Not Listening to What I Knew
The strange, singing light from the Blackwood felt like a secret just for me.
The village was still talking about bad signs and being scared after the sad howls.
They felt far away, like a dream that was ending. The world I knew, the one where Oakhaven was always afraid, felt too small now.
The forest, with its strange things and the creatures that helped me, was calling me to something bigger, something I didn't know.
My arm still hurts, reminding me of the mean red-eyed creature. But I remembered the werewolf protecting me more clearly.
It showed me that there was a different kind of life in the dark forest.
Old Man Hemlock had warned me about something older and more dangerous sleeping under the Blackwood.
That made the mystery even bigger, a scary part of the soft singing light I kept thinking about.
Mom looked at me worriedly.
She saw I was thinking about the forest a lot.
"Elara," she said one morning, her voice soft but firm, "Old Man Hemlock told you.
The forest is not for you. Those… creatures… they are dangerous."
Inside, I felt that familiar pain – wanting to make her not worry but also really wanting to know what was out there.
"Mom," I said gently, "I don't think they are all dangerous.
The werewolf… he saved me."
Her face got pale.
"Saved you? From what? From other monsters in the forest?"
She was really scared.
The village's fear was strong, trying to pull me back to what I knew and felt safe.
"No, Mom," I said, trying not to sound annoyed.
"From something else. Something… bad."
I remembered the red eyes.
She shivered. "See?
The forest is full of bad things! Please, Elara, stay here. Be safe."
Her worry felt heavy, reminding me of the love that tied me to Oakhaven.
But the singing light called, promising answers the village, in its fear, could never give me.
That afternoon, while Mom took care of her herbs, I started to get ready.
There were no maps of the Blackwood in Oakhaven, just scary stories.
The forest itself would be my map, its paths and secrets showing themselves as I walked.
I gathered things: dried berries and nuts, a little water, my drawing book, and charcoal.
The wooden piece from Old Man Hemlock went into a safe pocket.
It felt smooth, like a quiet promise of something I didn't understand yet.
I also took a small knife, mostly to cut plants, not to fight. I thought that understanding things would keep me safer than fighting.
My bag was getting full of things, but also with a quiet決心 to not just believe what I already knew.
Inside, I kept thinking: I need to understand.
I need to know what's real.
The villagers' fear, Mom's worry, Old Man Hemlock's strange warnings – they were hard to ignore, but I wouldn't let them stop me.
The singing light was like a guide, leading me to a truth hidden under the trees.
As I finished packing, I remembered the strange black moss, still in its bag.
I will look at it tonight.
Its weird warmth and feel were another piece of the forest's puzzle.
Just then, Old Man Hemlock came to my door.
His eyes, usually cloudy, looked surprisingly clear.
He didn't seem surprised that I was getting ready.
"You are going back," he said quietly, like he knew.
It wasn't a question.
I nodded, sure of myself.
"There are things I need to understand."
He sighed, sounding tired and sad.
"The Blackwood has many truths, Elara. Some are beautiful, some are scary. And some… are better left alone."
The wisdom of someone old could see the danger I was choosing to walk toward.
"But being scared hasn't helped us, has it?" I said, my voice was quiet but steady.
"It has just kept us from knowing things."
He looked at me for a long time, his eyes searching.
"Not knowing can be like a shield, child.
Knowing… can be like a sword that can hurt you too."
His words reminded me that there could be real dangers ahead, not just the monsters the village imagined.
The skinny creature, the singing light, the sleeping darkness – these were real, unknown threats.
"I have to know," I said.
"I can't be afraid of shadows anymore."
He nodded slowly, looking at me with a little respect.
"Then go carefully, Elara. Listen to the forest.
And remember… not everything that hides in the shadows is bad."
He stopped, looking at the trees far away.
"And not everything that shines… is good."
His last words made me shiver.
The singing light… was beautiful; it pulled me in.
But what made it? What was under its soft glow?
The forest was like a book written in dark and light, and Old Man Hemlock's warnings were important lessons in its secret language.
As it started to get dark, the sky turning orange and purple, I quietly left the cottage.
Mom was already asleep, her face calm in the dim light.
I left a note saying I would be back.
The air outside was cool, with the familiar smell of my garden, very different from the wild smells waiting for me.
The singing light was faint but I could see it far away, like a quiet guide.
I reached the trees, the place that used to scare me was now a place I was excited about.
The forest felt different tonight, alive with quiet energy, the air moving with the distant hum.
I took a deep breath, smelling the pine and wet dirt, and stepped under the trees.
The shadows got darker around me, but I wasn't as scared as usual.
I just really wanted to know what was out there.
I wasn't just looking anymore; I was going into the unknown, trying to find answers hidden in the heart of the Blackwood.
The humming got a little louder as I went deeper, and I saw a faint path I hadn't seen before, going toward the light.
It felt like it was telling me to come closer, promising to show me things.
My path wasn't about the village's fear anymore but about the quiet call of what I didn't know.
As I followed the faint path, the humming got stronger, and the air got colder.
A soft, strange light started to come from the trees ahead, making long, weird shadows.
The light was getting closer.
Then, the path opened into a small open space, and I saw it.
A group of tall, thin crystals, glowing softly inside, making the humming sound.
They gave off a strange energy, and the air around them looked like it was moving.
But they weren't the only things there.
Some small, furry creatures I had never seen before were huddled at the bottom of the crystals, their eyes wide and looking like they were watching the light.
Standing to protect them was the clicking creature, its shiny eyes looking at something past the open space, growling softly.
As I stepped into the open space, drawn by the beautiful light of the crystals, a shadow moved from the trees on the other side.
It was tall and skinny, its red eyes shining in the soft light, and it moved in a scary, unnatural way.
It hasn't seen me yet.
It was looking at the clicking creature and the animals watching the light.
The humming crystals glowed brighter, and I realized with a bad feeling that they weren't just light – they were a trap.
And the red-eyed creature had come to eat.
The unknown wasn't just a mystery anymore; it was a deadly trap, and I had walked right into it.