ve sent him back.”

“Back where?” asked the man.  And she replied: “To the seventh circle.”

“Of what?” he asked.

 “Hell.” She replied.  “Come.  We must continue on.”

So on they press again through the forest.  And so it was that for two hours they continued on; the forest growing thicker with every step.  Then appeared to them a light, so small was it that scarcely he would have noticed it, had it not been flying round his head non-stop.  Swat at it thrice he did before speaking about it unto Isabelle.  “What is this light that round my head it doth fly being ever bothersome?”

And she turned to him saying: “Ah let it bother you no more fore it is only the fairy spirit Loki.  And I am sure that he is only curious.”

The man looked at Isabelle and said unto her.  “A fairy?  What is this fairy, called Loki, who did only moments ago trouble me?  Where is he?  For I would very much like his fellowship.”  And then the man did unto the darkness beckon, calling out to the fairy spirit Loki. 

And then to the mans left, from some feet above, a voice did speak unto them saying: “Why calleth unto me, using mine own name, a man who never before in this forest have I seen?”

And the man turned round to face the spirit proper saying: “So you are the fairy spirit Loki?  It is a pleasure for never have I met such a magical creature as thee.” 

The fairy dropped his chin unto his chest and with bitterness in his voice he said: “Magic have I not!  For my clan has banished and taken from me my magical powers.  For my adventurous spirit did they punish me, saying ‘Loki.  You know the laws set forth by the elders.  No one spirit shall the colony he leave, lest he forfeit his magic, and misery shall become him, for never again shall he reunite with his spirit brethren.’  And leave them I did.  I wanted to explore the forest.  See other creatures, species, and all the life of the forest.  For in a ‘Good’ fairies life he would be lucky just to meet a fairy chief from another colony.  Well, pooh on that says I!  Well I must be on my way.  More exploring have I to do.”  And as quickly as all of this happened, even quicker still was it over.  And again Isabelle said to the man, “Come.  There is more to see.”

  Not long had they been continuing on when Isabelle stopped as if listening to something.  She turned to the man and said: “I must ask you to remain where you are.  Fear not.  For I will return.”  After having spoken these words to him, right before his eyes she vanished.  To the mans own horror he realized that he was now standing in the forest, just as he had arrived.  Alone.  But the horror of it all didn’t have much time to sink in, for the next thing the man heard was not the silence of the forest, but the sound of a twig snapping behind him, followed by a low growling sound that made his heart sink.  He quickly spun round only to see the large, hairy, and terrifying beast that had stalked him since his first moment in this strange forest.

The beast rose, standing on its hind legs to almost twice the full size of the man.  The dog-like beast used its front paws with long sharp claws to swipe at the man in attack.  Ripping the material of his shirt and the flesh of his chest.  The man fell to the ground.  Then all of the sudden, appearing from out of thin air, Isabelle stood between the wolf and the man.  Turning round the beast quickly fled and disappeared into the woods.  Isabelle turned as the man painfully got to his feet.  She placed her hands where the beast’s claws had torn the flesh, and soon after the wounds were healed.  “I must apologize for my absence.  And to answer any questions, let me say only that that was Wolfsbaine.  He arrived not long ago, a man as did you.  But the light of this full moon hath changed him.”  And slowly the word “Werewolf” escaped the mans lips.

“Yes,” began Isabelle “and forever since hath he remained so.  For never does the sun rise here.  The moon and the night dominate this land.”

And the man speaking unto her said: “Curious.  Now if you will; please tell me where did thou go?”

Looking down on him she smiled before she answered saying: “To meet with my master, for he beckoned me to come to him.”  The man looked at her puzzled.

“Master?  Who is thy master?”

And Isabelle said to him: “The one who created me. 

Not just me, but everything.  All worlds, planets, and every form of life are made possible by my master.” 

And the man said: “You mean God?”  She nodded in reply.  “And what did he say to you?”

She paused before answering, “‘Well done my child.  Enter in.’  But after this I did ask but one thing of my master.  That I be able to return to bid ye farewell.  And this wish my master did grant unto me.”

The man then asked: “Farewell?  But the way out you still have yet to show me.”  And for the first time in all that she could remember, Isabelle felt pity.  She felt sorry for the man.  For she knew what he would ask her next.  As his head fell forth, swallowing a great gulp of air, he asked: “There is no way out.  Is there?”

Isabelle waited, quietly letting silence be his answer.  And as she waited, when she blinked a tear trailed down her cheek.  And as the man stood staring, slowly the figure of Isabelle began to fade.  And just as the field by which he entered had vanished, leaving him alone in a dark and dangerous forest.  So too did Isabelle.

Back to Prose Index