Chapter Text
The ‘Transformers’ toothbrush wobbled between your molars and your premolars. The taste of your latest victim was washed away by the colgate minty fresh toothpaste.
You looked up at the cracked mirror and looked away, spitting out any remnants of toothpaste or flesh from your mouth.
Toothbrush discarded and hair dried, you went on your merry way out of the ranger’s bathroom, kicking the key underneath the door. It wasn’t like she would be needing access anymore.
The crisp autumn air bit at your fingers and face, slashing you up into pieces of cold meat.
Fortunately, the faded teal Peugeot J7 was awaiting your return. You jumped in, keyed the ignition and left the state park with the sound of the fleet foxes strumming on the radio.
Aah-aah-aah-ahh-ahh-ahhh….penniless and tired with your hair grown long…
The road ahead was long and strong but it wasn’t anything that you weren’t used to. Your goal was to find a place to stay in the Appalachians. Maybe a diner or a gemstones shop. Money was money and cute forest rangers never left enough.
Windows cranked down as you sang along to the folky radio tunes, your dad would’ve loved to be here and your younger sister.
They had gone missing. You would find them. No matter what.
At some point you pulled to a stop in a Kentucky state park and climbed to the top of your van where you watched the almond colored fawns run in the pale moonlight.
Your pocket radio played news from local stations, you listened lightly to a woman describe her beliefs and how the masses curled around her finger.
Drifting off, your final thought resided on how that woman thought of people like you. Did she think that you were a monster? A scary story? The stars flooded your vision and you wrapped your comforting brown leather jacket around your shoulders.
–
“Why do YOU want to work here?” The teen asked, tapping his pen across a sketchbook. He was drawing an unsettling clown, there weren’t any bright colors in the art. It was just black and white. You shivered and looked back into his eyes. Which was a bit hard because they were covered by his curly ginger hair.
“I’d like to get some rest out in the forest, it’ll be good for the mind. Also, I’ve seen the benefits of working as a trailhead. You have a dog, right?” You shifted your muddy converse.
The teen smiled widely.
“You’re perfect for the job, Y/N. I’ll tell the other rangers about you soon uh- but for now I can show you the ropes.” He brushed his hair out from his eyes and gave an awkward grin.
“Right- you said there was pay involved? Isn’t this usually just volunteering?” You implored, cracking your knuckles.
His smile grew wider and mischief grew in his eyes, his freckles seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that creeped in from the foggy windows.
“These are the Appalachians L/N. I’ll tell you all about it, follow me.” He teased and opened the dark oak staff door. “Oh, by the way. I’m Daniel.”
“Ohhh kay. Nice to meet you, Daniel.” You followed along through the door and found yourself met with a brush of cold air sending your baggy orange patchwork pants in a frenzy. Your fuzzy brown sweater stayed politely adjusted.
Daniel however, was wearing a black tank top and denim cargo shorts. He seemed to be just fine.
Men .
You huffed out and were met with white air flying around your face. It was beautiful.
A step forward, and another.
Crunch! Crunch!
The orange leaves covered the ground, everywhere you looked. Dead pine needles, caved in logs, fungi of all sorts. It was astounding.
When you pulled up, there was so much anxiety brewing in your stomach that you didn’t notice how beautiful this part of the state was, but now you could.
The damp turned over dirt smelled better than ever before. There was a campfire in the distance and someone had just used bug spray.
It felt just like camping as a kid.
“So Earth Girl, what will it be? Forest check ins, or hiker info booth?” Daniel prodded, waving a hand in front of your eyes. His nails were painted dark green.
“W-what?” You focused on Daniel.
“Do you want to work at the forest check ins- with me…or at the hiker info booth?”
Oh, that’s what he was asking.
“Uh. I’ll take the hiker info booth, is that further into the forest- or…” You shuffled toward where the maps were kept outside.
There was more crunching from where Daniel was.
“Yeah, actually. I can take you there, or you can go on your own. I wouldn’t recommend being alone so late though. Especially on your first shift.”
You grabbed a map.
“Okay, yeah. Lead me there.” You ignored his comment about being alone. What a creep. You would be running the morning shift anyways, it would last for twelve hours each day.
Daniel quickly got ahead of you and grinned.
