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The road toward the reserve was dark and narrow. There were no streetlights to illuminate the way because of how old and abandoned the road was. The only thing lighting the path was the car’s headlight but even then the light looked as if it was being swallowed by the void. Dahyun could feel her adrenaline spiking whenever the car hit a bump or a pothole, but she pressed onward anyway, fueled by her need to look for Mina.
She recalled back the moment she met Mina’s friend, Jeongyeon, this morning.
“Just call for her name and throw her clothes on the ground. She’ll definitely come.”
“That’s a bit…”
“Weird, I know. But that’s just how the tradition goes.” Jeongyeon furrowed her eyebrows. “Or I can go instead—”
“No! No, I can do this. I have to, you know. What if you’re not around and she succumbed to her wild side. As her girlfriend, I need to know what to do in this situation.”
Jeongyeon regarded her coolly as if assessing what she was saying was sincere. She then smiled brightly. “Okay. I can see that you’re serious about it—serious about her and for that I thank you. No one had ever come close to knowing this part of her.”
Dahyun could feel her heart bloomed at the acceptance. “I really like her,” she said shyly.
“And she likes you too from the looks of it.” Jeongyeon then turned serious. “When are you going?”
“Tonight.”
“Are you sure? You can go in the morning, there’s no need to rush.”
“I miss her.”
Jeongyeon leaned back in her chair and sighed, but it wasn’t out of annoyance. “Alright. Just do what I say, and you’ll be fine. Though,” she leaned forward again, staring straight into Dahyun’s eyes, “Be very careful, the forest is ancient.”
Dahyun put the car in park and got out with a huge flashlight in hand. She had reached the end of the road and based on the map that Jeongyeon gave her, she was in the right place. There would be a path straight toward the middle of the forest and all she needed to do was follow it. She began making her way toward the tree line, stopping short of it when a feeling of anxiousness struck her.
The forest is ancient.
She took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.
She walked slowly and carefully, occasionally peeking down so she wouldn’t trip on the thick tree roots that seemed to protrude out of the earth. It was pitch black and the only thing she could see was what’s in front of her. Her senses were heightened to the point that she could pick up the softest of noises, but the quietness of the forest made it sound as if it was reverberating all around her. Her head would try to snap toward the source of the noise, but she forced herself to only focus on the path, lest she strays away from it.
After a few minutes of walking, there was a noise loud enough to startle her. She stopped for a second but didn’t dare to look away from the path. There was something watching her, and she could feel its gaze burning at the back of her head. The noise, she realized was the sound of the thing walking or dragging itself; and it was getting nearer the longer she stood there.
She began walking again, quickening her step but not running. She didn’t want to provoke whatever was following her. She almost lost her footing once or twice because she wanted to get away as fast she could. Blood was rushing through her ears and soon enough all she could hear was the sound of her heart beating erratically in her chest. The dragging never quickened, but it was always there, moving.
The forest is ancient.
She understood what Jeongyeon meant.
There was an opening at the end of the path and after what felt like hours she finally reached it. She came across a meadow filled with colorful and vibrant flowers ranging from poppies to daisies. Trees surrounded the area making it look like a secluded oasis. The noise ceased the moment she stepped into the plain and she let out a relieved sigh.
She remembered Jeongyeon’s instruction and head toward the middle, scattering Mina’s clothes on the ground. She felt a little silly for doing so, but she wasn’t going to question tradition. She shouted Mina’s name into the sky, her voice echoing back in the openness. Then she sat on one of the rocks, waiting and hoping for her lover to come back to her.
The calmness of the forest almost lulled her to sleep. But suddenly she heard it, a rustle in between the trees. Her whole body was on alert now as she craned her neck to see into the distance. The dragging sound was back again and this time it was getting closer to breach the tree line. How did it reach her without her knowing? She got back on her feet, preparing to run, but she realized that the way to the car was passing through the thing, and going deep into the dark forest would only do her more harm.
It felt as if the world shook as the thing walked through the trees. The canopy rustled and crows flew out of their nest, cawing above her. She was frozen in place, trapped in this field like cornered prey.
The forest is ancient.
When it stepped into the field, Dahyun felt her heart drop to her stomach. It had a head of a stag and a body of a human, though what was left of it as the flesh was rotten and contorting to the point that the skin broke open and was replaced with what seemed to be decaying wood, elongating its body to be as tall as the trees. The hands were long, ending with sharp nails on each finger. What caught her attention the most was the horns, they were bigger and branchier than a normal stag with pieces of flesh hanging onto it, covered in blood.
