The Whispering Face in the Forest
It was a cold autumn evening when Arif decided to take a shortcut through Blackwood Forest. The villagers always warned him about that place. They said the forest had a face — not a person, not an animal — but something that watched from the dark.
Arif didn't believe in ghosts.
The deeper he walked into the forest, the quieter it became. No birds. No wind. Even the sound of his footsteps felt swallowed by the thick carpet of fallen leaves.
Then he heard it.
A whisper.
At first, it sounded like the wind brushing past his ears. But the trees were still. The whisper grew clearer.
"Why are you here...?"
Arif froze.
His heartbeat pounded in his chest. He slowly turned around, but there was nothing behind him. Just tall, twisted trees stretching endlessly into darkness.
Suddenly, a faint glow appeared between two trees ahead.
It looked like a face.
Not fully human. Not fully shadow. Pale, floating, with hollow eyes that seemed deeper than the night itself. The mouth stretched into a thin, unnatural smile.
Arif tried to run, but his legs wouldn't move.
The face drifted closer without touching the ground. The air grew colder, and his breath turned into mist. The whisper surrounded him from every direction.
"You didn't listen…"
The trees began to creak, bending inward as if watching. The glowing face came inches from his own. Its eyes reflected not his body — but his fear.
Then everything went dark.
The next morning, villagers found Arif standing at the edge of the forest. Silent. Pale. His eyes wide open.
He never spoke again.
And sometimes, late at night, if you walk near Blackwood Forest, you might see two glowing eyes watching from between the trees.