Sometimes, the absolute silence of the forest roads can be more intimidating than the noise of wild animals. But how would you feel if, after merging with this profound stillness, you heard the voices from the past - the voices you no longer wished to hear?
After a long and merry night, with many bottles drunk in a circle of respectable people, I was returning home. The road to my cozy and beloved home ran from a neighbouring village along a forest road.
In the first few minutes of the trip, I anxiously replayed every detail of my interaction, wondering whether I had left the wrong impression. I laughed at all their jokes and tried to be as responsive as possible. I struggled to recall if I had said anything inappropriate to the city delegation. Yet, something unexpected interrupted my thoughts.
I caught myself thinking that I could hear nothing but my own footsteps. It felt as though every sound had been stolen by something from the starry night sky. This realization sent a wave of nervous panic through me. Imagine how you would feel if every familiar sound of the night - like the calm singing of leaves with the wind and crickets - suddenly disappeared. And then, you realize you don’t know where you are.
Suddenly, a voice that sounded like my mother’s whispered, “Don’t you dare turn around, just keep walking”. I felt terrified and confused, but at the same time, a strange delight filled me, as I hadn’t seen my mother in over eight years. The last time I saw her, she was struggling with a serious health problem. Disoriented, I began to turn slowly, but a piercing squeak of 'DON’T TURN AROUND' froze me in place.
“She was healthy before I tried to poison her. I tried to kill my own mother. Why did I even think of that?” Tears began to flow uncontrollably. “But why didn’t she want to give me the family ring? I could have sold it for so much money - enough to avoid working for years. If anyone was to blame, it was her. Yet, I forgave her for her weakness.”
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Wiping away my tears, I turned angrily and muttered, “She had no right to bother me,” and continued down the path. But the path was different from what it always had been. How would you feel if the road you’d walked home a million times suddenly led you somewhere else? I found myself in an unfamiliar forest. Panic overwhelmed me, I screamed for what felt like forever and suddenly realized I was on my knees. And again, I heard another familiar voice from the past.
The smell of burning began to fill the space. Along with the voice, I started hearing the crackling of burning wood. Gradually, the whispered words became clearer: “It was a fiery joke, it was a fiery joke…” The voice repeated the phrase over and over. And then everything around me began to burn, consumed by the loud words about the “fiery joke.”
“Yes, I did this, but… but you had to understand that I didn’t want to burn you. It was just a joke for a new company. I simply wanted to be the cool guy that everyone loved. You’ve known me since childhood, so you should understand, I didn’t want to hurt you. It was an accident, I’m sorry.”
The echoes of past screams clashed violently with the fire’s relentless song, each desperate to drown the other out. The fire, beyond its crackling song, consumed everything around me. Yet, I didn't feel the heat - I was only burned by fear and shame for my actions.
Amid the cacophony of sounds, I heard: “We told you before not to turn around, but you never listen to those close to you. You only pay attention to the rich or those who benefit you. Let yourself burn, just burn away.”
The next thing I remember is standing at the door of my house. What happened to me? I don’t know. I also don’t know if everything I just told is true, but after that day, I stopped drinking, my hair turned grey, and I never turned around again.
