"Homecoming" by A.R. Crotty

Homecoming

by A.R. Crotty

“I think I see the cabin up ahead, just in time too!” Kora announced gleefully. The sun had begun to dip below the horizon. The soft mix of pink and orange faded quickly into indigo as she neared the clearing where the cabin sat. 

“It’s gorgeous, don’t you think?” Jarett replied, catching up to Kora and slipping an arm around her waist as they stopped at the edge of the open space. They stood together taking in the scenery around their home for the weekend. What seemed to be ancient trees, due to their enormous size, towered around them reaching towards the sky in the dwindling light while various ferns and sedges spiderwebbed across the ground on either side of the trail. The soft glow of a porch light beckoned to them after a long day of hiking, promising comfort and relaxation. This would be their first trip away together, and they both had been counting down the days.

“I have something to show you before we head in,” Jarett said. 

“But I’m starving! We’ve been walking all day, and I’m exhausted. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Kora groaned. 

“I used to visit this gigantic tree every time I stayed here as a kid. I swear you could fit a car through its trunk. The fireflies ignite it like a Christmas tree, and if we’re lucky, we may even see an owl. I promise it’s way more magical in the moonlight. It’s a short trip, come on,” Jarett grabbed Kora’s hand and led her towards the right side of the clearing as she sighed but reluctantly followed. They took a narrow deer trail heading into the foliage. The soft chatter of the woodland creatures and insects followed alongside them as they moved deeper into the forest, slowly losing sight of the cabin. A faint glow from the full moon taking to the sky illuminated the forest just enough for them to navigate the trail. 

“Jarett, how much further? You said this would be a short trip, it’s been almost half an hour,” Kora broke their silence, agitation seeping into her tone. 

“It’s right up here I can see the outline now, look,” he pointed ahead to a shadow that engulfed the entire treeline a couple hundred feet in the distance. Kora shivered as a chill filled the nighttime air. Jarett turned his head away and quickly wiped a line of sweat off his forehead. 

“You okay?” Kora asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just nervous since this is our first weekend together, and this tree brings back memories.” Jarett replied with a comforting smile, but his eyes told a different story. “We’re here, though. What do you think?” he said as they came to a stop. 

Directly in front of them stood a prehistoric tree. Even if they stood next to the trunk, their arms wouldn’t reach both sides. A hundred fireflies blinked through the branches, but they were engulfed by the enormity of the tree. Its branches extended in gnarled patterns covering the sky and ascending out of view. 

“Wow,” Kora whispered as she moved towards the looming tree in a trancelike state, the only sound in a forest that had fallen silent. She heard Jarett behind her. 

“Turn around, let me get a picture,” he said, starting to dig through his bag. As she started to turn, the sound of wood splitting and cracking filled the dense silence. Branches shot down towards Kora and snaked around her limbs, hoisting her into the air. Before she could let out a scream, one of them curved over her mouth and began to tighten. Jarett dropped his bag as he approached, a blade glinted at his side in the faint light. 

“I really am sorry, but I have to do this, for Lily. They promised she would get better, they only wanted to feed in return. She won’t be terminal anymore. She can go into remission. I won’t have to lose her.” His face was void of emotion as his features went cold. He stood in front of Kora and raised the dagger over her heart. She whimpered while the branch continued to constrict,  her lips being forced apart with a snap as her jaw shattered. “Atria, take this offering. My end of the deal has been fulfilled,” he announced. 

The groaning of wood gave way to a deep, earthy laughter that echoed through the woods. He moved to plunge the dagger into her chest, but it was ripped from his grasp as bark scraped through his hands. Roots pierced through the ground and encircled his feet, locking him in place. 

“Thank you for the offering, boy. Our Mother will be much happier here with us,” said the low, cryptic voice, “Our deal is over.” Jarett watched in horror as a sharp branch exploded through Kora’s chest. Blood bloomed across her shirt and leaked to the ground below. The branch spread through her frame puncturing holes throughout her body. New twigs formed, ripping through the blood and flesh in their way. “However, our Mother must be starving after such a long time away. She deserves to feast,” Atria’s voice came again. 

“This wasn’t our deal!” Jarett screamed. The blood drained from his face as he became unsteady on his feet, the roots wrapping around his legs his only support. 

“You didn’t bring us a meal, boy, you brought our Mother home,” Atria boomed as Kora’s body started to glow with sickly green veins while bark shredded through her skin, covering her form. “Maybe we’ll see Lily soon, too,” Atria laughed as roots and branches lashed out, tearing apart Jarett’s body and painting the forest floor a deep crimson. His head plopped to the ground, severed from his body, as more roots rose to absorb the nutrients he provided. A wicked grin began to etch its way across the Mother’s hardened face.

A final cry reverberated through the trees as the normal murmurs of the forest’s inhabitants returned, “Please no, Lily!”