Chapter 5: The World Beyond the Trees
1387 Words
Linda spent the entire day distracted.
No matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept returning to the events of the previous night.
The silver-haired woman.
The voice that sounded like it belonged to her mother.
Frank's terrified expression.
And the words that refused to leave her mind.
They've started coming for you.
Who was coming for her?
Why did everyone seem to know things about her that she didn't know herself?
And most importantly, why did she feel like her entire life had been built on lies?
She sat silently through her classes, barely hearing anything the teachers said.
Even Susan noticed.
"Okay, that's it," Susan said during lunch.
Linda looked up from her untouched food.
"What?"
"You've been staring at the same french fry for five minutes."
Linda sighed.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine."
Susan leaned forward.
"You disappear at night. You barely sleep. You look terrified half the time."
Linda forced a smile.
"I said I'm okay."
Susan wasn't convinced.
Not even a little.
Before she could continue questioning her, someone approached their table.
Luke.
The tall, confident boy offered them an easy smile.
"Mind if I sit?"
Susan immediately grinned.
"Go ahead."
Luke sat beside them.
His gaze lingered on Linda.
For a brief moment, she noticed something strange in his eyes.
Concern.
Real concern.
"You should be careful," he said quietly.
Linda frowned.
"About what?"
Luke glanced around the cafeteria.
As if making sure nobody was listening.
Then he lowered his voice.
"The forest."
Linda froze.
Susan blinked.
"The forest?"
Luke immediately smiled again.
The serious expression vanished.
"Just a rumor I heard."
Something told Linda that wasn't true.
But before she could question him further, Luke stood.
"See you around."
Then he walked away.
Leaving Linda with even more questions than before.
---
The rest of the school day passed painfully slowly.
By the time evening arrived, Linda had made up her mind.
She was going back.
She needed answers.
And she was tired of waiting for other people to decide what she deserved to know.
As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, she quietly slipped out of the house.
Unfortunately, Susan caught her before she could leave.
"Where are you going?"
Linda froze.
"Nowhere."
Susan folded her arms.
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Linda groaned.
Susan pointed toward the road leading to the forest.
"You're going back there, aren't you?"
Silence.
Susan sighed.
"Linda, whatever is happening, it's dangerous."
"I know."
"Then don't go."
Linda looked away.
"I have to."
"Why?"
Because monsters exist.
Because mysterious boys keep appearing in the woods.
Because a dead woman spoke inside my head.
Because somebody is hunting me.
Instead she simply said:
"I need answers."
Susan's expression softened.
"Just be careful."
Linda nodded.
Then she left.
---
The forest seemed different tonight.
Darker.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Every shadow appeared deeper than before.
Every sound made her heart race.
The deeper she walked, the stronger the feeling became.
Something wasn't right.
A strange rustling echoed somewhere behind her.
Linda froze.
Slowly she turned.
Nothing.
Only trees.
Only darkness.
She continued walking.
Another sound followed.
A footstep.
Then another.
Someone was definitely there.
Following her.
Fear crept into her chest.
But she refused to turn back.
Not now.
Not when she was finally getting closer to the truth.
A branch snapped.
Much closer this time.
Linda spun around.
"Who's there?"
Silence.
The forest answered with nothing but the wind.
Then a familiar voice spoke from the darkness.
"You really don't know when to quit."
Relief flooded through her.
Frank stepped from behind a tree.
Moonlight illuminated his face.
His golden eyes seemed brighter than usual.
"What are you doing here?" Linda demanded.
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?"
She hated that question.
"You promised answers."
Frank's expression darkened.
"And I also told you to stay away."
"Obviously I didn't listen."
"No kidding."
Despite everything, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
It disappeared almost immediately.
"Linda, this isn't a game."
"I know."
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Linda took a deep breath.
"Tell me the truth."
Frank looked away.
The muscles in his jaw tightened.
"What truth?"
"All of it."
She stepped closer.
"The mark."
"The wolves."
