The cabin brought with it a sense of relief to Adam, he'd been in the forest for so long, he started to believe he was most definitely going to lose his life before long, yet, it also came with a sense of dread all the same. It sat nestled in the clearing like something out of an old folktale, he couldn't help but remember the story of Hansel and Gretel with the old witch, its wooden exterior weathered but intact. Looming in the distance, the cabin stood like a lighthouse in the storm, its faint light piercing through the forest's dense and suffocating darkness that is the sea of shadows surrounding it.
Adam stumbled closer, his eyes fixed on the golden glow like a beacon, with steps hurried and uneven, every instinct urging him forward, breath hitched, yet the knot in his stomach tightened with each step. Something about the cabin just didn't seem right, the forest around him seems to shrink, every sound amplified-the rustling leaves, the snap of a twig, the almost imperceptible whisper of wind.
But it wasn't just the wind.
Adam froze mid-step, his chest tightening just as he felt it-the sharp, cold prickle at the back of his neck. He turned his head slowly, his eyes drawn over to the shadows, trying to catch them in his periphery, but they seemed almost too intelligent for his liking, disappearing the moment he moved.
"I'm imagining this," he muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper. "Just… my mind playing tricks." But he knew, just like before, they were there again, like always. The eyes, and then like though wanting to taunt him, they appeared.
Two pale blue orbs gleamed in the dark, floating unnervingly close. They blinked, and Adam could swear they had moved this time around, and then he heard it, a low, guttural growl, and his blood turned to ice.
The creature stepped forward, and his stomach dropped, he stumbled back, his legs nearly giving out. "You've got to be kidding me," he hissed, his pulse roaring in his ears. It was a fox, but not like any fox he had ever seen or heard of. Its fur was blindingly white, its size massive-too large for anything natural. It stared at him, unblinking, menacingly, its glowing eyes seeming to peel back layers of him, searching for something.
Adam swallowed hard, his heart thumping with a force so loud it seemed to drown out his thoughts. The fox moved closer, slow and deliberate; its paw silent against the forest floor.
"Nope, nope, nope, nope," Adam hissed, spinning on his heel and sprinting so fast they seemed to be hitting the back of his head as he headed for the cabin in a haste. His breath burned in his throat as he bolted up the steps, his fists slamming against the door as he knocked loudly and hurriedly.
"Hello? Please! Open up! There's something out here!"
Behind him, he could feel it, the fox's gaze, cold and unyielding. It didn't chase him. It didn't growl. It merely just waited, like though it knew and it was sure Adam was doomed, which he was, its presence more terrifying than any aggression could be.
The door creaked open just as he risked another glance back. He stumbled inside without thinking, the warmth and light of the cabin hitting him like a wave.
"Whoa there," a soft, lilting voice said. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Adam's gaze snapped forward, his breath catching. A woman stood before him, if at all he could call her that, her head tilted slightly, a curious smile playing on her lips.
She was strikingly beautiful, but not in an obvious way. Her beauty was quiet, understated, the kind that lingered in your mind with her image permanently seared into it long after you looked away. Her dark hair framed her face in soft waves, her eyes, piercing and inviting, alight with an amused spark.
"I-there's-" He stammered, trying to find the words, but they failed him, his thoughts a chaotic mess.
The woman stepped aside, gesturing with a slender hand for him to come in. "Come in. You're letting in the cold."
Adam obeyed, too shaken to argue, too stricken to refuse. She shut the door behind him with a soft thud and slid the bolt into place with practiced ease.
"You're lucky it didn't decide to follow you in, or chase you for that fact," she said, her tone light and playful, almost teasing.
Adam blinked. "It?"
She arched her brow like he'd said something stupid but said nothing, instead, moving past him toward a counter. "The forest has its fair share of, well how do they say it… oddities. But I'm sure you already figured that part out, haven't you?" She threw him a knowing glance over her shoulder, her lips curling into a faint smile, almost making him want to test his fate against the creature outside.
