Monstrous Woods

Monstrous Woods

By Ivaran Kealar

Chapter One

The sun shone down vibrantly this Monday morning. Just before the start of the summer holidays, the inhabitants of northern England had to endure the rain at a nearly biblical level.

A navy blue Ford Fiesta roared down the lonely road towards the Aphrodisia Woods. Within the car were three women from the University of Blaenau. The three ladies were Ríona MacGuire, Elena Pender and Zofia Pender. They were ready to de-stress.

Ríona, the driver, was 21 years old, five feet eleven, had dyed crimson hair and rocked a 32-DD bust. She wore a long-sleeved rust top, a pair of navy jeans, and burgundy converse trainers. Right now, her heart-shaped sunshades had protected her winter grey eyes.

Then there was 19-year-old Elena: she had short onyx hair, was five foot five, rocked a 30D cup and had lapis coloured eyes. She was currently wearing her leather jacket, a faded T-shirt, skinny charcoal jeans and black boots. She chilled in the passenger seat.

At last, there was Zofia - Elena's younger sister - who had turned 18 a couple of weeks ago. She was four foot eleven and had forest green eyes. She dyed her short hair blue, and she rocked a 36D cup. Right now, she wore a burgundy flannel shirt, a long maroon skirt and a pair of grey converse trainers. She sat in the backseat, quietly drawing in her sketchbook.

"Jesus Christ," Elena exhaled, "I am so fucking glad to be done with school for a bit!"

"Yeah, I don't blame you," returned Ríona, "I thought I was going to reach burnout!"

Elena turned around to face her kid sister. "Are you excited, sis?"

Zofia briefly looked up and responded with a small smile and a slight nod.

Elena grinned broadly. She quickly turned around to face the open road.

The Ford Fiesta drove down the open road and even passed a few photographers.

Zofia looked up and saw the photographers - she knitted that cute brow of hers.

Elena messed about with the car radio, and finally settled on the Metal Station. She sat back in her seat and briefly slapped her knees like an excited child on Christmas Day.

"So, Ray," Elena began, "Could you please tell us where we're heading to again?"

"We're heading to the cabin, which is in the heart of Aphrodisia Woods," returned Ríona. "I heard it's linked to some ancient mythology, and it might get the creative juices flowing."

"I don't want to do any work," Elena groaned, folding her arms. "My professor keeps bitching about how I need to apply myself, and that I won't make it as a musician!"

Ríona had a quick look. "Really...? You have, like, almost a million views on your videos!"

"I know, right?" Elena added. "Besides, I think my professor has it in for me. I mean, they bitch at me the most, and keep giving me the insane assignments to do."

"By the way, how long are we staying?" Elena asked.

"About a fortnight," returned Ríona.

"Sweet. I have plenty of time for mischief," giggled Elena.

Ríona smiled and laughed to herself.

Zofia continued working on the drawing of her sister. In her drawing, Elena played the bass, singing one of her iconic songs. She was the complete opposite of her sister - she preferred to be calm and unrecognized.

#

After crossing a rickety bridge, the Ford Fiesta drove into the Aphrodisia Woods.

Zofia briefly lifted her eyes and looked at the tall trees which overshadowed them. Her heart was beating fast in her rib cage, and she wanted to avoid looking at the big trees.

Elena was like a child at a carnival, and she looked up at the giants of the woods.

Finally, the car reached the cabin - and Ríona found a decent spot to park it.

The cabin in question looked like it had somehow withstood the test of time. According to the history books, it got built about 100 years ago - by the early colonists, who came here to avoid religious persecution. Many people who stayed here refurbished the premises. And now, it was open to rent - and for a cheap price.

The girls got out of the car, and they got their luggage from the boot.

Elena carried two bags with her - one of them was a suspicious black one.

Zofia carried a small suitcase - filled with a change of clothes and some art supplies.

Ríona carried a small suitcase - which had a change of clothes, pens, and notepads.

When they were ready, they walked up the creaky steps and stood on the patio.

Elena stole the attention of the other girls by screaming and banging her fist into the wall.

Elena groaned. She looked at her friends and said, "Sorry, I saw a little worm."

Zofia smiled slightly, while Ríona shook her head and uttered a heavy sigh.

At last, Ríona unlocked the cabin door - and they went into the cabin single file.