"The people hunting me."
"The woman from my vision."
Frank froze.
"You saw her?"
Linda nodded.
His expression immediately became serious.
"What did she say?"
Linda hesitated.
Then repeated the words.
"They've started coming for you."
The color drained from Frank's face.
For several seconds he said nothing.
That alone terrified Linda more than any answer could have.
Finally he sighed.
"You should never have become involved in this."
"Too late."
Frank couldn't argue with that.
He stared into the darkness surrounding them.
Then he finally spoke.
"The world isn't what humans think it is."
Linda listened carefully.
"There are things living among people."
His voice lowered.
"Things humans were never supposed to know existed."
A chill ran down her spine.
"What things?"
Frank hesitated.
Then—
A howl shattered the silence.
The sound was deafening.
Powerful.
Wrong.
Both of them immediately tensed.
Frank's head snapped toward the trees.
Linda felt fear crash into her chest.
The howl came again.
Closer.
Much closer.
Something moved between the shadows.
Fast.
Too fast.
Frank stepped in front of her instantly.
"Stay behind me."
"What is it?"
No answer.
The darkness shifted.
Then a creature emerged.
Linda's breath caught.
The beast was enormous.
Black fur covered its massive body.
Its claws carved deep grooves into the earth.
Its glowing red eyes burned with hatred.
The creature stared directly at her.
As though she were prey.
As though it had been searching for her.
Frank moved slightly forward.
Protective.
Dangerous.
The beast growled.
"You found her."
The words sent ice through Linda's veins.
It could talk.
The creature smiled.
A horrifying smile.
"I've waited a long time for this."
Frank's eyes flashed gold.
"Leave."
The creature laughed.
"No."
Its gaze never left Linda.
"She belongs to us."
"I said leave."
The growl that escaped Frank sounded almost inhuman.
The creature attacked.
Everything happened at once.
The beast lunged forward.
Frank met it head-on.
The collision shook the clearing.
Linda stumbled backward.
Shock filled her face.
No human could move that fast.
No human could survive a hit like that.
Yet Frank did.
Easily.
The creature swung a massive claw.
Frank dodged.
His eyes glowed brighter.
Gold light flickered beneath his skin.
For a brief moment, Linda thought she saw something else.
Something wild.
Something powerful.
Something not entirely human.
The creature attacked again.
Frank grabbed it and threw it across the clearing.
The beast crashed into a tree.
Wood exploded everywhere.
Linda stared.
Speechless.
The creature slowly stood.
Its red eyes narrowed.
Not with anger.
With fear.
It was afraid of Frank.
But it wasn't afraid enough.
The beast looked toward Linda one last time.
Then it smiled.
"You don't understand what's happening."
Linda swallowed hard.
"What do you mean?"
The creature laughed.
"The truth is far worse than you think."
Frank took a step forward.
The creature immediately backed away.
Retreating into the darkness.
But before it vanished, it delivered one final warning.
"The Moon Heir will awaken."
Linda's heart stopped.
The words again.
The same mysterious title.
The same terrifying mystery.
Then the creature disappeared.
Gone.
As though it had never been there.
Silence returned.
Only the sound of Linda's breathing remained.
The forest suddenly felt larger.
Darker.
More dangerous than ever.
Slowly she turned toward Frank.
"What did it mean?"
Frank closed his eyes.
For a moment he looked exhausted.
Then he opened them again.
His golden gaze locked onto hers.
And what she saw there frightened her.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Sadness.
Deep sadness.
"Linda," he said quietly.
"There are things coming that neither of us can stop."
A chill ran through her body.
Frank looked toward the dark forest.
As though he could already see the storm approaching.
Then he spoke the words that changed everything.
"From this moment forward, whether you want it or not..."
He paused.
"You are part of a world you can never escape."
The wind howled through the trees.
And somewhere deep in the forest, unseen eyes watched them.
Waiting.
Planning.
Hunting.
The war for the Moon Heir had begun.
- Writer
