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

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

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Proceeding, I climb onto a trunk to overcome it:

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“You should never climb tree trunks in the woods; Miss Robinson always tells us, but as usual, you don't pay attention when she talks!” said Thomas in an alarmed voice. 

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“Calm yourself; no need for alarm. What do you think may 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!”

“Okay, okay, but calm down now. You can see for yourself that absolutely nothing happened. 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.”

“Okay, okay, I see your point. Don't worry, it will not happen again.”

​

After a while, my belly started making loud noises:

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“Does anyone else want to eat something right now? 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, of course not!”

“Then you should avoid eating them. Of course, going into the woods with you is really risky; you never listened to Miss Robinson's lectures, right? It's one thing she repeats most often.”

“But I'm hungry, what should I do?”

“Eat the food within the bags.”

“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 entire trip like this.”

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

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“We have to cross this river.”

“Seriously? Why?”

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

“And how do we cross it?”

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Klaus points to a spot on the shore close to us. In a place where the ground becomes unstable, the siblings come across a footbridge suspended over a disquieting river.

The bridge seems too precarious for two children like us.

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“Is there not another way?”

“There's another way, but it's longer. Reaching the witch promptly requires no alternative.”

“But we can fall into that disgusting water!”

“And die!”

“Don't worry, you'll not die here. Now, follow me.”

​

Saying this, Rupert crossed the bridge:

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“Hurry, this is taking too long.”

“Easy for you to say; you are smaller than us and lighter.”

“But I'm bigger than a normal mouse.”

“I passed too.”

“Of course, you are a shadow; you have no weight!”

“To my knowledge, this is the only method to proceed and reach the witch's dwelling fast. 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.”

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With courage, I reach the other bank, but Thomas proceeds more slowly, and I realise he is being left behind. A powerful wind blows, making the bridge wobble, almost collapsing under his feet. Thomas clings with all his strength to the part of the bridge that it's still intact, but terror paralyzes him.

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“Come on, Tommy, you can do it; you are so close now!”

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Seeing this, Klaus goes back across the bridge, taking Tommy's bag with the offerings for the witch:

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“It should be easier without the bag.”

“Come on, Tommy, take my hand!”

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Part of the bridge breaks, and we have to be cautious not to fall. Anxiety grips me; he shows stark terror facing the water, an unwise reaction.

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“Don't look down!”

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The bridge lurched as we attempted to cross it. We must work together to maintain our balance. I felt nauseous, but one step at a time, we reached the other side of the river.

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“There's no reflection; I can't see my face in the water, why?” said Thomas, confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“Please, Daisy, look at 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.”

“Hurry and follow me this way!”

​

Although I was trying to hide it, I am shaking from shock now. This journey proved more dangerous than expected. My head is spinning, and I struggle to stay on my feet. At the first step, I fall to my knees and start crying.

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“Hey, little lady, what happened?”

“Have you noticed that we almost died?” A dramatic tremor filled my voice. “I pretend to be brave, but I am just a scared kid, and I don't know if I can take one more step.”

“You're brave, little lady, and you shouldn't give up.”

“Look at me, Klaus; I'm here, shaking in fear and crying right in front of you.”

“Being brave doesn't mean never being afraid, but to overcome your fear.”

“Consider prior incidents, Daisy, as examples. Look at my hands; I'm trembling too, and fear paralyzed me on the bridge. You too were frightened, but you had the strength to overcome it and help me cross it.”

“He's right, and now you have to recall your last energy to continue this voyage. I understand how you feel, but we are very close. Don't you 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're right.”

“And we can do it together.”

​

Saying this, Thomas sat next to me:

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

​

Klaus agrees, resting his hand on my shoulder. Thanks to the help of my friends, after a while, I calmed down and was ready to go.

​

“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 appears, as if trying to hide something. I can almost sense it clinging to my ankles. I’m colder now, and I'm tired because it feels like we've been walking for an hour.

​

“Hey, Klaus, how much have we been walking since we met?”

“Just five minutes.”

“It's impossible; I think we have been walking for an hour.”

“Time appears to play tricks in this forest, for this I only trust my clock.”

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

“Wow, apparently you're ‌good at math,” says Thomas with a mocking smile plastered on his face.

“Indeed, Miss Robinson often complimented me for that, yet I'm not geeky like you.”

​

A distinct sound resembling snorting has reached my ears; Klaus is a little tired of our bickering.

​

“I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it isn't so simple. Time doesn't move at a steady pace here. Therefore, my clock follows the time of the world outside the forest.”

“This means that we still have one hour to find the witch's location!”

