Boe’s Fable

Welcome to The Forrest

Crunch crunch crunch. As a playful adult trip walks onto a raw nature trail. A white canine takes off and rushes down the stairs onto the nature trail at full speed. The dog stops suddenly and pops up like popcorn at its name being called loudly in unison by the males of its human group of hikers. They all bursted into laughter at the bewilderment of the dog.
“Come back here!”
“Jack!” 

As they all chanted for the dog to come back playfully. They continue back to move forward and noticed another hiker just standing around talking into the air — like as if they were the killer madman that has been stranded out in the woods for 2 weeks straight. —The dog stopped in his track and placed all attention on the estrange hiker and at the same time she paused dead in her tracks and turn her head around her shoulder to be met with the peering eyes of the group. She then proceeds to mutter very lowly to herself. Like the kind when you stubbed your toe way too hard on a coffee table And you’re still grouchy abt it. The group still proceed to walk forward onto the bare ground of the trail cheerfully w/o any regards nor thoughts of the passing traveler.

The traveler, stops to look up at the group and changed their whole energetic demeanor.

Creepy Traveller: “Heya! How are y’all doing today?”

The group answered good in unison.

“Are you enjoying the beauty of the nature around us this evening? The warmth of the sunshine and the freshness of the air?” She starts to slowly continue walking back down to the entrance in a dance-like sway. She stops suddenly with hands mid air 

Then some of the group members quickly answered:

 “yes.”

“Very much so”

 “Good” she stated with a warm smug on her face as she went back to swaying and humming a melody. She stops once again, to pivot facing the group. She then starts to charge aggressively then stops half way. “If i can leave you a hiker tip for trail?” She said eerily but sparks a few members attention.

“Suurreeeee.” One answered nervously.

“I don’t see why not.” Another member chimed in.

She does a quick double take scan of the area then continues to say:

“I wouldnt go to deep in the woods and astray too far from the true path. At all cost of you even have any: stick Together, my lovelies” the group looks at one another and then back at the lady as if they watched her shoot up Heroin in her veins. “Idk why” she warns in a more light hearted tone, “but its been feeling pretty eerie here lately. You’d never know what lives in The woods these days anyways ” The group looked at each other awkwardly and uncomfortably. They ushered away from her calmly yet hastily.

“Well... wasnt she creepy?” Spoke one of the females in group as she broke the lingering tension the interaction had created.

“Hell yeah.”

“Idk what the fuck she talking about. We’ve hiked here plenty of times before.”

“Kyle, we were freaking 13 and 15years old. So i don’t know you guys. Maybe she was onto something.”

“She does have a point ,” another masculine voice stated.

“Shut the fuck up. Youre killing,” Kyle putting his hands up to mock playfully, “ ‘the vibesssssssss’ ”. 

“ cut out you guys and let’s go before it gets dark.” Speak a high pitched female voice. the group started back, moving even more hastily to catch back up with the dog, except one member of the trio exchanged lingering eyes with the witch hermit when she stated her warning. 

The dog has gained more extended distance as it continues to lightly prance further away. 

What felt like a couple minutes later, was actually an hour in on this hike.

‘Does she even knows where she is going?’ Crunch crunch crunch crunch. Tree crackle.

‘ hm’ He looks up to find where the crackle noise was coming from, but simultaneously he noticed the suns position. 

‘The sun abt to hit golden hour and I have to make my proposal at the perfect time at the Spot.’ He looks down at his watch to check the time ‘it’s 5:35p. Almost time.’ He then looks over to the girl named Mary. ‘Damn. I really am in love with this girl. She is amazing in every way. I am ready. I am finally ready to do this.’  

A shorter orange redheaded girl steps into his view in an awkward fashion to walk right up under him.

“Hey Kyle what are you thinking abt?” She looking forward as he paused for a moment. She then turns her head to him and places on hand on his shoulder and his body immediately tensed up but then quickly relaxed because he didn’t want her to know how cringy he felt on the inside as his first reaction to her touch. After all, they are all supposed to be bestfriends.

“Well?... how bout it?”, she continues.

“Nothing.” He mumbles.

“Speak up please? ........It sounds like someone is in a mo-“ 

“FUCK-ING NO-THIIINNGGG.”

