As we get deeper and deeper into the forest, we begin to see several trees on the ground, broken by the wind:

​

“This area of ​​the woods is very dangerous. There are often strong winds that knock down the less resistant trees.”

​

Proceeding, I climb onto a trunk to overcome it:

​

"What are you doing? - said Thomas in an alarmed voice - "You should never climb tree trunks in the woods, the teacher always tells us, but as usual, you don't pay attention when he talks!”

​

“Keep calm, what do you want to happen?”

“You don't know how long that tree has been there, the trunk could be rotten, and it may break together with your leg. It's just a matter of safety, you should be more careful!”

“Ok, ok, but calm down now. Nothing happened, see? I'm still in one piece.”

“You were lucky, but next time you might not be, so don't do it again or we'll miss our chance to reach the witch.”

"Don't worry, I understand.”

​

After a while, my belly started making loud noises:

​

“Is anyone else hungry? Seeing all these mushrooms and berries is making me a little hungry…”

"You're joking, right?”

“Why?”

“Are you a mushroom or berry expert?”

“No”

“Then it would be better not to eat them, you don't know if they can be poisonous. Of course, going into the woods with you is really risky; you never listened to Mr. Robinson's lectures, right? It's one of the things he repeats most often.”

“But I'm hungry, what should I do?”

“We have food in the bags; eat some of that.”

“But I can't, those are the offerings for the witch! I don't want her to get angry and stop me from seeing my parents.”

“Don't worry," Klaus intervenes, "she certainly won't get angry about something like that. Now stop arguing, we can't go the whole trip like this.”

​

We walk in silence for most of the trip, until we reach a river. The water is dark and denser than usual. It smells so badly that I am about to vomit.

​

“We have to cross this river.”

“Seriously? Why?”

“The witch's house is on the other side.”

“Fine. How do we cross it?”

​

Klaus points to a spot on the shore not far from us. In a place where the ground becomes unstable, the siblings come across a footbridge suspended over a disquieting river.

The shadow and the mouse cross it quickly, but the bridge seems unstable for two children like us:

​

“Is there not another way?”

“There is another way, but it is longer. If you desire to reach the witch in time, there are no other options.

“But we can fall into that disgusting water!”

“And die!”

“You will not die. Now, follow me.”

​

Saying this, Rupert quickly crossed the bridge:

​

“Come on, guys, we can't take a whole day.”

“Easy for you, you are smaller than us, and lighter.”

“But I'm bigger than a normal mouse.”

“I passed too.”

"Seriously? You are a shadow, you have no weight."

“In any case, as far as I know, this is the only way to pass and reach the witch's house in time. I know you two can do it!”

"Tommy, we have to be brave. Are you ready?"

"No, I’m not!"

“Okay, I'll go first.”

​

With courage, I manage to reach the other bank, but Thomas proceeds more slowly, and I realize that he is being left behind. A very strong wind begins to blow. The bridge begins to wobble dangerously, and I notice that it begins to give way. Thomas clings with all his strength to the part of the bridge that remains intact, but he is paralyzed with terror:

​

“Come on, Tommy, you can do it, it's not long now!”

​

Seeing this, Klaus goes back across the bridge, bringing Tommy's bag that contains the offerings for the witch:

​

“It should be easier without the bag.”​

“Come on, Tommy, take my hand!”

​

Part of the bridge breaks, and we have to be extremely careful not to fall. I am starting to feel anxious. He is now looking at the water; he is really scared.

​

“Do not look down!”

​

The bridge swings dangerously as we attempt to cross it. We must work together to maintain our balance. I feel nauseous, but one step at a time, we manage to reach the other side of the river.

​

“There is no reflection, I can not see my face in the water, why?” said Thomas, confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“Look in the river. Can you see your reflection?”

“No, but it's probably because the river is too dark and polluted.”

“Yeah, you are probably right.”

“Quik! This way!”

​

I am shaking from shock now. I was trying to hide it, but now it has become impossible for me. I did not think this adventure would become so dangerous. I feel dizzy and cold, and I struggle to stay on my feet. At the first step, I fall to my knees and start crying.

​

“Hey, little lady, what happened?”

