It’s amazing how fast time can creep up on you. One minute you’re marrying the love of your life and the next it’s your 15th anniversary. Darla was the perfect partner for me. Laid back and easy to get along with. Even when we were angry due to some tif, she would show she cared with little gestures. Our last argument had led to me going to work in a foul mood. It wasn’t until I was at the office that I found her little love note. I was intent on returning the gesture tonight. We’d planned a nice quiet hike just outside the city but I thought I’d surprise her by stopping at one of the properties along the way. It was an abandoned mansion sitting on acres of forested land at the outskirts of town. She had been enamored with it since we’d moved to this city 3 years ago.

“Can we explore the yard?” She’d asked the first time we’d seen it. Sensing my hesitation she’d let it go but I could tell she still wanted to. Then next thing you know life is moving on and time has pushed it out of our thoughts. I’d forgotten all about it until recently. Darla was dropping our daughter off with friends for a sleepover so I was getting ready. She was excited to go for a hike but I couldn’t say I was. Even though I wanted to be. I’ve been struggling with anxiety for a while now and today was no exception. I’m determined not to let it ruin today for either of us. The thought of trespassing didn’t really help my mood though. I mean, I’d never been in trouble, I don’t even know the ramifications for trespassing. Do you get a ticket, arrested, let go with a slap on the wrist and a stern warning? I don’t know how long I’d been mulling over these thoughts when I heard the front door open.

“Dan?” That was my cue to ditch the spiral of anxiety and get going. “The kids are at their friends’ houses so we’re good for the night.” She smiled as she tossed a small bag of sweets at me. “For the hike.”

“I’ve got our shoes laid out as well as ponchos in case it rains before we get back.” Clouds had been moving in lazily all day so there was a small risk of moisture. “We’d best be moving before the sun gets too low.”

We were both quiet as we got our boots on. Today had been a little hectic with getting the kids packed for their stays and of course we were heading out a little later than we’d planned. Still it was a comfortable silence. She’d put her boots on faster than I and just leaned against me. Her warmth comforted me and I hesitated to get up. I wanted to stay like this. Right here, just sitting together.

She gently squeezed my thigh. “We should get going.” She was right, it was getting late. We had maybe 2 more hours of sun before it began to set. With that we got up, and with one last check to make sure we weren’t forgetting something, we locked up and were on our way.

The drive was uneventful. Neither of us had much to say. We’d spent the day in a rush so now I was content to just enjoy the silence. Darla seemed to feel the same. Her hand rested on my thigh as I drove. I wondered how long it would take before she realized we were going a different route. The lines of houses began to stretch as yards got bigger and the houses more grand. She seemed lost in thought and didn’t mention if she was onto me so I just waited to see what would happen. I slowed my SUV as the manor came into sight. It had been a long time since I’d seen it, so I was a little surprised I didn’t get lost. Anxiety picked at my mind again when I stopped in front of the no trespassing sign. It’d be fine, I reasoned. There aren’t any neighbors around to complain and we were far from the only ones to do it. Teenagers often hung out here to get away from hovering adults. Still, the thought of getting scolded like a child by the police made me nervous. I felt entirely too nervous for what the situation called for. I pushed it back and tried to focus on the now.

“What’s going on?” Her hand moved from my leg as she adjusted to get a better look. “I thought you wanted to go hiking?” Her voice was tinged with amusement as she figured out what I’d done. “You want to hike here? You? What have you done with my husband?” She elbowed my arm with a chuckle. Before I could say anything she was reaching for the door. “Let’s go before you change your mind!” The laughter in her voice was exactly how I’d hoped it would be.

Walking up to the long drive made me appreciate why she’d been so enamored with the place. Disrepair hung over everything but you couldn’t hide the beauty that had once been here. A stone path led to a large empty pond with a small waterfall feature. White pillars stood behind it lining the entrance to the home. The doors were large and inviting with bronze cherubs as knockers. Honestly, I thought they were kind of creepy but Darla seemed to light up when she saw them.

“These are so cute!” I just loved the way she squealed whenever she saw something cute. “We should buy a cherub for the yard.” She was beaming at me with excitement, but the thought made me inwardly cringe.