Her legs gave out as she slumped to the ground. This was the thing that had stalked her through the woods, and she wondered if the slowness was only to lull her in a false sense of security. The thing roared and the sound reverberated through her whole body. When it began to move, she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her vein, her instinct screaming at her to run but her body won’t cooperate. She gritted her teeth, willing herself to do something because she wasn’t going to go down this easily. She grabbed a rock and yelled back.
The monster lunged.
She closed her eyes.
A loud howl was heard in the distance.
She could feel harsh air whizzed past her and suddenly there was a sickeningly loud crunch. She opened her eyes to see a humanoid dog—no—wolf pinning the monster down with its paws. The loud crunch she heard was because of the wolf biting down the monster’s neck, keeping it in place. When the wolf let it go, the monster backed away but was still growling toward the wolf and her. The wolf growled back fiercely and Dahyun felt a shiver run up her spine upon hearing it.
The monster slunk away into the inky black darkness of the forest, defeated. However, Dahyun was more focused on the wolf in front of her. It stood on its hindlegs instead of all fours and judging by how far she had to crane her neck it was at least 8 ft tall. Its fur was jet black as the night and looked soft to the touch despite the intimidating aura it was emitting. It turned to look at her, teeth pulled back and eyes piercing, but surprisingly, she wasn’t afraid. She knew those eyes.
The wolf got on all four and stalked toward her, all while growling. But she stayed put, staring back as intensely. When it was close enough that she could feel its breath on her face, she closed her eyes and braced herself for whatever it was to come. A cold snout poked her cheek, and she couldn’t help but giggle. She smiled widely when she heard a whine and opened her eyes.
The big bad wolf was no longer menacing, instead, it was looking at her with the biggest puppy eyes she had ever seen. She cooed and was instantly knocked down on her back when the wolf pushed its whole head into her, burying itself in her neck to sniff, tail going a million miles per hour. Dahyun laughed in glee, comforted by the warmth and weight on top of her, the harrowing moments prior to this forgotten in a second.
“Mina,” she sighed out. “Let’s go home.” She looped her hand around Mina’s head and pat the soft fur. She could feel hands make their way under her back and the next thing she knew she was on top of her. They stared each other down for a few minutes until a large hand covered her eyes. She could hear bones cracking and flesh tearing until Mina shrunk in size under her. She grabbed the hand that was on her eyes and pulled it down, coming face to face with her beautiful girlfriend.
“I didn’t want you to see that,” Mina murmured, slightly out of breath.
“It won’t scare me away.”
Mina chuckled, caressing her face softly. “I can see that. You do look a little excited there.”
Dahyun felt her cheeks heat up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mina pushed herself up and Dahyun scooted back until she was properly seated on her lap. “Why are my clothes on the ground?”
Dahyun blinked, looking at the discarded clothes. “Jeongyeon told me that it’s tradition to do that to call you?” She said confusedly.
“Jeongyeon,” Mina grumbled and sighed. “It was once upon a time, but we don’t do that anymore.”
“Good thing I didn’t throw your underwear on the ground.”
Mina laughed. “Bless you.”
Dahyun got up and pulled Mina along. She helped her collect the clothes and waited for her to dress up before making their way out of the woods. They walked hand in hand and Dahyun felt safe with Mina by her side. The forest didn’t seem so scary as before and she found herself enjoying the symphony of the nightlife.
“You didn’t have to come at night to fetch me. It’s safer in the morning.” Mina squeezed her hand.
Dahyun pondered for a moment. “I know. I just miss you a lot.” She peeked toward Mina and was pleasantly surprised to see the woman blushing.
Mina lifted their intertwined hands and kissed them. “I promise to come back earlier.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I have something to come home to.”
Dahyun smiled, feeling contented. “We can find somewhere to live near here.”
“Really?” Mina asked, surprise evident in her tone.
Dahyun nodded. “It’ll be easier for us both.” She jerked to a stop when she realized Mina had stopped walking. She turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
“I love you.”
Dahyun was stunned by the sudden declaration, her heart beating a million miles per hour because Mina had said it with so much awe in her voice. She stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “I love you too.”
The kiss wasn’t any different than their previous ones, but the promise behind it is what made it all the more sweeter. A promise for forever.