The Forest: Part One: The Forest, #1

By Lou Yardley

If you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise.

Georgia is spending a summer's afternoon looking after her younger brother, Oliver. At twelve-years-old, she believes that she is an adult. Or, almost an adult at the very least. But, despite her desire to grow up, Oliver convinces her to play their favourite game. A game called the Dragon Game.

The game takes a bizarre twist when something calls them from the forest that backs onto their garden. Daring each other, the siblings enter forest only to find that it's not a normal forest at all. This is a place where dreams and nightmares are made.

A place they may never escape…

Interview with the Author:

Q - What's the idea behind "The Forest"?

I recently decided to write and publish a series of short stories and novellas called "Horror Bites". "The Forest" (Parts One and Two) is part of this collection. The idea is that these are stories that can be devoured in one sitting.

As for the story itself, I wanted to write a sometimes creepy, sometimes gory, but always entertaining story of childhood innocence combined with things that go bump in the night.

Q - Will I have to wait ages for Part Two?

No, not at all! Part Two will be unleashed almost immediately.

Q - Why should readers give these stories a go?

I hope that "The Forest" will mesmerise and entertain, as well conjure memories of movies from the 80s. It's a twisted fairytale that sits quite comfortably in the Dark Fantasy genre. Readers can enjoy this story in one sitting with their favourite beverage (I'm rather partial to a cup of coffee).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lou Yardley
• Release date: Sep 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386397939

Book preview

DEDICATION

––––––––

To Max,

––––––––

-  The best nephew ever!

––––––––

Welcome to the world, little man! May happiness find you always

xxx

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

HORROR BITES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BOOKS BY LOU YARDLEY

REVIEWS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

––––––––

Mark – Thank you for being my swearologist and thanks for your unending support.

Thank you to Ange Shepherd for spotting deliberate mistakes and for pushing me to make this story even better!

EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS

––––––––

Extra special thanks have to go out to my patrons! You are all awesome!

––––––––

Paul Metzger-Phillips

Ange Shepherd

Patrick Stephens

Krista Walsh

Drae Box

––––––––

Join us at  http://www.patreon.com/louyardley for LOADS of exclusives and other goodies, including t-shirts, badges, mugs and loads more to be added!

CHAPTER ONE

It was a dark and stormy night... at least, that's how these stories are supposed to start, isn't it? But, in this case, it was a bright, sunny day. Hot, but with a refreshing breeze. Oliver and his sister, Georgia, were playing in the tree house at the end of the garden. Not that Georgia would admit that she was playing. She was 12 years old now, in high school and doing her best to appear grown-up. As far as Georgia was concerned, she was here to supervise her 9-year-old brother.

‘Let’s play the Dragon Game!’ Oliver said with a whining tone in his voice. He’d been trying to get his sister to do something - anything - fun for the whole afternoon. Looking out of the tree house window, Georgia sighed. Beyond the garden stood a huge forest, dark and full of mystery. Anything could be in there.

‘C’mon! You’re sooooo boring! You never want to do anything!’ Oliver’s whining was reaching its peak now. If there were any adults around, they would have been wincing and developing nervous tics. As it was, Georgia wasn’t far off developing one of those tics herself. Maybe she really was a grown-up now.

‘Shut up, Oliver! I don’t want to play your stupid game!’

‘My stupid game?’ Oliver said as he stomped across the tree house towards the ladder. ‘It’s OUR game. You made it up as much as I did. And it’s not stupid. It’s awesome. You’re stupid.’

Georgia felt a twinge of sadness. Oliver was right, they had made up the game together. They’d been playing it for years, and it was only recently that Georgia had stopped wanting to play it. And that was only because one of her so-called friends - Marie - had stopped by unexpectedly and caught them playing it. Embarrassment had embraced Georgia tightly, and its icy fingers still hadn’t let go. She had the feeling that they never would. It was one of those things that would keep her awake at night. She was in high school now, she shouldn’t be playing childish games with her little brother.

Oliver noticed the look on his sister’s face and knew that he may be able to change her mind. It shouldn’t