#

The living area of the cabin was well-furnished: there was a three-seat couch in here, as well as an armchair. The carpet was shag, there was a full bookshelf, and different doorways spilt into different areas of the cabin. The electricity worked and illuminated the place well. The place looked like someone freshened it up before the girls had arrived.

The girls marvelled at the interior of the cabin and smelt some pine.

Elena, Ríona and Zofia headed upstairs to their bedrooms to drop off their luggage.

#

Zofia was soon in her tidy little bedroom, and she soaked in her surroundings. She eventually got into a spacious room. Her privacy was no longer invaded.

Their bedrooms were in the same hallway, and had the necessities: such as big beds, chests of drawers, windows with amazing views, and also walk-in closets. They all had their own personal locks on their doors - in case the girls wanted a bit of privacy.

Zofia was the only one who had a desk in her room that faced the window. She imagined herself seated at her desk, spending hours on her art and looking at the forest.

Zofia began packing her stuff away, and she recognised the sound of her sister running downstairs. She beamed. She always wondered how her big sister got her energy.

Zofia found a photograph of her parents, and she breathed a weary sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she saw them and was afraid of bringing that subject up.

After she had finished packing, Zofia heard frantic footsteps heading to her room.

Elena popped her head in the room, and she hollered, "Sis! Come quick!"

Afterwards, Elena ran off. They could hear her rushing back downstairs again.

Zofia knitted her brow. She shrugged her slim shoulders. She left her room.

#

The three girls soon met in the living room, and they had moved the rug.

They saw what looked like a trapdoor - that had got opened.

"I found this after I finished dropping my crap off in my room," said Elena. She looked at her girls. "So? Which one of us gals is going to go down there?"

Zofia retreated backwards, and she soon hid behind Ríona.

Elena spoke, "Ríona? Want to give it a good look?"

Ríona exhaled. "Go on then... I'll brave the unknown."

With reluctance, Zofia let go - to allow Ríona to descend.

After a few minutes, Ríona uttered a loud cry.

Elena took Zofia's hand, and they went down the stairs together.

#

Elena and Zofia were in the creepy old basement, which was illuminated. It looked like the basement of a nobleman's house, right around the end of the 19th century.

Elena and Zofia went into the next room, and they found their friend, Ríona.

Ríona stood there, frozen in her place, groaning, and she could not help but tremble.

The ladies stood in what looked like an old puppet workshop: there were many puppets that dangled from the ceiling, while many of them were animals, a few were goblins. They looked absolutely monstrous - like they would come alive anytime.

"Oh, shit," Elena gasped, "there are some freaky-fucking puppets in this room!"

Zofia cuddled Ríona and helped escort her back upstairs to the main cabin.

Elena looked around in awe, soaking in the sights. She found many books on the occult and even saw some odd wall markings. There, right in the back, she saw something really peculiar: she saw what appeared to be a fading demonic eye with six flower petals. She caressed it with her fingertips, and a grin stretched across her face.

Once she left her trance, Elena left the cellar and went back upstairs.

Chapter Two

Elena and Ríona sat together on the big couch, while Ríona sat in the rocker. They had used their own hankies to wipe away the perspiration from their temples.

Not just had the young ladies finished storing their stuff, they'd likewise finished tidying up the lodge. They predominantly cleared the floors and emptied the kitchen's bin. They needed to ensure the cabin was unblemished before they needed to head back home.

"I'm exhausted," started Elena, "I need to sleep for the rest of today."

"Don't fall asleep, yet - there's still heaps of cool stuff we can do," said Ríona.

Elena arched her brow and grinned enchantingly. "Like, you and I have a great time?"

Zofia went cherry embarrassed, and she let out a low squeaking noise. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, and she at once took a gander at Ríona.

"No! No! No," sang Ríona, as she laughed anxiously. She shifted back and forth between taking a gander at Elena and Zofia. "We could do some climbing, go apple picking, and stuff that way. Elena, I'm kinda not prepared for that sort of stuff, you know?"

"Well, apple picking," Elena started, "we could do that. I need food."

Ríona checked her watch. "All things considered; it is drawing near to dinner time..." She took a gander at her companions. "... Do you want to help us prepare dinner?"

Zofia removed her hands from her mouth. She nodded and grinned excitedly.

The three young ladies got up and headed straight for the kitchen.

#

The kitchen of the lodge was quite comfortable: there was a refrigerator in here, various cabinets, and there were bunches of pots and plates.