Adam sank into a nearby chair, his legs barely holding him up at that point, "What was that thing?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
The woman turned with a steaming cup in her hand, her gaze steady as she crossed the room. "Tea," she said, holding it out to him. "Drink this first. You look like you could use it."
He accepted the cup with shaky hands. The warmth seeped into his palms, grounding him in a way he couldn't quite understand. He took a cautious sip, the herbal notes calming his frayed nerves.
As he drank, she moved to a chair opposite him, her steps as gracious and elegant as her shape, sitting with the same grace. Her eyes flicked over him, studying him openly in a way that made his face flush.
"What?" he asked, frowning.
"Nothing." Her smile deepened the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly. "You're just… not what I expected."
Adam stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe you are," she said softly, chuckling as her gaze lingers on him.
Adam looked up sharply, but her expression was unreadable almost eerily so. He set the cup down, leaning forward. "Seriously, though. What's going on out there? That fox—"
"Isn't something you need to worry about right now," she interrupted smoothly.
Her deflection irked him, making him more unsettled than he wanted or wished to be, but before he could press further, she leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "So, Adam," she said, her voice taking on a lighter, almost playful tone, her eyes twinkling as she speaks. "What brings you to my little corner of the world?"
He froze. "How do you know my name?"
Her smile didn't waver. "Let's just say... the forest talks."
His stomach churned. "The forest talks? What do you mean?"
She laughed softly, the sound like a gentle ripple of water, it was beautiful to the ear, but still he was unsettled making it hard for him to appreciate the beauty of it. "Not in words, no. But it has its ways of letting me know things. And you, Adam, are a very interesting visitor."
Adam frowned, his unease growing. "I don't know what you're playing at, but—"
"Relax," she said, cutting him off with a wave of her hand. "You're safe here. I promise."
Her voice was warm, soothing, but there was something about her that kept him on edge, kept him feeling uncomfortable, he did not want to be more comfortable being in the jaws of that fox than in the safety and confines of the cabin. She wasn't lying—at least, not outright, not in any way he could tell—but she wasn't telling him the whole truth, either, he sensed she was holding something back, he just couldn't tell what.
As if sensing his hesitation, she leaned forward a little more, her eyes softening, as though wanting to melt away his troubles. "You look like you've been through hell," she said gently. "The least you can do is let someone take care of you for a little while."
Her sudden shift in tone caught him off guard, he hadn't seen it coming, "Was she flirting?" he thought. He opened his mouth to respond, but her gaze held him in place, steady and unyielding.
"I…" he started, his voice faltering. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "That's the spirit."
Her flirtation wasn't over, but it was enough to make Adam feel off-balance. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, not one in this sort of situation that's for sure, especially not from someone like her. And yet, despite his unease, he found himself leaning into the warmth of her presence, he seemed to yearn for it as well.
"By the way," she said, her tone light again. "You're terrible at hiding how nervous you are."
Adam let out a dry laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Yeah, well, being chased by a giant fox will do that to you."
Her laughter joined his in a gentle inviting tune, and for a moment, the tension in the room eased.
"Don't worry," she said, her voice dipping slightly. "You'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."
Something about the way she said it sent a shiver down his spine, though he couldn't tell if it was fear or something else. Perhaps maybe the fox had messed up his psyche so much, the idea of being flirted with by a stranger scared him that much.
As the fire crackled and the warmth of the cabin began to seep into his bones, Adam found himself relaxing despite his better judgment. The woman's presence was disarming, her subtle flirtation drawing him out of his spiraling thoughts.
But even as he felt himself beginning to let his guard down, a part of him remained on edge. It just didn't feel right he kept thinking to himself.
Outside, the forest was still. The fox was gone—or at least, it seemed to be. But the memory of those pale blue eyes lingered, a haunting reminder that whatever was happening, it was far from over.
Adam glanced at the woman again, her silhouette framed by the firelight. She caught his eye and smiled, a look that was equal parts reassuring and enigmatic.
For the first time since entering the forest, he felt a glimmer of safety. But deep down, unease coiled in his gut, whispering that his journey was only just beginning.