The Dead Forest--chapter five

Hello All:

"This is a very, special week at The Literary World of Tom Raimbault; for this is Halloween week! And like we do every year, new stories written just for the holiday are featured throughout the week. This year we roll out a new novella titled The Dead Forest. Be sure to visit Monday through Friday of this week as well as next Monday (Halloween) for each new installment.

As a side-note: the novella has yet to be properly divided into chapters. I simply counted the amount of pages in the manuscript and then divided by six to feature throughout this week and next Monday (Halloween). Being the case, I will sometimes leave the reader with unfinished sentences to be completed the following day. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

The Dead Forest--chapter five

"Why not?" nearly demanded Stan.

"I feel like you're mad at me." answered Donna.

"Well why would I be mad at you?"

Donna sighed, "I don't know..." Then she opened the passenger door and stepped out.

Before exiting the vehicle, Stan reached into the glove compartment for a flashlight because he knew it would be dark in the woods. He switched it on and shined it at the ground. "We'll need this."

Donna said nothing; just stood there as-if she really didn't want to be there while waiting for Stan.

It was about 40 degrees that night. Throughout much of the week, the temperature had reached considerably above freezing along with a couple of days of sunshine. These conditions resulted in just about all of the snow being melted from the trail and the woods. There were a couple of patches of slush and even some late-night ice. But the trail was mostly walkable that dark night in March.

Unlike the first visit to the forest back in October, Stan didn't put his arm around Donna to keep her warm. And really she didn't want him to at that moment. Donna partly had some negative feelings towards Stan at that moment along with feelings of guilt for being unfaithful to Fredrick.

About halfway into the hike which was guided by the illumination of the flashlight, Stan finally called out, "Donna?"

"What?" She responded with subtle bitterness in her voice.

"Are you mad me?"

"No!" answered Donna.

"Well I'm sorry, but you've never spoken to me like this before. What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" nearly snapped Donna.

Stan finally ordered, "Stop! We are not going anywhere until we solve this."

Reluctantly, Donna stopped walking as ordered.

Stan put both his hands on Donna's shoulders and looked into her eyes—at least as well as he could in the dark. "Now what is wrong? We agreed to come out here once the snow melted, and we both agreed that this the valley is our special place. Do you really want to go down there in this frame of mind?"

Stan couldn't see it in the dark, but tears began to well in Donna's eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that I have some things to think about—some things to sort out in my mind." she answered.

"Like what?" demanded Stan.

"Well there's Fredrick; remember, my boyfriend who promised to marry me once he came home from the war? I was supposed to be faithful to him?"

"But, Donna, what about us?" argued Stan. "What are we? And don't I deserve some loyalty?"

"Well yes..." answered Donna. "It's just that... well..."

"Go on!" encouraged Stan with a note of anger in his voice.

"I guess, originally, this was like an affair. I was cheating on Fredrick, and I still am."

"Oh, so I'm the bad guy!" concluded Stan. "I'm the guy who you're cheating with or—as you word it—having an affair with. Never mind all the time we've spent together and the feelings we've shared. None of those things matter. You get a letter from Fredrick, and you suddenly forget about us?"

"I'm sorry, Stan..." apologized Donna while starting to crying.

"Well are you sure you still want to go visit the valley?" questioned Stan. "Or would that be cheating on Fredrick?"

Donna was unsure as to why; but despite how controlling and overly-emotional Stan had gotten, she still wanted to visit the valley. It was as-if some unseen force were coaxing her to press onwards to reach the valley. "Yes, I still want to go." she affirmed. "I hope that means something to you."

Without saying a word, Stan resumed walking towards the direction of the valley.

Donna followed his lead and walked beside him. She sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. Donna wanted so bad to turn around and head back to the car; order that Stan take her home and never come back to see her again. But there was the mysterious force that seemed to have control over her decisions and her persistence to continue walking with Stan to the valley where the old tree stood.

Soon Stan and Donna reached the spot where they could deviate off the main trail and do some unpleasant bushwhacking before hiking down the somewhat steep ravine to the valley below. All the while doing this, Donna resented every second. The bushes and thicket were wet and surely made her coat dirty. Although partly frozen from the late-night temperature, the ground was muddy. And the illumination of Stan's flashlight made it possible to see only three feet in front of them. Still, Donna obeyed the mysterious force which seemed to consume her while following Stan's lead.

