Cursed Hearts

Emilia Grey tightened the straps of her backpack, taking a long breath. The early morning forest was still, like it was holding its breath. She liked it best this way before the world fully woke with noise and expectations clawing their way in. Behind her footsteps crunched over a bed of damped needles. “Remind me again why I agreed to this?” Maria muttered, rubbing her arms against the cold. Her blue hair was bundled beneath a wool hat, and her breath puffed visibly in the chil air. “Because you need a break from city dating disasters”. Emilia replied dryly. Maria scoffed. “Touchê”. John came up behind them giggling a thermos, field notebook and a recorder. “Be honest Emilia, You just love dragging us to the middle of nowhere to look at birds.” Emilia let out a faint smile. “Barred owls. And you both signed up for this voluntary”. They were two days into their month-long research trip, studying owl migration in the dense Evermore Forest. A secluded expanse in the northern Ashwood, thick with fog and ancient trees and the kind of silence that fell almost sacred . But for Emilia it wasn't just about science, the forest called her. This was where her parents had vanished. Sixteen years ago, while leading a field expedition into Evermere’s uncharted interior. The reports said there was no storm. Search teams found nothing. No bodies, no gear just empty tents. It was like they were never there. Her grandmother never spoke of it leaving Emilia with some many unanswered questions. She has tried to talk about it but was always getting turned down. But now she's standing at the edge of that same forest, not for answers. She told herself, this was about data, research,work. Things she could understand not the other way around. “East trail or riverside?” John asked checking the map. “Riverside,” Emilia said. “Owls tend to nest closer to water by this time of year”. They hiked in silence for a while, the occasional squawk of distant jay cutting through the stillness. Sunlight filtered through the tall evergreens in gold shards, but the forest floor remained damp and shadowed. Maria sighed. “How much longer?”. She groaned. “This place is kinda creepy. It's so quiet”. “That's what makes it special”. Emilia replied. “Special creepy”. Maria said, rolling her eyes. A flash of movement caught Emilia's eye. She turned around scanning the trees but she saw nothing. She shook it off as she just being paranoid. They reached the riverbend by mid morning and split up to log observations. Maria climbed onto a mossy rock with binoculars, while John fiddled with a trail cam. Emilia wandered off slightly, stopping near a rotting log. She crouched and pulled her journal out of her coat pocket, jolting down the quiet thrum of the woods, the calls when everything suddenly became quiet. She stood up slowly, a sound followed from behind. She could hear footsteps approaching her. “John?” She called but no reply. The footsteps became heavier and closer than before. “Maria?”. Her pulse quickened. Scanning her surroundings. A shape shifted between two trees, tall, dark and gone in a blink. She heard a howl, it was close. Almost as it it was behind her. With tension kicking in, she ran. She could feel a presence trailing her from behind. Branches tore at her coat as she ran. She stumbled back to the riverbank where John and Maria were packing up. “Jesus Christ”. John screamed. “Hey, you okay?” Maria asked. “Scared the s**t out of us”. Emilia was quiet trying to catch her breath. “I think….” She swallowed hard. “I think there's something out there “. “Like what?”. “I don't know. A wolf, maybe. I heard it howl”. Maria frowned. “Wolves aren't even supposed to be active in this region right now, are they?”. “I know. But I heard it”. John took out his binoculars and began to scan. “I don't see anything”. “Maybe you saw something else. There are no wolves here”. Maria said. They packed up and headed back to the cabin. That night, Emilia sat alone in her room. She took out her father's old notebook, her grandmother had given to her before the trip. Most of the pages were notes on wildlife, sketches, maps but one page had been folded. It read: The woods are older than they appear and sometimes they watch back. She stared at the words for a long time. A creak outside snapped her attention to the window. She rose up slowly to the window but there was nothing, just trees. “Get a grip Emilia”. She muttered to herself as she headed back to bed, she hears another sound. More like a growl. She peeped again and was met by two green eyes. She staggered back in fear. Her breath caught in her throat. The lights began to flicker and suddenly the room went dark. She heard the growl again, this time closer. It grew silent again and Emilia tried to feel around for her flashlight. She made her way to the bed side table searching for her flashlight in the drawer. A knock distracted her. Not on the door but the window. She turned around heart racing, scrambling for her flashlight. The green eyes stood outside her window. She pointed her flickering flashlight at it trying to get a glimpse. Emilia's face twisted in horror as she watched the figure easily pulled the window open, welcoming the chilled air in as it lets itself inside. It was coming for her. Emilia staggered back slowly as the figure followed. She tripped and fell to the ground still retracing. “Stop”. She cried. “Please”. It reached out its hand towards her and she let out a scream. Suddenly the door burst open.