Timber

You’re walking home late one night, the sun went down hours ago; you know you probably should have made your way back sooner but you were having so much fun and lost track of time.  Perhaps it’s because you feel so good from a night of fun, but you decide to go against the warnings.  The long way back home would be too much right now, you just want to get home and fall into your bed to relax.  You make your way into the thick woods separating you and your bed, it’s dark but there has always been a path you can follow so you decide it can’t hurt to try.

Only a couple of minutes later do you realise how dark it really is in here, long shadowy branches looming overhead and a thick fog all around you.  The deeper you walk the more the shadows lean over you, fog suffocating you as you experience a chilling sense of dread wash over you.  The woods are closing in on you and the path becomes more and more constricting, noises around you causing panic as you feel as though you are being watched and followed.  You know this can’t be true however as nobody ever comes through here, the stories tend to discourage anyone from ever trying and this will definitely be the last time you attempt it.  All around you are sounds of dried leaves rattling to the ground from high above, twigs snapping, crunching of gravel and dirt underfoot, your heavy breathing, the occasional hoot of an owl, the raspy choked wheezing to your right… no, left…

The sense of dread sinks deeper and you feel yourself grow cold with panic, you pick up your pace to get out of here as soon as possible.  The wheezing never leaves your side as you run and struggle harder against the overgrown pathway ahead of you, crunching and snapping all around you.  An intense claustrophobia sets in when you notice the pathway seemed to vanish during your panic, you look around you with jerky motion as you think you see something move.  The wheezing ever closer, bringing with it creaking and a low rumble.  The forest claws in at you as you try to remain silent, the source of the sound can’t be far away.  You see it move, just at the edge of the shadows to your right.  You scramble back away from it, not knowing what it is.  You thought it was a tree, tall and wiry, slowly lumbering around, creaking and dusty and dragging vines with it as it moves.  Its slow movements make you hopeful you can back away quietly, yet fearing your heart pounding will give you away.  The pounding stops when you brush against something and feel it move behind you, you spin on the spot immediately.

Above you, creaking and wheezing, it stands, slowly turning its head to look down at you, its tongue extending to taste the air as its black eyes linger on you unblinkingly.  It looks like a large deer, antlers like branches and covered with vines, fur matted with debris and moss.  There are many horrible things in the forest, but this is just a Timber, and any good woodsman knows they’re harmless… mostly.

This model was made for the picoCAD Jam 9, the story wasn't necessary but I decided to add some character to the monster as it is an original creation.  I originally drew this creature on a sticky note and thought it was kinda creepy, so I'm glad I got a chance to create it here.