A WALK IN THE FOREST


NAME: HUONG LI HON
CATEGORY: YEAR 11
POSITION: THIRD PLACE


Q: YOU WENT FOR A WALK IN THE FOREST AND GOT LOST. AS NIGHT FELL,THE TREES AND PLANTS BEGAN TO TALK. WRITE A STORY ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE FOREST, AND WHAT YOU HEARD

Cursing myself, I stood up and patted the dirt off my clothes, determined to make it back home before the sun set. With renewed vigor, I trusted my intuitions, which was a terrible mistake, and marched forward, feeling hopeful about my plan. It was hopeless. The sun had already descended, and I had no clue of my whereabouts. Mysteriously, the longer I walked, the more I felt like I was shrinking. Tall trees loomed over me, casting long and haunting shadows on my path, further heightening my anxiety.

After all, I was not a big fan of horror movies, and this seemed like a pretty solid beginning to one. Snap. I covered my ears and shut my eyes tight in an instant. My heart was palpitating, and I could hear the blood rushing in my vessels. When nothing happened, I reopened my eyes and looked around in a frenzy. Only when I was sure that there was nothing threatening around did my heart fall back into a steady rhythm.

“Hey!” A high-pitched, raspy voice shouted, sounding immensely annoyed. “Who’s there?!” I shouted back in panic, waving a stick I picked up from the ground into the darkness. “Get off of me, filthy murderer!” I looked down where the source of the voice came from and saw nothing but dirt and tree roots.

Though confused, I still stepped away. Then, without any warning, a branch smacked me right in the face, causing me to fall backwards. I grunted in pain and rubbed my stinging cheek, trying and failing to comprehend the situation at hand. “All you humans know is to cut us down to satisfy your needs! Now, we will show you not to mess with us.”

Several roots emerged from the ground and slithered towards me like pythons. They coiled up my legs and held my body in a suffocating grip, unwilling to grant me an easy death. I cried and begged for mercy as the roots travelled up my neck, but all I heard were sinister laughter and cries of pleasure.