“Well, L/N. You’re smart, I think. Not too smart though.” He snickered. “Clearly you don’t know shit about the Appalachians though. I can tell you…for a price.”
You stared. What was he going on about? Were teenage boys always like this?
“Uhm.”
“Relax, relax. I’m joking.” He looks a bit put out. You aren’t sorry though.
“So? What do I need to know about the woods? It’s just trees, right?” You muttered, clearly not believing whatever jack this guy was feeding you.
“Just trees?” Daniel rubbed his hand across his head. “No…there’s much more than that.” He seemed to spend all his time on tumblr and reddit searching up urban legends.
“Yeah?” You were deeply uninterested as you approached the hiker’s info booth.
It was a cabin, built from dark oak logs, with fogged windows, cut in little squares. The cabin was about the size of a 7/11 and from the roof, a chimney leaks smoke. It was marked with trails on a wooden post and there was a little area where you could look at a map with local events and dangerous snakes to avoid posted around it.
“Oh…Daniel, this is amazing!” Your speed increased, leaving Daniel in the dust of your excitement.
You circled the cabin, before heading inside through a screen door. It was just one big room but it was beautiful.
There was a sitting deck where you could talk to hikers, it was padded by soft green fabric. The comfiest that a 12 hour shift could get.
To the left of the deck, an acoustic guitar was hung on the wall. Engraved on the guitar…was a crude drawing of. Well, something a middle schooler would have giggled at.
You held back a snicker.
“Uh- yeah sorry about the guitar, the last hiking helper literally only played mario tunes.” Daniel looks disappointed in having to explain this, you tuck the thought away for later.
“It’s o’kay.” You murmured, moving on to the wall filled with drawings that the last worker must have left.
There must’ve been at least fifty drawings and all of them were detailed sketches of a boy who seemed to be either awkwardly posing or confidently stretching over the hikers window.
The last worker probably had a crush on the boy or something like that, it was sweet.
They had also left expensive sketch pads sitting on the couch that was so low to the ground, it might as well have been a futon.
A book with dog eared pages sat on the ground. It was titled ‘Desperation’ by Stephen King. It looked like it came out fairly recently. Daniel kicked the book underneath the couch in boredom.
The cabin didn’t have electricity or running water. Maybe that was for the best.
“So. Who last worked here?” You asked, out of curiosity brimming in your heart.
Daniel shivers and plops down on the couch.
“His name was Noah. He was a bit…well, he didn’t seem very interested in girls.” Daniel scoffed. “In fact, at first he tried to hit on me! Don’t I look? I don’t look like one of them…do I?”
Oh my god . You were getting increasingly uncomfortable.
“I…yeah no, you look fine.”
“Of course I do.” Daniel showed his pecs, the secondhand embarrassment was greatly increasing.
“Uh so why did Noah leave?” You started to cuff your pants, shaking off invisible dirt and dust.
“He was dating this guy, who would show up to hike, like all the time. If you ask me, the guy looked and talked like he had lost a few chromosomes, if you get what I mean.” Daniel huffed at his joke
So Daniel was just an asshole then, you figured from the get go… the chromosome joke threw you for a loop though. Was Daniel implying that Noah’s boyfriend had a syndrome? You didn’t want to know.
“Well. Thanks for the tour, Daniel. It was very helpful.” You did a little pat on his shoulder. “I think that I’m really for work, this is a great opportunity.”
Talking to teenage boys really killed your vibe. Now you were just acting respectful so he would up and leave.
“Not a problem, Y/N. Just call me Dan…Dan the man. The tour isn’t over yet though…” Daniel grabbed your elbow and started walking. You wanted to swat him away like a bug, because frankly ‘Dan’ was just driving you out of your comfort zone.
“Right. What else is there?” You deeply wanted to return to your van and check out the local pizzerias but ‘Dan the Man’ just had to show you something else.
As you and Dan exited the cabin, you could hear barking. From all the anxiety of the job, you had forgotten about the dog.
Dan led you to a mosier part of the forest where there was an even smaller cabin. It was surrounded by wildflowers of all sorts, from the inside you could hear a flute playing a zelda theme, it brought you back to christmas with your family. The lost woods theme echoed across the forest in harmony with a dog howling.
“So this cabin is where one of the rangers, Laurie lives. She’s my girlfriend of three days.” Dan seemed proud of this feat. You felt bad for whoever the poor girl inside was.
