HAPPY READING
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In the damp and dark atmosphere of the night that cloaked the forest, a gentle breeze brushed through the thick hair of a young police officer. His slender fingers gripped a cigarette, its tip freshly lit, while the smoke danced slowly among the shadows of the trees. The wet smell of earth, leaves, and tobacco mingled into something hard to describe, yet somehow, Ael felt comfortable amidst the darkness and silence.
With a pistol and a flashlight, he stepped forward slowly, savoring each drag from the cigarette that was gradually burning down.
Ckrrtt… ckrttt…
The crackle of a walkie-talkie in his pocket made him pause. Ael frowned, staring at the device with a hint of annoyance.
"What's up, Inspector?" he said casually, smoke still lingering at his lips.
"Rafael Kahl! I know you're slacking off with a cigarette in your mouth!" came the sharp voice through the radio.
"Quit smoking that thing before you die of lung cancer, Ael! Focus on tonight's search! We can't let him get away again!" the inspector barked, his tone loud and commanding.
"I know! Stop preaching!" Ael shot back shortly, glancing at the dark trees as if they could help him fight off the inspector's scolding.
Beep…
Ael pressed the off button without hesitation.
"You old fart, shut the hell up! Go retire already!" he shouted at the dead walkie-talkie, then continued deeper into the forest with a calm step, cigarette still perched between his lips.
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Elsewhere, far from Ael, the inspector stared at the walkie-talkie he'd just been ignored, his irritation barely contained. Beside him, a young man, Renan, watched with a curious expression.
"What's with that look, Inspector?" Renan asked.
"You know your rude colleague, right, Renan?"
"You mean… Ael?"
"Yes! That brat! You better give him a proper warning! How dare he mock an inspector like me?"
Renan smiled faintly, half stifling a laugh. "Haha… forgive him, sir. He's a bit rebellious."
"Oh, right! Who's he working with tonight, sir?" Renan continued, his tone joking, though his face was serious.
"Of course, I sent him alone!" the inspector replied, unbothered.
Renan froze, his face paling. The flashlight in his hand tightened as his steps halted.
"Are you sure about sending Ael alone tonight?" Renan asked again, his voice now heavy with concern.
"Yes, why?"
"A-Ael has no sense of direction, sir…" Renan said, worry evident in his tone.
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The forest grew denser. Ael stepped carefully over the damp earth, roots and rotten leaves crunching beneath his boots. The wet smell of the ground mixed with the lingering taste of tobacco on his lips. He began to notice the path felt familiar, yet somehow, the direction seemed confusing.
"Feels like I've been here before… why am I back here?" Ael muttered, realizing he was lost.
Srak…
The rustle of leaves behind him made him turn, flashlight sweeping back and forth. Shadows danced among the trees, but nothing concrete appeared.
"Who's there?" Ael asked, trying to sound firm even as his heartbeat quickened.
He exhaled roughly, then stepped forward aimlessly, hoping to find a correct path. But the deeper he went, the more the forest seemed to swallow his every trace.
Hosh… Hosh… Hosh…
Suddenly, his flashlight died. Darkness. Silence. Emptiness. Ael froze, the realization of isolation weighing over his entire body.
"Damn it! I'm lost!" he complained, panic creeping into his voice.
"Am I really lost?" His breath came in short gasps, head heavy, body growing weaker.
"Why the hell did this flashlight die! What's gonna happen to me? What if some weirdo snatches me? I mean, I'm handsome, tough, and brave! She'd totally be into me!" he continued, muttering nonsense that solved nothing.
Even aware he was lost, Ael foolishly kept walking, stepping over wet roots and tangled undergrowth. Hours passed. Now, his body began to wobble, and he bumped into a large tree.
He slowly slid down until sitting, eyes closed, head pressed against the trunk. Trying to calm his ragged breathing.
"I need to ask for extra pay from the head of the division!" he muttered. "They can't make me walk into a haunted forest at night like this!"
Srak…
The rustle of leaves sounded again. This time closer. Ael tensed. His body seemed frozen. No words of complaint came out; fear surged to its peak.
"Who's there?" he asked, quieter now, voice shaking. The night wind felt heavier. The air around him thickened.
Greb…
"AAAA…"
Someone suddenly lunged at him with a warm embrace, unfamiliar yet strangely familiar. Ael screamed, staggering backward, but the hug made him shiver in a way he couldn't explain.
"I've really missed you, Ael…" the voice choked, full of sobs and stifled cries.
"W-who are you? A ghost?" Ael tried to look at the figure before him.
No answer. Only the ragged sobs and a strange scent enveloped him, warm and inexplicable.
Cup…
The kiss came without warning. Intense, emotional, but vague. Ael pushed with all his strength, trying to repel it. His body shook, tears streaming down his face, caught between fear and confusion.
"Nggh…"
His resistance only made the kiss feel heavier. He couldn't fight back. Pain flared in his neck, but more than that, a strange sensation took over his entire body.
After a while, the figure released him. The sobbing was loud, broken, echoing into the night.
"I-I'm sorry… Ael, sorry… hic…"
The words repeated over and over. Ael stared at the figure, bewildered, lips frozen. He wanted to ask questions, but couldn't. All sounds around seemed to drown into the dark forest.
"Ahh!"
The pain in his neck deepened, vision darkening. The sobs became muffled, distant, as if underwater. His body weakened. Breath faltering, and the world around him faded.
Dark. Silent. Ael lost consciousness, the night forest enveloping him, leaving him in uncertainty between life and death.
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TBC
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