The Darkwoods

The Darkwoods

By Samantha Harken

It is said that there was a time before this one, an age where humans had wild devices and technology. They had metal wagons that flew through the sky, and some that floated along vast bodies of water so large the shore opposite could not be seen from the one a person stood on. These people had riches and entertainment beyond imagining and lived soft and comfortable lives. But everyone knew now that they must be stories; metal is too heavy to fly and it will sink if put into water. Such wild imaginings were from a time long before the gates of Jhorn were closed for good and there was no proof left now that they had ever been true.

The city of Jhorn was alone in the middle of a dense forest that boasted a clean and cool river which entered through a grate on the west side of town and exited through another grate on the southeast side of town. The city was on the smaller side with houses growing up into the air to leave plenty of room for the farms, orchards, and livestock pens that provided food for the town. Sewage and waste were used as fertilizer, tanning material, animal feed, and the precious little that remained was sent down the river. Waste was not acceptable here in Jhorn for many years ago – so many that no one alive had seen it themselves – the gates of Jhorn had been closed to all. No one ever entered the city and certainly no one was ever allowed to leave.

The child known as Shari was filled with adventure. From her hair down to her toes every fiber of her being was infused with the hunger to seek out truth, knowledge, and excitement. Her parents called her feral and shook their heads when she went running through the street with a wooden sword; hunting dragons, of course, because no one else could see them and the town must be kept safe! They figured she would grow out of this as she got older; however, they were wrong. She merely became better at hiding her antics from them as each quest increased in danger. To be stopped would be the greatest crime in all of history, even if they refused to believe her when she told them that she was not imagining things at all.

However, if they could see her now, they would probably lose their minds. Shari was dressed in tough leather pants and vest over a linen shirt. Her boots came up to her mid-calf and were folded down at the top. She had painted her face with ashes to keep it from standing out in the darkness as well as her golden hair which she had braided down her back to keep it out of the way.

Tonight, she smiled to herself, she would finally see what was beyond the wall that caused so many fantastic creatures to attack the city.

It had taken months of preparation for Shari to place the pitons in a hidden part of the city. Then, her reverse climb down the wall on the other side to place the pitons for her to climb down had been even harder. She had placed the last one two days ago and then spent those two days on her best behavior to keep her parents off guard. She was certain it had worked.

She flung her small rucksack over her shoulder and head so it hung across her chest and back. The food she had packed was sturdy and would last her for several days if it needed to. A change of clothes, some basic tools, and a canteen completed the inventory in her sack. The only other item she allowed herself was a memento of her mother, her real mother, who had died many years ago. It was a silver locket shaped like a heart around a thin leather cord. She had braided the cord herself and knew it was plenty strong to keep the locket safe. She tucked the heart inside her shirt and glanced up the wall. A fluttering of voices echoed through her mind, stories of why the wall had been built, what it protected from, and what had happened to the world so long ago that this had been the only way to survive. Were there monsters out there beyond the wall? Mutants from a time long past when humans had used terrible weapons against each other? There was no way to tell from this side of the wall, for no one here had ever left to seek out the answers.

Shari stepped up to her climbing spot, peeked around for anyone who might see her, and then quickly scurried up the wall. She had climbed this side so many times that it was easy for her to make the top of the wall and shuffle over. The darkness on the outside, however, made her slow to a crawling pace as she made her way down to the soft and springy bed of pine needles. The close branches of the pine tree hid her from view but landing on the needles released a sharp scent that Shari worried would announce her presence to anything that might be lurking nearby. Luckily, it would be dawn soon.

The forest seemed like a great and peaceful place – Shari wondered if it was as big as the bodies of water she had heard about boats of metal sailing across – filled with odd scents, new plants, and brightly colored birds. She saw animals she knew as well. Squirrels, snakes, a racoon, and even a shy deer which was a difficult animal to keep alive in the city. As her wandering took her away from Jhorn she began to think that perhaps the stories were all fabricated to keep people in the city under the control of the mayor, a position that was held by the Dray family and had been since the dawn of time.

