The Snowy Woods

That day, the snow fell endlessly. I shifted uncomfortably inside my thick, furry coat and fixed my hat. The chilly breeze brushed my exposed cheeks once in a while—its touch was as cold as ice. I dragged my feet through the thick snow blanket to the village exit with my trusted horse, Rust. Finally, I was greeted by a dark, dense forest. I examined it carefully. Somehow the thick, looming group of sere trees made me feel uneasy.

Suddenly, Rust nudged me. I turned to him and stroked his dark brown snout. I swore by the falling snow, it felt like he was trying to warn me not to go into the forest.

 

"No, Rust. There's no other way. We have to pass this forest if we want to reach home quick." 

 

Rust closed his eyes as if surrendering to my decision. I gave him one last stroke and tugged his bridle before continuing to walk. To the snowy woods, I went.

To my surprise, the snow there was not as thick as in the village. It made me wonder—perhaps most of them got stuck on the branches or whatnot. The more I walked deep into the forest, the darker the view got. Nonetheless, I could still see the path as it was illuminated by the bright blue moonlight. Our path that night was clear, but our surrounding was blanketed by darkness. It was an eerie, but beautiful sight.

The path eventually led me to a frozen lake, which was massive it covered almost the entire area. I was stunned by the view—the frozen lake that glimmered under the moonlight lined by black trees covered with white-bluish snow... I might be a little exaggerating, but it was the most mesmerizing scene I've ever witnessed. At that moment, I decided to stop for a while to rest my feet and enjoy the scenery. Rust didn't think that was a good idea though as he kept nudging and biting my coat.

“What’s gotten into you?” I stroked him once more. Rust was the bravest horse I knew, so it was strange for me to see him be on edge like that. “Ssh, it’s fine, it’s fine. Nothing bad will happen. We’ll rest here for a bit to gain our energy back. Just for a while and then we’ll leave, okay?" 

 

Rust finally calmed a bit and I tied him up to one of the giant trees. After that, I walked to the side of the frozen lake. I took a deep breath and smiled. “Never judge something based on the exterior, huh. You never know if there’s a scenery this beautiful hiding inside a creepy forest.”

“Yes, indeed. And this beauty can consume you at any time, dear.”

I jumped at the sudden voice that came from my back. I quickly turned around and saw an old woman standing with an eerie, but warm smile. Strange, I didn’t hear her footsteps at all, and Rust seemed to not sense her presence either.

“What are you doing here, son? The forest is dangerous at night. You shouldn’t be here,” said the old woman.

“I'm on my way home from a faraway village and decided to take a brief rest here,” I explained to her with a smile.

She walked over and closed the distance between us. “What a weird lad… Why don’t you relax at the inn in the village? It’s certainly a lot more comfortable and warm than this forest.”

“Nah, don’t want to waste my money. I don’t really mind the place here, really, and the scenery is just too amazing. Can’t just leave without enjoying the view, right?”

The old woman chuckled. “Alright, then. Let me warn you, though. Don’t let yourself be consumed by its beauty, else you'll be captured by ‘the owner of the woods’."

“’The owner of the forest’?” I furrowed my eyebrows upon the nickname. Who would own a forest this big?

“Nobody knows who they are. They could be non-human for all I know. No one has really seen 'the owner', but there's news hovering around the village that someone lives here, and there have been missing people ever since. Be careful. I heard that they are after those who lost themselves in the woods.”

I nodded. I wasn't really scared because I didn't believe in tales like that unless I saw it with my own eyes. But, for the sake of politeness, I just complied. “Thanks for the warning, ma’am. I’ll be very, very careful.”

“Good. You do that. I’ll be leaving now.” 

 

The old woman turned her back and slowly walked away from me.

“Wait! Where’re you going? Do you want me to accompany you back?” I shouted, but the old woman didn't give an answer. Gradually, her bent back disappeared into the woods.

I sighed and sat by the lake. Soon, my eyes fluttered and I felt sleepy. As my consciousness went deeper, the voices around me slowly disappeared. The downy ice flakes which caressed my face were supposed to make me freezing, but I wasn't. Instead, I felt numb.

Vaguely, I heard bells tinkling from afar. Its lovely sound echoed clearly in my ears. I woke up and stood straight. 

 

Where does that sound come from? Is there anyone else besides me?

I walked carefully towards the source of the sound. Vaguely, a wonderful smell touched my sense—a smell of a fresh-baked apple pie. 

 

There is someone in the woods. Are they the old woman was warning me about? I should stay away, but my growling stomach forced me to keep going. I kept walking in the direction where the bell and the smell came from. Perhaps the rumor was wrong. Perhaps the owner was not a bad person at all and would be kind enough to share their meal with me.

I kept walking and walking. I didn't know how far I've walked. Not long, I saw a small hut on the clearance. It looked strangely familiar. There, I saw a woman and two little kids standing at the entrance. I squinted my eyes as I walked closer. It was them. My dear wife and children. My family—Oh, Lord, I was finally home, and they were waiting for me!

I rushed over as fast as I could. I stumbled and fell on the hard, snowy ground several times. It hurt—I didn’t care. I opened both of my arms and embraced her. I held her tightly—so tight that I pressed my chest. She put her delicate hand on my back and pat tenderly. Her other hand stroked my hair. Tears fell from my eyes like a waterfall and wet her plain yet beautiful white dress.

I let go of the embrace and made my way to my children. They looked at me with their sparkling eyes and wide smile. They were so small and their nose and cheek were bright red like cherries. I pinched both of their puffy cheeks, and they laughed happily. And I wrapped my hands around them. There was nothing more joyful, more pleasure than to meet my little angels. My dear family... After a long, long time...

“Wake up, my dear...”

I opened my eyes slowly and sat straight. In front of me was the frozen lake, reflecting the moonlight and shining amidst the dark woods. My house and family were nowhere to be seen. I was back alone in the woods. I woke up and walked to the frozen lake to see my reflection on the frozen water. God, I was as white as the snow itself. Except for my eyes, they were red and swollen and wet.

 

I almost died.

I quickly returned to my spot to gather my stuff, and I saw Rust was already in his stance. He looked awful panic. 

 

“Don’t worry, I’m alright,” I reassured him. I quickly untied him. I pulled his reins and fastened my pace. “We have to go now. We can’t stay here any longer.” 

I couldn't die there. I had promises to keep. I must go home. My family and my people, they needed me to cure their illness.

I couldn't die there. There was my family I have to care for and protect.

After a long, heavy walk, I finally managed to get out of the woods. Before I made further progress, I looked back once more. The forest was lovely. It was dark, eerie… And whatever happened back there, perhaps it was better if I did not know the answer to it. Perhaps it was better to stay that way.

I tugged my coat and turned my back away. When I did, I felt someone watching and smiling at me from the woods.

Someone…