The Vanishing Path

CHAPTER2

The darkness was suffocating. Lisa's breath intensified, as she stumbled with her flashlight, clicking on the button. It weakened before jerking back to life, narrow ray long casting, shade dancing against twisted trees. The whisper was still echoing in her mind: * "Why did you come here?" "hello?" He called, his voice was trembling. The sound disappeared in zero, swallowed by the oppressive silence of the forest. She roams in the place, the flashlight beam gives a huge blow to its surroundings. The handprint was gone on the tree. His pulse threatened her ears because she tried to return her steps, but the trees were transferred. Some time ago the path he followed was not found anywhere. Nervous as a claw on her chest, she stumbled forward, a strict need to avoid a strict shadow. The forest was feeling alive, watching it, waiting for something. When he saw it - a flicker of movement beyond the edge of the border of his flashlight. A shadow, humonoids in size but impossible fluid, darted between trees. Lisa Fruz, her heart Haming. "Who is there?" He demanded, although his voice was barely more than a whisper. The shadow stopped, the periphery of his vision became sluggish. It was not like a person - it was swept away, as if the darkness had taken the form. Lisa's feet shouted to her, but her curiosity kept her inherent. Gradually, the shadow went close, the bus stopped at the edge of the light. There were no clear features, no face, but somehow she knew that it was watching her.

The temperature decreased, and his breath applied a cloud in the frigid air. "what do you want?" He asked, his voice is trembling. Chhaya did not speak, but it raised one hand pointing deep into the forest. Lisa worked hard. Every rational idea shouted her to turn around, to return to the main footpath and left the Darkwood One forever. But some forced him to follow the gesture of Chhaya. It did not feel hostile - at least, not yet. Gliding, shade began to move easily through trees. Lisa hesitantly hesitated before following a moment, her flashlight beam was bouncing with each hesitation. Chhaya did not wait for him, but it never wandered much further, always dull within the vision. This took him with an unprecedented footpath, the forest around him became thick and darker with every step. After feeling like hours, Lisa emerged in another clearing. His flashlight caught the glow of some metal of another strange object in this untouchable forest. He stepped closely, his pulse was intensifying because he realized what it was: a stone circle, its experienced surface was carved with complex carvings. There was a pedestal in the center of the circle, and an old phonograph was sitting on top of it, its brass horny was tarnished with age.

Lisa provoked, her fear went ahead of the confusion. What was it doing here, somewhere between? On reaching the stone circle, Chhaya had locked on the edge of the clearing, watching quietly. She hesitated at the border, her tendency warned her against stepping inside. The carvings on the stones were fainting, as if another energy was alive. She turned into the shade, expecting some kind of explanation, but it only pointed to the phonograph. Lisa hesitates, then stepped into the circle. The wind became heavy, pressing on her chest with almost tangible weight. He approached the pedestal and examined the phonograph. This was clearly in good condition, despite its clear age. Next to it was a pile of yellow sheet music, the notes were scattered in an unfamiliar hand. Curiosity paid attention to him, beating his fear. Lisa put her hand on the crank and started airing her. The phonograph was amazed to life, and a harassing melody filled the wind. Notes were less and condolences, weaving a soundscape which was once beautiful and deeply unstable. As the music plays, the shadow around clearing began to shift.

Lisa's breath was speculated as the shadow that took her to the circle here. The tune seemed to pull over it, turning its look like a smoke caught in a vortex. The carvings on the stones fought brightly, illuminating the clearing in a terrible blue light. Chhaya raised his hand again, pointing to the forest. This time, its intention was clear: it wanted him to follow the way forward. The moment Lisa stepped out of the circle, the light faded, left it once again in the dark. He turned his flashlight towards the footpath that Chhaya had indicated and started walking, temporary his steps. The forest was now feeling different - yet the oppressively dark, but was charged with an energy that it could not be explained. The trees were bending closer, their hemorrhage branches were building a tunnel around it. The tune with the phonograph wrapped in her brain, looping endlessly. She could not feel that it was trying to tell her something, although she could not understand. The footpath turned and turned, causing it to deepen in the forest. His environment grew rapidly - the trees looked unconscious, his bark was carved in circle with stones carved.

Then he saw. In the distance, it is barely visible through the trees, there was a shape. Unlike the shadow that directed him, this figure was solid, its form was mentioned in a faint golden light. It stood in a sedentary, behind it, as if waiting. When Lisa's heart used to contact, he was uncertain what he would get. "hello?" He called out, his voice was trembling. This figure did not respond, did not move forward. As she came closer, she realized that it was a man, her clothes broke and her hair was disappointed. She slowly turned to face her, and Lisa started panting. His eyes were hollow, empty sockets that looked bored in his soul. "You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice is barely audible. "It's too late for you now." Lisa took one step back, her flashlight was shaking in her hand. "Who are you? What's going on?" The man did not respond. Instead, he raised a trembling hand and pointed to the direction he came. "Go back. While you can still do." "I don't understand," Lisa stuttered. "what is this place?" The man's expression turned into one of the sorrow, and he began to fade, his form dissolved in the golden mist. Lisa reached out easily, but her hand passed through empty air. For a moment for a moment in the mist, left it once again.The flashlight slipped again, and she cursed under her breath. She was about to turn back when she saw something on the ground, where the man was standing. It was a piece of parchment, its edges were clarified as it was burnt. He picked it up and examined it in weak light. The symbols scattered on the surface were similar to those on stones and trees, but their meaning removed it. A low thunder echoed through the forest, shocked it. The ground under his feet trembled, and the trees were hurting. Lisa turned back and moved back to clearing, finally her fear overtook her curiosity. When she reached under the stone circle, the phonograph was silent, her horn turned and melted like intense heat. The shadow was gone. Lisa fell on her knees, her mind race. He did not know what was happening, but one thing was clear: she was on her head. Whatever force controlled this forest was beyond its comprehension, and it was not allowing it to go easily.