That night Shari climbed a tree and slept among the branches. She ate dried meat and sipped her water cautiously. There was no telling when she might find more food or water on her own and she wanted to be able to stay out as long as possible. Returning home would surely result in her being in trouble and unable to come back to the forest for a very long time.

The next morning Shari scrambled down the tree and headed off in vaguely the same direction she had travelled the day before. The forest was alive with the sound of animals scurrying about on their business through the underbrush, and birds called from the trees as if to scorn Shari for interrupting their peace. She wondered – not for the first time – how far the forest went and what she would find when she got to the edge. From the top of Jhorn’s walls one could see only trees as far as the human eye could reach. Beyond? The greatest adventure yet, she was sure.

By midday Shari’s feet were so sore she had to stop for a rest. She ate some of her rations and watched the forest move around her. Light filtered down through the canopy and shone in gold and emerald patches amid the grass and shrubs that clogged the ground. Life in the city had not prepared her for such tough terrain and she was almost at the point of regretting her choice when she looked up and saw a break in the trees ahead of her. It hadn’t been there before, had it? Surely not. She climbed to her feet and set off again aiming for the clearing in hopes of seeing a change in the land around her.

When she arrived at the clearing the change was so drastic that Shari was shocked beyond words. The clearing was cut through by a black stone road of some kind – filled with holes and destruction from years of weather and disrepair. Random strange wagons dotted this road, their tops covered, and glass all around to see from. The wheels were worn, tarnished, and surrounded by an odd black substance. Wondering what these might have been pulled by she approached the nearest one and immediately screamed. They were filled with bones and the remains of items packed hurriedly into them, as if the occupants had been escaping a calamity they had not quite gotten far enough from. The horror of it filled Shari with a deep sorrow and foreboding. Perhaps the wall had not been a bad thing, after all.

Shari followed the road for the rest of the day, camped that night well into the trees of the forest, and continued along the road the next morning. Each metal box contained the same skeletons and remains. After eating lunch and walking another hour, Shari saw buildings in the distance. She quickened her steps and hurried towards this strange unwalled town.

The buildings were in a state of disrepair and seemed to be built from stone instead of the wood she was so used to seeing at home. Glass was broken out of most windows; the walls were painted with strange warnings of the end of the world and pictures she did not understand. Yet, Shari did not feel alarmed by these things. The town seemed to be quite empty of any sort of life except for the plants growing through the streets and walkways which climbed up the walls towards the sun. At one point she saw a bicycle – something very rare in Jhorn – which had been leaned against a tree some time in the distant past. The tree had grown around the bicycle and it made Shari shudder to think of how long these buildings had stood here empty and what had caused everyone to leave so hastily.

As the sun set over the horizon beyond the town Shari found herself weary to the bone and no closer to finding the answers she so desperately sought. She climbed into one of the buildings she thought to be a home, curled up in the large room, and fell asleep.

Sometime in the night a rattling sound woke Shari. She sat up quickly, quietly, her heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s might. A soft blue-green glow filled the room and Shari peeked around curiously. It was unlike any light she had ever seen before and she quickly found the source. A woman of indescribable beauty stood at the door and from her body the light poured out into the room.

“You do not belong here, Shari,” the voice was as soft as a susurrus of leaves on a spring day. Her smile was brighter than the noon sun. “It is time for you to go home. The world is not yet ready for your kind to return. There is so much healing left to do.”

Shari stood up and stepped towards the woman, her previous fear completely vanished. “Who are you? What happened to this place?”

“I am Gaia, the earth mother, guardian of all things great and small. This? All this damage is the result of the Great war. It is not meant for your eyes, nor those of your people. The earth is still healing, child.”

Shari nodded and looked at her feet. “I will return home. I will keep this secret for you.”

Gaia smiled at Shari. “I know, child, I know.” With that she raised her hand and touched a finger to Shari’s head and the child fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning Shari awoke in her own bed. Her parents acted as if nothing was amiss. Yet she knew, she remembered, and she would take her adventure to her grave.