He finally let go of your arm. “I have to get back to check in now, you can find your way back, right?
“Right.” Relievement settled in your bones, Daniel was finally leaving you. Before he left though, he stuck a piece of crammed paper in your hand. He gave you a wink and skipped away. You stored the paper in your pocket, weirded out all the way.
You turn back to the cabin as he left and you knocked on the metal part of the netted door. You could see through the door and into the cabin where the girl, Laurie, set down her flute and grabbed the collar of a jet black retriever.
“Come in!” She crowed, grabbing a mug of steaming tea. The cabin smelled of smoky incense and…cinnamon tea.
You adjusted your sweater and creaked open the door.
Laurie gaped at you and you finally noticed what Laurie looked like. She was beautiful. Brown hair chopped to her shoulders, a little padawan braid hanging down her neck. Her skin was a lush golden umber but it wasn’t fair and shiny. Her face had scratches from a wild animal, scars- crossing from her sweet brown eyes down to her chapped carnelian lips. She was wearing a light red raincoat paired with plaid green pj pants.
“Oh honey, you’re dazzling.” She was the real beauty here, you had no idea what she was talking about.
“Thank you…” You nodded awkwardly, “You’re also beautiful.”
She beamed at you and let go of the dog’s collar.
“Thank you very much, would you like to sit and drink tea?” She stood from the little arm chair where she was playing the flute and pointed at a much better kept couch that was covered in comfortable blankets.
“I would love to.” You sat down on the couch, pulling off your dark brown timberland boots and crossing your legs.
This cabin was incredibly comfortable. There were tapestries hanging from the logs, depicting trees of life. There was a Smashing Pumpkins poster to the left of the entrance. Laurie had also hung faerie lights, lit by a solar panel that you could see from the roof where windows showed the mossy forest sky. There was a bookshelf filled with books on fungi identification and mythology. There was also a guitar, covered in stickers of bands and different forest animals. There was a little closet where Laurie must store her clothes and much more around the cabin.
Right by the couch- sat a green dog bed and on the dog bed sat a furry black retriever, Marlene.
As Laurie busied herself by making tea, you busied yourself by petting Marlene.Even though you were 22 and no longer a child, that didn’t mean you couldn’t love animals. You were always a big dog person anyways.
“So, you’re a new worker right, covering for Noah?” Laurie questioned, leaning against a dark oak table. While sipping her tea from before.
“Yeah, hiker info booth. My name is Y/N.” Your eyes met Laurie’s and she grinned.
“Hiker info is excellent, your name is too. I’m Laurie, which I’m sure that Daniel already told you.” she seemed a bit annoyed at the fact that she was speaking about Daniel, I wasn’t surprised. Laurie did not seem like the type to enjoy Daniel’s presence. It was a surprise that they were dating.
“Right, it’s nice to meet you as well, Laurie.” You tapped your leg so it wouldn’t fall asleep. You hated the tingling that came with your legs not being used.
“Mhm…so did Daniel say anything to you, anything weird?”
“Well, he said the woods were creepy or something like that- he also gave me a piece of paper.” You shifted around and pulled the paper from your pants pocket.
You flattened the paper out to read it and surprise surprise, it was rules about staying safe in Appalachia.
Rules of Appalachia:
- You did not hear anything.
- You did not SEE anything.
- You did not smell anything.
- Never go out after dark.
- Don’t whistle in the woods.
- Follow the trail you’re on, never linger in one area.
- If an animal is staring at you, never stare back.
- If you feel like you’re being watched, you’re being watched.
- Do not look into the trees at night.
- If you hear something outside, no matter what you think it is, do NOT look outside.
- If you need to speak, speak softly.
- Watch out for mushroom rings/ faerie rings.
- Don’t carry iron or steel on your person.
- If there is an area of the woods that your dog refuses to enter, DO NOT enter.
“So…? What does the paper say?” Laurie implored, pouring tea in another mug. It looked like these mugs were handmade, they were definitely Laurie’s style.
“It’s better if you read it yourself.” Laurie hands you the mug and you trade her the paper.
You inhaled the sweet cinnamon apple scent, it was wonderful. The steam drifted around the cabin.
Laurie sat beside you, crossing her legs in the same style.
“All of this is absolutely true Y/N. You aren’t in Kansas anymore, this is the Appalachians.” Laurie warns seriously.
