In a small village surrounded by dense forest, the path that cuts through the forest is rarely travelled. The villagers believe it is haunted, especially at night. They whispered about black-haired women who appeared there, luring men only to lead them to an unknown fate.
That night, Rudi, a young farmer, was on his way home after collecting firewood in the forest. It was pitch black, only the sound of night insects filling the air. He carried a small lantern for light. The cold wind pierced his skin, making him zip up his shabby jacket.
As he stepped deeper into the path, Rudi began to feel something strange. The wind felt different-cold and jasmine-scented. He quickened his pace, but the sound of his own steps began to feel like an echo.
‘Knock... knock... knock...’
Rudi stopped. It wasn't an echo, but someone else's steps behind him. He turned around quickly, but there was nothing there, just darkness.
‘Who's there?’ he called out, trying to shake off the fear. There was no answer, only a deepening silence.
However, in the distance, he vaguely saw a figure standing in the centre of the street. The figure was dressed in a long white dress, her black hair flowing over her face.
‘Excuse me...’ the soft voice sounded, echoing in the night air.
Rudi was stunned. The woman didn't move, just stood still with her head slightly tilted. Although his heart was beating fast, curiosity overcame him. He stepped closer.
When she was only a few metres away, the woman raised a hand, pointing at him.
‘You shouldn't be here.’
Rudi's lantern light suddenly went out, leaving total darkness. He panicked, trying to relight it, but his hands were shaking violently. When the lantern reignited, the woman was standing right in front of him.
‘Go away!’ she snapped in a shrill voice.
Rudi stepped back, but his foot tripped over a tree root. As he fell, the woman approached with slow steps. Her hair was parted, revealing a pale face with burning red eyes.
‘Don't be afraid,’ she said with a sinister smile. ‘I just want a friend.’
As the woman approached, her thin hand reached out, almost touching Rudi. But suddenly, a loud noise came from the forest, like a broken twig stopping everything. The woman stopped, turning her head in the direction of the sound. In an instant, she was gone.
Rudi took the opportunity to get up and run as fast as he could. He ran relentlessly, the darkness seeming to swallow his path. But his steps halted when he realised that he was back in the same place-the path where the woman had stood.
The woman was now sitting on the ground, holding something in her hand. A human head with a face that seemed to be screaming in fear.
Rudi screamed in fear, but the woman just smiled as she said, ‘You're next.’
Unconsciously, Rudi tried to run again, but the path in front of him turned into a deep chasm that didn't exist before. There was no way out, only the sound of the woman's laughter echoing, getting louder, through Rudi's ears.
He closed his eyes, praying that it would all be over. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on the edge of a small bridge leading out of the forest. His breath caught, his body trembled.
He felt relieved, but when he looked back, he saw the woman standing on the bridge, waving with a cold smile. Her voice was a soft whisper, ‘You may go... for now.’
The next day, the villagers found Rudi on his doorstep, his body weak with a blank stare. When asked what happened, he only mumbled, ‘He's still waiting for me... in the forest...’