Three Magc Trees excerpt
Mum’s words still rang in his ears as he trudged back towards the wood. He had made up some excuse about feeling sick, only for the feeling to pass when he got to the front door. Mum didn’t buy it for a second, but neither did she realise the real reason he had scampered back home like a scared rabbit. He had seen something in the wood – something weird, and terrible. It was a mere glimpse, he knew, but a terrifying one nonetheless. There had been eyes, strangely pink and slanted, staring at him feverishly for a moment before melting away into the trees.
It could have been a squirrel, badger, something like that, but he didn’t think so. There was intelligence there, and – scariest of all – invitation to venture deeper. “Ok Jared, just get in there and grab the phone.”
The trees hissed, whispered, but Jared blotted them out as he re-entered. The moon was un-obscured, thankfully, as he no longer had any light source of his own – he daren’t ask Mum for a torch – but the tree branches were still just grasping shapes, thick and sinister.
He looked down at the floor, trying to spot his phone, but it wasn’t where he thought it might be.
Hesitantly, he moved deeper.
There were no visible paths that he could see, but it wasn’t long before he staggered into a small clearing with a large tree stump, and the rotting remains of a bench beside it. Jared smiled – so people had been in here before. He let out a relieved breath and sat down on the stump, scratching his chin. The phone might never be found in all these fallen leaves and hollows, and he hadn’t come this far in before. So what was he doing here?
Jared didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was that he half-wished to see those eyes again, even if it did turn out they belonged to nothing more than a squirrel.
‘Hiss…hiss…hiss.’
The trees whispered excitedly, branches swaying, pointing this way and that, but they seemed slightly less threatening than before. Jared thought that he had been given some sort of acceptance in the last few minutes, by whatever lurked in the wood. Those slanty eyes were watching somewhere too, waiting for the right moment to approach...and perhaps invite him into the depths.
He waited…and waited, growing disappointed, thinking that he should maybe go back home after all, and face Mum’s wrath. Then, presently he heard a familiar sound – his ringtone.
It was muffled by the trees, but was unmistakeable, its tinny tune echoing, somewhere off to his left. “Okay…that’s strange.”
As if his voice was a mute button, the ringing stopped, only to start again, slightly closer. Jared’s heart leapt into his mouth but he found himself getting up, moving deftly into the undergrowth. The sound repeated, once, twice, three times, not going to voicemail like it should, and sounding so close that he thought he might step on it at any moment.
And then…there it was, lying in the roots of a massive tree!
Jared gingerly picked it up, before looking up into what he guessed was an ancient oak, such was it size. He had never seen anything like it. It was massive, with huge, thick roots glistening in the moonlight. He stroked one; it was rough to the touch, with little crystalline blue stones throbbing on its surface.
Jared raised an eyebrow, knowing that wasn’t normal. It was strangely beautiful though, giving the surrounding area an eerie blue haze, pulsing gently as if stars shone close overhead. Not only that, but they reflected off the base, which was covered with a forest of purple-looking mushrooms, spread in great, fan-like clumps. “God, what a tree.”
It could have been a squirrel, badger, something like that, but he didn’t think so. There was intelligence there, and – scariest of all – invitation to venture deeper. “Ok Jared, just get in there and grab the phone.”
The trees hissed, whispered, but Jared blotted them out as he re-entered. The moon was un-obscured, thankfully, as he no longer had any light source of his own – he daren’t ask Mum for a torch – but the tree branches were still just grasping shapes, thick and sinister.
He looked down at the floor, trying to spot his phone, but it wasn’t where he thought it might be.
Hesitantly, he moved deeper.
There were no visible paths that he could see, but it wasn’t long before he staggered into a small clearing with a large tree stump, and the rotting remains of a bench beside it. Jared smiled – so people had been in here before. He let out a relieved breath and sat down on the stump, scratching his chin. The phone might never be found in all these fallen leaves and hollows, and he hadn’t come this far in before. So what was he doing here?
Jared didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was that he half-wished to see those eyes again, even if it did turn out they belonged to nothing more than a squirrel.
‘Hiss…hiss…hiss.’
The trees whispered excitedly, branches swaying, pointing this way and that, but they seemed slightly less threatening than before. Jared thought that he had been given some sort of acceptance in the last few minutes, by whatever lurked in the wood. Those slanty eyes were watching somewhere too, waiting for the right moment to approach...and perhaps invite him into the depths.
He waited…and waited, growing disappointed, thinking that he should maybe go back home after all, and face Mum’s wrath. Then, presently he heard a familiar sound – his ringtone.
It was muffled by the trees, but was unmistakeable, its tinny tune echoing, somewhere off to his left. “Okay…that’s strange.”
As if his voice was a mute button, the ringing stopped, only to start again, slightly closer. Jared’s heart leapt into his mouth but he found himself getting up, moving deftly into the undergrowth. The sound repeated, once, twice, three times, not going to voicemail like it should, and sounding so close that he thought he might step on it at any moment.
And then…there it was, lying in the roots of a massive tree!
Jared gingerly picked it up, before looking up into what he guessed was an ancient oak, such was it size. He had never seen anything like it. It was massive, with huge, thick roots glistening in the moonlight. He stroked one; it was rough to the touch, with little crystalline blue stones throbbing on its surface.
Jared raised an eyebrow, knowing that wasn’t normal. It was strangely beautiful though, giving the surrounding area an eerie blue haze, pulsing gently as if stars shone close overhead. Not only that, but they reflected off the base, which was covered with a forest of purple-looking mushrooms, spread in great, fan-like clumps. “God, what a tree.”
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