By Elite88 –
As the sky began to darken, I drove home from the office. The forest road I chose for the return route that day was really quiet, and every now and then another car was seen.
I always choose this road because it is faster to get home. After all, I’m already used to the rather dark area of the forest. But that night, everything felt different.
It was as if something was wrong, but I couldn’t explain what.
When I almost reached a sharp turn in the middle of the forest, I heard a voice. At first, I thought it was just the wind howling loudly or maybe the rustling of leaves. But the voice became clearer. It was like a subtle voice calling my name, “Amir… Amir…”
My heart is beating fast. I immediately slowed down the car and looked around, but saw nothing. There is no one. The road was empty.
I tried to ignore the feeling and continued driving. But the more I accelerated, the louder the voice. It was as if the voice was chasing me.
I started to feel uneasy, as if something was following me from afar.
SHADOWS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
The next day, I tried to forget the strange events of last night. I worked as usual, but in my heart, the feeling of restlessness was still there. A feeling that is hard to describe.
That evening, when I returned home using the same road, I felt like I was being watched. At the edge of the forest road, in the darkness that almost covered the view, I saw a glimpse of a moving shadow.
The shadow is fast. I didn’t have time to examine it, but for sure, something was there.
Even though I tried to convince myself that it was just an illusion, in my little heart I knew — something was trying to get to me.
During dinner with my wife, I dared to tell a story.
“Yang, do you think there is something in the forest near the shortcut I always pass?” I asked, trying to be sure.
My wife, Maya, was silent for a moment before answering, “The forest over there? Many people tell stories that are not about the forest. A lot has been lost, until now I don’t know what happened.”
I laughed a little. “Do you believe those stories?”
He just shrugged. “Don’t know. But the forest is quiet and mysterious.”
That night, I tried to sleep early, but the soft voices calling my name still haunted my ears. I feel like there is something waiting for me in the forest.
LOST BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
A few days later, the strange feeling grew stronger. Every time I went through the forest road, subtle voices seemed to call me, and this time, I began to feel as if there were shadows moving on the sides of the car.
One night, when I was about to reach a sharp turn, my car suddenly died.
The road was very quiet, there were no other cars, and the forest around me looked dark and creepy.
I tried to restart the engine, but it didn’t work. Suddenly, I heard a very soft sound, as if the voice of a child laughing in the forest.
“Amir… Amir…” the voice returned.
In fear, I got out of the car and looked towards the forest. “Who’s there?” I yelled.
Suddenly, I saw a small light flickering among the trees of the forest.
The light seemed to dance, inviting me to follow it. I know, I shouldn’t come. But for some reason, my feet moved on their own towards the light.
The longer I walked into the forest, the farther I left the car. The subtle voice became clearer, as if tempting me to continue forward.
Until one moment, I started to feel something scary. The forest around me changed — it was like another world and the atmosphere turned blurry.
WORLD OF ELVES
Suddenly, everything changed. The atmosphere around me is no longer an ordinary forest. The trees there seem to be taller, older and the place looks like it was taken from a fairy tale.
In front of me, a small village appeared, surrounded by a faint light.
The people in the village… were not like normal humans. Their faces were too beautiful, too perfect, but there was something strange. Their eyes… their eyes never blinked.
“What is this?” I whispered to myself, holding back my fast beating heart.
A beautiful woman dressed all in white approached me. He smiled, but his smile felt empty.
“Welcome, Amir. We have been waiting for you for a long time,” said the woman.
“What is this? who are you man Where am I?” I asked, trying to step back, but my body felt heavy.
The woman just giggled. “This is our world. A world you shouldn’t have entered, but now you’re here. You stepped wrong.”
I feel like I’m trapped. “I want to go home!”
The woman shook her head. “Going home? You belong to us now. This world is not the same as the world you left. Here, moving time is different, and the door to exit is only opened when we allow it.”
TRY AGAIN
I started to panic. The subtle voices I heard before were getting louder, coming from various directions. I tried to run, but my legs seemed to be tied. The strange villager began to approach, looking at me with unblinking eyes. They whispered in a language I didn’t understand, and every time I tried to move, the world around me changed.
“I shouldn’t have followed that light… I shouldn’t have come in here,” I whispered, half regretfully.
The woman approached me again. “You have made a decision, Amir. Now, you have to follow our rules.”
But in my heart, I still want to go back. I don’t want to be stuck here. With the rest of my strength, I started looking for a way out.
I’m reminded of an old story I’ve heard — that if we’re lost in the elven world, we must find our way out before dawn, or we’ll be trapped forever.
The sun was about to rise, and I knew I didn’t have much time.
BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH
With all my courage, I ran as hard as I could, even though the ground under my feet seemed to stop me. The whispering voices got louder, and they started chasing me. The little lights that were tempting, now try to stop me. I kept running, looking for a way out.
When I was about to give up, I saw a small gap in the trees, like an open door. I don’t think long anymore. With all the strength I had, I jumped towards the gap.
Suddenly, everything went dark.
BACK TO THE REAL WORLD
I woke up on the side of the road, next to my car which was now working again. My breath was panting, my body was wet with sweat. I looked around and the forest road was back to normal.
No strange village, no subtle voice, no dancing light. I’m back in the real world.
But even though I’m back, I know I’ll never be the same again.
The experience in the elven world changed me, and I know, the door between our world and theirs is always open… waiting for the time to bring others in.
And now, every time I pass that road, I can feel their spies still watching from the forest, waiting for the right moment to attract their next victim.
