My stomach wouldn't stop grumbling throughout the night, but more over the hunger pangs were intense. I remembered long ago when I would crave a huge slice of pepperoni pizza and a fizzy soft drink. Now, all I needed was nourishment, something in my stomach to fill it.

And that nourishment came in the form of roots. The black vegetation that grew from the ground and made the land thrive in its unknown bitter sweetness. The best, sweetest and juiciest of this nutrient grew at the edge of the radius, and it required a long walk to get to.

Walking behind Lilac, I realized for the first time it was taking longer than the usual half hour, judging by the sky and the position of the moon and stars.

"We're close." Lilac maneuvered through the trees that occupied their position long before the incident, but grew taller, thicker, and stronger the days following. I used to question the ways of the newly grown forest, but now my thoughts were mostly on surviving. Living another day.

Living in this place had a way of making me forget my passions. Writing and singing, belting out made up lyrics in a sort of poetry that allowed me to express my deepest wants and fears. Now, the only words coming from my mouth and off my tongue were to the ghosts of Knoques hospital.

The trees became sparser and more spread out the closer to the edge we got. The trees grew and bloomed the most in the months following the incident, but the vines and roots behaved differently. Jutting out from the forest along the threshold, the new growth grew more moss-like as it thrived along the very edge. Like little black, delicate whiskers sprouting up from the earth.

Lilac immediately knelt and ripped the tangled baby vines from the soil, they snapped like juicy worms as he tugged and placed a handful into his mouth.

I did the same, dropping to my knees and tearing at the roots. After stuffing my mouth, I chewed vigorously before swallowing the sweet and tart pulp and continually scanned our surroundings for any threats or unwanted activity.

The barriers on this side consisted of six-foot chain linked fencing with black tarp against it. Some of the covering was ripped due to the sporadic roots and vines growing onto it and piercing through it, which allowed a good view beyond the fence and into the grassy area beyond.

Nothing but darkness stared back through the torn strips of plastic. Not even insects dare to step antennae, leg, or wing over the line of black growth. Still, so many were curious, which resulted in more and more academic scholars, theorists, doctors, scientists, and researchers visiting to investigate. Preferring to stay on the safe side of the line, not even the local police department stepped foot in these woods. They knew many perished in the incident, and after a couple years many remained missing, but to be cautious authorities decided to get a beat on what was happening before venturing inside.

Other times, those who believe to be bold and fearless broke all laws and restrictions to enter under the guise of night to take matters into their own hands. They tried to set fire to the forest on many occasions. With their torches lighting up their malicious facial expressions as they marched inward and onward, they put flame to tree and brush, but it was too moist and resistant to catch. I would even go as far to say that the forest was fireproof or fire retardant, using the overgrown leather-like coating on the trees as a protectant.

Even then, I knew those men were nothing more than cowards. Not one of them made it deep enough into the Scalded to land at Knoques' doorstep.

However, Lilac sure did and found me.

With a mouthful of roots and their juicy nectar, I shrugged toward my new companion. "Have you seen them? The others?"

He looked up at me, lips and jaw moving a mile a minute as he chewed. "The others?"

I wanted to describe their burnt sugar smell and their massive inky bodies or their gigantic claws that worked more like the rakes of huge farming machines, able to till the soil effortlessly, but I kept quiet.

Nearing my fill, I sat back on my heels. "I should probably go back."

Lilac swallowed the remainder of food and gave me a concerned look, his thin eyebrows dipped on the side. "But first, you mentioned the others. What others?"

"Never mind, it's not important. I just thought maybe you've seen things in the Scalded other than people."

"The Scalded?" He cocked his head. "Is that what you call this place?" His posh accent and voice held a distinctive tone.

"That's what they call it." I nodded toward the area with the green grass and the faraway streetlights, recalling a group of onlookers theorizing on the zone. "It's fitting, don't you think?"

"I guess." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and the dirty cuff of his long sleeve shirt. "There is so much about this place that is mysterious, but you become used to it and stop questioning."

"Like you." I nodded, completely understanding.

He glanced around, taking in the sight of utter blackness. "Have you ever thought about how this all came about?"

I gulped, diverting eye contact. "It couldn't have been good. Traumatic even."

He nodded toward the city just as I had earlier, fixating on the distant yellow lights glowing from a low-rise building. "They say the hospital is ground zero. That they were conducting illegal experiments in the basement. Some kind of chemical reaction maybe?"

Why was he asking me? Did he know something? Suspect something?