You couldn’t believe Daniel but you could believe Laurie. The scars on her face echoed a serious truth. Something was going on in the forest here.
She pulled a little bag that would usually store gemstones and crystals from the couch cushion and handed it over.
“The ancestors of the old tribes that lived here have passed around these recipes and cautions for centuries. Keep this on your person at all times.”
You peered inside, there were herbs of sage, garlic, and other plants inside. At the very top of the tiny bag lay a black jade and lapis lazuli.
“Those stones promote protection and safety. The plants will help keep away the bad spirits and energy. I’m serious about this Y/N, there are things in these woods that you don’t want to see.”
“Thank you so much. I will keep this safe.” You were profusely grateful over having a friend at your new job, this would work out wonderfully.
“Anything for a fellow friend.”
There were still mysteries though. Like, what was in Appalachia? How did Laurie get those gruesome scars? Why was she with Daniel who seemed so conservative and mean?
Who were you to ask though. You came out here to be off the grid and to get away from your past, you’re sure that everyone had their secrets and that meant to keep yours, you’d be careful with theirs.
You took another sip of the tea, Laurie mirrored your actions.
“Don’t tell Daniel this but I have a video game setup in case you ever need to get rid of your boredom…I have lots of games too.” Laurie whispers, a smirk on her face.
You were shocked. You had just met this girl yet she was already telling you secrets that outweighed her boyfriend.
“What kind of games?” You asked, a smile growing on your face.
You and Laurie spent the rest of the morning discussing classics like Super Mario World and Skyward Sword.
When it hit evening, you had to quickly return to your van or the cabin, somewhere safe.
“Take Marlene with you, you can have her now. She used to be Noah’s but he left her behind so I got him, she’s as good as yours now.”
The actions of Laurie were truly nice, you felt like you had a sisterly bond with her.
You took Marlene with you and got in your van for the night. Some of the family owned pizzerias were still open so you went on a drive.
Across the roads sat broken down trucks, forest taking over the road, and a lonely gas station that offered pizza in an old fading sign. You stopped there.
Marlene was perfectly fine with sleeping on your bed layout while you went and grabbed pizza, so that’s how your night went.
You locked up the van and headed inside.
It was a normal looking gas station, except there were little booths to sit and eat pizza.
The employee sat behind a counter and she was reading a novel… Dandelion Wine. Her name tag shone off with the luminescence. Kate. For some reason, you felt a sort of connection. You brushed it away.
She had sort of a wolf cut, going past her shoulders in black and brown waves. Her skin was a russet brown which was met nicely with her curved dark green eyes. Her outfit was a black tank top and blue jorts. It was a basic outfit but she pulled it off.
“Good evening!” You greet, tugging your sweater sleeves down. It was cold inside, you didn’t know why she was wearing a tank top.
Kate stared, and put down her book. She seemed to be thinking you over.
“Ev’ning. What can I get for you today?” Her accent was more midwestern than your own, you were surprised.
“Do you sell veggie pizza?” You noticed she was trying her best to make eye contact, instead it was an awkward stare.
“Oh. Yes we do.” She walked from one counter to another and you followed.
There was a higher booth seat where you could watch the pizza being made, you took your seat and watched Kate make REALLY good pizza.
She tossed it in the air and did all the cool jizz, in the end her tank top had bits of flour all over it and the pizza was in an old styled brick pizza oven.
“Where’d you learn how to do that?” You asked, beaming at her.
“It’s noth’ng, I picked it up on my own.” She rubbed her arm in embarrassment.
“Nothing? That was amazing. I need to learn how to do that.”
The next few minutes were spent in Kate and you awkwardly looking away and back at each other, you decided that this was the gas station where you’d get most dinners.
When the pizza came out of the oven, you were delighted in cheesy hearty homemade spinach and artichoke goodness.
The pizza drizzled down your fingers as you gobbled it up. In the end, Kate stared at you as if you were some foreign entity. In your mind lay a lingering thought. That’s not the only thing people have judged you for eating so heartily.
“This is the best pizza I’ve had in ages, thank you so much.” You thanked as you returned to your van.
The night was spent with you feeding pizza leftovers to Marlene and sleeping in the state park at the top of your van.
Maybe the Appalachians weren’t so bad after all.