The forest

Soojung detested the Enchanted forest. She detested every forest, actually. Years ago she swore on her sanity that she would never set a foot inside it because that’s where her best friend wandered when they were five years old. He disappeared and never came back. However, when she made that promise she didn’t know that there would be a day like this one. When she willingly jumped over the fence separating her village from the forest, running away from the people that were following her.

She was chased by the furious villagers. When she arrived to the wire fence while running away, she jumped over by instinct, because she knew, she knew they wouldn’t follow her. No one entered willingly in the Enchanted forest because they were afraid of its protector spirit that kills everyone who steps inside. Soojung, however, felt like the forest might be the safest place at the moment.

She was running with burning lungs, bleeding wounds, throbbing head and eyes that were often losing focus in the darkness. She didn’t stop though, and just made her way deeper in the eerie forest. It was dense, and she bumped into trees, branches, or tripped over roots and stones.

Now deep inside, where probably no human stepped in years, she stopped. She let her body fall on the ground beside a tree, and she was on the verge of passing out, body slack, chest heaving up and down, but never catching enough breath. She had tears in her eyes for the first time in seventeen years. For years she endured the villagers’ verbal torture, hateful stares, the fact that some people spit in her direction- that she was not welcomed. And now, when they were accusing her for being a witch and trying to kill her, she was fighting for her life.

Here the trees weren’t so dense. She could see a bit of the light of the moon and rocks, and a cave from a few feet away from her. Suddenly she sensed the presence of another creature. The chills ran down her spine at the low and hushed growl coming from inside the cave. She caught a glimpse of two golden eyes. The creature approached, finally letting itself be seen. Dark fur, soft and slow moves, and a powerful aura.

A wolf.

She shuddered, and mentally screamed at herself to get up, but she couldn’t. Her body had given up, and she had to accept that this was her fate. The villagers didn’t kill her, but that doesn’t mean she will survive the night. With the last bit of strength she had, she decided to face the wolf, to at least die with the little pride she had. Then, she looked right in the animal’s eyes that bore into her soul right away. As if everything lifted off her shoulder, she never felt as safe in her whole life as she did in that moment. The wolf’s eyes showed the brightest light she had seen in her life, and it was the very first time she’d been looked at with loyalty and so much love. She saw herself, and like magic, it made her forget all the bad things in her life until now, remembering only the good ones. Then her eyes sparkled of recognition. Her lips parted, eyes never leaving the wolf’s ones that seemed much more familiar now…

“Jongin...”