Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-4843510-20180710162721

His eyes widened after the first explosion. He deduced it was roughly ten miles away, so he had time. It began.

With great pace, he dashed for the stairs. However before he reached the last few steps the second explosion arrived with great force, throwing him to the ground beneath him. Six miles. Hurry up! Into the kitchen he went, flying towards the cabinet doors and threw all the cans of food into his bags, mostly missing the target. Then the living room, pre-prepared with clothes he’d need. CRASH! Two miles. I’m not gonna make it, am I? His eyes widened again.



He got up, slightly confused as the mixtures of blurred colours and shadows and hues slowly formed into a complete image. A forest; trees littered his views, all spiralling up towards a black sky, but none had any leaves on their thin veiny branches. His back was cold. Why? Lowering his view he noticed the snow. ''This wasn’t here yesterday, was it? At least not this much...'' Now his eyes slowly made their way to his body. He was covered in the purest white silky sheet. How long have I been asleep, and where did everyone go? He attempted to shift his legs, but he couldn’t. Huh? Using his arms he shoveled through several inches of snow until he could finally see the blackness of his trousers, yet his legs refused to budge, like the roots of the trees that surrounded him. No matter how hard he tried, he was helpless. “Maybe I can help?” He was startled by the suddenness of the voice. “He-hello?” he spoke out to the forest, with no response. After a brief pause, he recognised the request. “Yeah I- uhh… I need some help here actually.” “Good. You may now walk.” At that moment, feeling returned to his legs and they were able to move. “Woah… thanks I guess? How did you manage that?” Yet again the forest fell silent. “Ok then… where is everyone? Sam? Sam?”



The coach was ready to depart with little leeway time to wait for missing passengers. One minute became ten seconds a lot faster than one may think. Five, four, three, two… “WAIT!” yelled a man with maximum urgency. The driver sighed in frustration, yet there was a tinge of fear underlining his annoyance. The doors opened in slight hesitation and the man crashed through, almost hitting the driver’s divider. Before he was able to make contact with the seat the coach drove off, forcing him down. “Hey, I’m Sam” he smiled to the man neighboring him. The smile wasn’t returned. “Ok I know I know. All out war, brink of national and international disaster, moving to freakin’ Canada away from everything you know and love and are comfortable with and- and… and grew up with but look, after we cross the border you can forget I ever existed, forget you ever knew me! But come on bud, cheer up a bit. You can’t be upset forever.” He smiled back.



“Sam? Where are you Sam? They can’t have gone far… they left all their s- who ever are you?” “You’ve been asleep for a long time. It was the gas.” replied the forest. “Gas? What gas? Show yourself.” “I already have. I’m right in front of you.” replied the forest. His eyes looked away from behind him to a tree which was in front of him. His eyes wander, trying to peek behind of the tree, then to its left, and then it’s right. Nothing. “I don’t see you…” “Yes you do.” “No- where’s Sam?” “You’ve been asleep for a long ti-” “AGH!” He’d had enough. He got up and went to look for Sam, but he stumbled and fell and tripped over a surprising number of roots, telling Sam all the way through until he saw something he recognised. ''Bags? What? These are…'' “Welcome back.” the forest said with a sense of authority. “Who and where are you?” “You are around 4 weeks from your last moment of consciousness. It was the gas, you’re immune. Good job.” “Show yourself… h-how am I back here? I walked forward and I… I’m back here.” “The forest is mine.”



“Toronto huh? Cool. I’m going to Edmonton. I have an uncle there.” Sam’s widening smile reminded him of the little ounce of positivity left in the world, something that hasn’t crossed his mind he was young. The coach came to a halt. “Ugh… sorry about this guys.” The driver stepped out and started speaking to a stranger. He was wearing uniform and carried around an aura of authority. Perhaps we’ve arrived at the border he thought, but a quick glimpse at his watch confirmed otherwise, as they had only been driving for twelve minutes. '''CRACK. THUD. CRACK. THUD.''' Silence. Where they had been speaking now only had two headless bodies and a lot of blood. “Oh sh-” a foreign looking man, brown, rough looking and incongruous to the area, had now stormed into the coach and took off, only closing the doors a minute after driving. Then the screaming began. CRACK. Another dead, and a return to bitter and tragic silence. Everyone on the coach was all too familiar with the situation. Terrorists who kidnapped people and delivered them to their secret camps. No one could believe it. No one would. Sam acted fast. We took his heavier bag and crashed opened the emergency exit window and flew out with the rest of the bags. SCREEEECH! He followed through taking a few of his own belongings. Many others followed, but for the rest it was too late. He took out the bigger of his two guns and exterminated the last people on the bus, his eyes now set on the escapees. They all had dived off from the road into a green forest, showing early signs of snow.



“Please, where is everyone, where is Sam?” “That foreign man” spoke the forest again. “He wasn’t very nice. He gassed my forest.” “Huh?” “You’re immune. Only got away with some mild brain damage… and a 4 week sleep. The forest tended to you when you slept.” “You gonna fucking show yourself or what?” “I am the tree.” The tree bent forward, as if it was bowing, showing its naked branches and revealing a crimson red apple. “This will subdue your brain damage.” “Am I fucking dreaming? N- no way. I’m still asleep. I’ll wake up and- and- and Sam will be there, and- and the others. Everyone will be here… nope!” He paced and ran and sped past the millions of trees around him until they shifted into a giant brown and white blur. His focus on the trees and his newfound perspective on them distracted him from the frozen lake which cracked and opened below him, swallowing him whole.

He stirred quietly in his sleep, dreaming of trees. He jolted. Trees. Trees. Trees. Trees. Trees trees trees- What’s going on? His mind was focused on one thing, and it wasn’t Canada. It should’ve been. “Canada are allies with the United States of America.” “...yeah?” “Despite their neutral stance, did you really think they wouldn’t get involved sooner or later? Conflicts are already springing up here and there. That man who gassed me, his group. They’re already there. There are many groups in Canada, each with clashing ideologies and beliefs. All armed. All are armed.” “What’s your name?” “I don’t have need for a name.” “You’re in my brain. You’re in my head.” The forest laughed, its branches still holding an apple to which he inclined to take and so he did, the tree moving back to its original position in doing so. “I’m hallucinating, I know it.” “Ok. Let’s say you are. They won’t want you. They won’t accept you. They’re already in the war. However I offer you true peace, and true solstice, and true justice.” “What’s your offer?” he asked, taking a bite out of the apple. “You could join us. Join the forest.” He thought. “Join you? What does that even mean?” “You become one with the forest, a soul at rest in a world waiting to destroy itself and crack open like a fragile egg.” “How am I safer here than anywhere else?” “We sensed your coming. We saw you were in need. You and Sam. You and Sam and the others. So we opened our gates. Unfortunately he slipped through the gates and compromised the peace of the forest.” “Yeah he gassed you, so you said.” “You’re missing a key detail in the tale sir. A 4 week sleep. It’s an awful long time for a human.” “You said you tended to me.” “Where are the others?” “The others?” It dawned on him, hitting him over the head like a brick from a plane. He was asleep for four weeks as the gas didn’t kill him, but it killed the others. They’re only missing because they’re decomposing, underneath the snow. “Oh fuck I feel sick.” “Their bodies are only a part of them. Their bodies now feed the forest. However their souls have made their decisions. They are part of the forest. Join Sam. Join us.” The decision was clear, and yet he stagnated. What would life even be like anymore? Would he be him? But by the time the mere thought of agreement came to his head, his legs were unable to move.

Thanks for reading. One real question I have is whether you'd classify this as a creepypasta? If not then any feedback is still appretiated :) 