She stops as Kyle continues to walk slightly ahead of her to escape the tension. After a few steps his body jolts to a stop being succumbed to guilt. He makes a sudden halt, Sucks in a breath of air, and exhales slowly to make a sudden pivot facing the girl who’s name is Roccy, “ I’m sorry. I just... I guess I just feel very impatient right now cause it seems like we’ve been walking in a whole Ass circle. I just want to see—“

“Ummmm Kyle, all you have T—,” as she was gesturing for him to turn around but instead gotten rudely interrupted. ‘This man can be rude af at times.’ Getting lost within the tone in his voice, ‘but I really like how true he is to his true feelings. How dominant he can be. Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should —‘

“ I’m not finished expressing myself like you asked me too.” She just looked and took a step back energetically to allow him to release his half thoughts “...And anyways, we STILL ARENT—“

“KYLE!” Yells out another group member as he waves simultaneously. “Hey come up here and relax buddy,” as he jogs lightly towards Roccy and Kyle “And leave the poor girl alone with your moodiness. There is only so much we can take.”

“HEARD now SHUT THE FUCK UP, VINCENT! WE TALKING DOWN HERE!” Kyle replies back jokingly.

Vincent came to a rolling stop and yells back “Suit y’all selves. The rest of us will be up here!” He jogged back to catch up with the rest of the group up the inclined path with the bushes blocking the pathway into a denser looking wood area. “They’d make a cute couple” he murmured to Mary as she nods her head in agreement.

“Especially since they act like a married couple already” she stated chuckling

“I don’t know. I don’t think he likes her much in that sense.” Says Rummi.

“I’m 50/50 about him liking her back cause it’s pretty obvious.” Stated Tobbi.

“Welp do you feel better now you got it off your chest?”

‘I’d feel a lot better if you gotten tf outta my face’ he thought but answered

“Yes. Yes I actually do,” as he gives her an Ungenuine smile, “ Thanks, Roccy for for listening.”

” Your welcome. Any time crime at any time”

Kyle chuckles to himself “Are you always this corny?”

then took the lead in guiding the conversation as well the rest of the walk to catch up with the rest of the gang.

** Crunch. Crunch. **

“I only asked initially cause You looked very perplex in thoughts as if something was bothering you. I’m only curious....”

**Crackle. Crunch. Crunch**

“ I was envisioning abt when we make it to the top of the mountain, how beautiful everything will look mixed with worries of not making it to the top on time.” 

“Ooohhhh. Me too! And how everything will be so peaceful and how crisp the air will ‘fill’ in our lungs.” She looks over at Kyle with adoring eyes and Kyle sheepishly look back at her.

‘Awwwwwh. He is coy towards me.’

‘Damn......I think she still likes me...this will make things slightly sticky. But we are all adults here and very mature at that and if she can’t handle that then—.’

Rustle 

They walked in a blissful yet awkward silence as they approach the denser woods. 

**Crackle. Crackle. SNAP.** is all that they can hear while gently moving the nature aside. “Dang you would’ve thought that they would’ve atleast did this much for us.”

“Right. Like how the fuck did they get pass all this shit without clearing it?” The woods gotten denser as they kept moving forward.

“DANNY!”

“MARCY! MARY!”

“Where are you guys?!” 

What felt like A brief moment went by. “Eh maybe they are still too far ahead” Rocca came to a complete stop and shouts:

“You can Stop yanking our chains now!” 

A dead Silence has now over powered the dense woods. Not one grasshopper nor cricket chirp can be heard.

“Okaaayyy. Roccy?”

‘Oh my God. The way he says my name is the sweet tone ever.’

‘Is this girl okay?’

“Roccy.”

She snapped outta her trance, “Yes?” She sings and looks excitedly towards him.

“You notice anything strange?” He asks in a slightly worried tone.

“Ummmmmmm. The Forrest is getting denser?” 

“No shit on that one. Can you think a bit deeper” he states as he mumbles “for fucking once” under his breath as she starts to observe her surroundings. 2 minutes went by.

She answers “ Well, the sun is fairly at its last stage of setting based off the lighting despite how dense this part of the woods, I haven’t seen any moss on the trees and the trees I have seen it on a while back it was fully covered but I assume because we are around a medium-large water source and that’s about all I think of.”

“Hmm. I didn’t notice the lighting. But the air doesn’t feel weird to you? Have you heard any bugs chirping or seen any too? Or is that just me and I’m tripping?”

“Actually no. I haven’t. Also which way did we come from?”

Kyle impatiently sighs then answers, “ we came from—“ as he he turn to pinpoint The direction he realizes that he can’t find the direction they had came from.