“We were almost dying. I was not ready for that. I have always thought I could fake being brave until I truly become courageous enough to live every kind of adventure without fear and be someone others could rely on, but now this is becoming too dangerous, and I am afraid to continue.”

“You are brave, little lady.”

“What are you talking about? I am here, shaking in fear and crying right in front of you.”

“Being brave does not mean to never be afraid, but to overcome your fear.”

“Yes, Daisy, look at me. I am trembling too, but I was so scared that I was paralyzed on the bridge. You too were frightened, but you had the strength to overcome it and help me cross it.”

“He is right, and now you have to recall your last energy to continue this voyage. I know you are scared and tired, but we are so close. Do you not want to see your parents again?”

“Yes, I want.”

“And you also promised me to find the witch´s house. You all are my last hope to find my plant.”

“You are right.”

“And we can do it together.”

​

Saying this, Thomas sits next to me:

​

“Here, take some sweets and a bottle of water. We can rest for a couple of minutes; I need it too."

​

Rupert silently agrees, resting his hand on my shoulder.

​

After a while, I feel better:

​

“Thank you, Tommy, and thanks to all of you. I am ready to go now.”

With every step, the forest seems to grow thicker with these bare trees. A strange dark fog begins to appear, as if trying to hide something. I can almost feel it clinging to my ankles. I'm colder now, and I'm tired.

It feels like we have been walking for an hour:

"Hey Klaus, how much have we kept walking since we met?"

"Just five minutes"

"What? It's impossible, I feel like we have been walking for an hour"

"The time in the forest is different, for this reason I always have my clock with me"

"This means we could search for the witch for 12 hours inside the forest, right?"

"Wow, apparently you are good at math" says Thomas with a mocking smile plastered on his face. 

 “Yes” I say with an air of superiority “the teachers always praised me for that, but I am not a nerd like you”

I hear snorting. Klaus seems a little tired of our bickering:

"Unfortunately, it is not so simple. In fact, in this forest the time does not seem to be constant. Sometimes it runs faster and sometimes it runs slower than the time outside. For this reason, my clock follows the time of the outside world"

"So we still have an hour to find the witch!" 

I am sad, can we really find the witch proceeding at this rate? The mouse seems to have read my thoughts:

"Do not worry, little lady, I have a special compass that always tells me where the witch is. Furthermore, if time seems to slow down it means we are in the right direction."

“You mean the closer we get to the witch, the slower time gets? But doesn't that mean we'll never get there in time?”

“I have never said that! I have said that if the time seems to slow down, it means that we are in the right direction. The passage of time in this area is not tied to the distance traveled, nor can it be said that it slows down as one gets closer to the witch. It is just a sort of distorted sensory perception of time that occurs within a certain radius of the witch's position. In fact, if I look at the clock that displays time outside this sphere of influence, the time taken for the path we're taking is always the same. I do not believe that it is actually time that changes, but rather that one experiences a greater sense of fatigue within this radius from the statue, that makes us feel as if we have been walking for hours.”

“But why does it happen?”

“I do not know, but it is probably one of the side effects of the spell she casted that day”

“You do not seem sure about it”

“Do I look like a scientist to you? This is just my theory” he seems a bit pissed off “However the main point is that I am pretty sure that at this rate you can reach the witch in time”

As we navigate through the dense forest, we suddenly find ourselves surrounded by an eerie darkness. A shadow with empty eyes emerges from the dense forest. It approaches us menacingly, and with every step it seems to get bigger and darker. I feel a shiver run down my spine.

"Pay attention children, it is dangerous!"

We are all trembling in fear now. I am ashamed that I am not brave enough. I always make fun of newbies because I do not want to show others that I am actually scared. I am such a coward.

"Why did you enter this forest?" 

The shadow's voice is so thunderous and powerful that it leaves us petrified. We can not escape, so I try to find the courage to answer. In a faint voice, I say:

"We come from the orphanage, and we need to find the wooden witch to exit the forest and see our parents again"

"There is no wooden witch in this forest"

"My friend is saying the trueth, it is a magical wooden statue, which can realize every desire"

"We have to offer this food to the statue and to tell her what we desire with all of our hearts and so our dreams will become true"

The Shadow, initially hostile, become much smaller and with a softer voice begins to open up: 

"I see. If that is true, I can not let you go, unless you help me to find her.”