The young ladies checked the cutlery drawers and were stunned to see they were full.

"I'm guessing the previous guests forgot to take their stuff," said Elena.

"Most of it hasn't got used, though - they probably got food away from a nearby town, or something," added Ríona, "Ah, well, let's hope they don't mind us using it."

Zofia said nothing. She focused on sorting out the ingredients for the chopping board. Now and again, she looked at her sister and best friend, and she smiled at them.

The young ladies heated some water and did some hacking. When the spaghetti and Bolognese were done, they took their plates to the dining area.

#

The dining area was next to the living room. There was a round table in here, blue striped wallpaper - like in the living room - and a soft carpet. This room had a beautiful view of the forest as well. Once again, like all the other rooms, the dining room was clean.

The girls sat in a circle - with their spaghetti dinners and their orange juice. Elena, however, was the odd one out - as she had her knife in the right hand, and a fork in the other.

The ladies ate with contentment, and now and again, they smiled at one another.

When they were done, they started having a conversation among themselves.

"So, this is going to sound strange," Elena said, "but what happened to the others?"

Zofia looked at her with concern, and she looked at Ríona for her approval.

Ríona kept her gaze fixed on Elena, and she simply knitted her brow.

Elena continued, "When I packed up, I found a change of clothes in the closet - and most of the clothes hadn't were still fresh."

"I get you," added Ríona. "That's what happened to me, too. Also, when I checked my bed - it's one of those you can store stuff in here - I found a shit ton of B-movies."

"B-movies," Zofia whispered. She looked at Elena. "Like the kind you like?"

Elena grinned. "Probably... I'm hoping the films are the kind that was once banned. I swear, every time I hear the government ban a film, I want to watch it more than ever!"

"Getting back on topic," Ríona started, "why would the earlier people leave their stuff here? I mean, they'd probably miss their clothes and their VHS tapes, wouldn't they?"

Elena shrugged. "Perhaps they were eager to go home or something."

"... Or something awful happened," Zofia squeaked, "like in a horror film."

Elena laid a gentle hand on Zofia's shoulder. "Nothing bad happened to them, otherwise they would've reported it in the papers," she said soothingly. "Besides, horror films are bogus! We live in the real world, where monsters and such aren't real!"

Zofia smiled sweetly at her big sister, and she returned the embrace. "Thank you."

"Anyway, our best bet is to not get rid of the stuff, in case the previous tenants come back here," added Ríona. "Who knows? We could get together and make new friends."

Elena grinned, as she thought, 'Meeting new friends? Or some new sex buddies?'

Zofia looked at Elena's salacious smile. She knew she was being perverted.

"So, do you want to help us clean the dishes?" asked Ríona. "I don't mind helping you ladies cook, but I do mind if I do all the cleaning by myself."

"Okay, Mummy, Zofia and I are going to help you clean up," Elena joked.

Elena took her hand from her sister's shoulder and rose slowly.

Zofia nodded and smiled. She arose and collected her plate and empty glass.

#

The women were in the kitchen, wearing rubber gloves and doing the dishes. The three of them hummed as they cleaned - however, Zofia's humming was too quiet to hear.

"So, what are everybody's plans for today?" said Ríona, with a big smile on her face.

Elena grinned. "Well, I'll experiment with the sex toys I've brought with me."

Zofia flinched, while holding the dry plates with her striped cloth.

"Or you can come and pick apples with me," said Ríona. "Your idea sounds like fun, but I've heard that the woods have the brightest apples in the country."

"Okay, I'll go pick some apples," grumbled Elena. "But sometime this week, I want to have some fun with my sex toys - it's been ages since some hunk has shagged me senseless."

Ríona sighed. "Is that what you plan to do all summer?"

"Yep, beats being bored as fuck," said Elena. "And what about Ray? Any plans?"

"Me? I want to get some side-projects done as quickly as possible," said Ríona.

"Oh, and that sounds really, really boring," Elena groaned. "This is our holiday! None of us should work, ladies; we need to relax and play hard!"

Zofia and Ríona laughed at Elena's comment and shook their heads a bit.

Ríona looked at Zofia with a smirk. "And what are you going to do, chick?"

Zofia shrugged with a faint smile and murmured, "Art?"

Ríona beamed. "Cool. What do you have in mind?"

