It was nearing dusk by the time I arrived at the outskirts of the small village a shabby sign had pointed to a few miles back. In the fading light, I could make out many shacks grouped close together with what appeared to be a tavern or village hall in the centre, dwarfing the other buildings. A short distance away on a hill, a chapel stood, silhouetted and shadowed against the sky. I would not have identified it for what it was, were it not for the simple symbol of a cross inside a circle mounted atop the roof.
With the dim, flickering light of candles coming from within a couple of the shacks and, most prominently, the tavern, I started forward once more. Instinctively, my head looked down at the mossy path beneath me. It was only recently that I had stumbled on a stone and nearly collided with a particularly vicious-looking thornbush as a result. Consequently, I now paid close attention to the earth. Everything can easily be out to get you in these lands, I was told by a twitchy-eyed man I met along the road a while back. Watch yourself, and don't stray far from the beaten track, lest you find yourself in unwelcome hands. Looking around at the memory of this warning, I took in the towering trees around me, the grounds beyond them completely black. Their leaves rustled softly in the chilly breeze and, despite myself, I found my pace quickening towards the refuge of the candlelight. By many accounts, it was a standard night in a forest, yet I could not shake the feeling of trepidation gnawing at my insides. The peculiar sounds of nocturnal beasts awakening, prowling around, coupled with the natural oppressiveness of the night would normally incite some nervousness within anyone. Yet tonight felt different somehow.
I jerked my shoulder, tucking my satchel more snugly onto it. It was causing pain after the day's long hike, the strap digging into the skin beneath my shawl. I had been determined to conserve supplies 'for a big helping at the end', I told myself. I had been telling myself that for days, putting off the 'big helping'. With my stomach howling at me, I wondered how much farther I could push it. They'll have food at the tavern, I told myself. As though responding directly to me, the full moon showed itself from behind a cloud, teasing my words and sending grim disappointment through my mind. Illuminated, the dilapidated state of many houses was becoming clearer. Some had their rooves caved in, others were a pile of rubble, their silence and lifelessness casting a gloomy shadow over the village.
In my head I contemplated the wisdom of my venture, yet my legs, seemingly of their own accord, carried me onwards. My body was at odds with itself, torn between the path back through the eerie forest and perhaps the greater danger of this place. In my heart, however, I knew I had to go on. The enticing rays of the light were too much to pass. Besides, I rationalised to myself, trying to push down the sound of my throbbing heartbeat, if the village were signposted then it must be at least somewhat safe.
Suddenly, I was shocked out of my thoughts by an inhuman roar that sounded through the trees and echoed all around me. The wind picked up speed, the rustling of the leaves no longer gentle and quiet, but became intense and forceful. Whipping my head round, I could see nothing beyond the rim of the trees, yet the roar continued. Terrified, I began to sprint along the path. The sounds followed me, chased me along. I did not dare look behind me as another roar sounded, this one even louder and closer. Ahead, to my despair, the lights in the village had all gone out. All I had was the distant moon, already shrinking behind a cloud. Yet still, I kept sprinting towards what the vague silhouettes of the buildings. My ears pounded; all that concerned me was my survival. No sounds were apparent to me now other than my panting breath and my desperate heartbeat.
It was only as I reached the village buildings, now completely dark, that I looked over my shoulder. There was no pursuer. The path I had taken was empty. In the distance, the trees that guarded the perimeter of the forest seemed to hide no secrets as they now swung gently in the wind, which too had quietened to a breeze. Still shaking with fear, I doubled over as I felt my stomach regurgitate some of the little food I had had onto the grass.
Eventually regaining the ability to walk on my trembling legs, I staggered over to the largest building and, working my way along its wall, found the door. I pounded on it, desperate for solace from that terrifying ordeal. I waited for a few seconds and then pounded again. There was no response from within. I cursed under my breath, looking up at the pitch-black sky. The moon had disappeared, rendering anything further than a few feet away impossible to see. Again, I shuffled along the wall of the building, searching for any form of entry. This is foolish, I thought. No resident leaves openings in their home for any passing vagabond, vagrant or traveller to come in by. Sighing in defeat, I turned away from the wall and began to move off.
My feet caught on a plant suddenly, and I fell forward. My hands stretched out, expecting to contact hard earth. Instead, they found wood that snapped underneath them, and my fall continued. I smacked my chin on something, letting out a sharp grunt of pain, before a second later, I fell on a hard surface.