Hello again from Hermann.
Sorry for ending abruptly the last post. For keeping you hanging on. Perhaps it was a little jerky, but I apologize and I am ready to go on. I greet you and I will finish the tale of yesterday.
To catch up, this is part two of my story, where I left you hanging on. https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/wv48es/be_careful_on_prostitutes_in_bucharest_they_might/
And, of course, the first part https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/wruevk/be_careful_on_prostitutes_in_bucharest_they_might/
Ramona kept on looking at us angry. Helena had another of her strange expressions, she seemed to have some strange satisfaction, with a slight smile. But she also seemed anxious for something. Ramona was the first to break the silence now. First she addressed Helena: ”I am really surprised to see you. Now and here. You appear to be really gumptious. After all it happened.” Then she looked at me: ”Really surprised to see you too. Mortals, usually, when they escape me, then do their best not to see me ever again.” Then, after looking back at Helena, then back at me, then looking a bit far off, she continued: ”But the most surprising thing is that I see you both together now. Perhaps was this a plan all along?”
Helena replied with a toned town irony: ”You know, there is a thing called internet, nowadays. People can share many things, stories, idea, opinions travel fast…” Ramona, slightly more irritated, but still trying to keep calm, looked at me: ”Of course. I read about your post about what you have been through, poor little thing…You know, centuries and millennia mortals at least knew, at least what was good for their bodily survival. But people changed so much, they lost their minds so much, that they are willing to give themselves up to death for just a second of living out the cage they themselves build for them. If someone would have told me just 500 years ago that I shall see this, I would have probably laughed. But humanity is getting more and more insane as time passes.” Helena smiled softly and replied: ”I think we can agree on this.”
Ramona started to laugh still softly, but with cruelty: ”Agree? You have only lived for a little over a century and you think you can truly agree with someone like me? To be able to see how I see? You were born human, you are not so different from them. Not just in what you are, but in what you actually lived. Like humans, you do foolish things, stupid things. Like you did 90 years ago.” She stopped for a second, then she looked sharply at Helena, and continued with a more angrier tone: ”You know I was in Kiseleff park when it happened. When you, your kind and that group of stupid humans brought death into themselves, with your riot. I was living nicely, as a tree in the park back then. I rarely took human form, you have no idea how peaceful it felt to sit there, to watch and listen. People came and went, they spoke, they walked, they lived. And I watched and listened. I rarely took any of them, like I do now. Then you came that night. You know, I have received three bullets in my flesh that night. First two in tree form. Then, as I needed to escape, I managed to take human form and did my best to run away. As I came out of the park, not knowing where my peers were, there was one soldier, with his minds lost, he saw me, and shot me a third time. And you dare to call me a whore? You hooligan!”
Helena was still and listening. What was she thinking? She did not replied anything. So Ramona continued: ”You did not care. You wanted to do your thing. So human of you… I see you brought these two humans now to certain death. I send you warnings, expected for you to just understand and turn back. But no… You have not changed.”
Helena stopped her maybe a little with haste: ”No, I have changed. You have no idea.” Ramona laughed again, this time a little harder: ”You do the same things. Stupid, insane things. Even when you are feeding. I can understand the need to hunt and I feed on them, of course. I also do that, one way or the other. But now, like you did in that night, you were not feeding. You just are a force of death and destruction for the sake of it. Like them, in fact.”
Helena looked thoughtful. She kept staring at Ramona. So Ramona continued: ”Now what? Could you, please, tell me, what do you want? Why are you here? You and those two humans? One of them being a foreigner?” Helena almost whispered, but on firm tone: ”You are killing people. You need to stop.” Ramona busted into laughter again, this time the laugh was quite loud, so loud it created a rustle in the trees around and it seemed to travel deeper in the forest from there. It was not by far the typical ”evil laugh” you might imagine, but something else. She, eventually. stopped and continued: ”And how will you do that? By force?”
Helena replied: ”If necessary, by force. But I hope you shall be reasonable and stop.” Another laugh burst, just like before, but this time, the trees started to break the circle and came closer. Helena rose her left arm in the air and something could be felt in the trees, like they were started to twitch. Ramona started to shift back, slowly, into wood form,as Helena looked like she pushed harder on whatever she was doing. In a few seconds, the trees stopped, Ramona re-shifted to full human appearance, and it seems like was showing herself calm once again. If that state could be called calm, it was like a pressure cooker getting more and more pressure on the inside, but it managed to show little on the outside, for someone who would not pay close attention. Helena slowly dropped her arm down.
Ramona was silent. On the surface, she looked fully human. Helena looked like an undead monster, but Ramona looked like a living, normal woman. Yet, there was something in Ramona that was visible, especially when I compared the two. Ramona was filled with a huge, deep hatred that was coming out of her that was easily to sense even be me. I never felt anything close to this. Like she would crush me at once, like people would crush insects. She turned to me and started: ”I think we already lost too much time. I should get on and finish.”
