The forester heard sounds by the river and rushed over. What he saw gave him no time to think.
On an ordinary day, the forester was carrying out his work in the secluded forest. The day was slowly drawing to a close.
The house where the forester lived stood among centuries-old trees, far from roads and prying eyes.
Suddenly, a scream rang out. A woman’s voice, full of fear: “Help!” At first, he thought the sound came from where the animals usually are. But when he heard the cry for help a second time, he realized the voice was coming from the river.
He had lived in the forest long enough to know the location of every tree, even the branches, by heart.
The noise was real: it came from the river and was getting louder and louder.
Without hesitation, he jumped over a fallen walnut trunk and ran to the river. On the bank, he saw her — a young woman struggling against the fast current. 😨😨
The stream had turned the calm river into a raging and powerful force. He plunged into the icy water, saw the drowning girl, and pulled her to the nearest shore.
When he brought her to the shore, he began performing artificial respiration. The girl coughed, water came out of her mouth. She was alive.
When the forester lifted his eyes to take a breath himself, he saw something on the shore that shocked him.
Continuation in the first comment. 👇👇👇
The forester knelt beside the girl, feeling the icy wind cut through to his bones. He thought the danger was over, but the forest seemed to suddenly come alive around him.
The shadows of the trees stretched into strange shapes, and through them appeared dark and unusual figures that had never been there before.
The girl, trembling, raised her head and whispered: “They’re here… they’re watching us.”
The forester glanced quickly and noticed that figures stood on the opposite bank, resembling humans, but their movements were too jerky and unnatural.
Suddenly, he felt a pressure, as if the river itself was warning him: this place holds its secrets, and strangers do not linger here long. The girl squeezed his hand, her eyes shining with fear and confusion.
And suddenly, a voice came from the depths of the forest — low, trembling, an almost human whisper: “You shouldn’t have come here…”
The forester realized that saving the girl was only the beginning. Ahead of them opened a world full of the unknown, where every step could be the last.
He took a deep breath, preparing to face what was hidden in the shadows, and stepped toward the dark figures, aware that it was already too late to retreat.
As he approached, he noticed two men who had been standing there for a long time. After meeting them, it became clear that they were the ones who had pushed the woman into the water and were waiting for her to drown.
But their plans failed — the forester drove them out of the forest. Then he went to the woman and continued helping her.
The woman had already regained consciousness and thanked the forester for saving her, telling him the whole truth.
From that moment on, they became lifelong loyal friends. This day, which could have been the end, became the beginning of a new story and friendship.