Once reaching the valley, the babbling sound of a nearby stream could be heard.

"You hear that?" asked Stan. "You hear that water flowing?"

"Yes..." acknowledged Donna.

"It's coming from over there." he shined the flashlight in the direction of the sound. "Let's find it."

Nearly crazy, Stan briskly walked towards the direction of the stream until he could see it.

Donna stayed behind and watched Stan in disbelief.

 "I found it!" he exclaimed. "I found the stream!" Then he ordered, "Come over here and look!"

Reluctantly and very nervously, Donna walked towards the direction of where Stan stood with the flashlight. She stopped a few feet away from him.

"Well come on!" continued to order Stan. "Take a look!" He just about manhandled Donna and guided her in the direction of the bank of the small stream where she shined the flashlight in. "See that?" he asked. "See all that running water?"

"Yes..." answered Donna.

That's from all the melting snow in this forest preserve. That snow had accumulated since November of last year, right around the time when you and I were falling in love."

Donna could hardly believe that Stan used the word love to describe their relationship. She really liked him, but never considered that perhaps she loved Stan. Love was to be reserved for Fredrick.

"Now I know what you're thinking." continued Stan. "Our relationship started as—your choice words—an affair. But it's a new year, and the birth of spring is in the air. Those old feelings of guilt are melting and washing away." He violently shook Donna, "You're going to let go of it all, aren't you? You're going to start your new life!"

Terribly frightened, Donna began to sob. What happened to Stan? Why was he so nearly-psychotic?

"Yes! Good!" Stan congratulated. "Make tears! Let them fall into the stream to wash away with last year's snow." Stan used the back of his hand, and wiped a large amount of tears from Donna's cheek, and then flicked them into the water. "All those feelings for Fredrick from last year; they flow out and wash away into the stream... our stream... the stream belonging to the valley of Donna's spirit mother!" Stan shook Donna all the more to make her sob and run more tears into the stream.

Satisfied that the initial stage of the ritual had been completed, Stan next manhandled Donna towards the direction of the old tree. "Come! Let us visit your spirit mother! May she help you remember!" Stan shined the flashlight at the old tree. As they approached, the bark appeared wet and cold.

"Touch her!" ordered Stan. "Reach out with your hand and touch the spirit mother."

Donna hadn't the slightest idea as to why Stan continued to refer to the tree as her spirit mother. But she did as ordered and touched it. The tree felt exactly how it looked, wet and cold.

Stan once again manhandled Donna and spun her around. Then he pushed her against the tree before shouting in Donna's face, "Wake up! Wake up spirit mother! Reveal yourself to me!"

Held against the tree by Stan's strong hands and nowhere to go, Donna began to cry, "Stan, why are you doing this? Why have you turned so crazy?"

Stan paused for a few seconds and stared at Donna. Then he seemed to turn sympathetic. "I'm so sorry..." He hugged Donna and kissed her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I just realized that in the winter you go to sleep with the forest. He pulled back and looked into Donna's face. "Forgive me, oh Donna's spirit mother. Forgive me for my lack of consideration. I didn't mean to wake you before the birth of spring."

Donna was baffled and equally frightened. Had Stan completely lost touch with reality?

"Let me put you back to sleep oh wise and ancient woman." Stan's face moved close to Donna and then kissed her lips. But it was more than a kiss. It was one... two... three... followed by prolonged locking of lips.

Donna turned her face away, "No!" Unlike the first time in the valley, Donna wouldn't grace Stan with the privilege of kissing her.

But Stan was crazy and terribly forceful on that night. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He simply grabbed a fistful from the back of Donna's long and beautiful, raven-black hair so that her face remained where it needed to be. He continued to kiss her so crazy and so passionately.

Donna cried, and the tears ran down her face. But as far as Stan was concerned, the tears now belonged to him. Donna's emotions from last year had flown out and run into the stream to be washed away in Stan's ritual of purification.

Emotionally drained and nearing exhaustion, a new frame of mind overcame Donna. She suddenly felt like the goddess who had once again manifested herself into the physical world. The human mortal who she once graced with the privilege of kissing her was now insane with his devotion. So consumed with jealousy, he fought others who might try to charm and win her favor.

"I love you!" declared Stan every few seconds when pausing between the kissing. "Don't you understand? I love you! And you love me too!" He kissed Donna on the lips to see if the feelings had returned. If Stan didn't know any better, there definitely was something. "Say it!" he demanded. "Say that you love me!"

