My house is located somewhere in a rural village near The Resting Forest that leads to the mountains.

When I came home from school, it was already dark outside. Everything seemed normal, except for my little sister, Flora. She was missing.

My body began to shiver. I paced around looking for her. My body became colder with every second passing by.

“Where in the world could she be?” I thought.

At this point, my mind was all over the place, I could not think straight. Suddenly I heard giggles coming from the back of the house, I was certain the tone matched that of my sister.

I followed the sound however there was no one there.

“Am I going crazy?” I thought.

My thoughts were interrupted by the same sound of giggles. Only this time they came from the forest at the back of the house. No one ever went to the forest. Rumour had it that the forest came alive at night and that unrested spirits roamed around.

Ten years ago a man wanted to prove to the community that those beliefs were nothing but mere folktales, by going into the forest. He was never seen again. No one ever bothered to look for him. Here I was about to wonder into the unknown. I went back into the house to get a flashlight because it was so dark I could not even see my own hands.

I went into the forest and immediately the atmosphere had a sinister feeling. I walked deeper and deeper into the forest. I couldn’t help but sense someone was watching me. The forest seemed endless. Suddenly I heard voices and people screaming. The voices began to speak to me.

“What brings you here?” they asked me.

“I am looking for my sister,” I replied.

“You shouldn’t have come here, she won’t like it,” they said, while laughing.

“She? Who is she?” I asked.

“She who dwells in the river. Go back while you still can, child,” they said, as their voices faded away.

I was terrified, just when I was about to go back my sister ran pass me laughing. I ran after her but for some reason I couldn’t keep up with her, she vanished out of sight. Then ahead I saw a river. Just when I was getting near the river I heard a horrifying voice shout, “Go back!” Then a force hit me so violently it knocked me out.

When I woke up I was on my bed, in my room and I heard my sister laugh. I ran to the living room only to find her playing with her toys.
Was that just a bad dream or something? Deep down I knew it was no dream. My body pains were proof and something was odd with my sister, she was not herself. I confronted her.

“Who are you? What have you done with my sister?” I asked.

Flora, laughed and said, “We told you to go back.”

“Oh, God, no! This can’t be happening!”

“Oh, yes. It is happening alright. Your sister is still in the forest, and so are you!”

The boy who went to look for his sister in the forest, never made it out. To this day, his whereabouts are unknown. I am the man who went in the forest 10 years ago. Somehow, I made it out. My experiences in the forest changed my perception of the world. I’ve realised how evil this world is. There are entities that govern this world unknown to us. No, not to us, but you. As I write this, I am merely a shadow that clings to people, waiting for a target I can trade places with. So, when you see shadows know I am there.

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