a painting of a woman standing in the middle of a forest

The Whispering WoodsIn a quiet village nestled against the edge of an ancient forest, the locals had a simple rule: never go into the woods after dark. The trees, tall and twisted, seemed to groan with secrets too terrible to be told. Legends spoke of strange whispers carried on the wind, voices that would lure you deeper into the shadows until you were lost forever.Lena had heard the stories since she was a child, but she never believed them. To her, the forest was just that--a bunch of old trees and wild animals. One evening, after a heated argument with her parents, she decided to take a walk to clear her head. Without realizing it, she wandered closer and closer to the tree line, the sky darkening above.Before she knew it, she was inside the forest, the canopy swallowing the last traces of daylight. The air grew still, unnaturally quiet, until the only sound was the crunch of leaves beneath her feet. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard it--a soft whisper, almost imper