“Ethan!”

Lena’s scream tore through the forest.

She ran toward the enormous tree.

Ryan caught her before she could touch it.

“Don’t!”

“Let me go!”

“Ethan is inside!”

“I know!”

Lena fought against him.

“We have to get him out!”

Ryan held her tighter.

“That thing wants you to touch it.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

Ryan looked at the tree.

“I don’t know.”

The tree stood silently.

Its bark had closed completely.

No opening.

No roots.

No sign that Ethan had ever been there.

Only his name remained.

ETHAN COLE.

Carved deeply into the trunk.

Lena stared at it.

“He was alive.”

Ryan nodded.

“I know.”

“Then we can save him.”

Ryan looked toward the boy.

The boy was still standing between the trees.

Watching them.

Smiling.

Lena pointed at him.

“You!”

The boy tilted his head.

“You took him.”

“No.”

“You brought us here.”

“No.”

“Then who did?”

The boy looked toward the giant tree.

“The forest.”

---

Ryan stepped forward.

“What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t answer.

“Tell me.”

The boy smiled.

“You already know.”

“I don’t.”

“You will.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened.

“Enough games.”

He moved toward the boy.

The boy disappeared.

Not ran.

Not hid.

One moment he was there.

The next—

Nothing.

Lena looked around.

“Where did he go?”

Ryan slowly turned.

Behind them stood the boy.

Only a few feet away.

Lena screamed.

Ryan pulled out his knife.

The boy looked at it.

“That won’t hurt me.”

Ryan raised it.

“Want to test that?”

The boy smiled.

“You don’t understand.”

“What?”

“This forest doesn’t belong to me.”

He pointed at the trees.

“I belong to it.”

Then he stepped backward.

His body disappeared into the shadow.

---

Lena stood frozen.

“Ryan.”

“What?”

“I don’t think we’re going to survive.”

Ryan looked at the tree.

“Neither do I.”

For the first time since entering Blackthorn Forest, Ryan sounded afraid.

Not nervous.

Not cautious.

Terrified.

Lena noticed.

“You know something.”

Ryan didn’t answer.

“You know what this place is.”

“I know stories.”

“Tell me.”

Ryan looked away.

“My grandfather told me about it.”

“What did he say?”

Ryan took a deep breath.

“He said Blackthorn Forest wasn’t always a forest.”

Lena waited.

“It was once a village.”

“The village we saw?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Ryan stared into the darkness.

“Everyone disappeared.”

“How?”

“Nobody knows.”

“Then what happened?”

“My grandfather said the village tried to leave.”

Lena frowned.

“Leave?”

“Yes.”

“Where did they go?”

Ryan pointed toward the tree.

“They were never allowed to.”

---

A strange sound came from beneath the ground.

A low vibration.

Lena looked down.

The soil moved.

“What’s happening?”

Ryan stepped backward.

“I don’t know.”

The vibration grew louder.

Then—

THUMP.

The ground shook.

Birds flew from the trees.

Lena looked upward.

For the first time, the forest was filled with noise.

Hundreds of birds.

Hundreds of insects.

Animals screamed from the darkness.

Then suddenly—

Everything stopped.

A second later, a massive crack appeared in the ground.

Lena screamed.

Ryan grabbed her.

They ran.

Behind them, the earth opened.

A deep black hole appeared beneath the giant tree.

The tree’s roots stretched downward into it.

And from the hole came a sound.

Breathing.

Slow.

Heavy.

Ancient.

Whoooooosh.

Whoooooosh.

Lena covered her mouth.

“Something is under us.”

Ryan nodded.

“I know.”

---

They ran until they reached an abandoned wooden cabin.

Ryan kicked the door open.

Inside was dusty but dry.

He locked the door.

Lena sat against the wall.

“We need a plan.”

Ryan checked his backpack.

“Water.”

“How much?”

“One bottle.”

“Food?”

“Two energy bars.”

“That’s it?”

Ryan nodded.

Lena laughed bitterly.

“We’re going to die.”

Ryan looked at her.

“Not yet.”

“How do you know?”

“Because the forest hasn’t finished with us.”

Lena stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

Ryan looked toward the window.

“The tree only took Ethan.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are we still alive?”

Ryan didn’t answer.

A sound came from outside.

A soft knock.

Knock.

Lena froze.

Another.

Knock.

Ryan raised his knife.

“Who’s there?”

Silence.

Then a voice.

“Ethan.”

Lena jumped up.

“Ethan!”

Ryan grabbed her.

“Don’t.”

The voice came again.

“Lena…”

She began crying.

“That’s him.”

Ryan shook his head.

“No.”

“Ethan!”

“Lena, listen.”

The voice became louder.

“Please open the door.”

Lena stared at the door.

