Why would you come back...?

ｗ𝓱ץ ๔Į𝓭ή'𝓉 𝐘συ Řⓤ𝓝? เ 丅Øℓ∂ ү๏Ｕ 𝕥𝕆 ｒ𝐔ᶰ. 𝐢𝐓'ѕ σvẸŘ 𝐓卄𝕚ѕ 丨ˢ 𝓨σ𝓾𝐑 Ŧ卂𝐔𝐋т. 𝕚 ｔｏㄥᗪ 𝐘όỮ ภⓔ𝕍ＥŘ 丅𝔬 𝕣ｅｔỮʳᑎ. 𝐭ｈ𝕖ү 𝐤几σώ ㄚ0Ǘℝ ᔕ𝓬𝕖𝓃𝕋 The cold crept under her skin and seeped into her bones as she wandered blindly through the violent snowstorm. The soles of her feet were bloody and raw, the freezing rocks beneath her feet scraping her delicate skin. She had taken this trail weeks ago, when the first traces of winter began to materialise in the air. As the woman walked past the gate, a slip of paper caught her eye. "Yₒᵤ ₐᵣₑ ᵢₙ dₐₙgₑᵣ. ₜₕₑ WêñÐïgð ᵣₒₐₘₛ ᵢₙ wᵢₙₜₑᵣ. ₛₕₒᵤₗd yₒᵤ wᵢₛₕ ₜₒ ₑₙₜₑᵣ ᵢ bₑg ₜₕₐₜ yₒᵤ ₕₑₑd ₘy ₘₑₛₛₐgₑ.

₁ᵢf fₒᵤₙd, ₜₕₑ WêñÐïg0 wᵢₗₗ ₙₒₜ ₛₕₒw yₒᵤ ₘₑᵣcy. Dₒ ₙₒₜ bₑg. ᵢₜ ᵢₛ ₐₙ ₐₙᵢₘₐₗ. ₜₕₑᵣₑ ᵢₛ ₙₒ ₑₘₚₐₜₕy ᵢₙ ₜₕₑ ₘᵢₙd ₒf ₐ ₚᵣₑdᵢₜₒᵣ.

₂ ᵤₙₗₑₛₛ yₒᵤ ₐᵣₑ ₜₒₗd ₒfₜₕₑᵣwᵢₛₑ, wₐₗₖ ₛₗₒwₗy. Yₒᵤ cₐₙₙₒₜ ₑₛcₐₚₑ ₜₕₑWêñÐïgð bᵤₜ yₒᵤ cₐₙ ₐᵥₒᵢd ₕᵢₘ.

₂ₐ ᵢf yₒᵤ ₐₗₑᵣₜ ₕᵢₘ, ₗᵢₑ fₐcₑ dₒwₙ ₒₙ ₜₕₑ ₚₐₜₕ ₐₙd ₕₒₗd yₒᵤᵣ bᵣₑₐₜₕ. ₕᵢₛ ᵥᵢₛᵢₒₙ ᵢₛ wₑₐₖ bᵤₜ ₕₑ cₐₙ ₕₑₐᵣ yₒᵤ fᵣₒₘ ₘᵢₗₑₛ ₐwₐy.

₃ ₗₑₐᵥₑ ₙₒ bₑₗₒₙgᵢₙgₛ ᵢₙ ₜₕₑₛₑ wₒₒdₛ. ₕₑ cₐₙ ₛₘₑₗₗ yₒᵤ ₐₙd ₕₑ wᵢₗₗ bₑcₒₘₑ ₒbₛₑₛₛₑd. ₜₕₑ WêñÐïgð dₒₑₛₙ'ₜ ₗᵢₖₑ ₚₑₒₚₗₑ ₑₛcₐₚᵢₙg.

₄ ₛₕₒᵤₗd yₒᵤ cₕₒₒₛₑ ₜₒ ₑₙₜₑᵣ, ₗₑₐᵥₑ yₒᵤᵣ ₚₕₒₙₑ ₕₑᵣₑ. ᵢf ᵢₜ ᵣᵢₙgₛ ₕₑ Wᵢₗₗ fᵢₙd yₒᵤ. ₜₕₑ ₜᵣₐᵢₗ wᵢₗₗ ₗₒₒₚ ₐᵣₒᵤₙd ₑᵥₑₙₜᵤₐₗₗy ₐₙd yₒᵤᵣ ₚₕₒₙₑ wᵢₗₗ bₑ ₛₐfₑ.

₅ ᵢf yₒᵤ wₐₙₜ ₜₒ ₗₑₐᵥₑ ₛₜₒₚ ᵣₑₐdᵢₙg ᵢₘₘₑdᵢₐₜₑₗy ₐₙd ₙₑᵥₑᵣ cₒₘₑ bₐcₖ. ₕₑ ₕₐₛ yₒᵤᵣ ₛcₑₙₜ." She ran.

Over the following weeks, Anna had become obsessed with the idea of this 'WêñÐïgð'. She was tormented by questions and dreams about that trail. But now, as she stood before the gate, every nerve in her body screamed and begged for her to run. There was another note, " Yₒᵤ bᵣₒₖₑ ₜₕₑ ᵣᵤₗₑₛ. Wₕy? WₕY WₒᵤₗD Yₒᵤ ᵣₑₜᵤᵣₙ?" Soft heart beat began to quicken as she looked behind her. Where did the path go? The trees seemed to wind together, forming a barrier between Anna and the exit, forcing her towards the deepest depths of the woods as the storm grew stronger. Leaves crunched underfoot as tears began to form in her eyes. She shivered violently, her shakey fingers pressing the numbers '911'. She held her phone to her ear, choking on the sobs she was holding back, "Hello?" A screech came from the other end of the line. A horrible, agonised screech. She hung up, tossing the phone far from the trail. "It's rude to hang up on people," a voice whispered in her ear. "no... NO NO NO," she screamed, "GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" The voice chuckled, a deep, hoarse chuckle that crawled it's way into her soul. "I think we have unfinished business, walk into the woods," he urged. "I don't want to," she wimpered. "Walk into the woods," his voice was warm and inviting. A welcome contrast to the bitter cold that surrounded her. Her sobs grew louder as her legs carried her towards the voice. As she approached the figure standing before her, her anxiety became stronger, choking her. Her eyes fell upon the skull of the beast. It's shredded skin was stretched across the bone, patches of fur dotted irregularly across it's body. The limbs of the beast were bent to unnatural angles, elongated until they popped out of their sockets. It's antlers and teeth held the remnants of it's past victims. The beast loomed over her, it's mouth stretching into a grim smile. "No..." she sobbed. "Yes," he whispered.