Philip was totally relaxed when the boat started swaying side-to-side. He thought the river’s waves were just picking up a little life. Then he heard a clear thud of something hitting into the boat. Something big.
Philip jumped up and stared in horror at the crocodile. It was now circling the boat. What’s a crocodile doing here? Philip screamed in his head. The creature submerged under the water, but it repeatedly catapulted itself against the small boat. Philip was losing his balance against the force. He needed to get out of here. So he grabbed his paddles, and started heading in the direction he had came from.
However his attempt was feeble at best.
When Philip was going to push the paddles up, a strong force kept the one in his right hand down. A tug-of-war started, and there was no give from the crocodile’s end. If Philip would be going nowhere if he didn’t have both paddles. With his life at stake, Philip put his whole strength into pulling for the paddle. “You motherfucker!” He cursed, as his face was dripping with sweat.
Then, just like that, he won the paddle from his enemy. Having no time for celebrating, Phil tried to go straight back to paddling. But again, the crocodile snapped its jaws on his paddle. Only this time, to Philip’s horror, it snapped the paddle in two. When the crocodile had let go before, it was just playing with him.
Alison was exhausted by her heart continuously racing. She’d felt nervous about Philip walking into dangerous territory as if she was his own mother. Her own son was his age, and raising him here, there were plenty of times Alison had that fear of him never coming home. To tempt Philip to not stray too far, she had offered to cook him his favourite lunch. She had held back her gawk when he chose something as expensive as a sirloin steak. Fine, whatever, as long as he comes back.
She had the homemade chips ready at their agreed time. Meanwhile, the seasoned steak was sat at the ready next to the pan. She wanted to wait to see Philip before cooking the meat. He was late. The butterflies in her stomach got worse as minutes turned into hours. She could only chew the inside of her cheek as she waited. Her husband Murray radioed the police and their friends to ask them to keep an eye out for their guest, but no one saw a single hair. It was a sleepless night for the two of them.
Alison didn’t know how she did it, but like they agreed on, as they always agreed, the couple until 10am check-out time before using the master key to check Philip’s room. Maybe he’d left without telling them. Opening the door only confirmed her fears. Philip’s stuff was still there. He’d had intended on coming back, but something bad had stopped him.
“It’s happened again,” Alison whispered.
“The fool,” Murray sighed. He put his arms around his wife, wishing to stop her tears. It was his duty to protect his family, but it never got easy having to deal with the missing travellers. He felt powerless, as he stared at Philip’s possessions.
Philip paddled as hard as he could down the river, desperate to keep out of reach from his pursuer. He couldn’t believe his eyes at first, but he had been warned not to come here.
It was yesterday evening when he was told not to enter the forest. The 20 year old entered Murray’s pub and the locals were excited to see a new hiker with a big backpack and sun hat. Before anyone could get him a drink, Murray’s wife Alison greeted Philip first and offered him a room at a discounted rate. She then ordered the traveller to shower. Alison, like other townsfolk, adored the sight of a mysterious traveller, but she had little tolerance for their bad smells.
And Philip wasn’t going to argue, it had been days since he could have a warm shower. The boy was like a shining star once he came back down to the pub floor and tucked into a warm meal. Beside him, the locals were friendly and interested in his 6 month journey. Murray waited for the excitement to die down a little before he approached. His shoulders were stiff with tension, but he managed to take out his hand for a shake.
“I’m Murray the owner. You met my wife Alison.”
“Hey Murray.” The boy was surprised by the solemnise of the man, his figure like a grief-stricken man among a lively party. “I’m Phil. Thanks for the free food, this place is great.”
“We like to look after the hikers here, especially you young ones. Mind if I ask where you’re heading to next? I’ve lived here my whole life, this pub has been passed down in my family for generations, so I know a thing or two about here.”
“Wow, thank you. But I just sorta walk around and take it from there, you know?”
“If you don’t know where those feet are headed, then alright. But I’ll tell you where NOT to go.”
Phil was very uncomfortable now. He didn’t want to risk being thrown out, but he hated being told what to do on HIS personal journey. But he took a deep breath, shrugged his shoulders and took out his map that had been sitting in his jacket at the ready. Murray then took out a red felt too marker. He drew a border right next to the town. “Whatever you do, so not enter this forest.”
“Why?”
The whole pub froze in silence.
“Bad things there happen there, kid.” Murray stated it like a fact. He wasn’t fooling around.
“Trust us,” Alison met Philip with a nervous look in her eyes. “It’s dangerous.”
Philip didn’t get why grown adults were so freaked out about a forest though. “Is there wolves? Or crocodiles by the lake? I can avoid the lake easy–,”
“You think we’re crazy. Laugh all you want but it’s no joke, Phil. Spirits, BAD spirits live in the forest, and there’s no avoiding them once you set foot on their territory. Many hikers have stepped in, and not all came out. The ones that have, they don’t go back.”
