Page 65 of London
“You needed rest.” He reached out, took her hand and kissed it. “We’ll figure this out, don’t worry. Let’s see… We can go back, or we can drive on. The latter might not be the smartest move. The road’s gotten pretty narrow and could well be a dead-end.”
Linda looked around curiously.
“Have you ever seen such tall, majestic trees? Look at the size of that branch. Imagine what I could carve in it.”
Gerard could understand her fascination. It truly was a remarkable, if somewhat intimidating, place and for someone who sculpted from wood, it would be like turning a kid loose in a candy shop.
“This place is gorgeous,” she said, spreading her arms and twirling around. “It’s the most unusual place I’ve ever seen. Since we aren’t that far from the main road, can we walk in a little further and take a quick look around?”
“I don’t know if that’s wise.” Reluctantly, he stepped around the car to join her. “I don’t know what kind of wild animals they have around here. I’m really not in the mood to meet a bear or a wolf—or something worse.”
“Like a werewolf?” she whispered tauntingly, then laughed. “You laughed at me for allowing an old lady to frighten me yesterday, and now you’re afraid of a few trees?” Taking his hand, she dragged him into the shadows. “Come on, it’s broad daylight. The sun is up there, just behind those clouds, even though you can’t tell that from here. Besides, this place must be popular with the tourists. Someone’s bound to come along, and we can ask for directions.” She stopped talking and grinned. “Park the Jeep across the road, so that no one can pass. That way any driver has to stop. They’ll honk, and we’ll hurry back.”
“There’s an idea.”
He patted her butt, then got in behind the wheel and did what she suggested, parking the car perpendicular to the road. When he returned, Linda clasped his hand and led him deeper into the forest.
Chapter Seventeen
There was something about the forest that Linda couldn’t explain. At first, the trees were perfectly aligned, straighter than army soldiers standing at attention. As she and Gerard moved deeper into the woods, the light dimmed further. Not even the boldest sunrays could sneak through the thick leaves. The tree trunks were contorted into bizarre shapes, bent and twisted like giant snakes, or the bodies of imaginary dragons. Some were almost arcs. What could possibly cause such a phenomenon?
The rain that had held off now fell as a fine mist lending the setting a surreal quality, both eerie and enchanting.
Linda’s eager enthusiasm turned to wary caution. Strangely she senses she and Gerard were intruders here. What she’d considered magical and beautiful, suddenly felt alien and hostile. It was as if she’d defied hallowed ground. They didn’t belong here. No human did.
Looking around, she could see no traces of past hikers—no dropped candy wrapper, no broken twigs, no footsteps on ground that looked untouched for centuries. With each step they took, the canopy over them seemed to grow thicker, the light dimmer. Goosebumps raced along her skin, and Linda shivered.
“I think we should go back,” Gerard whispered.
His voice sounded loud in the silence and Linda hesitated to answer, afraid to further disturb the quietude by speaking even in a hushed tone. It occurred to her that the trees and vegetation surrounding them were alive—too alive to be left alone and forgotten.
“You’re right,” she answered her voice too soft to even be a whisper. “Let me take some pictures first. This forest is so strange and beautiful… Not that I could ever forget it. These phantasmagorical shapes would make awesome jewelry designs. I might even try my hand at sculpting them.”
She lifted the camera she wore on a strap around her neck and started taking shots, moving around to get different angles. She’d taken at least two dozen pictures when she heard Gerard gasp.
“Is that a light?”
“Where? I can’t see anything.”
“Over to the left, behind the arched trees.”
Linda moved the way he’d instructed. Sure enough, a faint light glowed in the distance.
“It is! Let’s head that way. Maybe it’s a house, and someone can give us directions to Bucharest.”
Gerard stared at the light.
“No.”
Linda turned to him, puzzled. “No? Why not?”
“Think about it. A house in the middle of a forest? Maybe it’s something else entirely.”
“Like what?”
“Like a gypsy encampment or a serial killer’s hideout,” he snapped. “You claim that old gypsy spoke to you. Are you keen on seeing her again? I don’t suppose that thought crossed your mind, did it?”
“Sure, and it could be the house of sweets from Hansel and Gretel, or a witch’s cabin,” she replied in the same sarcastic tone. “I’m not a moron, Gerard. You’re right. It probably isn’t smart to go any farther.”