“How about a cherub charm for your bracelet?” That was my go to answer whenever she wanted to buy something weird and it hadn’t failed me yet. It’s amazing what kind of stuff you can find for those bracelets.

She just laughed and pulled me towards the side yard. “Let’s check out the garden. These places always have beautiful gardens.”

There wasn’t much space in the side yard but the backyard was huge. The shrubs had either grown wild, died, or went wild then died. It was chaotic and creepy as hell. Darla was undeterred as she pulled my hand further into the backyard. Pavers were cracked and buried leaving the paths hard to see. Behind the rows of long gone flowers and shrubs, was a forest all their own. A small broken path led into the forest with a statue guarding the entrance. It was something from a fantasy novel. The air here felt thick and heavy. It was cool to see and I was curious to try the private hiking paths, but I couldn’t help the anxiety spiking in my body. I considered leaving and taking another hiking trip elsewhere tomorrow, but she looked so happy as we approached the forest. 

As we drew closer I could finally make out the statue standing beside the path. It was a large stone angel with its hands crossed over its heart. It peered down at those who entered the trail as if judging their worth. I paused for a moment. Judging their worth? It’s a chunk of rock, it’s not doing anything. I looked up into its weathered face to see stains from years of rain streaking down its cheeks like a trail of tears. It’s eyes seemed to burrow into mine and I couldn’t look away. A drop hit my face, bringing me back to my senses. It had begun to sprinkle. Had the angel done that? No, that’s ridiculous.

“This place is creepy. Why’d they put this thing here?” I hadn’t realized I’d spoken out loud until Darla nudged my arm.

“This is not creepy. It’s just old.” She squeezed my hand, a look of concern on her face. “Do you want to leave? You seem anxious.”

So she’d noticed. I guess I was doing a poor job of hiding it right now. “No, I want tonight to be nice. Explore like we used to for a little while. Let’s go a little further before it starts raining too hard or gets too dark. We’ve got ponchos so we’ll be ok.” I strongly debated going home but I was trying to do something nice for her. It’d be a shame to ruin it just because of anxiety. Besides, the rain might bring a quick end to this romp anyway. “Yeah sure. Let’s tromp into the creepy, wet, and darkening woods. That’s not the start of a horror movie at all.” I tried to keep my voice light hearted but dread was building in my chest. She just chuckled and continued on.                

We still had about an hour of dimming sunlight left. That should be enough time to explore a little and get back to the SUV. The trail we had followed was fading into a lightly worn dirt path. The forest was eerily quiet. It’s like nothing lived here. I kept expecting to hear sounds of life as we walked. Bird calls or anything really. It’s like the animals knew to stay clear. That of course was absurd. I just need to get out of my head. Ground myself in the now and get a hold of my thoughts.

We tracked on for a few minutes when I finally heard what I was looking for. Something moved in the trees. A quick rustling of leaves as something darted away from us. I couldn’t make out what it may have been but I was glad to hear signs of life. I peered into the tree looking for a squirrel or something. There in the branches I thought I saw her. That wretched angel. Just for the briefest of moments.

”You ok?” She had stopped walking a little ahead of me. She must have realized I was no longer walking with her. “You look a little pale.”

”Yeah, no I’m fine. Just thought I saw something out there. My imagination is really running wild tonight.” I joked lightly but my mind was heavy. Something wasn’t right with me tonight. “We should probably head back out of the forest though. I don’t want to be on this dirt path if the rain picks up. The smell of petrichor was soothing but my nerves were frayed.

We turned around and followed the same path out as we’d taken in. We hadn’t gone too far in so it shouldn’t take long to be out of here. I for one would be relieved to be back on the road. Movement caught my eye and for a second I thought I saw her. Looking back at me with those empty eyes. Leaves rustled around us as if something were circling us. It’s that damn angel. She’s in my head and I can’t get her out. Another movement brought my attention back to the forest. The angel passed between the trees. She was mocking me.

That’s when I heard it. Her voice in my head. “Weak. You are weak.” Her face flashed in my mind, empty eyes judging. Now I knew something was definitely not right. I must be hallucinating. “Worthless.” The voice cut through my thoughts. “Pathetic.” What the hell was happening to me. 