I shrugged and answered honestly. "I don't understand it. And the more I think about it, the scarier it gets. So, I don't want to talk about it."

"Boogeymen." He sat comfortably on his bottom, hugging his knees close to his chest. "Aren't you afraid of the boogeymen?"

So, he was familiar with them. I sneered. "What are you saying?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but before a word could come out the crunch of footsteps on gravel grabbed our attention.

Instantly on guard, I jumped to my feet and crouched so the part of the tarp that was still intact hid me from view. In the distance, a single light approached from the direction of the city and the delicate steps of the college aged woman grew louder.

"We must go." Lilac waved an eager hand.

I ignored it, fascinated with the sights of the tanned-skinned young lady in a pair of ripped jeans and a light-colored sweater. The flashlight from her cell phone swept along the line of demarcation as she studied it for what seemed like the first time.

I peered behind me at Lilac, who's big bright eyes lit up in the moonlight. He remained close and just as interested in the new intruder as I was.

Would she push her way past the barriers? Did she have the courage to do it alone? What was she doing here?

She bowed toward the ground, inches from the fence and pressed her fingers against the thin, delicate vines that sprouted up like freshly grown black grass. She placed her finger before her nose before licking, tasting them.

"Sweet." She stared at her glistening fingertips. "How strange," she said, aiming the light of her phone at her hand. "It's true. The black stuff is actually pretty good. This place is as amazing as it creepy." She spoke into her phone before pivoting as if suddenly aware of a presence, glancing over each shoulder as if awaiting someone or something.

And that something arrived as the distant sound of snapping vines and roots from the forest.

"Oh, no." The words came out without much force, but she set her sights to where I hid behind the ragged tarp.

"Who's there?" Her hand went over her heart and the beam of light lit the tarp before me, then she turned back to the growing sound of gurgling approaching from the thick trees. Her flashlight barely penetrated the dense darkness although it tried.

"It's not real," I whispered to myself, but the fear in her eyes wasn't enough to convince me. I closed my eyes, squeezing from somewhere deep inside and repeated to myself. "Stop, please stop." I took a deep breath, but the fear of the inevitable still lingered in my heart. The traces of adrenaline rushed in my veins and I had no choice. "Leave!" I shouted. "They're coming."

She took a step back but called out to me, "Who's there? And who's coming?" She aimed her phone light as if it was a weapon.

I stood, giving away my position.

"Kyla?" Lilac whispered, still crouched in the shadow. "Are you mad? Get back down."

I tore the tarp to reveal myself through the fence. "The Scorchers. They're coming. Can't you hear them?"

She glanced to the sound of loud gurgling and violent, wet snapping emitting from the dark forest. "What are you doing?" she called to me, backing away slowly. "You need to get out of there. They're gonna come back with accelerant and chemicals to burn this place down. Why would you go in there?"

Before I could answer, the massive creature emerged from the trees as if it melted through the wood. It hovered over the threshold of the Scalded like a massive liquid shadow with deep-set hollow holes for eyes. Black goop poured from the empty sockets and the sound of hissing lingered in the air along with the acrid stench that steamed from the puddles it left behind. At its sides, connected to long appendages were massive claws drenched and stained in black gook.

Screaming, the woman turned to run, but tripped over her own two feet, smacking headfirst into the ground. Lying still and unconscious, only a groan escaped her lips.

The black, steaming blob anchored itself at the very edge of the mosslike growth, arching its form into a curve as its upper half hanged over the woman's immobile body. Its jaws opened unnaturally large and a steady flow of boiling ink poured from the hole to splash onto her legs.

A piercing scream of agony reverberated off the trees as her fingers dug into the earth and she attempted to crawl away and find relief.

My hands went over my ears and my cries matched the volume of hers, "Stop! Stop!"

The tar-like fluid melted through flesh and bone as she managed to drag herself only a few feet from the puddle. She didn't get far as the creature recoiled and regurgitated another pool of bubbling liquid, dropping it onto her entire body with a syrupy splash, muffling her screams until they dissipated completely.

"No!" My throat ached from screaming, but it didn't prevent me from continuing. "She was trying to help. Why?"

The creature swung its cranelike head and neck to look at me with its nonexistent face. Its eyes and mouth gaped and constantly dribbled dark liquid that, unless fell to the ground or other objects, seemed to reabsorb into its body.

A hand on my forearm startled me, and I turned to see the stark white skin of Lilac as he ushered me away from the gruesome sight and back into the forest.

~~~

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