"I love you Stan!" finally cried out Donna. "It's true; I love you!"

Stan celebrated with more kissing before pulling back and declaring, "In one week it will be the first day of spring. We will return and unify our love! Say you will be here with me! Say it!"

"I will join you Stan!" cried out Donna.

Stan continued to hold Donna against the tree and kissed her all the more. By then a freezing rain began to fall from the sky and through the bare trees. They remained there, kissing for a long time until the freezing rain stopped.

By the time Donna returned that Sunday morning at 4:00, she looked into the mirror. She was wet, dirty, exhausted and emotionally drained.

***

The Moon was full on the Tuesday that followed that very strange and fateful Saturday night in the woods. In the days that followed, Stan remained in his semi-psychotic state. He was relentless in his quest to finally make Donna all his. He already forced Donna to profess her love for him in the woods that Saturday night, but it wasn't enough. Stan needed more. Even if he were able to call Donna on the telephone, or go to her house to hear her say those words again; it wouldn't satisfy what Stan required as true love and loyalty to him. And the fact that Stan couldn't call Donna on the phone or go to her house didn't help matters. It fueled Stan’s desperation, jealousy and anger. How dare Donna's mother and father deem Stan unworthy to be in love with their daughter?

And all day Tuesday, Stan remained entranced while at work in a plan as to how he would finally seal the love and devotion between him and Donna.

"Hey, are you okay today???" griped the owner of the Texaco gas station to Stan who noticed that his employee just wasn't "with it".

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Well then what is taking so long with these oil changes?" asked the owner.

"Sorry, I just didn't sleep very well last night." explained Stan.

"Well make sure you get some sleep before coming into work!" scolded the owner while walking away.

Stan had only a couple of more hours to go before quitting time. From there he could stop at Mr. Green's dime store on the ride home for what he needed. From what Stan remembered there were a couple of them behind the counter for sale when he used to work there. Surely they hadn't been sold.

And what was this item that Stan needed?

At quarter after five that Tuesday afternoon, Stan walked through the front door of Mr. Green's dime store. It was Mr. Green who worked behind the cash register.

"Well hi, Stan!" greeted Mr. Green. "Nice to see you. What brings you here? You're not looking for your old job back, are you?"

"No sir." answered Stan. "I just wanted to buy something that I hope you still have. I remember you used to have them."

"And what might that be?" asked Mr. Green.

By now, Stan was at the front counter and studied the merchandise wall behind Mr. Green. "There it is." he excitedly announced. "It looks like you still have one left, the double-edged dagger with sheath."

Mr. Green turned around and reached for the dagger off the merchandise wall which was stored in a soft leather sheath. He removed the blade--five inches in length--from the sheath and set both objects on the counter before Stan. "This? You want to buy this?"

Stan nervously picked up the dagger and gently tested the blade with his finger. As expected, it was razor sharp. "Oh, yes, I definitely want to buy this."

For some reason, Mr. Green did not have a good feeling about selling the double edged dagger to Stan. He remembered Stan, and recalled that he was a bit odd. What in the world did he have in mind to do with a razor sharp dagger? "You don't mind if I ask what you need that for, do you?"

Stan nervously swallowed before answering. "I just want to use it at work... you know, for cutting fan belts and stuff."

"Well you could use a regular pocket knife for something like that." suggested Mr. Green. "A dagger like this is often used for hunting and fishing."

"It's funny you mention that." began Stan. "I made some friends at the gas station who want to go on a hunting and fishing trip. I'd like to take this dagger with me."

"A hunting and fishing trip?" repeated Mr. Green. "Where will this be?"

"We haven't really decided yet." answered Stan.

At that point there wasn't anything that Mr. Green could do. Stan was a customer at the dime store to make a legitimate purchase for an item that was clearly for sale. Reluctantly, Mr. Green entered the sales price and tax into the cash register as Stan reached into his wallet for money. Mr. Green wished he could have denied Stan the purchase of that dagger, for he knew it would be used for a not-so-good purpose.

And what did he do with the razor-sharp, double-edged dagger? What could it have possibly been used for when it came to winning the true love and loyalty from Donna?

Late Saturday night of that week, which just so happened to be Spring Equinox, with the Moon in a waning gibbous stage--its light shining from the sky to provide plenty of illumination to the ground below; Stan drove through Donna's subdivision and parked four houses down to observe the usual protocol when picking Donna up.

