"Don't Go Into the Woods"

‘Don’t go into the woods.’ That was something my mother always said, offering no explanation except for the promise of closure when I ‘got older’. I’d followed her words diligently, never venturing past the run-down picket fence with the chipping white paint. Instead, I stayed within the confines of my backyard, kicking stones, picking daisies, and making mud pies, like any other nine-year-old.

Except for, today was different. The air had a heavy chill and clouds overcast the sky, a light gray contrasting the soft shades of blue that peaked out from underneath the mist. Today, my brother, Abaddon, came to me, speaking something far too quickly to be coherent, his excitement clear as he wrapped his little fingers around my hand. He was barely four, and yet had the energy to compete with a supernova.

“Lilith! Lilith!” he spoke, his L’s sounding more like W’s, making my chest warm with affection. “Come play with me Lilith! Mommy taught me a game called..” He took a moment, trying to remember the name, “It’s called.. Oh! Hider Seek!”

I smiled down at him. His silly way of saying hide and seek making me chuckle. “Of course we can play!” I responded, slouching slightly as I followed him outside, calling out to my mom to let her know where we’d be. I followed Abaddon out towards one of the trees, where he pushed me gently towards it, practically shaking with anticipation and joy as he hollered, “Count to twenty!”

And so I did. But with each number I counted, the more frigid the air felt, and the bigger that pit in my stomach got. “Twenty! Ready or not, here I come!” I shouted, quickly turning around from the tree, scanning my backyard with worry rather than joy.

I couldn’t see Abaddon. I looked everywhere, behind large rocks, by the fence, even up in the trees, though I knew he wouldn’t be there. My gaze drifted towards the woods, something twitching in my gut. He was there. In the forbidden woods. I knew it. And so, I bit my lip softly, eyes darting back to the house, my mother preparing lunch in the kitchen, I could hear her soft humming. I knew it wasn’t allowed, but I had to find my brother.

Thus, I stalked towards the fence, carefully crawling under it, my nice dress getting stained with cold, sticky mud. I felt the ground dip slightly under my feet as I cautiously walked into the woods. “Abaddon?” I called out, anxiety filling me as the greenery enveloped the area around me. I fidgeted with my fingers “Abaddon we’re not supposed to be in here!” The trees were damp and the air thick and humid with a gross, musky smell.

That's when I saw it. My brother’s tiny shoe, sticking out from under a bush. “Abaddon! You scared me!” I called out, reaching into the bush to grab his shoulder. The branches scraped my arms, and his shoulders felt cold and hard as I pulled him out.

“Don’t ever run off like that!” I started, except, as I turned him around, all I saw was his small skeleton, still wearing the clothes he put on this morning, they too were stained with mud, except his were torn and tattered, with splatters of crimson blood as well. I let out a scream, the sound raw and fragile, escaping me before I could even process I had opened my mouth.

That's when I heard it, my mother’s voice, calling out from in front of me, “Mommy!” I cried, tears running down my face, some tasting salty in my mouth “Mommy, something's happened to Abaddon!” I ran to where I heard the voice, and that's when it called again.

“It’s okay, my child. Come closer, Mommy’s here. You’re okay.” Except it sounded broken, warped, like my mother, but not loving or warm, Rather, raspy as though bees had stung her vocal cords. My blood ran cold. And without speaking, I looked up, a morbid sense of fear consuming me as I saw it.

It was pale, its face skeletal and its ribs protruding. I could see its bones as it towered over me. There was no way it was human. I fell backwards, scooting away as its sharp teeth parted, its blank, dead eyes staring into mine with something similar to what I can only describe as extreme ravenousness.

My mother and father’s frantic voices could be heard approaching as they screamed mine and my brother's names. And then it spoke again, this attempt to imitate my mother more broken, garbled and desperate than the last as it reached its hand out, lifting me with deadly strength, its jaw widening to an ungodly angle as it drew me closer.

“Come closer, child. It’s just.. Mommy...”