Chapter 6: Better off dead
If you have endured enough pain then death can be considered a sweet release, a mercy killing. Part of me wishes that that was what happened inside of that forest...but it didn't, he wouldn't let me die just yet.
I awoke lying on the ground in the middle of the forest, I still had my camera and my torch but that was all. Everything else I had was gone, all of my equipment and preparations. I stood up and brushed myself off before looking around for a sign of life but found nothing.
"Guess I should get going" I said to myself trying to kill the silence around me.
I started walking, the trees seemed to avoid growing on a certain path. They bent away from the path as if trying to escape from it, the path gave me a clear view of my surroundings so I figured it was the best way to go. I trenched through the desolate forest, the moonlight having a beautiful effect while lightening my way. Even though I had no idea where I was and what I was doing the beauty of it seemed to place me in a trance that I couldn't escape, and I didn't want it to but to last forever.
I stared at the sky so much that I didn't realise where I was going and tripped over a stray branch and fell to the floor. I hit the floor and lay there for a few seconds before looking up, it was then I realised where I was. A large, deformed tree stood towering over me, the trunk was stretched out and weaved in and out of the ground like sewing. In the middle of the tree was a scrap of paper, I limped over to the note and ripped it away. The ground shuck and that dreadful noise began again, it was what told me I had to run away, I had to survive. I ran as fast as I could, too afraid to turn around in case I saw him again.
I ran through the trees trying to avoid tripping over again, I was so focused on my feet that I didn't pay attention to the rest of my body. A branch came out of the darkness and stuck me across the head causing me to fall to the floor. I opened my eyes, I was delirious from the pain but I could almost focus my eyes. The sound became louder to me but then stopped, I stared deep into the mist in front of me when... IT began to emerge from the clearing, his face as emotionless as ever and his snake like tendrils drawn from his back destroying anything in his path. I quickly reacted and stood up, my mind still shaken and my head pounding. I didn't know if I was seeing things but it looked as though the trees began to move, the roots and trunks arose from the ground. Like violent whips they gripped my knees and pulled me to the floor. I panicked franticly and tried to get loose but they only tightened, crushing my knees with immense force. More sprung up and tangled around my arms holding me still, all I could do was watch the man slowly approach me. His face still emotionless but I could hear...laughing?