Ryan whispered,

“Ask him something.”

“What?”

“Something only Ethan knows.”

Lena stepped closer.

“What was the name of your first dog?”

Silence.

Then the voice answered:

“Max.”

Lena’s face changed.

She whispered,

“That’s right.”

Ryan shook his head.

“No.”

Lena looked at him.

“What?”

Ryan whispered:

“Ethan never had a dog.”

The voice outside stopped.

Then something scratched the door.

Slowly.

From top to bottom.

SCRAAAAAPE.

Lena covered her mouth.

The voice changed.

Now it sounded like an old woman.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

Ryan whispered,

“Who are you?”

The voice answered:

“The last one.”

---

The door opened by itself.

A woman stood outside.

She was old.

Her hair was completely white.

Her skin was pale.

But unlike the other creatures they had seen, her eyes looked human.

Tired.

Sad.

She held a lantern.

Ryan kept his knife raised.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Evelyn.”

“What do you want?”

“To help you.”

Lena stepped forward.

“Where is Ethan?”

Evelyn looked at her.

“The tree has him.”

“Can we get him back?”

Evelyn shook her head.

“Not yet.”

“Why?”

“Because he is still alive.”

Lena’s eyes filled with hope.

“How do we save him?”

Evelyn looked toward the forest.

“You must reach the heart.”

Ryan frowned.

“The heart of the forest?”

Evelyn nodded.

“The thing beneath the roots.”

“What is it?”

She looked terrified.

“I don’t know what it is.”

“But you’ve seen it?”

“Once.”

“What happened?”

Evelyn lowered her head.

“I stopped being afraid of death.”

Lena whispered,

“What does that mean?”

Evelyn looked at her.

“It means I was no longer afraid of dying.”

She paused.

“I was afraid of staying alive.”

---

Evelyn led them through the forest.

She moved quickly.

Too quickly for someone her age.

Ryan noticed.

“How long have you been here?”

Evelyn didn’t answer.

“How long?”

She finally said,

“Forty-two years.”

Lena stopped.

“You’ve lived here for forty-two years?”

Evelyn nodded.

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“I tried.”

“How many times?”

“Thirty-one.”

“What happened?”

“I always came back.”

Ryan stared.

“How?”

Evelyn pointed toward the trees.

“The forest changes the path.”

She stopped.

“Look.”

Ahead was a wooden sign.

BLACKWATER VILLAGE — 4 KM

Lena’s face went pale.

“That’s the same sign.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“No.”

She pointed at the bottom.

The date had changed.

1947.

Then it flickered.

1962.

Then—

1989.

Then—

2010.

Then—

2026.

Lena stepped backward.

“The forest isn’t just changing the paths.”

Evelyn nodded.

“It’s changing time.”

---

They reached a clearing.

In the center stood a small stone well.

Evelyn stopped.

“We’re close.”

Ryan looked into the well.

It was completely dark.

“What is this?”

“The entrance.”

“To the heart?”

Evelyn nodded.

Lena looked down.

“I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because it doesn’t want you to.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the well.

“Lena.”

She froze.

The voice was Ethan’s.

“Please.”

Lena stepped closer.

Ryan grabbed her.

“Don’t.”

The voice continued.

“Lena, I’m down here.”

She looked at Evelyn.

“Is he really there?”

Evelyn nodded.

“Yes.”

Lena’s eyes widened.

“Then we have to save him.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“Not yet.”

“Why?”

“Because something else is waiting.”

The well began to glow.

A pale hand slowly appeared over the edge.

Then another.

Then another.

Dozens of hands climbed upward.

Ryan raised his knife.

Evelyn whispered:

“Don’t fight them.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re not trying to kill you.”

The hands stopped.

One of them held a photograph.

Lena took it.

It showed Ethan.

But he wasn’t alone.

Behind him stood the boy.

And behind the boy stood a gigantic shadow.

Lena turned the photograph over.

Words were written on the back:

THE FIRST ONE WAKES TONIGHT.

The forest suddenly became dark.

Every tree bent toward the well.

The ground began shaking.

And somewhere far away, Ethan screamed.

“LENA!”

She screamed back.

“ETHAN!”

His voice came again.

But this time…

there were two voices.

One was Ethan.

The other was something ancient.

Both spoke together:

“RUN.”

The well exploded.

A wave of black smoke rose into the sky.

And deep beneath the forest…

something enormous began climbing upward.

Evelyn looked at Ryan.

“It’s awake.”

Ryan whispered,

“What?”

Evelyn looked toward the trees.

“The thing that has been sleeping beneath Blackthorn Forest.”

She dropped the lantern.

“And now…”

She stared into the darkness.

“…it knows we’re here.”

TO BE CONTINUED…