​

A profound sense of sadness has settled upon me, casting a shadow over my current emotional state. Can we find the witch proceeding at this rate? The mouse sounds as if he has read my thoughts:

​

“Don't worry, little lady, I have a special compass that always tells me where the witch is. Plus, my experience taught me that when time seems to slow down, it means we are on the right path.”

“You mean the closer we get to the witch, the slower it gets? Wouldn't that imply missing the arrival time?” I said, with a touch of frustration in my voice.

“I've never said that; think of it like a sort of distorted sensory perception that occurs within a certain radius of the witch's position.”

“Can you explain what you mean by that?” 

“I think that a sense of fatigue creates the illusion of walking for hours, rather than an effective change of time.”

“But why does it happen?” 

“I don't know the answer to your question, yet the phenomenon is probably a consequence of the witch's spell.”

“I see your point, but why don't you seem so sure about it?”

“This is just a theory,” he seemed pissed off. “Still, I'm sure you will reach the witch in time, and that is the most important thing for you.”

​

As we navigate through the dense forest, an eerie darkness engulfs us. A shadow with empty eyes emerges from the dense forest. It approaches us with menace, and with every step, it appears to get bigger and darker. A shiver ran down my spine.

​

“Pay attention, children, it's dangerous!”

​

We are all trembling in fear now, and I’m ashamed of my lack of bravery. I always mock newbies because I don't want to show others my fears. I must confess that I'm feeling rather cowardly at this moment.

​

"Why did you enter this forest?"

​

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

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“We are orphans; looking for the wooden witch to exit the forest and see our parents again.”

“No wooden witch lives in this forest.”

“My friend is telling the truth; it is a magical wooden statue which can realise every desire.”

“We offer this food to the statue and tell her what we desire with all our hearts, and so our dreams will come true.”

​

The Shadow, at first hostile, shrinks, its voice gentler as it shares:

​

“If that is true, I can't let you go, unless you help me find her.”

“Why do you want to find her?”

“Let me tell you a story. I was a magnificent and powerful plant. My task was to protect this forest, but when those humans came to destroy it, I failed my mission and they cut me down. Now I am condemned to live in darkness. If only I could secure myself to another plant of its kind, but regrettably, mine stood alone in the entire forest.”

​

The story of the shadow moved me.

​

“How can we help it?”

“Even if the witch herself planted every tree in this forest,” the mouse says, “her power can't help a shadow, so…”

​

A flicker of enthusiasm lights up in Thomas' eyes:

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“There's the possibility that the tree's seed exists elsewhere within the witch's home. We can find them for you!”

“You don't know whether that is true.”

“You may have a point, but why not try to help this shadow?”

“It isn't nice to give false hope, even if you do it with the best intentions.”

"Should finding them prove even remotely possible, I desire to try," said the shadow. “I will come with you.”

“That's not what I meant…” Klaus says.

“Klaus, please, he needs our help to find peace. We can't abandon him.”

“Very well, then, let us depart,” he sighed. “Please come along with me.”

​

As we continue into the forest, the air becomes cold and gloomy. I can't help but think we're wasting a lot of time. We possess but an hour to locate the witch.

​

“How long before we reach the witch's house?”

“The road isn't lengthy, young lady.”

“We possess merely sixty minutes to locate the witch.”

“You both expressed a desire to aid the shadow, correct?”

“Indeed, yet her dwelling proved much more distant than expected.”

“Ignore the distance; don't you remember what I told you before? It's solely perception.”

​

Saying this, we finally reached the heart of the forest. To be candid, I must admit that I am quite surprised by this turn of events. The weeping willow is suffering, but it looks quite alive. It's the forest's only tree with leaves.

​

“This is the weeping tree!”

​

Crystal tears, which are sorrowful, adorn its heavy branches, and they create a sparkling effect by reflecting the faint moonlight. The effect is spectacular, but as soon as a breath of wind moves the branches, a pained howl emanates from the tree. This makes me melancholy, so I turn my gaze to the ground, trying to hold back the tears, but I soon notice something strange:

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“Please hold on for a second; I don't see any flowers nearby! Where do we find this Flower of Love?”

“Hurry, Daisy, look here!”

​

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

​

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

“I see a minor issue here; we aren't brothers, Thomas.”

“Don't you remember what Miss Robinson always says before the morning song?”

“All the children at the orphanage are our brothers and sisters.”

“Because…”

“We share the same house, and we care for each other.”

“And …”

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

​

As soon as we sing it, all the branches of the trees move. Frightened, we held each other, and we continued singing until we saw the trunk of the tree open, revealing a beautiful, bright pink flower.

​

“It's the Flower of Love,” we said together.