Of course, Philip didn’t listen. The very next morning, he went. He didn’t plan to be there long, so he left his big backpack behind.
It was the most beautiful, serene place he’d ever been. Not a single person was here but him. He even stumbled on a paddle boat left next to the river. Philip couldn’t resist the temptation. He reasoned he’d use the boat for an hour or so, and have it back in its spot before anyone missed it.
The boat happily plopped into the river with a push, and then Philip jumped in with a big grin. The river was calm, allowing him to paddle with ease. With the sun shining high, the birds chirping in the beautiful tall trees, and a nice breakfast in his belly, Philip was in paradise.
Having found the perfect spot, Philip laid down with his arms crossed behind his head. He thought about Alison’s promise to cook him his favourite lunch (steak and chips). He knew she only offered it so that he’d come back to the pub as soon as possible, and to keep him ont of the forest. But Philip was in no rush to leave. As long as no one came looking for the boat, he’d stay here all morning and night.
TBC
Rohan believed the cats living in the forest to be spirits themselves. They mercilessly hunted the rodents and birds in the forest as if it was their own mission given to them by their master. Not only this, but like the spirits, the cats hunted individually but were most often found relaxing among their kind. Some of the cats even tolerated his lonely presence.
Currently, he most often watched a young pair. He named the long-haired tabby Dango. When she was smaller she had no fear towards him and was the most playful cat he’d ever met. But after a couple of short months, she’d become aware of her mortality, and started to become a bit wary of him. She no longer scratched or bit him, but rather treated him with mature respect. It’d been months since he’d heard her meows, which she used to do when she didn’t want him to go. Despite this, when he’d come to watch her play, she’d still casually brush his legs to greet him. Rohan looked forward to speak to her, as her large almond eyes would look back at him with love.
Totoro was a very different cat. Grey and white, he looked urban and despite growing older he didn’t think twice about approaching strangers. His green eyes were wise and human-like. Rohan couldn’t hold it against the cat though, as the young boy would often find the forest spirit and take a seat upon his lap. Totoro was also very vocal, and had the strange ability to chirp to the birds. But he knew to meow at his best friend Dango, about what Rohan never knew.
The two complimented each other well. One evolved best to survive in the forest as a true feline and the other adapting to sharing their life with others. Rohan could relate more with Dango, and he was more than okay with that.
Huh? Why ask me such silly things!
Lavender The forest grows plenty of lavender, including in my favourite spot around the stone shrines. It’s the best smell in the world. And it has amazing healing properties, so not only pretty but handy.
A rabbit’s foot If I somehow end up in a deserted island, I need all the luck…
My ocarina It might be nice to play it by the sea, and out of earshot of the forest. Sometimes it’s embarassing how badly I play…
Red berries They’re the most delicious. And also toxic for the humans so an added bonus.
My carved knife What do you think I’ll want to use it for? Maybe chop up some native fruits or catch some fish.
A fish catching device So I don’t get wet.
A paper and pen To write letters to my friend.
A bottle To post the letter. My friend said that’s how people on islands can send letters. What? Of course the sea knows where to deliver it, are you stupid?
A torch To see at night.
A boat To relax around the island. No, I wouldn’t use it to get home like you humans would, to be honest I’d probably just fly straight home as a bird but you kept asking what I’d bring.
The fire had attracted the attention of the townsfolk. A stag thundered full throttle out of the trees and towards a bewildered crowd. A spooked man had raised his rifle towards the giant beast, but the shout of a different man held his fire:
"Jenny’s riding him!!"
The old woman was barely conscious, and upon hearing the shout of one of her friend’s, she fell off the stag, no longer able to bear the pain of her burns. The crowd was hesitant to run towards Jenny, with the large intimidating stag looking so tense. Sensing this, Rohan let out a frustrated huff, and decided to run out of view. It was up to them now to save his friend.
As soon as he was out of their sight, Rohan shifted into the form of a raven. He then dutifully watched the crowd, and followed the siren vehicle that took Jenny.
When he flew into the building the vehicle had stopped at, he became panicked at the attention he drew and how easily scared the humans were by the sight of a bird. He didn’t understand their reaction to this, as a bird wouldn’t attack them just because it’s inside concrete walls. A fly on the other hand drew no response, so for the third time in one day he changed form. The place was sickeningly busy and loud, but Rohan needed to fight through the bizarreness to watch over his favourite human.
After the many hours in surgery, they finally left Jenny and Rohan alone in a room. She had woken for a moment it seemed before the surgery had started, but Rohan came to the conclusion the doctors had sedated her to keep her resting. She wouldn’t be awake when he left.
Through the night, when Rohan thought nobody would look, he held her hand. It was more to comfort himself rather than her. When he felt ready to say goodbye, he sneakily took a paper and pen from the reception desk, and like he’d seen Jenny do so many times for her son, Rohan began to write a letter.
