Improve your writing skills here!

I kind of wanted to write a story for the romance one but :woman_standing: genuinely I can’t help it I love a good spooky story :disappointed:

the woods

Dawn looked over the horizon. The whisper of a breeze hit her skin, just barely moving her the leaves around her. The trees that towered over her took the brunt of the wind. She could hear the wind howling, but could only barely feel it.

The woods had never terrified Dawn, never the way everyone told her they should have.

“Dawn.” Mrs Bailey, the town school teacher, had pulled Dawn aside one morning. “I heard from your father you’ve been asking about the woods.” Dawn nodded, she was only 7 when she first saw the woods. “Stay away from the woods. You hear me, Dawn?” Mrs Bailey was a soft, kind woman when you knew her. She was the only teacher for miles. Hell, she was one of the only people for miles. But while your father was doing farm work during the day, you got to learn how to read and write with Mrs Bailey.

Mrs Bailey’s words echoed in Dawn’s head as she inched closer to the woods. The tough, dull life on the prairie was directly contradicted by the lush, lively woods adjacent to it. Dawn was 7 the first time she met the trees. Leaving her sod house for the first time, walking until she couldn’t see her home in what felt like second. The trees whispered sweet promises, drawn Dawn in, pressuring her to take one step into the woods.

But she never gave in to the trees. No one who goes into the woods returns, Dawn thought to herself. And she did want to return, didn’t she?

Dawn visited the trees often, she had almost gotten used to their whispering, their plotting and bribery. Perhaps it was dangerous, visiting so often. She almost felt at ease around the woods, when she surely should’ve been alert. Nevertheless, Dawn visited the trees at least once a week. She couldn’t be sure of anything, but the close she got to the woods– the more warped time became. Many days, she had stayed hours at the edge of the woods, only to return home as if minutes later.

The wind blew again. This time, pushing Dawn towards the threshold– where the dusty ground met the lush woods. Tripping over her dress, Dawn stumbled, her fingers just barely touching the tall grass.

A huge gust of wind pushed her back. The layers of her dress lifting as she shuffled backwards, Dawn’s hair blew violently in the wind. Until it didn’t. And the world was silent.

Dawn stared in disbelief. The trees were silent. They weren’t begging her to come closer. She slowly rose to her feet. One foot in front of another, she made her way to the threshold. Waiting, hoping, she would hear the trees again.

But she didn’t.

The silence was the most tempting call, after all. Reaching her hand out, Dawn reached to place her palm at the base of a tree. And as soon as she made contact– the woods were gone.

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