Once more, Zofia shrugged her shoulders and hummed.

Just then, Elena gasped hard, and squealed, "I know what you can do, sis!"

Zofia and Ríona looked at Elena, with their delicate eyebrows somewhat arched.

"Um, Elena, just to remind you - Zofia is not as adventurous as you," Ríona said.

Zofia's face reddened a little, and she briefly averted eye contact with both.

"No, I don't mean that," Elena grumbled. "I mean a project idea!"

Zofia stopped blushing, and she now looked at her sister with a curious smile.

Elena continued, "Sis, I've found this really weird symbol in the basement - it's beyond the puppet room - and it sort of looks like a demon eye with flower petals. It looks partially unfinished. I know a certain art girl who loves to finish art pieces."

Zofia beamed, "Sure. I'll get right on it when you go apple picking."

Elena squealed with delight. She took off her gloves and left the kitchen.

Zofia placed the last plate on the draining board and looked at Ríona for approval.

Ríona smiled. "Yes, Zofia, you can leave the kitchen because you're finished."

"Thank you," squeaked Zofia. She smiled at Ríona. She took off her rubber gloves.

Zofia carefully placed the gloves back in their drawer before she left the kitchen.

Ríona finally finished the cleaning, and she drained the sink of its water.

Afterwards, Ríona removed her rubber gloves and put them in their drawer.

Yet, she didn't leave the kitchen straight away. Ríona had a nagging feeling.

Chapter Three

Zofia was in the basement - with her art supplies - looking for the demon eye. His sister said there was a demon eye here that desperately needed to be painted. Wading through the puppet room was not a problem for her - the puppets never scared her.

Ríona and Elena had finally left the cabin to go out and do some apple-picking. Before they left, they made sure that Zofia was all right by herself, and she reassured them. The two ladies found a large basket - one more item left by earlier tenants.

Zofia had the cabin all to herself. In all honesty, she didn't want to. She felt much more confident when her best friend and sister brought her along. Ever since she was a little kid, she felt a lot safer when her big sister was by her side.

At the present time, Zofia was wearing her blue overalls - stained with earlier successful artistic projects. She wore special gloves, and a white bandana covered her hair.

Zofia was passionate about painting. She loved creating windows to new worlds.

Ever since she was a little kid, she had this blossoming talent that inspired others to pursue their own passion projects. She had impressed her teachers from primary school all the way to university. Hell, Zofia has even been in the papers and people all over in her home town know about her artwork. All her paintings had inspired other people.

Zofia still had her childlike curiosity. She also disliked the idea of an incomplete project. If she'd started a project, she made it her damnedest to finish it. She feared deadlines. Since she was a little girl, her guardians put her in her head to be meticulous.

Finally, after her long search, Zofia found the demon eye: it was exactly where Elena had told her. True to her word, it was this demonic eye that was surrounded by flower petals.

Zofia put her bottled water on a shelf. After moving boxes to clear her path, she knelt carefully and sat on her knees in the basement.

Using a small brush, Zofia mixed her paints, and she began painting the demon eye. Ever since she was a kid, she was quite meticulous and could colour within the lines.

The colours of the strange insignia faded over time - Zofia knew what to paint them. She hummed quietly to herself, as a wide smile stretched her delicate face.

There was something strangely hypnotizing about this demonic eye. It looked an expert artist had carved it, and it must've been here ever since they built this cabin. Sadly, Zofia wasn't much of a history buff, so she couldn't link it to any ancient tribes. Yet, she knew a girl at the University who could help her out with the history with it.

As she painted, Zofia could feel herself getting increasingly fascinated with the demon's eye. It was like she was falling under its hypnotic spell. She licked her upper lip as she painted, and her nostrils flared. An unfamiliar feeling flooded her body. She couldn't quite explain. It was something that made her sweaty, her heart race - but she felt exhilarated.

Then Zofia suddenly had this intrusive thought: she thought of herself lying naked in the woods. Her eyes were half closed, her little hands were clutching the wet grass, and her legs were moving back and forth. Her luscious lips were parted, and her whimpering moans escaped from the bottom of her lungs. Her hips even bucked and trembled. She could feel this prohibited feeling getting stronger and stronger in her body. It actually felt like there was a cock-like object thrusting almost endlessly in her wet virgin pussy. It was nothing she had ever tasted before. It made her feel good. She wished for more, and more, and more...