“Why do you want to find her?” 

“Let me tell you a story. I was tied to a magnificent and powerful plant once. My task was to protect this forest, but when those humans came to destroy the forest, I failed my mission and I was cut down. Now I am condemned to live in darkness. Dear me, if only I could tie myself to another plant of the same type! Unfortunately, mine was the only one in the entire forest!"

The story of the shadow moved me. 

"How can we help it?"

"Even if every tree in this forest was planted by the witch herself, - the mouse says - her power can not help a shadow, so…"

A flicker of enthusiasm lights up in Thomas' eyes:

"So maybe there is another seed of that tree in the witch's house. We can find them for you!" 

"We can not be sure about it, maybe there are no seeds in the house"

"You could be right, but why should we not try?"

"It is a bad thing to give false hope, even if you do it with the best intentions"

"If there is even the slightest chance of finding them, I want to try. - said the shadow - I will come with you"

"That is not what I meant.” says Klaus.

“Come on! He needs our help to find peace. We can not abandon him” 

“Ok, let's go. - he sighs - Follow me”.

As we continue into the forest the air becomes increasingly cold and gloomy. I can not help but think we're wasting a lot of time. We only have one hour to find the witch after all.

"How long before we reach the witch's house?"

"The road is not very long, young lady"

"But we only have one hour to find the witch"

“You two said you want to help the shadow, right?”

“Yes, but we did not think her house was so far”

"Do not worry, it is not that far. Remember what I told you about the time in this forest? It is just perception, we still can find her in time"

While he is saying this, we finally reach the heart of the forest. To be honest I am surprised. The weeping willow is suffering but it seems quite alive. It is the only tree in the entire forest that has leaves. 

"This is the Weeping Tree"

Its heavy branches are topped with sorrowful crystal tears that create a sparkling effect, reflecting the faint moonlight. The effect is spectacular, but as soon as a breath of wind moves the branches, a pained howl seems to emanate from the tree. This makes me sad and melancholy, so I turn my gaze to the ground, trying to hold back the tears, but I soon notice something strange:

"Wait a minute! There are no flowers nearby! Where are we supposed to find The Flower of Love?"

"Hurry up, Daisy, look here!"

I get closer to Thomas and I can now see he is cleaning a rock in front of the tree. There is an inscription engraved: 

"You will reach my heart if you sing a song with brotherly love". 

"I see a little issue here… We are not brothers, Thomas"

"Do you not remember what the matron always says before the morning song?"

"All the children at the orphanage are our brothers and sisters." 

"Because…"

"We share the same house. We care for each other" 

"And…"

"There is something that only we know. The orphanage song!"

As soon as we start to sing it, all the branches of the trees begin to move. Frightened, we hold each other and we continue singing until we see the trunk of the tree opened, revealing a beautiful bright pink flower.

“It is the Flower of Love” we said together. 

"Be careful, it is fragile! -said the mouse- give it to me, I have a special box for it"

I carefully pluck it from the inside of the tree to give it to Klaus.

"Why do you need this flower?" said the shadow. 

"Ehmm… It helps to find the house, it begins to shine brighter when we get closer to it"

I am surprised. Why is Klaus lying? Does he not fully trust the shadow? I look at Thomas and he is also perplexed, but we silently agree to not saying anything and so we proceed to the house of the Wooden Witch.

It is said that on Halloween night the worlds of the living and the dead merge. 

At the orphanage everyone waits anxiously for this night because they hope to see their parents again. 

For the occasion the new principal makes us play a little game. During Halloween night we have to look for the wooden statue of the first headmistress in the orphanage forest and leave food offerings for her. The orphans call her "the wooden witch" and everyone knows her legend.

A long time ago a witch lived in the forest. Her task was to protect the forest and the orphans from any adversity. Everyone in the village knew the witch and was afraid of her, which is why they did not dare approach the forest. 

One day, however, the village chief decided to gather all the men to cut down the trees in the forest in order to obtain wood to resell to the surrounding villages. In an attempt to seal the forest, the witch casted a powerful spell that killed all the living beings inside of it. She herself was struck by the curse and took the form of a wooden statue. 

On Halloween night the statue changes position every hour and this makes it difficult to find it. When you pay homage to the witch, she allows you to see your parents and leave the orphanage forever. 