I dared to rise up and speak: ”So much hate… I do not understand. Why?” She laughed again, toned down this time and shorter: ”Why? Your kind is guilty. You probably know pretty much how this world was before you came along. Before you were strong and numerous. It is not like you destroyed all for your benefit. You destroyed because your kind needs to destroy and hurt each other. To have power over each other. You seek for it, nothing matters as much as this to you.” She looked at all of us, one after the other. ”You can not help struggling for power. Even when it is bad for you. Even when you know it. Even when you say, even when you believe you make the right thing, you are still want that actually.
Even when you say you defend, when you say you cherish nature. Forests. You do not. You are still trying to dominate your own kind. Today, many of you say they do this or that to save the planet. Like when you say you want clean electricity. You charge your car with electricity produced in a power plant that runs on fossil fuels, but you are satisfied you save the planet. You take down forests to make wind turbines. Some are stupid, some are dominating the stupid. Many are both. Not just humans. Even her kind (She looks at Helena.), even Elves, who were suppose to be keepers and healers of nature. Even they accepted to live human lives now, in comfort and abandon their role. All who descend from Adam do the same, one way or the other.”
Silence came. She started to shift back into wood form, and the trees started to came out to us again. Helena moved her arms up and started to make some of gestures, like she was sending things in the trees. Like she was manipulating something in there. The clearing started to be filled by a gradual whirlwind. It started to get stronger and blow chaotically. I do not know how much of it was coming from either of them. Ruxandra crawled sobbing, then screaming, at Helena„s feet. I found myself somewhat away from Helena, and one of the trees hit me, I do not know if it was root or branch. The creature was coming closer to us. In order to protect the ladies, I tried to bring her attention to me. Until I was grabbed.
Probably, at this point, she left Helena and Ruxandra more at ease, as she grabbed me by my left arm up, towards the wood mouth. She looked bigger and stronger then a few days ago. I kicked with my left leg, also using my arms, but she was pulling me closer and closer to her mouth. I felt a mixture of hatred and something sweet coming from the open wood mouth, a sweetness that was like a tranquilizer, like a poison that was inject into me and worked fast. At first, I still felt physical pain, then it felt blank. As seconds went on, my conscious mind was forced to be shut down. Not at once, like from a switch, but almost. This was it? I will shut down? Something was pulling out of me into her. The faster I fought, the faster I went down. All the shapes around were melting. I guess, at some point, I stopped kicking and I started to see the creature like a tunnel sucking in. If this is the end, I managed to think, this is a end suitable for me. Do not get me wrong, I was not ready to go, but it was just a thought that ran through my mind then.
Then, a very low vibration was felt coming suddenly from behind the creature, and a heat from there. At first, it seemed it was part of the process. She dropped me, but I landed on my back into something soft. I do not know what it was, but it melted in a few seconds and felt the ground. In ten more seconds, my conscious mind recovered mostly, realizing someone was pulling me away from the wood woman. Pain came back, but I was glad for that. I was startled at first, then I saw Ruxandra was the one pulling me, Helena was behind. I managed to get up, with the help of Ruxandra, and realized the creatures had her hollow back turned at so, as she looked at a dark, short being, who had a flame at the one side. The Forest Girl screamed by shrieking, as my ears begun to feel discomfort at the mere contact with the sound.
Then, the two creatures started to shape back into human form, the wood woman turned back into Ramona, and the dark dwarf took she shape of the man with a black parka. He got taller, she got shorter. But she was still taller then him. As her shrieks turned into the screams of a human woman. The Night Man was holding a torch. He shouted with a deep, angry voice: ”What is going on here? Someone tell me now!”
Ramona screamed at him: ”They came to die! They asked for it!” He grabbed her by the hair and forced her to turn to us. There was an incredible transformation, not in shape, but in attitude. Instead of being angry, she was distressed. And afraid. The Night Man was the one angry now, and he looked at us with anger as well, not just Ramona.
Helena spoke out, on a polite, cold tone: ”We came to tell her to stop. Stop killing.” The Night Man looked at Ramona, she was sobbing, a combination of anger and fear was felt. The Night Man said to her: ”I told you that, sooner or later, they will come for you. Someone.” Helena continued: ”Look at what she did. We did not attack, she did it. You are right. Sooner or later, someone will get her and finish her. I wanted to talk to two of you. We could have helped each other. But she never let me even get to that, she slapped us.” Ramona looked with cold hatred this time, starting to look a little childish in the grip of the Night Man, who spoke calmly and authoritative to us: ”Leave at once. At once!”
Helena signaled us to get up. Ruxandra helped me walk, it did not seemed to hurt too much. I guess it was the adrenaline. Helena made a new mist, that surrounded only a small portion of space, just enough for engulf only the three of us. The trees moved back in the initial place and let us leave. We followed Helena, as Ramona was kept in place. Helena said one last thing, without turning her head: ”You know, if you ever change your mind, I am open to discussion. We may still find a way to help each other.” Then she stopped, turned her head, and said as gently as warm as she could, probably: ”I am really sorry for all. For the fact that you were shot three times because of me. I am sorry to insult you, in calling you a whore. In hurting your trees. I needed your help, I am sorry if I did not make my self understood. Bringing them in here was a mistake. Please forgive me, I need your help. So I offer you my help. I shall show you that I have changed.”. The Night Man and the Forest Girl, in their human forms, they looked in silence. Helena added: ”Please…” Silence. Helena signaled us and we walked away, slowly.
