Spare Your Life

Me and my friend Daryl are at his property in the woods trying to set up trailcams, because he's been seeing a strange figure wander the woodline. "This tree's not too thin, I think I can set it up right here. Go over there and see if there's a good spot you can set this cam at." Daryl said. I nodded and began wandering around the area looking for a tree to put the cam on. It just turned spring, yet most of the trees out here are still dead for some reason. That along with this thing that he keeps seeing on the property makes me think he should just find somewhere else to live. The Native's knew all about the woods and they say they're dangerous and mysterious. The 'mysterious' part is pretty ominous... So I prefer not to mess around with the woods.
"Alright, all setup!" I shouted to alert my friend. However, he didn't respond. "Daryl?" I called out. Still nothing. I got up and walked around the area looking for Daryl and still calling for his name. I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard something. I listened closely. It sounded like an echoey voice that wasn't coming from this world, as weird as that is to say. The effect on the vocals just sounds unworldly. I sprinted around, looking for the source of this strange sound. I heard it even more clearly when I stopped by this tree. It kind of sounds like it's coming from in the tree. I circled around it and a steep hole of darkness in it. I got down and put my ear up to it. That's when I got sucked in.
...I then 'woke up' I guess. It's weird, my consciousness felt like it was put on hold for a certain amount of time before being unfrozen. I was on my feet, on some dusty, broken road -- with a row of dead trees on both sides of the road. There didn't seem to be a sky here, only a light, foggy grey haze all around me. I don't know how I'm going to get out of here, but I guess I have no choice but to walk down this lonely road. For minutes I wandered down the road, with no life in sight. The atmosphere just felt hopeless and broken, and I was hit with a wave of depression that got worse the more I continued, as did the fog. I then heard a cough.
I looked to my right and saw a small opening to a forest area that was obstructed by a thick layer of fog. I don't know what lies beyond this, but I'm willing to take the chance. I pushed through the fog but then tripped over what felt like a tree root sticking out the ground. I picked myself up and that's when I saw someone. There was what appeared to be a homeless man with a rugged beard, laying on the ground next to a burning trash can of fire. "You don't want to be here, kid. This is where dreams go to die." the man spoke in a rugged voice. I wanted to ask where I was, but I instead asked how to get out. "If someone spares their life to an individual that's trapped here, that individual gets to leave. But nobody wants to do that, otherwise they're trapped here forever." the man explained. I was shaking in fear at this point, with my mind racing. How did I even get here?!
"I used to be young like you. I was out there in the woods when suddenly I heard a voice come from a tree. I checkd the tree, and somehow I got here. There are many others like me down here the further you go down the road. I had a family and a promising career to look forward to, but trapped down here. It's been over a decade at this point." the man explained some more. My heart felt for him. This is horrible... I can't imagine how something this bizarre and strange could happen in life. "I haven't had a meal in years. You'd think you would starve to death without eating that long, but this place defies the laws of reality. It's like I'm an NPC in a video game." the man continued about his life on this road of broken dreams. "Oh, and I advise not to keep going down the road. The futher you go, the more depressing it gets, and you can't turn back. I'm actually very lucky to be where I'm at down here." the man warned.
I felt so awful for the man. He had a family and everything, yet he's down here forever. And for what? Just because he looked inside a tree? This is what he deserves? My sadness quickly turned into anger over the situation. This man needs his life back. That's when the biggest decision of my life pondered me. I need to spare this man my life.
"I-I'll get you out." I uttered with a shaky voice. "What? You will?" the man question. "Yes, I'll give you my life. I don't want to be here forever, but I also don't want you to be here forever as well. I think your life is more important than mine. I'm sparing you my life." I further admitted to the man. The man got up from the dark ground with tears in his eyes. He approached me and gave me a hug. "Thank you. I hope the next person to come down here is willing to spare their life to you as well. I wrapped my arms around him... that's when he vanished. At long last, the man is free from this depressing hellscape of nothingness, free to pursue his life and return to his family. I may be trapped down here forever, but I'm willing to pay the price.
"What the? Is that you?" a familiar voice from behind said. I turned around it was Daryl. "Daryl! How did you get down here?!" I asked in shock. "Where am I?! What is this place?! How do we get out?!" Daryl questioned in a terrible panic. "I don't know what this place is, but in order to leave someone must spare their life to you." I explained. "So you will spare me your life?" Daryl asked. "I can't, I already gave my life to someone else. So will you spare your life to me? Daryl, please, I don't want to be trapped down here forever." Daryl stood there in shock, trying to process all this hard-hitting information.
He declined to get me out, because he doesn't want to be down here forever. But I hope he changes his mind soon, because until then we're both going to be stuck here forever.
Category:The Woods