The Devil's Woods

by Brian Moreland

  “Let’s wait until tomorrow.”

  “No, open it now.”

  “Okay, just a minute.” Jessica hopped up and dug into her bag. She came back to the bed holding a present with a card taped to the top of it.

  Eric hadn’t thought to get her a card. I’ll give her something better. He sat up, lightning bolts of pain searing across his ribs. He nodded toward the presents. “Ladies first.”

  “No, you first,” she said with a girlish grin. Good, she was warming up. He’d finally gotten something right.

  Eric read the card. It was a bunch of flowery words that rhymed. He skipped down to the handwriting beneath the poem.

  Eric,

  I am so glad to have you in my life and hope this is the first of many anniversaries.

  All my love, Jessica.

  “Babe…” Eric placed his hand on her leg.

  “Now open your present,” she said.

  He unwrapped a framed photo of the two of them.

  “It’s for your office. I noticed you didn’t have one of us there.”

  “Thanks. It’ll go right on my desk. Okay, now open yours.”

  Jessica tore off the ribbon and lifted the box’s lid. Her eyes widened when she saw the gold ring with the ruby heart. She put her hand to her chest. “Oh, my God.”

  “I know it’s not a diamond, but…” Eric got down on one knee and took her hand. “Jessica, will you marry me?”

  She took a step back. “Wow, I had no idea you were planning… Seriously?”

  “You’re living with me now. We might as well make it official. What do you say? Marry me, Jess.”

  “I’ve still got school to finish, my residency.”

  “You can do all that as my wife. This is what you’ve been wanting, isn’t it?”

  “Someday.”

  “How about now, babe?” He gave her his most charming smile. “Say yes. Be my wife.”

  “Okay.”

  “That’s a yes?”

  “Yes.” She nodded and kissed him.

  “Careful, not on the lips.” He pointed to the side of his face that wasn’t bruised and she kissed it.

  The Valerian root pills started to kick in, making him drowsy. He yawned.

  She stroked the back of his head. “You should get to bed.”

  “Wait.” He grabbed her hands. “I know I don’t say it much, but I want you to know that I…I love you.”

  “Ah, Eric. You’re full of surprises tonight.” She started to hug him and he winced, feeling pain jag through his ribs. “Sorry, love, I forgot. Get some sleep. We’ll celebrate more tomorrow.”

  Eric yawned again, his eyelids growing heavy. She turned off the music and blew out the candle. She said good night then went downstairs. Eric drifted off with a smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to call Blake tomorrow and share the big news.

  * * *

  As Grandfather chanted to the spirit world, Shawna was surprised by how much she was enjoying the ceremony. Growing up with a God-fearing mother and fire-and-brimstone stepfather, Shawna had never connected with anything spiritual. Instead, she had raged against it. Goth had become her religion and recreational drugs her escape from hell. But tonight, after smoking the sacred pipe, she was feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart. Her head felt light, like being stoned, but energized instead of relaxed.

  “What exactly are we smoking?” Shawna asked.

  “Tobacco,” Ray answered. “When blessed in a ceremony, it has magical properties. Now to aid you with your vision quest we have something for you to eat.”

  Grandfather lifted a bowl of purple mushrooms.

  Shawna grinned. “Shrooms?”

  Ray nodded. “These will put you into an altered state and open your awareness to parts of yourself that have been dormant. All it takes is one of these to feel connected to everything.”

  “All right, I’m game.” Shawna felt giddy. The last time she’d done shrooms was the night she met Zack.

  Kyle didn’t look so thrilled. “I don’t feel comfortable eating those.”

  Ray said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re natural.”

  “But they’re illegal.”

  “Only if we take them off the reservation.” Ray winked. “Don’t worry. We’re miles from civilization.” He grabbed one out of the bowl first.

  “How long will it last?” Kyle asked.

  Ray said, “It’s different for everybody, but typically around eight hours.”

  “Just go for it, Kyle.” Shawna bit into a mushroom. “You’ll have the best time, I promise.”

  Ray said, “This is not to party, kids. A vision quest is to help you step outside of your conscious mind so you can get directions from the spirit world. It will also help you call in your animal spirit guides. So pay attention to what shows up.”

  * * *

  Kyle gazed at the purple mushroom in his hand. It had a long stem and small cap that glittered with crystals. He was afraid to eat it, terrified of what doors might open if he did. He had spent most of his days trapped indoors by his own paralyzing fears. A prisoner looking out at the city from his high-rise apartment. No parties, no family dinners, no dating. Just living in a comfortable box. But his home had become a coffin. A purgatory he shared with the ghost of his dead wife. He had taken a quantum leap coming here with his siblings. Now Kyle had a chance to face his fears and step back into the world of the living. And, God willing, know how it feels to touch a woman again.

