Day 344

I never knew there were woods so near my house - I found them by accident.
It is all too easy to take a wrong turn in a new neighbourhood.
Nobody had said this place was so close to nature.

I spent most of my free time there, just wandering around or sitting on one of the many benches.
Seriously, there were dozens of benches and all were dedicated to someone or a family.
I casually brought it up with a work acquaintance and they  grew pale, said I should get one too.

They never gave me a specific reason, only the name of someone who was the go-to person for these.
I called him up a while ago and he was very keen to get me a bench.
Apparently its some kind of tradition here, some local protection thing.

He told me several times during our conversation that I must never sit on my named bench.
It wouldn't cost me a penny too - the tradition states it has to be done "of good will" or something.
I'll admit I never looked too closely into it, I was just pleased to have my own named bench.

A month or so later I found it while on my routine stroll and it looked quite comfortable.
There was a letter placed neatly on one of the arms, addressed to me.
It said that under no circumstances was I to sit on the bench, I was to leave it be.

There was also some warning about how nobody but me would be responsible for the tragedies that
I would face should I ignore their message and sit there regardless.
Curiosity haunted me for days before I gave in and sat down.

Almost immediately I felt like I was being watched from everywhere, mainly right in front of me.
At first I couldn't see anything, focusing my vision around ground and eye level.
A flickering movement caught my eye and I looked up.

The branches above me, all interwoven, were now loose and swaying and prehensile.
Dozens of large amber eyes gazed down, a few jaws began to snap their sharp teeth.
No matter how far I've moved from that area, I can still see them watching me from high places.

They dart around my windows, howling to be let in, they never attack outside though.
Recently they've figured out how to get inside my flat.
They leave me "presents" sometimes, carving my name into small animals by my bedside.