“Please handle this item with extreme caution, as it's quite delicate and prone to breaking,” said the mouse. “Give it to me; I have a special box for it.”

​

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

​

“What purpose does this flower serve you?” said the shadow.

“Hmm … It helps to find the house; it shines brighter when we get closer to it.”

​

This situation has caught me by surprise. What is the reason behind Klaus's deception? Does he lack faith in the shadows? Thomas and I exchanged perplexed glances, but we agreed not to speak, and then we proceeded to the house of the Wooden Witch.

On Halloween night, the worlds of the living and the dead merge. Tonight holds immense anticipation at the orphanage, as residents yearn for their parents' return. For the occasion, the new principal let us play a little game. On Halloween night, we must search 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.

Once, a witch lived in a forest, whose task was to protect the forest and the orphans from any adversity. Fearful villagers steered clear of the forest because of their terror of the witch.

However, one day the chief of the nearby village ordered the men to cut trees for resale. Trying to seal the forest, the witch cast a powerful spell that killed the intruders and cursed all the living beings inside it. The curse struck her too, and she became a wooden statue.

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

For countless years, my efforts to find her yielded no results. Rumour has it that the witch finds you rather than the reverse. I want to see my parents again, so I pray to her every night: “Oh, wooden witch, please find me.”

About a month ago, Thomas, a new orphan, arrived. He is still not used to the orphanage, and he's always 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've heard some kids talk about it. Why?”

“Well, you see, people claim that monsters and various creepy things haunt it.”

“Do you mean that there are actual monsters in the forest?”

“Indeed, and I suspect you fear entering that place.”

“I fear nothing; I'll enter without issue.”

“Let's make it more interesting and funny. If you can spend just one hour in that spooky forest at night, I will give you my entire stash of candy.”

“We have a deal, and you are going to owe me a lot of candy, Daisy.”

“We'll see about that tonight.”

​

I endured a full day of waiting. Clouds in the sky allow only a glimpse of the moon.

We always stand in two rows. Every five minutes, a pair of children took turns entering the forest. We must locate the witch and perform the offering within one hour. If we fail, we must do it again next year.

​

“Are you ready to enter?”

​

A noticeable tremor ran through Thomas's body.

​

“Oh, come on, Thomas, we haven't even entered the forest yet and you're already trembling with fear?”

“I'm not shaking because I'm scared; I feel just cold.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Could you please cease bothering Thomas, Daisy?”

​

Miss Robinson has always scared me. I don't understand why, given she's only yelled at me. Her dark, empty eyes, or raven hair, embellished with a branch featuring a skull and flowers, might mesmerise. Her slender figure, emphasised by her dark clothes, might be the reason. Or maybe her wheelchair announces her nightly dorm checks. No matter the outcome, current thought on this isn't required.

​

“May I have everyone's attention, please? Today, some of you will reunite with your parents, but remember this: you must cooperate with your partner to find the witch. Grab lanterns, food offerings, and seek the witch!”

​

Those words stirred fervour among the children. A thrill of excitement is rising from my bones, and I can't wait to delve into the forest to find the witch. Despite it, I'm a little scared; ever since I arrived here, the forest has been gloomy and bare. Returning from the forest each year leaves me bewildered, unable to recall much of the experience. I find it strange, yet I will try again this year.

​

We have reached the point where it's now our turn to proceed. As we enter the forest, an eerie silence blankets the surroundings. The air grows heavy with tension, and the trees loom like silent sentinels. Suddenly, we hear strange whispers and feel a presence lurking in the shadows.

A big mouse with three bloody eyes and 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't; it is too high!”

“You can climb onto my shoulders and grab that branch.”

“And you?”

“I know how to climb trees well. Now hurry and do as I say!”

“Please try to compose yourself and relax a bit. I want to help you find the witch. Do you still want to find her, right?” says the strange mouse.

I am too shocked to say anything. Are we talking to a mouse? What other oddities might this forest conceal?

Thomas hates mice; I know that because I scared him to death by putting a mouse under his bed. This time, however, seeing the mouse dressed in outer clothes and glasses, he looks more intrigued than frightened:

“Of course, please show us around, Mr …”

“Klaus, my name is Klaus.”

“How can you trust him so easily?”

“Do you think we have another choice? We don't know where to go, and he could save us time.”

​

The mouse sighs and starts walking. Then he cleared his throat before explaining:

​

“To escape the forest and see your parents, get the Flower of Love from the Weeping Tree at the forest's centre and give it to the Wooden Witch. Restless spirits, leftovers from avaricious men who once wanted to profit from the forest, now haunt it and dwell inside the witch's house. They try to prevent anyone from approaching her statue because they are afraid that, once awakened, she will destroy their souls forever.”