  He bit into the mushroom’s cap. It was dry and crunchy and had a strong earthy flavor. It took him a couple of minutes and a few gulps of water to get the whole mushroom down. He sat back and watched the fire as Grandfather continued drumming and chanting.

  Kyle didn’t feel anything at first, just centered. He became acutely aware of his surroundings…the fire crackling…the pum-pum of sticks against the tom-tom drums…Ray moving his arms like serpents…Shawna feverishly writing passages in a journal, the pen’s black ink pouring across the page like her soul bleeding into words.

  Shawna journaled?

  Kyle knew so little about his sister. They had never been ones to share what was going on inside. Other than his late wife, Stephanie, who was the only person Kyle had ever let in, he had barely gotten to know anyone outside of his own mind. His private world had been his sanctuary, the characters of his novels his family and friends. What a pathetic life I’ve been living.

  “That’s all about to change,” Grandfather spoke in their ancient language and somehow Kyle understood the words. The old man’s eyes were fully alert and focused on Kyle. “Your life doesn’t have to be pathetic.”

  “How did you read my thoughts?”

  “We’re all connected. Do you see it yet?”

  “See what?”

  “The cosmic field.” Grandfather waved his hand across the air. It rippled like the surface of a pool.

  Kyle scooted back. “Holy shit!”

  Grandfather said, “Everything we see with our conscious minds is just an illusion. A material world made up of moving particles. See?” He held up his drumstick. It broke apart into a thousand tiny flying insects.

  “You’re freaking me out,” Kyle said.

  Shawna said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Enjoy the magic carpet ride.” She got up and walked over to a wall and did a tribal dance with her shadow, only her shadow was moving at a faster rhythm. Ray’s and Grandfather’s heads seemed to be shaking a hundred miles per hour.

  Kyle closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his temples. Kaleidoscopes of colored lights swirled in the darkness. A head shape-shifted into a dozen faces—Alex Winterbone, Dr. Norberg, Kyle, Shawna, Ray, Grandfather, Elkheart screaming a warrior’s battle cry, the face of a demon…

  Kyle opened his eyes to discover he was sitting against the wall several feet away from the others. The walls warped. The floor seemed to undulate. Everything rippled outward as if he had plunged into a pool.

  Shawna sat down
in front of him. “Are you seeing visions yet?”

  “Shit, yeah, everything looks distorted. Like I’m underwater.” Kyle waved his arms through the liquid air. “I feel like I’m scuba diving.”

  “Fucking cool, isn’t it?”

  As the drumbeats softened, the watery ripples slowed down and the room stabilized.

  “Your reality is going to shift and morph,” Shawna said. “Everything is a message trying to tell you something. Think of it as feedback. If you don’t like what you see, you have the power to shift your perception and watch how life changes.”

  “You make it sound simple.”

  “It is when you can get over your fears and start going for what you want.”

  “How did you become so wise?” Kyle asked.

  Shawna laughed. “You think of me as wise?”

  “Yes, I’ve always admired the way you see the world.”

  “What I’ve always loved about you, Kyle, is that you’re successful working a career that you love. When we were kids you always talked about being a published author. I thought you were crazy because you’d rather stay up in your room writing than play outside with the rest of us, but you went after your dream and achieved it.”

  Kyle had never heard praise from his kid sister. He got a little misty-eyed and looked away.

  She put a hand on his arm. “Hey, it’s okay if we show a little emotion every now and then. We’re family. I’m always going to love you know matter what, bro.”

  “Me too, Shawna. From now on, I’m going to be more present in your life. I love you, sis. Always have.”

  Now it was Shawna whose eyes filled with tears. “Thanks, it’s good to hear that every once in a while. Okay, enough mushiness. Go have fun on your vision quest. Think of this land as a magic dream world. Play with it. Dance with it. Talk to the animals. Sing to the trees. Everything is your mirror.”

  “Okay, I will.” Kyle blinked and Shawna was suddenly across the room, dancing again.

  At the fire pit, Grandfather Two Hawks said, “We are all dream walkers. Souls searching to find our path home. The waking world is only a pinpoint of our true reality. These woods reflect our deepest desire and darkest fears. Whatever you see out here, keep your thoughts positive. Focus on someone you love.” Grandfather opened a pouch and a swarm of bats flew up to the ceiling. “Take off your shirt, Kyle.”

  Grandfather dipped his fingers into a bowl of red paint and drew symbols on Kyle’s chest and biceps. “These will call in your animal guides. Now, go to the forest and seek them.”

  Kyle stepped outside. The warm night embraced him. He gazed at the moonlit forest, trying to remember why it scared him. The tree limbs were perfectly still now and made him think of wise old men—the elders of the land watching over the village.

  “What are my animal guides?” Kyle asked the trees.

  The pine branches rustled. Thundering hooves echoed through the woods. He turned as a herd of elk entered the village. At least two dozen stout beasts. Several had broad antlers. As they surrounded Kyle, brushing up against him, he petted their fur. His intuition told him another time, hundreds of years ago, they had been his kin.

