Before I start I need you to know, I am not one to believe in things like the occult, supernatural or anything like that, but this journal I found while taking a walk down a forest road has me perplexed. While the journal is filled with entries and drawings, any attempt to take pictures of the contents of the journal return only images of blank pages, as if the pages were unused.

Now I know what you’re thinking, try another camera. Oh how I have tried! I have used my Sony camera, my phones camera, even an old disposable (which took a while to get the photos back), but alas, they came back with those same blank pages. Well if I’m not able to get a usable photo, maybe I could type up what this person has written. Under the divider will contain the contents of the journal… 

Day One

I liked volunteering at the old peoples home, the stories they would tell always intrigued me, like undocumented pieces of history. But when Derek told me that a tree had swallowed his friend… I took it as a senile old man telling a horror story. Each day I spoke to him, he would warn me of the tree that swallowed his friend and each time I would brush it off. 

Today however I decided to listen more, he began to talk about his friend, David, how his friend was always a believer of the strange and paranormal. 

“He was always so brave, even though he believed in things like ghosts” Derek said before continuing to recall about his friend “he showed no fear whenever he would take me to local haunted spots, me? I shit myself every time!” he joked, but then his expression changed.

“but then he heard of a tale of a tree that could become a door” Derek paused, he was looking uncomfortable. “It’s an unwritten tale, you offer a tree some flowers, ask for entry and it lets you in… It lets you in…” Derek was now sweating and freaking out. “IT LET’S YOU IN! IT LETS YOU IN! IT LETS YOU IN!” he was repeating this over and over, nurses came to sedate him. 

Before the sedatives kicked in Derek grabbed me “it swallowed him! it… fucking… swallowed him!!” the sedatives must have kicked in, or maybe it’s because he’s old because Derek loosened his grip and fell back into his bed asleep.

I was asked to leave by the nurses, probably because they worried I’d upset the other residents. I obliged, but I left curious more than anything. “a tree that could become a door, yet it ‘swallowed’ his friend?” I thought to myself. I continued with my day but the thought of tree’s becoming doors continued to infest my mind; eventually I would decide to investigate.

I figured IF there was anything to this ‘tale’ I would want to have some preparation. So I packed a satchel bag with some food and water, a flashlight, a hunting knife, just in case. I also didn’t want to be out late so figured if I was going to do this, I’d want to wait until the morning; It would be easier to find myself home that way. 

As night fell my thoughts were consumed about this ‘tree door’, what would it look like? what’s behind the door? is it even real? All of these thoughts I’d find out tomorrow, for now I should rest

Day Two

I woke up, setting out immediately; satchel over my shoulder as I headed out into the forest. I picked some flowers from Mrs Gregory’s garden, she was a little dim so I figured she wouldn’t notice some missing. I began walking down the forest road, there were so many tree’s and yet I felt a little embarrassed trying this ritual on the laid out path, people would think I was crazy! 

I took a little stroll off of the well travelled path, about five minutes had passed before I began laying flowers at the base of the tree “Can i come in?” there was a long pause.

Nothing, just a normal tree, I picked up the flowers and went to another tree, this time trying to be more cordial “May I come in?” I asked, resting my hand on the bark of the tree. I don’t know why but I was expecting to feel a door knob; I was met with the rough texture of the grand oak tree’s bark.

I spent what felt like hours laying down the flowers, asking nicely, picking them up and repeating the process. Finally I lost patience and honestly it felt like a bit of my sanity. “Let me in for goodness sake!” I slammed my hand against the bark in defeat. 

I was already tired but suddenly I was feeling an overwhelming tiredness, my eyes were growing heavy…

I fought the urge to sleep; opting to recollect the flowers I had laid down, or I would have. 

I found that the hand I had slammed into the bark of this tree was unable to move, almost like it was being pulled by some phantasmal force. When I looked towards my hand, an overwhelming fear washed over me, It was submerged in the bark of the tree! 

I tried to pull myself free, but the more I attempted to fight, the more of my arm was being greedily swallowed in by this tree. The bark was now creeping towards my shoulder and I was beginning to panic! I remembered I had my hunting knife in my satchel, I was desperate, so I reached for my satchel; not realising it was hung on my shoulder, that same shoulder that was dangerously close to the tree bark. 

I managed to grab my knife, not before my free elbow made contact with the bark and began sinking, leaving me vulnerable and scared. As more and more of me began to be lost, the overwhelming exhausted feeling took over, my vision darkened and I fell to slumber.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when I awoke. In my foolishness I had forgotten to take my pocket watch. but amongst the chaos there was only one question burning in my mind, “Where was I?”