THE FOREST OF DECAY By Jessie Bryant
A creeping road lead her deeper and deeper into an unfamiliar place. It twisted like a single coil wrapped within an intricate design, and broke between the forest like an unwanted guest, with its jagged edges and narrow sides. Broad, lengthy trees outstretched their limbs over the road, capturing it from the night as it graced its opaque glow onto the earth. This road had been untraveled for sometime now; the vegetation from the bushes seeped out onto the asphalt, and enormous roots had begun to peak between some of the gravel, leaving the surface full of holes. And everything was silent-not even the wind dared to ruffle the leaves. She had yet to notice the silence, however, as she listened to the quiet music pouring from her stereo. The relaxing sound of some upbeat tune slightly helped ease her nerves as she traveled farther down the road. Somehow, she always found a way to get lost. Whether she blamed it on her poor sense of direction, or lack of common sense, she always found herself in these situations; driving around aimlessly, close to tears. On cue, frustration began to override her nervousness as the road stretched on and on, winding down and down. She had thought this road might have been a back route- a quicker way to get home from her dull, mind-numbing job. But that wasn’t the case. She had noticed the tiny, dark entrance to the road before, but never had an interest in checking it out. However, today, when an awful accident blocked her usual route, she thought she might give it a try. Regret filled her with each passing second. Eventually, her patience neared its peak, and she stopped. “Wasted five miles worth of gas for nothing,” she exhaled, as