  * * *

  After Eric fell asleep, Jessica poured herself a glass of red wine and retreated to the cabin’s balcony and peered through her telescope, but her mind was too distracted to search for constellations.

  She stared at the engagement ring on her finger. A red ruby heart. The ring was a little too tight and constricted her finger. Eric and I are engaged. It all happened so fast. She had hoped that Eric would propose one day. And for the past year she had longed to hear him say that he loved her. Now that her two wishes had come true, Jessica felt like something wasn’t right. She should be floating on air right now, giddy as the first time they kissed. What was wrong with her?

  She sighed and sipped her wine.

  The sound of running hooves disrupted her thoughts. She noticed deer gathering on the road at the center of the village. Her heart soared at the chance to see wildlife. She turned her telescope and peered into it. There was enough moonlight to make out the shapes of elk. And then she spotted Kyle standing in the center of the herd.

  Jessica gasped.

  He was shirtless, petting the elk. Then the herd ran off into the forest, and Kyle vanished along with them.

  * * *

  Kyle raced among the elk, feeling alive and fearless. He weaved in between the pines, running at an impossible speed. The bulls bellowed and snorted. The many cows rubbed their furry flanks against him as they passed. Their heavy musk filled Kyle’s nostrils. The herd led him down to the pond and stopped to drink. The surface was dark and glassy, reflecting the moon and stars. Frogs croaked. The forest sang with the chorus of cicadas and crickets.

  The elk faced Kyle. He sensed that his father had run with this very herd on his vision quest. They shared the same animal spirit. The lead elk walked over and snorted. Kyle petted its forehead, staring into the eyes of a soul that he intuitively knew had once belonged to a great chief. As Kyle touched its massive antlers, he felt energy transferring into him, making him stronger, connecting him with his lineage. Images flashed through his mind of Cree warriors battling a beast in these woods over a century ago. Their death cries echoed inside his head, as their bodies were torn apart. Kyle pulled his hand away from the antler and the visions stopped.

  The chief elk turned its head, snorted and stomped its hoof.

  Animal grunts, like a pack of wild hogs, resonated from the forest.

  The elk scattered.

  Tree branches cracked. Something was coming.

  Kyle dove into the pond, plunging into cold water. He swam to the large boulder in the center and climbed to the top, shaking.

  At the shadowy edges of the pines, a dozen dark figures surrounded the pond. They were too far away to make out much detail. Their faces were pitch-black. A strange hum resonated from their throats. Kyle felt them probing his mind, digging up memories long buried. He remembered seeing one of them before, when he was six. He had been walking along the village road by himself on a summer night. A thing that looked like a tall black scarecrow with stalk-like arms and legs had stood outside the village. Its long, claw-tipped finger had beckoned him to step into the woods. He had screamed and run all the way home. None of his family had believed what he’d seen. His mother had scorned him for speaking of such evils. He wouldn’t go into the woods alone after that. Whether the beast had been real or not, it had shown up in his nightmares, compelling him to write his horrors into books.

  Now several of those creatures were moving through the trees like wolves circling their prey. A malignant hatred radiated from them. Kyle got a sense that if the things could reach him, they would tear him apart. But for some reason they didn’t come into the pond. One of them came to the water’s edge. Its face rippled into his stepfather’s, but with dark skin. It spoke in Blake Nelson’s voice, “You think you can hide from me, you little sinner? I’ll tan your hide if I ever catch you drawing demons again.”

  Kyle felt like a ten-year-old child again, hiding in the closet as Blake searched the house with a belt in his hand.

  Another of the creatures spoke in Eric’s voice, “I found him, Dad,” and Kyle remembered the terror of seeing Eric holding open the closet door as Blake ripped Kyle from his hiding place. The creatures mimicked the sounds of a belt whipping and a child crying.

  They’re just hallucinations. Demons from my twisted imagination. “You’re not real!” he yelled at them. He remembered Grandfather’s words. Whatever you see out here, keep your thoughts positive. Focus on someone you love.

  He closed his eyes and focused on his late wife. The time he felt most in love was on their honeymoon on Maui. He saw Stephanie talking and laughing as they drove the winding, curving road to Hana. But the memory wasn’t working, because now the things were scratching at his brain, pulling up the tragic times. From across the pond Stephanie’s voice said, “You should have died with
me.”

  Don’t let them get to you. Keep your thoughts positive.

  He pictured Jessica’s face—her blue eyes, the freckles on her nose, her Australian accent, the way her cheeks crinkled when she laughed. Stephanie was nothing but an angry ghost from his past, but Jessica was real. He imagined dating her, kissing her, making love to her. The feelings in his heart expanded outward like a cosmic wave.

  When Kyle opened his eyes the beasts from his nightmares were gone.