╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╦════════════╦══════════════════╗ ╔═════╗ ║ The Evil Building in the Middle of the Forest ║ 2025 07 30 ║ Fiction, Strange ║ ║ <<< ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╩════════════╩══════════════════╝ ╚═════╝ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ It's morning, and 50 degrees. The sky was bright gray, and there was a ubiquitous scent of pine trees throughout the forest. ║ ║ The front door of a cabin opens, and Mark walks out, putting a backpack on. He locks the door and starts down the gravel path. ║ ║ ║ ║ Mark arrives at another cabin. Before he knocks, the door of the cabin opens. Behind the door is Mark's good friend Dan. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Oh, hey Mark! Hiking now?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Yeah, you're ready?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Yep." ║ ║ ║ ║ Mark and Dan start down the gravel path. They walk for twelve minutes before they see a large black structure poking from ║ ║ behind the trees. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Hey," Mark says, pointing at the structure. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Oh, that? What about it?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Remember those stories we were told as kids about it?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Yeah." ║ ║ ║ ║ "That's where Charles ran off to when we were twelve, right?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Yeah. Ten, I think." ║ ║ ║ ║ "Well," Mark begins, "how about we go check it out?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "I dunno–" ║ ║ ║ ║ "I really want to check it out." ║ ║ ║ ║ "Dude. Your mom called it the 'evil building,'" Dan replies, "don't you think they were all warning us about it?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Maybe you're right." ║ ║ ║ ║ Mark and Dan continue down a path. ║ ║ ║ ║ "But," Dan says, "maybe we can just check it out." ║ ║ ║ ║ After an affirmative syllable from Mark, the two divert from the usual path, towards the structure. They get a better view of ║ ║ the building. Now a mile away, Mark and Dan see a black and endless wall ahead of them. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Maybe we should head back," Dan says. ║ ║ ║ ║ "We're so close. This place has been living in the back of my mind for the past twenty years." ║ ║ ║ ║ Mark continues, Dan following behind. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Mark, do you smell that?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "Yeah. It's terrible." ║ ║ ║ ║ They continue forward. They stop, about eighty feet away from the wall. There are no trees in that vicinity. The smell would ║ ║ seem to suffocate anyone who hadn't adjusted to the smell over the span of an hour. But they are there. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Okay. You're here, you've seen it. We're gonna head back," Dan tells Mark. ║ ║ ║ ║ "This is it? Really?" ║ ║ ║ ║ Mark sits on the ground, and Dan joins him. This is about a good time for a rest. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Well that's lame," Mark says. ║ ║ ║ ║ "I guess–" Dan replies before noticing something in the ground, "What's this?" ║ ║ ║ ║ Dan picks up a business card previously covered by dirt and leaves. It reads "Richard Dean, Advertising" below a logo and a ║ ║ company name, "Vainnex Suites Co." ║ ║ ║ ║ Now adjusted to the smell, Dan and Mark take their lunch out. ║ ║ ║ ║ *** ║ ║ ║ ║ It was dark. It was always dark. Or red. Or dim. Whatever. A nameless customer lies on something soft. It was wet. His mind ║ ║ does not harbor the concept of cleanliness, so he doesn't mind. He doesn't mind anything, for that matter. ║ ║ ║ ║ With the aid of convenient metal rods connected to a series of many mechanical joints (of which he cannot see), he walks, then ║ ║ crawls out of a room. Things would feel nice. Things don't feel here. ║ ║ ║ ║ The nameless customer decides to walk. It is probably a hall. His mind doesn't harbor the concept of halls, so he just walks. ║ ║ More mechanical arms suggest him to turn around, but this annoys him. His mind does harbor the vague instinctual reactions of ║ ║ anger. He presses on. ║ ║ ║ ║ It is still dark. He sees a doorway with a dim, red glow. He's seen it a hundred times. He walks past it. He then falls. He ║ ║ tripped over another customer. Or customers. He's felt it a hundred times. With the aid of the hall's mechanical arms, he gets ║ ║ up. He ignores the grunts and moans behind him and continues on. ║ ║ ║ ║ *** ║ ║ ║ ║ "So what did you expect to see here, Mark?" ║ ║ ║ ║ "I dunno, I thought it'd be more dangerous. Lions. Sharks. Anything. It's just a stupid black wall." ║ ║ ║ ║ "Ah," Dan replies, while chewing on a granola bar. ║ ║ ║ ║ Suddenly, sounds of gears and machines grind from behind the wall. A door forms from the seamless appearance of the wall, and ║ ║ it opens. Coupled with the same putrid smell, a man, without clothes, stumbles onto the dirt of the outside world. ║ ║ ║ ║ Dan runs behind a tree, presumably to vomit. Mark presses his shirt against his nose and slowly approaches the man, with an ║ ║ expression of contentment and ignorance, sealing his eyes shut from the light. ║ ║ ║ ║ "Charles?" ║ ║ ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