The Forest Beneath the Mountain.
By Ariana Dale
Bang! The Door Slammed shut. I had nowhere to go.
Like an eagle in the night, I sped off. I didn’t know what to do. The house I had left was in the middle of the forest; beneath Mount Fuji. Running faster than the speed of light towards nothing, with the hopeless feeling of desperation. Surprisingly there was a track I could follow. I forced myself to slow down. Despite feeling tired, I continued my journey. No exit in sight. The only thing I could do was keep walking until I could see a ray of sunshine.
The ray of sunshine wasn’t going to be there in front of me anytime soon. I was so tired. I had been walking for at least 5 hours getting nowhere. As slowly as a snail, I creeped around the forest. I thought of the myth about the forest I was in. The hidden name. The true stories. The suicide forest. I never thought of it being real. The story of the suicide forest.
It’s heard to be haunted. Of course, I never believed in this sort of thing. I never wanted to think of it either. Personally, I am schizophrenic which means that I usually hallucinate… So the suicide forest is the WORST place for me to be right now! Suddenly, I saw what looked like a little gift shop. I decided to let myself in. Sitting there was a small japanese lady sitting in front of a desk. “You Shouldn’t be here.” She murmured.
“I’m sorry?”
“You should go.”
Confused, I walked toward her. “I’m sorry?” I asked.
She called out in Japanese so I couldn’t understand. Nothing happened after she called out. She called out again. Still, nothing happened.
“Come with me“she said, Scared. “I was calling out to my husband, he is not answering. I’m too scared to check on him by myself.”
“Why?” I asked
“Do even know where we are?” She asked me as if I were the most stupid person she had ever met.
“Right.” I replied.
Scared, we opened a undersized door. Bent down, we went through the door. Then A series of stairs. Then there was another door. That too, was undersized. As quiet as a mouse we the opened the door. We were too scared to be loud. There he was. The man. Lay down on the floor. The japanese lady bent down on her knees.
“They killed him.” She cried. “Who?” “They did” “Who”
She gave me a death look. “It WAS them” “I think I asked who it was”
“LEAVE” she snapped. "There is no such thing as a middle-aged man just dieing like that!"
My opinion hadn’t changed. There are murderers everywhere. But I respect her still. I left. Her husband had just died and It would have been so hard.
That same sound hit my ears as I slammed the door of the shop. The memories came back to me. How she had left me in the middle of this so called haunted forest. I’m so sick of everyone. Just telling me lies. And over exaggerating.
“I HATE LIFE” I yelled; that was a bit uncalled for, but what do I do when I have nowhere to go and everyone hates me.
I woke up to the sound of beeping. I was in a plain white room that made me want to spew out colors. Creek… The door opens and a pale colored lady with a grey dress appears. “Hello Jess” She smiles.
“Where am I?”
“We found you in the Aokigahara forest”
“What were you doing there?”
“What were you doing there?”
“I was with a friend, she, she, she, she did, she did…”
“You were with a friend then.”
“Yes. But what were you doing there?”
“Let's not worry about me.”
“How did you find me!? Especially in the Aokigahara forest!?”
“It’s time for your shock treatment.”
“ANSWER MY QUESTION!”
“I’m going to have to kill you if you don’t come.”
That shut me up.
I came with her to another blank room. Travelling across it was a rusty pole. On the pole was a hanger with a white shirt. “You have to put this on.” She hissed. Worried, I put the shirt on.
It took me long to actually find out that the nurse was actually putting a straitjacket on me, she was tying the back up. Next she opened a cupboard and there was what looked like a pair of headphones; only, they weren't. Next to the ‘headphones’ was an oral protector for my mouth for my shock treatment.
“Put these on.” She suggests.
“I don’t think I can.” I growl.
“Right.”
She had forgotten that she put a straitjacket on me. She places ‘the headphones’ on my head. “I’m scared.” I express myself to her.
“It’s not my choice to do this… I’m very sorry Jess.”
I could see her heart now. I couldn’t believe she had one. Until now.
Her face drops. “I’ll see you soon” she places the oral protector in my mouth. A flood had ran down my face. 3 nurses came in the door. “Don’t move a muscle.” One says to me.
“Isn’t that what I’m going to do when you shock me!?”
“Oh Yeah”
“Yeah Alright”
“Close your eyes.”
The feeling of fear filled me as fast a free flood. Now I felt the feeling of my whole body being ripped out of my skin. My soul had been taken. My Strength had been stolen. My Rights had been removed.
My eyes opened. The nurse that was there before was there in front of me...
