One moment, I stood in that eerie clearing, surrounded by smooth, circular stones, chilled by an intense silence that seemed to press against my skin. Then, the silence shattered, replaced by an overwhelming surge of fear.
A sharp gust swept through the clearing, colder than anything I’d ever felt, carrying with it a rank stench of mold and stagnant water. The smell hit my nose, sharp and unmistakably rotten-like decayed flesh left too long in the sun. I cringed, revolted by the festering edge to the scent.
In my earlier encounters, apart from the terrifying Fae woman, the Fae realm had been laced with an alien beauty, like a world filtered through a lens that heightened every color and fragrance. But now, I glimpsed something darker-something raw and unmasked beneath that enchanting veneer.
I’d followed the Wisp blindly, oblivious to how deep I’d gone. I hadn’t even noticed when the trees began to change, darkening and twisting into warped shapes. I cursed myself for the foolishness of wandering without caution in a world where nearly everything was a threat.
*”We’re both to blame,”* Blue’s voice trembled. *”I wasn’t paying attention either.”*
This place felt fundamentally wrong. Kneeling down, I dug my fingers into the moist soil, hoping to connect with the earth like I had back in the village. But instead of the familiar surge of life, with its fresh scents of blossoms and cut grass, a shiver clawed up my spine, and a creepy sensation, like insects skittering over my skin, replaced the warmth I’d expected.
Even the air felt different here-stale and unnaturally cold. I wriggled my fingers in the broken soil, and suddenly, a sensation crawled into me from the earth itself. It struck like a slap, and I jerked back, stumbling as I searched frantically for a way out. But the clearing offered no escape. Each stone was identical to the next, and I had no clue which direction I’d come from.
What I’d felt wasn’t the earth’s natural power. This presence was something ancient, something ravenous. I could feel its awareness latching onto me, drawn to the essence flowing in my blood and bones. Its unseen claws burrowed through the ground, seeking a connection that would lead it right to me.
In my rising panic, I’d made a terrible mistake. I’d dropped my guard, stopped listening to the twisted forest. A faint chittering reached my ears, and the stench that had floated on the breeze grew overpowering.
The trees around me rustled and swayed, their warped limbs creaking and groaning, some snapping and crashing to the forest floor. That fetid wind whipped around me, so thick with decay I could taste it. The sound of wood straining filled the air, deafening me. I raised my hands to cover my ears, just as something struck the side of my head.
A sharp pain blazed across my face, and I hit the ground, feeling tiny blades of grass prick my skin like knives. Pain radiated through my chest as I retched, heaving up everything I’d eaten onto the earth. The chittering drew closer, reminding me of hyenas cackling.
Whatever had struck me was the most putrid thing I’d ever smelled. It was wet and sticky, seeping into my eyes and blurring my vision. From what little I could see, it looked like black tar, its rancid scent now coating my hair, burning my eyes and nose. No matter how hard I retched, that smell lingered, thick and inescapable.
A childhood memory of my mother’s cooking flooded my mind. Even as a kid, I’d tried every trick in the book to avoid her disastrous meals. We’d had an old cocker spaniel who’d eat nearly anything-except Mom’s food. I remembered stuffing her baked mac and cheese under the couch, along with burnt broccoli. After a week, the smell filled the house, convincing my parents that rodents had died in the walls. This was a thousand times worse.
I forced myself to remember the training I’d received in Carlo’s pack, knowing that panic could be a death sentence. Just as I managed to steady my breath, a cold hand clamped onto my wrist, claws digging into my skin. The feel of its slimy, unnatural flesh against mine sent all thoughts of calm scattering.
I screamed, a raw, primal sound that ripped from my throat, echoing through the clearing and into the twisted trees, desperate to reach anyone who might come to my aid. The chittering sounds surrounded me now, but I couldn’t make out the creature’s shape through the murk clouding my eyes. My scream cut off as a clawed hand whipped across my face. Blood spilled from my cheek, warm against the frosty pain that numbed the wound’s sting.
But I refused to give in. I would not die in this cursed forest, covered in foul, stinking tar. If this was the end, I would make sure to take some of these creatures with me.
Letting my body go limp, I stifled a cry of pain as I felt myself being dragged. Blinking rapidly, I cleared my vision enough to see the forms around me. As the shadows faded from my sight, I almost wished I couldn’t see what held me.
The creatures were like nothing I’d ever imagined. Their elongated torsos were the color of wet earth and tar, their limbs unnaturally long, with hands that dangled near their knees, each finger tipped with razor-sharp claws. A dark, viscous liquid dripped from their bodies, carrying the same repulsive smell that had brought me to my knees.
Their heads were warped and misshapen, perched on thin, sinewy necks. I counted five of them, one gripping my wrist as it hauled me toward the shadowed depths of the forest. Another creature turned, its head tilting at an unnatural angle, and a low, chittering sound came from its mouth. My scream died in my throat as its mouth opened, revealing something far worse than I’d ever feared. No legend or nightmare could have prepared me for this sight. And if a creature existed more terrifying than these, I was certain no one had ever lived to tell the tale.