Oleander

Roots

Forests. They're usually calm, the birds singing their solemn songs, the light from the burning sun lightly and gently wading through the rustling leaves of the tall trees inhabiting most of the area, the wilderness bursting and brimming with life and wonder.

Beautiful, quiet, peaceful.

Only one thing disturbed the tranquility of the atmosphere.

A woman, tall and slim. She wore a pale orange dress, printed with small white flowers and lightly stained from the lunch she had finished just half an hour before. Her silky hair messy and matted from neglect,  her lovely light eyes sparkling with pure fear and agony as she ran wildly through the forest, panting harshly and groaning in pure pain.

She didn't look behind her. She wouldn't dare to. She didn't want to see whatever was pursuing her, feeling it's damning prescence was enough.

Her arms ached, akin to the ache one has after heavy excersise, she wouldn't look at those either, the roots pulsating under her thin skin, threatening to burst through always brought that familiar sickly feeling in her stomach.

The pain was getting too much. Too much. Way too much.

She suddenly reached to her face, harshly scratching at her cheeks as she ran, she didn't know what was making her do this, she didn't know how far back that thing was, she knew she let out a loud, bloodcurdling scream as she fell to her knees, continuing to scratch scratch and scratch every inch of skin that she could access.

Until the pain finally ceased.

Exactly four days later, a television is turned on to the local news channel, displaying a balding man holding a stack of papers.

"An Adelaide woman was found dead in forest covered in scratches. Police have pronounced her a 'Jane Doe'. Janelle Smythe with more details." The reporter spoke, his voice gravelly and solemn.

The screen switched to show a younger looking woman dressed in black, the wind toying with her blonde hair.

"Yes, Kyle, the woman was found just a kilometre in this forest I'm standing in front of by two campers who were searching for a place to settle in for the night. The campers said that her body was just lying there in the open, absolutely covered in scratches. Forensic investigators have yet to identify if these scratches were done from an aggressor or from the local wildlife, however no signs of further damage to the body were found. Police are currently investigating people who were seen near the forest around the time that they suspect she was attacked, and are not yet ruling out foul play. Police plan to announce an official report, soon. If anyone has any information, please call your local police station."

"Thank you, Janelle. Next-"

The reporter was cut off as the television got abruptly turned off, followed by shouting from the next room, a mother in the middle of making lunch, telling her husband to stop watching the news around their small child, who was staring at the blank television with scared eyes. The father rolled his eyes.

"He'll be right, he ain't listening. Look at him, playing with his Legos." The father smiled, he loved arguing with his wife.

"I still don't want you watching that around him! He might get traumatised!"

"Alright, alright, sorry love." The father chuckled, leaning forward to gently pluck his son from the carpeted floors, beginning to sing something about lunch food.

The family had snags for lunch.

The woman's body remained unidentified for now.

And for forever.