As we took the path, Ruxandra was still shaken, although she helped me walk. I tried to confort her, she made me understand that she only needs to let her chill a little. I tried to walk on my own, it seemed possible, but with some back ache. The thing I landed upon seemed to have been very helpful at that moment. So I asked, whispering to Helena: ”You did something to cushion my blow, isn„t it?” She answered short, without looking back: ”Yes.” ”Thank you.”
I asked Helena: ”Were all trees alive, like her? Like her or they were another type of being?” She answered without turning at me: ”Probably they were her puppets, nothing more.”
I also remembered that the Forest Girl is, somehow, connected, in Romanian folklore, with another being, called the Mother of the Forest (In Romanian Muma Pădurii), who seems very similar with the Slavic Baba Yaga, more or less. But there was something I only I read about Muma Pădurii, but not about Baba Yaga, that Muma Pădurii stole sleep from humans to nurture the trees from the forest. Perhaps the Forest Girl prayed to humans to feed or heal the trees? Or she did it to make her powers go stronger? Or she just like it, like Helena suggested? Or a combination of either elements?
We were all chilling, gradually, in silence. We came out of the forest, close to the place we came in. The grey mist gradually dissipated, as we out and I felt returning in the outside world. After a few minutes, if not for the presence of Helena, I may have started to question myself if it all were a vision or dream. And if there were not the new, minor, injuries. The night was warm, the sky was clear. We just sit in darkness, the three of us. We started hearing the crickets and a car passed on the road. I looked at them and asked: ”Are both of you ok?” Ruxandra gave a sigh and replied: ”I am ok now, thank you. You seemed a little hurt. I can drive you to the hospital.” ”I think this is a good idea, but a different hospital then the one I was last time. I do not want the doctors to ask them too many questions.” I looked at Helena for while, until she said shortly and sternly, her style: ”I am just a little tired.”
I laid on the back seat of the car, as we were mostly silent. When we reached the hospital, we parked in a shadowy place, as Ruxandra made sure I was capable to walk. I said to her: ”Thank you.” She smiled gently and said: ”You„re welcome.” I turned to Helena, was still in the car: ”Thank you.” She replied with her usual delay and sternly: ”You„re welcome.”
Ruxandra whispered: ”Helena wanted first to go alone. I refused to let her. We talked a lot about calling you or not. At first, she did not wanted, then I decided it was not a good idea for you to come, then we both decided it was a good idea.” She gave me a small hug, and I left.
At the hospital, I said I tripped and fell on the some stairs, due to the prosthetics. The injuries were minor indeed; I spend a the rest of the night there, the next day being discharged.
I have got what I wanted. Would I like more? At first, I thought not, as I rest in the bed and let the world of the real mythological creatures (an oxymoron, I know) drift away. But I realized it was, indeed, no way back now. I think I shall try to contact again non-human dwellers of this world. As they are, indeed, close to us, we just need to open our eyes a little. I first thought of reaching Robert, but he will not believe me anyway, if he wants to know what happened, he can just read what I wrote here.
Some of those beings need to be fought upon. Some cherished. And some of them both, at the same time. I think I want to do something to help and protect at least some. No matter how powerful they can be in themselves, they are vulnerable in our world, and some of them are not our enemies, but they can be our precious allies. Against other beings like them and against ourselves. But how would I do this, I still do not know. Perhaps some of you have some ideas. I am really open to suggestions. Perhaps I shall have some of my own, after I rest a little. Was I reckless? Were all of us reckless? At least I was, I admit. I have had several warnings to turn back, but I did not.
I still think those beings should be contacted. But on different terms. I do not know how. All the there of us are probably seen as enemies so, at least for a time, we should leave them alone. Perhaps others could do it. But how? They surely have an enormous amount of information, of experience they could share to us. Yes, I am sure Helena has a lot to share as well, but I want more. Much more. I am greedy, isn„t it? In a way, it was like contacting an alien civilization and it went bad. What do you think? Is there any way to do it better, especially after all it was? Some of you (I mean those who believe me fully.) may say I am insane and I lost it, after how bad it went. And those of you may be right. Looking at me and what I did, even to me it appears so, at moments. I am sure Ramona would agree as well. Anyway, still open to suggestions.
And, keep in mind, be careful on the prostitutes in Bucharest. They might not be human. And also be careful on the trees, they may be something else as well. Also this can be true on the prostitutes from elsewhere. And for the trees elsewhere. Sorry for the ramble, you know what I mean.
Keep your mind open. Keep your heart open. Take care of yourselves.
Hermann