Aphotic Forest

I found journal entries about her old high school crushes, her prom, her senior graduation. These were all memorable life moments.

As I continue reading through the yellowed pages, I noticed she had a new title The RottlingVille Orphanage. What I read next made me feel like the legend wasn't just a story.  The last pages of her journal read:  September 24, 1902, this is a day I will never forget. Losing William and never knowing the exact truth. I begged him not to leave, to just forget about this stupid idea him and his friends came up with. I can clearly remember saying to him, "William, don't go. You know there's been five disappearances since that orphanage was tore down. You don't have to proof the rumors or stories. Just go home, so I don't worry." William just laughed, gave me a sweet kiss on my cheek, and left.

Brady, Tommy, and William went out there on a stupid dare. It ended up being the worst mistake of their lives. Brady and Tommy were found the next morning, - lying on the property with the ground soaked red from their blood- where most claimed is the exact spot where the murders took place years ago. And William, my sweet boyfriend and companion, he was never found.

My grandmother Betty was such an inspiration to me. Although, she warned me not to go to the Aphotic Forest, I felt more compelled to go after reading her journal. I went to the library to locate property deeds from the 1900's. I couldn't find anything on my own. I asked the librarian, "Can you help me find the property location of the old RottlingVille Orphanage?" She looked at me with disgust and replied, "All those records have been destroyed and no one living today knows where it's located."

But I wasn't born a quitter. I convinced myself there had to be something that grandma left behind. Some sort of clue. I recall her saying in her journal she would see Elana walking around the orphanage property when she walked to school. I left the library and headed over to her childhood home.

I walked down the road from her house and paced myself slowly. On the way I saw orphaned children running on DownSteep road. It was an old abandoned path. It was so cluttered by trees no one could see it from the street. I turned left and I was surrounded by the forest. I became increasingly emotional with sadness. Tears began to trickle down my face. Out of fear, I turned back to run but I ran into what felt like a wall. It was Elana, deep, cold, the touch of her hands on my face paralyzed me. I knew I would never escape her. I screamed in pain from the multiple stab wounds she began to inflict on me. Not because I thought I would be rescued, but because the horror of dying this way was a literal hell. Will the legend of the Aphotic Forest die with me or will it live on...

Author: M. Daniels Front Cover Image: M. Daniels

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