Shadows in the Forest - I

Eldmere, Finland

"Äiti, why can't we go into the woods once more?" a little seven-year-old boy inquires, voice inquisitive, as he gets into bed. He pulls his covers over him as he lays down. The boy's mother gives him a little grin and makes a difference him settle in. The moonlight casts a delicate shine through the window.

"The woods are exceptionally unsafe." she answers him, sitting on the bed. "And holds a extraordinary fiendish inside that preys on individuals." the boy looks at his mother with inquisitive however confounded eyes.

"The Näkki live there." she supplies at his look.

"The Na-di?" he inquires inquisitively, causing his mother to let out a little chuckle.

"Naa-ki." she sounds out. "They are water spirits that live inside a lake at the center of the woods. They see inviting and wonderful, but they are not. They are shapeshifters that bait you to them. When you are inside their get a handle on, they drag you down with them into the water where you can never take off." The boy pants in stun at his mother's words.

"Never?" he inquires. "Never. Once they have you, they eat you."she wraps up. The boy's shinning emerald green eyes are wide with fear.

"Promise me, Aleksi, that you will never go into the woods." the lady furiously inquires her child, her claim emerald eyes arguing. The boy looks at his mother.

"I guarantee." he tells her. The mother gives her child a kiss on his brow and offers him goodnight.

This legend of the Näkki is one the mother's of Eldmere, Finland have continuously told their children. 'Stay out of the woods, for fear that the Näkki will take you absent forever.' As children, we held the legend with childlike disdain. They frightened us sufficient to where we listened...but we were still children. We would bother each other at school the following day. One of us would imagine to be the Näkki and chase the rest of us around at recess.

As we developed more seasoned, we realized the legend was fair a story, a pixie story, mother's told their children to make them carry on and remain out of the woods. And as time went on, we ceased believing.

"Aleksi, Garreth and Maki are here." I listen my mother yell from the front entryway. I rapidly stuff the rest of my Korvapuusti into my mouth. Licking cinnamon off of my fingers, I rapidly snatch my pack and head to the front entryway. I can see my companions holding up at the foot of the steps.

"I'll see you afterward Äiti." I say, giving her a fast kiss on the cheek. Some time recently I can step out of the entryway, she snatches me by the arm.

"Aleksi."

"Yes?" I murmur, as of now knowing what's approximately to happen. Garreth and Maki see up at us, moreover knowing, some time recently heading to the conclusion of the walkway. I turn my consideration back to my mother.

"Have fun."she begins. Her grasp on my arm gets more tightly. "And if it's not too much trouble do not go into the woods." she pleads.

"I know." I tell her, my voice comes out a bit cruel. She flinches somewhat, causing me to sigh.

"Olen pahoillani, äiti." I say as I grasp her. She grins delicately and gives me a delicate pat on the cheek.

"I know you get tired of me telling you this poikani. But, I fair need you to be safe."

"I know äiti, I guarantee." I tell her. Her shinning eyes look mine for a moment some time recently gesturing her head. "I'll see you tomorrow."she tells me. Giving her another kiss on the cheek, I take off the house and walk towards my friends.

"Are you prepared?" Garreth inquires, a wide grin on his confront. His dim chestnut brown eyes shimmer and his wide shoulders murmur in fervor. I see at Maki with a raised eyebrow, to which he shrugs his shoulders.

"You're beautiful energized, huh?" I inquire as we walk down the street. The lanes are gradually biting the dust down as individuals pack up their merchants for the day and begin making their way domestic. The sun's plunge paints the sky with pink, orange, yellow, and purple.

"Of course I'm energized. This meteor shower is the most energizing thing to happen in this town since...since Mrs. Lahti got caught resting with postal carrier by her spouse." he states, causing Maki snicker next to me.

"You can't tell me you're not energized approximately seeing an genuine meteor shower." Garreth states, looking at me.

"I am." I tell him. Eldmere is nearly totally encompassed by woods and is a little town compared to others in Finland. With less than a three hundred individuals here and three stoplights, there isn't much to do here. He at that point looks at Maki. With a roll of his cornflower blue eyes, he gives us Garreth a gesture. "It is energizing. And it's pleasant to get out of the house." he tells him.

"Is your mother still battling with your sister?" I inquire him.

"When are they not battling." he moans. "It's gotten indeed more regrettable over the past couple of months with Ayn's modern boyfriend, who I'm beautiful beyond any doubt she's dating fair to aggravate mom."

Ayn is a small over a year more youthful than Maki and has continuously been troublesome. She appears to need getting into inconvenience. "The contending has gotten awful sufficient to where father has been remaining in the sanctum when he's not at work. In spite of the fact that presently it's more of mother yelling and Ayn disregarding her." he wraps up with another sigh.

"Well this will be a great diversion." Garreth tells him with a pat on the back.

It doesn't take us long to get to the rivulet. A shinning, burning fire glints, lighting up the zone. Music fills the discuss and tanked youngsters bumble around. The sound of the hurrying water can scarcely be listened of the energized yells. A speedy look at my observe appears we still have approximately half an hour some time recently the shower is gathered to begin. We head over to the fire and unwind, something we haven't truly been able to do lately.

I'm talking to a classmate when shinning lights glint over my locate, causing me to see up. The sound of energized cheers and yells fill the discuss as the meteor shower starts. It is very a wonderful locate. Streaks of light shoot over a star filled sky.

"Wow. This is astonishing." Maki states in ponder, the to begin with honest to goodness grin I've seen in weeks settling on his confront. Some time recently I can concur with him, I feel Garreth drag on my sleeve.

"Isn't that Ayn..... with Kalle?" he inquires, indicating off to the side. Taking after his finger towards the stream, I spot the commonplace long, blonde hair of Ayn. She's holding Kalle's, a adolescent of flawed thought processes, hand as they step into the stream. "Are they going into the woods?" I inquire.