As for Donna, she was in a most unusual frame of mind. You see, she really didn't want to be with Stan out of fear of what had happened the previous Saturday. But in Stan's moment of apparent psychosis, he declared that they would return the following week which would be the first day of spring. There, the two would continue whatever had been started on that dark night in the forest to "unify their love". Donna was forced to promise that she would return. And to avoid any disturbance at home which would surely alarm Mother and Father to what had been happening in recent months, Donna had no choice but to bundle up, climb out her bedroom window and wait for Stan on the side of the house.

But there was even more to Donna's peculiar frame of mind. Since the episode of the previous Saturday night, Donna had been unable to pick up the recent letter from her beloved Fredrick and read it. She felt an overwhelming amount of shame and guilt for doing so. She nearly wished to tear the letter into shreds and throw it into the wastepaper basket. And whenever attempting to write a letter in return--a letter that would reassure Fredrick that the rumor of her and Stan to be untrue--Donna could not bring herself to do it. As the days passed, she realized that the more she waited, the more it would have appeared that there truly was something going on between Donna and Stan.

She stood there on the side of the house and under a moonlit sky. Soon Stan appeared and waved her on.

Reluctantly she followed Stan back to his car and rode off with him. It was the first the two had spoken to each other since the strange experience in the forest.

"So how was your week?" asked Stan.

"It was fine." answered Donna. "And you?"

"I've been thinking about you all week." answered Stan.

This caused Donna's stomach to nearly turn. "So are we still returning to the valley in the woods by the old tree?" she asked.

"Of course!" affirmed Stan. "It's the perfect night to bring closure and finally unify our love."

"And just what did you have in mind?" nervously asked Donna.

"Trust me..." reassured Stan. "Everything is going to be alright. I love you, and what I have planned is special."

Donna said nothing in return.

"What about you?" asked Stan. "Don't you love me?"

"Yes, I love you." affirmed Donna.

"What about Fredrick?" probed Stan. "Have you received any more letters from Fredrick? Is he still asking about us?"

"No, I haven't received anything from him." answered Donna.

"Well did you write him back?" further probed Stan.

Donna sighed, "Stan, I actually tore up his letter and threw it into the wastepaper basket. [She lied--very beside Donna's nature.] You are right, it's time to let go of him and accept what you and I have become."

"And what's that?" encouraged Stan.

"Lovers..." simply answered Donna. She hated saying this, but there wasn't much Donna could do or argue when in the presence of Stan.

Soon, Stan and Donna reached the lot of Berry Bush Forest Preserve. Stan parked his car, turned off the engine and exited. While Donna stepped out of the vehicle and had her back turned, Stan reached under the driver seat for the unsheathed double-edged dagger, and tucked it under the sleeve of his coat. Then he walked towards the direction of the trail

Donna followed Stan's lead. Not a word was spoken as the two pressed onwards.

The entire forest that night was illuminated by the Moon which shined through the skeletal trees that were still bare of any leaves. Eventually Stan and Donna made it to the point where they could deviate off the trail and work their way to the valley below.

Once touching the bottom, Stan immediately head towards the small stream and encouraged Donna to follow. "Come, let us see the flowing stream which continues to wash away the life and memories of last year."

But what was this? It had to be a hallucination, or an illusion brought on by--perhaps--the moonlight. What flowed in that stream was no longer the rain and melted snow from winter, but blood. Yes, the stream was now blood red!

"Well would you look at that." commented Stan.

Donna gasped. "Blood?"

"Yes! Blood!" answered Stan. "It's your blood that now flows through this stream. Just like your thoughts and feelings from last October--your tears--that were carried away the last time we were here, the life you lived before the birth of spring is also being washed away. Very interesting!"

Donna suddenly felt squeamish. She imagined her blood flowing out of a gaping wound and being sucked out via the running stream. The squeamishness was soon accompanied by a feeling of needing to pass out.

But Stan wasn't the least bit concerned for Donna. He simply announced, "And now let's pay your spirit mother a visit. Let's see if she's awoken in this birth of spring..." He continued by shouting, "AWOKEN to observe her Earthly daughter join with me in our unification of love!" Stan manhandled weak and squeamish Donna over to the old tree and then pushed her back against the trunk. There hadn't been any rain in the past couple of days, so the trunk for the most part was dry. It was, however, cold being that the outside temperature was about fifty degrees.