I have been looking for her for many years without success. Some say that you do not find the witch but she finds you. I really want to see my parents again so I pray to her every night:

"Oh wooden witch, please find me."

About a month ago a new orphan, Thomas, arrived. He still has not gotten used to the orphanage and always seems scared. This will be his first Halloween night and I always love teasing newbies.

"Hey, Thomas, have you heard the spooky story about the forest behind the orphanage?"

"Um, yeah, I have heard some kids talk about it. Why?"

"Well, you see, they say it is haunted, filled with monsters and all sorts of creepy stuff"

"Monsters? Really?"

"Yep, and I bet you are too scared to go in there."

"I am not scared! I will go in, no problem"

"Oh, really? Well then, how about we make it interesting? If you can spend just one hour in that spooky forest at night, I will give you my entire stash of candy"

"Deal! You are going to owe me a lot of candy, Daisy"

"We will see about that tonight"

So I have patiently waited all day long, but it is night now and it is time to enter the forest. The moon can just be glimpsed in the cloud-covered sky.

As always we are arranged in two rows. Every five minutes, a pair of children takes turns entering the forest and we only had one hour to find the witch and make the offering, otherwise we would have to start again.

"Are you ready to enter?"

Thomas was trembling.

"Oh come on Thomas, we are not even inside and you are already shaking in fear?"

"I-I am not shaking in fear, I just feel cold"

"Yes, of course"

"Stop teasing Thomas, Daisy! You will never find the witch if you continue with this behavior” - the matron said in a stern tone- "She does not like bad girls.”

The matron has always scared me. I am not sure why, since she has never done anything to me other than yelling. Maybe it is her dark, empty eyes, or maybe it is her raven hair, which she wears with a strange accessory resembling a branch with a skull and flowers on it. Pheraps it is her slender figure, accentuated by her dark clothes, or her wheelchair, which I always hear creaking at night when she comes to check on the dorms. Either way, I do not know, and I do not want to think about it now.

“Now everyone listen! Today some of you will see their parents again, but you will have to work together with your partner to find the witch. So take the lanterns, take the bag with the food offerings, and look for the Witch!" 

At those words, a roar of excitement rises from the ranks, and as expected, the first two companions begin to enter. I feel nervous, I can not wait to delve into the forest to find the witch, but at the same time I admit I am a little scared. Ever since I arrived here, the forest has always been gloomy and bare; I have never seen a green leaf or an animal wandering happily through it. Furthermore, every year, after I return from the forest, my mind is so confused that I can not remember almost anything about the experience. I think it is strange, but that does not mean I will not try again this year.

Now is our turn. As we enter the forest, an eerie silence blankets the surroundings. The air grows heavy with tension, and the trees loom like silent sentinels. All of a sudden, we hear strange whispers and feel a presence lurking in the shadows.

A very big mouse with three bloody eyes and unnaturally long claws appears from the darkness. We remain silent, petrified with fear. 

I see his creepy eyes looking at me so I shout to Thomas:

"Run! Get up that tree!"

"I can not, it is too high!"

"I will help you! Come on, climb onto my shoulders and grab that branch"

"And you?"

"I know how to climb trees well. Now hurry up, do as I say!"

"Calm down! I am not an enemy. I want to help you to find the witch. Do you still want to find her, right?" says the strange mouse.

I am too shocked to say something. A talking mouse? What kind of other strange things can we find in this forest this year? 

Thomas hates mice, I know that because I scared him to death by putting a mouse under his bed. This time, however, probably because the mouse is wearing a jacket and glasses, he seems to find it more interesting than scary:

"O-of course! Please, show us around, Mr...."

"Klaus, my name is Klaus."

"How can you trust him so easily?"

"Do you have another idea? We don't know where to go, and he can save us time.”

The mouse sighs and clears his throat before starting to explain:

"To escape the forest and see your parents, you must find the Flower of Love, hidden within the Weeping Tree, located at the heart of the forest, and place it gently in the hands of the Wooden Witch. But many areas of the forest are now haunted by dangerous creatures and the restless spirits of those greedy men who once sought to exploit the woods for profit. They try to prevent anyone from approaching the witch, because they are afraid that if she is awakened, she will destroy their souls forever."