There has always been an ominous feeling about the forest, almost a foreboding of evil which seemed virtually impossible due to its sheer beauty. The forest did not feel dark or gloomy. It was bright and majestic. When the light shone through the leaves at just the right time of the day, the dew would sparkle like beautiful diamonds placed delicately on the leaves. It was not the look that made the forest seem evil, it was a feeling. When someone would enter the forest all of the past histories seemed to be screaming in the visitors face. All the crimes that have been committed were at the forefront of their mind. The locals would warn the tourists to stay away. There was nothing good in there the locals would say. It has been said that once you go in you will not return.

Buried deep in the middle of the forest stood a small cottage that housed a young family of six. For this family, there lurked a danger outside. It was not the same danger that the tourists were warned about. It was the seventh deadliest sin, pride. For outside the front door, there loitered many armed men that were rationalizing a crime that they were about to commit. These people were proud of the crime they were about to commit because they thought they were serving out justice and saving a life. That was further from the truth. The fact is no one needed to be saved, only egos that need to be calmed.

One of the men peered through the front window; he saw the boy that they had come to get. The 7-year-old boy looked happy and content playing on the floor with the three other children. The man noticed a family portrait hanging over the sofa. It was like any stuffy picture hung in most living rooms. Everyone had a forced smile with a sense of disdain from being compelled to be there.

As the man watched the family play with the kidnapped child, he took notice of the rest of the room. Besides the long wooden bench that had many cushions on it, there was a rocking chair flanking either side which had the father seated in the farthest one carving some wood. Each rocking chair had a matching side table placed next them. Under the bench and chairs, there was a large round green rug that seemed almost too large for the room. On the opposite wall from the bench, there was a fireplace centered with two built-in bookshelves on either end. There was a door that was adjacent to the front door that led to the kitchen. There was a woman passing back and forth looking very nervous. One could only presume, guilt. Diagonal to the kitchen door there was another door that led into a bedroom.

For the first time, this man started to feel doubt. This man thought, maybe this 7-year-old little boy is here at his free will and had not been kidnapped? Maybe the people inside are not monsters, and they are not going to sacrifice this child? During this moment of guilt that the man felt he took a split second to look around. This man had heard of horrible crimes that this family had committed the murders, disembowelments to the decapitations. As he stared in, he could not see this family performing such atrocities. All he saw was love.

The man with doubt looked around at his brethren. There was a wild grin on each of the men’s face. They stood very still. Every once in a while you would see fingers readjust on the weapons they were holding. Each man held a different weapon. The weapons varied from person to person. They were a giant hammer, a gun, stick with razors protruding out of it. There was a hatchet, an axe, and the man that felt guilt had with a mace.

As quickly as this man had a pang of guilt and a feeling of anxiety, he saw the signal to go. When the signal was given, the men charged through the door leaving all guilt and worry outside the cottage. The people felt proud for the wrongdoing that they were about to commit.

Next Chapter: The Unsettling