SHADOWS OF THE GREENDALE FOREST

Emily’s Pov I got down from my car as I adjusted the strap of my dress. The gravel made sounds under my boots everywhere I stepped. The air of the Greendale forest is always thick and filled with moist, damped soil. I took out my notebook and flipped to the page where I wrote my latest case—Sarah Micheal, age 28, last seen at the outskirts of the forest and has been gone for a week with no traces except claw marks found in the area of her last visit. I sighed as I pushed my book into my bag, “claw marks?” That alone sounded terrifying. The people of Greendale had been whispering about the monster of the night, the curse which was laid on mankind, but I had known not to trust superstition but facts. This case has to have a logical explanation like every other case I have worked on—it could be a wild animal or even a human, but the claw marks were not adding up. I made my way into the forest, steadying myself, trying to stay as calm as I could as the only sound that had been made was the sound of the dried leaves on my boots. I pulled out my recorder, turning it on, “This is Emily Carter, an investigative journalist, entering the Greendale forest on the 19th of September 2023. This is the site of the latest disappearance in town and the time is 4:00 pm. It is—“ A twig snapped behind me, scaring me to death. I spun around, but the trail was empty; I could feel my heart beating hard and fast. “Emily Carter, you can do this. Get it together, it is nothing more than shadows.” I continued my journey, but the feeling of unease never departed from me. The forest seemed to be closing in on me. I finally got to the spot where Sarah was last seen. Her camping tools are still there. The ground looked like a struggle had happened there and there were claw marks on the trees and bench. I ran my fingers over the claw marks—they were deep and jagged and couldn’t be mistaken for anything else than that. The part that made no sense was that this mark was not randomly placed, it formed a pattern. I leaned in closer to get a better look, “what the hell happened here?” “You shouldn’t be here.” I jerked up as I almost dropped my recorder. I turned to see a man who was standing at the edge of the clearing. He was tall with dark hair and golden eyes. He looked like a man who fell from the heavens. I shook my head as I tried to concentrate, “who are you?” I demanded, my voice firm. “Name’s Lucas,” he said as he stepped closer, “and I am a ranger here, and you, ma’am, are trespassing.” We stared at each other for a while, none of us willing to back down even though I felt the pressure to bow to his gaze. I cleared my throat, straightened up as I brought out my press badge, “Emily Carter of the Greendale Times. I am here to investigate the disappearances. You know, the one no one wants to talk about.” Lucas' jaw tightened, “This is not a story the press should be covering, you need to leave now.” I raised my eyebrows in question, “or what? You are going to arrest me? Fine! But before you do that, can you tell me a little more about these marks and don’t tell me, they are from bears—I have seen bear marks, this, this is different.” For a moment, he just stared at me with an unreadable expression before he finally opened his mouth, “look, Miss Carter, right?” he asked, and I nodded, “You don’t understand what you are dealing with. This forest…..is not safe. People come in here daily and they don't come out.” I folded my hands across my shoulders, “Then why is this place still open? Why has the government not set up a task force that should be combing through this area?” “It is not that simple.” his voice was low, “There are things in this town no one understands. The deeper you dig, the more you are going to get yourself in danger.” I took a step forward, as I narrowed my eyes at him, “Lucas, are you threatening me?” His poker face looking nonchalant, “Nope…..just warning you. You should leave this alone. It is for your own good.” I opened my mouth to argue, but I was shut up by a low growling sound. The sound was coming from everywhere but nowhere at once. The hairs at the back of my neck stood up, “what was that?” Lucas' expression darkened, “we need to leave now!” I shook my head, “I am not leaving till you tell me exactly what is going on.” He was about to respond, and another growl came through—this one louder than the last. My heart dropped to the deepest part of my stomach. My instinct was screaming for me to run, but I could barely move my legs. I was frozen. I stared at the shadows in the trees and I saw something—it moved! I couldn't quite see what it was, it was fast—too fast. What caught my eyes was nothing but dark fur, and his claws were like steel, and as soon as it appeared, it vanished. “What…..what….was that?” “Emily, we need to leave……now!” Lucas said, his voice urgent. I couldn't move and when he saw I wasn't responding, he grabbed me by the hand and quickly began to move towards the trail as the growl echoed through the trees. I had seen something—but was it real? We got to the entrance of the forest and Lucas let go of my hand, “Look…whatever you think you saw there—forget it. This is not a story. It is a death sentence.” I stared at him, my heart pounding, “You….you…know what is out there, don’t you?” He hesitated for a while; his eyes, for the first time, had some sort of emotion in them, “I know enough to stay away, and so should you.” Before I could respond, he turned and walked back into the forest, leaving me there with unanswered questions.