Status: work in progress
Blood of The Moss
Chapter Two
The rain had subsided by the time I stepped out into the brisk October air. The pale clouds above were mirrored in the wet gleam of the car windows. I paused in front of the car door, my reflection gazing sullenly back at me. I looked like shit. My white blond hair was thrown into a pathetic messy bun and dark circles rimmed my eyes. My body was sore from falling in the bathroom and the bandages on my arms were attempting to stay in place under a mint green sweater. I scowled at the face staring back at me before impatiently climbing into the car and driving in the direction of the morgue. It lay hidden in the basement of the police station, located on the western side of town. Inconveniently I was on the opposite side of the map.
The quiet ambience of the early morning was a small comfort to me as I maneuvered my way through the sleepy streets. The trees that lined the roads loomed overhead, resembling silent titans. Soggy leaves were plastered across the asphalt, evidence that the slow crawl of winter's death was creeping closer and closer. Slowing down at a stop sign I quickly lit a cigarette, smoke curling against my face as I exhaled. I could go straight which would take me through the heart of town. Or I could go right, down the gravel road that looped around the northern edge of town, bordering Wicker Pines Forest.
It was known amongst the locals that you did not go into Wicker Pines Forest. The poor souls that ventured in, never ventured out. Even investigators and authorities didn't dare go past the old iron fence that acted as a barrier between the two realms. They were convinced something lay within the shadow bathed pines. But this agreement remained unspoken, for to admit belief in any dark power or unexplained phenomenon was grounds for ridicule.
The only person that supposedly had made it out of the forest alive was Daisy Trinkett, an old woman at the Sunrise Nursing Home. She would rave about demons and hidden worlds, all dismissed as the delusions of a dementia rattled mind. Eve worked at Sunrise as a caregiver. Sometimes when she was working late I'd bring her dinner and would catch glimpses of Daisy. She eyes were frosted with cataracts and yet somehow her milky gaze always seemed to fall on Eve and I.
"She's harmless," Eve would insist reassuringly, but I always got a strange feeling.
Twenty four years ago Daisy had been found wounded and drenched in blood at the edge of the Wicker Pines. She was discovered on the Wicker side of the rusted iron fence so it was unclear whether or not she had actually emerged from the forest itself. The only way in or out was a solitary gate secured shut by thick dark chains. The gate itself appeared undisturbed upon Daisy's retrieval. Since that day she suffered amnesia, only remembering her name and overtime conjuring up unbelievable stories. It was a mystery the townspeople were content to leave unsolved.
Deciding to take the scenic route, the gravel crunched under the car tires as I turned onto the road. It was bumpy and not very well kept; being so close to the fence made people uneasy. Despite all the paranoia and superstition, I did not fear the forest. It was shrouded with mystery which perhaps only elevated my curiosity. I suddenly found myself stopped in the middle of the road, my knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel with iron fingers.
I quickly put the car in park and opened the door, grateful for the fresh air. Peering over the top of the car, I could see the fence a few yards away from the road. It was hard to distinguish amongst the tall grass and shrubs. The atmosphere was still and hushed; no chirping of birds or the soft whistle of wind caressing the trees. Nothing. The eerie quiet sent a shiver up my spine. Goosebumps snaked down my skin to form a small pit at the base of my stomach. On any other day I wouldn't have been bothered, but today was different. Everything was different.
It wasn't until I got back in the car that I realized salty tears were sliding down my cheeks. They came bubbling out as I muffled a deep sob, my shoulders quivering. Grief had finally sunk it's claws into my heart. The seer weight of it was enough to take my breath away. The only person I had in the entire world, was gone. Eve had undeniable been the better part of me. She calmed the fire in my mind and made this shithole of a world bearable. And she wasn't coming back.
The quiet ambience of the early morning was a small comfort to me as I maneuvered my way through the sleepy streets. The trees that lined the roads loomed overhead, resembling silent titans. Soggy leaves were plastered across the asphalt, evidence that the slow crawl of winter's death was creeping closer and closer. Slowing down at a stop sign I quickly lit a cigarette, smoke curling against my face as I exhaled. I could go straight which would take me through the heart of town. Or I could go right, down the gravel road that looped around the northern edge of town, bordering Wicker Pines Forest.
It was known amongst the locals that you did not go into Wicker Pines Forest. The poor souls that ventured in, never ventured out. Even investigators and authorities didn't dare go past the old iron fence that acted as a barrier between the two realms. They were convinced something lay within the shadow bathed pines. But this agreement remained unspoken, for to admit belief in any dark power or unexplained phenomenon was grounds for ridicule.
The only person that supposedly had made it out of the forest alive was Daisy Trinkett, an old woman at the Sunrise Nursing Home. She would rave about demons and hidden worlds, all dismissed as the delusions of a dementia rattled mind. Eve worked at Sunrise as a caregiver. Sometimes when she was working late I'd bring her dinner and would catch glimpses of Daisy. She eyes were frosted with cataracts and yet somehow her milky gaze always seemed to fall on Eve and I.
"She's harmless," Eve would insist reassuringly, but I always got a strange feeling.
Twenty four years ago Daisy had been found wounded and drenched in blood at the edge of the Wicker Pines. She was discovered on the Wicker side of the rusted iron fence so it was unclear whether or not she had actually emerged from the forest itself. The only way in or out was a solitary gate secured shut by thick dark chains. The gate itself appeared undisturbed upon Daisy's retrieval. Since that day she suffered amnesia, only remembering her name and overtime conjuring up unbelievable stories. It was a mystery the townspeople were content to leave unsolved.
Deciding to take the scenic route, the gravel crunched under the car tires as I turned onto the road. It was bumpy and not very well kept; being so close to the fence made people uneasy. Despite all the paranoia and superstition, I did not fear the forest. It was shrouded with mystery which perhaps only elevated my curiosity. I suddenly found myself stopped in the middle of the road, my knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel with iron fingers.
I quickly put the car in park and opened the door, grateful for the fresh air. Peering over the top of the car, I could see the fence a few yards away from the road. It was hard to distinguish amongst the tall grass and shrubs. The atmosphere was still and hushed; no chirping of birds or the soft whistle of wind caressing the trees. Nothing. The eerie quiet sent a shiver up my spine. Goosebumps snaked down my skin to form a small pit at the base of my stomach. On any other day I wouldn't have been bothered, but today was different. Everything was different.
It wasn't until I got back in the car that I realized salty tears were sliding down my cheeks. They came bubbling out as I muffled a deep sob, my shoulders quivering. Grief had finally sunk it's claws into my heart. The seer weight of it was enough to take my breath away. The only person I had in the entire world, was gone. Eve had undeniable been the better part of me. She calmed the fire in my mind and made this shithole of a world bearable. And she wasn't coming back.