About a foot from her face, Stan looked into Donna's eyes.

Donna looked away and observed the surrounding forest. Skeletal trees bathed by the moonlight; the valley yet to have turned green; a nearby stream of flowing blood; it was all nothing short of a hellish realm that would exist in an evening's series of nightmares that the subconscious mind would choose to forget before awakening.

With his right hand Stan raised Donna's left above her head and then held it against the tree trunk. It wasn't much of a fight because Donna was very weak in that moment. With his other hand, Stan grasped a fistful of hair from the back of Donna's head and guided her lips back to his. Stan lay three kisses to her lips and then announced, "And now, oh Earthly daughter of her spirit mother--the spirit mother who resides in this magickal valley--we open our flesh and draw the blood of exchange, the exchange that will forever unite us as one.”

Donna felt a sharp sting on the palm of her left hand. Stan was using something--a blade of some sort--to cut her hand open. Unbeknown to Donna, it was the double-edged dagger wedged between Stan and Donna's palm. She screamed out of fright and then pleaded, "What are you doing??? Please stop!!!"

But Stan wouldn't hear the pleas. Satisfied that he had sliced open both his and her palms with the dagger, he removed his right hand from the handle and left the blade in place of both wounds so that by simply squeezing Donna's hand it would slice open more tissue to draw more blood. Stan's other hand resumed grasping a fistful of Donna's hair, and guided her lips back to his. He kissed her lovingly with all of the desire in his heart.

So weak, all that Donna could do was close her eyes and not resist Stan's kisses. And then the feeling of being consumed by an external spirit returned. Donna was no longer Donna. She was the goddess who returned to Earth to be with her most devotee who drew the blood of exchange to be eternally unified in love. The sweet and warm blood ran down her arm and under her Earthly garments. And then the Earthly mortal who had been graced not once, twice, but three times to kiss her; had finally lowered her bleeding palm. The double-edged dagger remained wedged into both wounds.

Our unified blood spills onto the ground of this sacred valley. May it bring life and renewal to the spirit mother... Donna's spirit mother... And now my spirit mother, too, as it is my blood unified with your Earthly daughter which runs into the ground at the birth of spring.

Stan looked up at the sky and could see the Moon and visible stars shining through the skeletal trees. It was confirmation and acceptance from the spirit world of Stan and Donna's unification. He looked over to Donna and announced, "And now my sister, let us depart from this place as united in love.”

***

Although Donna received a nasty cut to the palm of her hand, she actually managed to hide it so that it was never seen by Mother and Father. They never saw the wide, gaping, open wound that Donna feared would become badly infected. Through time it managed to heal so that by the middle of spring it was simply a line on her hand that really wasn't that recognizable.

As for Donna and Stan, the relationship between them was a bit turbulent for a while. I mean let's face it, Stan had been abusive of Donna; took her out into the woods, forced her to proclaim that she loved him, and then gave her a serious cut to her hand with a dagger. Feeling she had no choice in the matter--forced into this so-called loving relationship with Stan--there was some lingering bitterness and resentment in the air throughout the spring months. Then, as the cut on her hand healed into a barely recognizable scar, the loving relationship resumed between the two of them. Donna actually strongly desired to be with Stan and sought of ways to be with him on other nights of the week in addition to Friday and Saturday.

In that renewed phase of their relationship, Donna would sneak out the window on--say-- a Wednesday night so that she and Stan could venture to the Berry Bush Forest Preserve to simply be with the tree that was responsible for causing the two to fall in love. Stan would bring a blanket and some food in a picnic basket for a romantic late night dinner. By then there were plenty of leaves on the trees throughout Berry Bush Forest Preserve. On moonlit nights, the magickal valley of Donna's spirit mother was absolutely beautiful. And the spirit in the tree was definitely present as her two children were very much in love with each other. Donna and Stan would just sit there while talking, cuddling and making out. In fact, these days were probably the happiest days of Stan and Donna's life.

But then came a fateful day in late July when Donna's beloved Frederick had received an injury in battle to his right leg. It had been blown off by a land mine. Fredrick had written to Donna, informing her of the injury and that he would soon be coming home.

BE SURE TO RETURN MONDAY (HALLOWEEN) FOR THE CONCLUSION OF OUR NEW NOVELLA, THE DEAD FOREST!