Dear Jenny,
I’m sorry you’re hurt. I’m sorry you nearly died. You’re nothing like what I thought you’d be like, I’m sorry to say goodbye. I could go on and on about the things I’m sorry for, but I want to let you know how grateful I am to have had you as a friend.
Keep going forward, and follow your dream. Never come back to the forest.
"Rohan!"
The forest spirit Rohan woke with a start, his eyes being met with stinging, thick smoke. Jenny, the old traveller human, was the one calling for him in a panic. At first he had been apprehensive letting her camp so close to his territory in the forest, but she had done nothing to provoke his anger. In fact, her friendly neighbourly demeanour and shared love for the outdoors had sparked an odd friendship.
"Rohan! Fire!"
Now Jenny was in danger. The entire forest was in a dire state, but he could sense it already placing protective measures. Right now he should focus on only saving her.
Shifting to a stag form, he galloped with thunderous hooves across the forest. Numerous flames tried to blockade his path, but he boldly jumped through every one without flinching. An elk passed him in the opposite direction, as Rohan’s forest was swiftly guiding all the animals to safety. The forest was loyally protecting its inhabitants from any causalities, but humans were the exception to this rule.
"Rohan, please…" Jenny’s voice was growing weaker.
For the first time in his life, Rohan stepped outside of his territory boundaries. His mind was too focussed on saving Jenny to second-guess it. Her bright orange tent was still on its last legs, but the same could not be said about its owner. The heavy-set woman was lying on the brink of unconsciousness. At one point the fire had caught her. Somehow she’d managed to put it out by rolling on the grass, but her hands and legs were badly burned. Furthermore, the smoke was at its thickest here. Rohan suspected that it was the will of the forest for the intruder to die.
"Jenny, I’m here."
"I’m so sorry."
He was surprised to hear this, but now was not the time for talk. The forest’s patience had clearly worn thin of her living here. It was time for Jenny to go back to where she belonged, and she’d do this riding on the back of a stag or die trying.
Rohan would often seek advice from Ruru before him and the other forest spirits vanished. Ruru’s head had been crowned with sharp antlers that commanded as much respect as a bejewelled monarch. Rarely did he use his raspy voice, but his animal-like ears listened diligently to the living.
To those familiar with Rohan’s forest, it was well-known a human’s whistle was as good as a siren by the likes of the demonic Ruru. No matter the talent of the musician, Ruru would be lured and begin a dance. Rohan had witnessed it himself many times. Once a young traveling girl was singing a lovesick song. Her distant eyes were so lost in her memories, she didn’t realise she wasn’t alone. Further and further she blindly walked into Rohan’s forest, and deeper into the belly of the beast. The soft drops of rain hadn’t alarmed the trespasser. Instead, in unity her own tears started to fall. Then, Ruru appeared, towering over her fragile figure. She shrieked.
"DO NOT STOP YOUR SONG," Ruru commanded, two of his long fingers pinching her head to make her look into his entrancing eyes.
The girl did as told, resuming at the start of the sad chorus. The odd pair started to sway together in a ballroom dance. The wind swept the two up in the air as the forest playfully joined in. The two didn’t react to the third party intrusion, for they only had eyes for each other. When the girl had looked nothing but distant and empty before, there was now brightness and hope in her. She was fully attentive of Ruru’s desire of her. She extended the song with new verses, wanting to make it last for eternity in order to please him.
However, eternity was never a desire of Ruru’s.
Instead, once he was satisfied with her, he ended the dance with a kiss. For a moment, the trespasser was released from Ruru’s magic. Then, her rejuvenated body was devoured whole. Ruru had been the cruelest protector of the forest, but now he was gone.
There’s no place like home to woodland spirits, even for one as queer as Rohan. As fiery as any three-headed beast, he guarded the peaceful Elysian woods. In the deepest of sleeps, he listened to its heart beat. He smelt the change of seasons through its flowers births and deaths. And he cried tears of joy at the taste of its sweetest fruits. Rohan was blinded by this lavender haze so much, he didn’t begrudge a splatter of its irksome mud. Nor did he mind the solitude the forest kept him in.
There had been other woodland spirits living here, but one day, without a single goodbye, they had all vanished. For a while, he searched for them but to no avail. He decided that they left through their own volition, rather than dare question his beloved home if something heinous had happened to the others.
There was a candle-sized hope that their disappearances were simply temporary. Rohan kept thinking that as sudden as they had went, they’d just as suddenly appear. Time in the woods snuffed his hope out. And alone, he was to bear the grief.
The woodland spirit was suspicious of any strangers who happened to cross the boundaries of the forest. He felt the unease of the trees’ roots whenever they mindlessly approached, to which point his temper would boil and he’d scare off the trespassers. After all, there’s no place like home, and the forest was not theirs to claim.