I’d stopped walking and Darla was watching me with concern. “You’re worrying me. You don’t seem ok. What’s wrong?” Her voice was soft and quiet as if she were afraid to startle me. “How can I help?”

I needed a minute. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to keep it together but the anxiety is really bad tonight. I don’t know why but I keep fixating on that damn statue.” I nervously ran my hands through my damp hair as if I could wipe her voice out of my head. “I didn’t want to ruin tonight. I’m sorry.”

”Don’t be silly. You haven’t ruined anything. Let’s just take a moment to calm down and then we will get out of here.” She was trying to help.

”I need to be alone for a sec. I’ll catch up with you by the house.“ I wanted her out of this forest. Away from that angel.

”You’re worthless.” Darla’s voice was harsh. A sound I’d rarely heard. Stunned, I stared at her dumbfounded. She reached out to take my hand and I was too stunned to react. She looked worried. That expression did not match what she’d just said.

”What?” I couldn’t think of anything else. She’d never had a mean streak in her life.

”I’m worried. You don’t look good. I think I should stay with you.” She rubbed my arm gently. Her hand was warm and I leaned into her touch. She was my rock and could always soothe my mind.

”Weak. Pathetic.” The voice was loud and drowned out whatever Darla was saying. The leaves rustled around us as if we were surrounded. It felt like the forest was shrinking in on us. My heart rate spiked and my breath caught in my throat. “You’re worthless.”

”No!” I was surprised at the force of my voice. Darla’s hand faltered and she pulled it away. “I just need to collect my thoughts and I’ll join you soon. Thank you for trying to comfort me. I just need a minute.” I tried to steady my voice to sound reassuring but it didn’t seem to change her expression. She was worried and I didn’t blame her. I didn’t want her here with that voice echoing in my mind.

”Ok.” She looked torn as if she wasn’t sure she should leave. I gave her a light squeeze on her arm. She turned to leave, giving one last glance my way before continuing up the trail. I waited with baited breath until she was out of sight.

”You’re pathetic!” My mind reeled with the force of the screaming angel. I kneeled and dug my hands into the dirt to try and keep my bearings. Worms crawled out of the ground and swarmed over my hands. I yanked my hands back. The light was fading. How long had I been kneeling here?

”Crap. Darla must be worried sick.” The angel’s face sat just behind my eyes. An image I couldn’t shake. Did I dare join up with Darla? I have to. I was anxious to be free of this place. Free of this evil.

”Pathetic. Weak.” It echoed, drowning out my own thoughts. Desperation tore at me as I tried to figure out what to do. It wanted to break me. That’s it. I’ll break it. I looked around for something hard. A stone stood out so I grabbed it. I’d break this angel and then be free of it.

With desperation I hurried along to the opening of this cursed place. This would be the last I’d ever see of it. Soon its screaming voice was all I could hear. The forest seemed to stretch on longer than it should have. Was I lost? I’d never left the trail so how could I be? I broke into a jog. I was going to kill this damn demon. Nothing was going to stop me. The voices echoing in my head sneered and mocked me. “You’re weak. You can’t hurt me.”

That’s when I saw it. The trees thinned and gave way to the garden. The angel stood with its back to me watching the house ahead. Finally I could get rid of it. I slowed my pace and steadied my hand. As I approached it turned around, empty eyes burrowing into me. It raised its arms as if to lunge at me. I grabbed its wrist with one hand and smashed the rock into its empty face with the other.

It crumbled and fell. The voices stopped. Finally it stopped. I could hear my own voice again. I sat beside it. I wondered what Darla would think to see me vandalizing someone else’s property. She should be at the house. I went to get up when I felt something in my hand. I didn’t remember picking anything up. It was a bracelet. Darla’s bracelet. Panic flooded my system. My hand shook as I looked at the bracelet too confused to act.

How had the angel gotten Darla’s bracelet? Had it done something to her? I looked at the house but didn’t see her. My stomach felt sick. I couldn’t think. It’d gotten to her. I looked at the crumbled statue beside me and my world stopped. Darla lay unmoving. A dark pool forming around her head. Oh god her head… My stomach emptied itself as my vision swam. “No… No…”