Once upon a time, a hunter entered an autumn-touched forest. Warm sunlight poured through the trees and dappled the ground, which was padded with orange leaves.
Had he spoken to the locals, those who lived in the village on the outskirts of the forest, he would have been warned not to enter it at all. He would have been told that the forest was haunted by a spirit, a spirit known as "the forest fae", who terrorized those who entered. Dare you pick a single berry from its bush, or collect water from its stream, or shoot an animal from its tree, she would descend upon you and drive you mad with whisperings. The forest is only for passage.
But this hunter had not spoken to them, and so when he sat a rifle on his shoulder he was greeted by a murmur.
"What do you think you're doing here?" the voice cooed. The hunter spun around, though he wasn't sure if that's where the voice had emanated from. Nothing greeted his eyes but the trees. It was such a faint voice, it may have just been the breeze whistling in his ears. He must have imagined it.
"You didn't imagine it," the voice affirmed. He stumbled backwards so quickly that he fell, and desperately scrambled to stand back up. He slowly turned around again, but still there was no one to be seen.
"Who's there?" he asked, his defiant tone quavering.
"I am the forest fae. Have you heard of me, traveler?"
The hunter stood still, silent, still trying to identify the source of the echoing whispers. He held his hands out defensively as his eyes scanned the trees.
"No? Had you heard of me, you would have known that it was a mistake to enter here. I am no force to be tested." The hunter shook with fear, gripping his head at the temples.
"Just imaginary, not real," he murmured to himself, shaking heavily.
"Not real?" the voice questioned. All of a sudden the hunter saw two eyes, reflecting the autumn light, through the foliage. "Are you sure?" His own eyes widened and his heartbeat sped up to a crescendo, drowning out everything but those eyes. Those eyes. When he next heard the voice he was already sprinting, heart racing and face mad with fear.
"Get out of my forest."
Had he spoken to the locals, those who lived in the village on the outskirts of the forest, he would have been warned not to enter it at all. He would have been told that the forest was haunted by a spirit, a spirit known as "the forest fae", who terrorized those who entered. Dare you pick a single berry from its bush, or collect water from its stream, or shoot an animal from its tree, she would descend upon you and drive you mad with whisperings. The forest is only for passage.
But this hunter had not spoken to them, and so when he sat a rifle on his shoulder he was greeted by a murmur.
"What do you think you're doing here?" the voice cooed. The hunter spun around, though he wasn't sure if that's where the voice had emanated from. Nothing greeted his eyes but the trees. It was such a faint voice, it may have just been the breeze whistling in his ears. He must have imagined it.
"You didn't imagine it," the voice affirmed. He stumbled backwards so quickly that he fell, and desperately scrambled to stand back up. He slowly turned around again, but still there was no one to be seen.
"Who's there?" he asked, his defiant tone quavering.
"I am the forest fae. Have you heard of me, traveler?"
The hunter stood still, silent, still trying to identify the source of the echoing whispers. He held his hands out defensively as his eyes scanned the trees.
"No? Had you heard of me, you would have known that it was a mistake to enter here. I am no force to be tested." The hunter shook with fear, gripping his head at the temples.
"Just imaginary, not real," he murmured to himself, shaking heavily.
"Not real?" the voice questioned. All of a sudden the hunter saw two eyes, reflecting the autumn light, through the foliage. "Are you sure?" His own eyes widened and his heartbeat sped up to a crescendo, drowning out everything but those eyes. Those eyes. When he next heard the voice he was already sprinting, heart racing and face mad with fear.
"Get out of my forest."
