The Forest Remembers -C5

 The Forest Remembers

Chapter 5

“The Woman Who Forgot”

The thoughts wouldn’t leave her alone.

The next day, Annie told the nurse she was going out for a bit and took the bus to he other retirement home across town.

It was maaller than Willow Pines, quieter, with soft music through the halls. The air smelled like hand sanitizer and lavender, adn the walls were lined with faded pictures of flowers.

When Annie asked for Margaret Crooks, a nurse smiled politely and led her down a long hallway. As they walked, Annie’s stomach twisted. She wasn’s sureif it was nervous or scared, maybe both.

Mrs.Crooks was sitting by the window when tehy arrved, with a blanket tucked over her lap and a photo album open in front of her

“Mrs.Crooks?” Annie said softly.

The woman turned slowly. “Yes?”

“My anme is Annie Roberts. I work at Willow Pines Retirement home, where your husband is at.”

When Annie mentiond ‘husband’ Mrs.Crooks blinked,  her posture stiffening slightly. “Oh,” she said after a pause. “You’ve seen him?”

“Yes,” Annie replied. “He told me about yout daughter, Ntalie.”

Mrs.Crooks’s face tightened, and gently closed the photo album. 

“We don’t talk about that anymore,” she said.

“I understand,” Annie said carefully. “I just thought you might want someone to remember her. He mentionedd Willwood Forest and the treehouse. It sounded like she loved it there.”

“That olace,” Mrs.Crooks whispered. “That took eveyrthing from us.”

Annie frowned. “The forest?”

She nodded slowly. “I told him not to let the girls play there. It was never sfae. He thought I was overreacting.” Her voice trembeled a little.” And then she was gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Annie said gently.

Mrs.Crooks lookedat her for a long moment before speaking again. 

“You’re a kind girl,” she said softly

“But somethimes kindness leads you where you shouldn’t go.”

Before Annie could respond, the nurse appeared at the door. “Lunch time, Mrs.Crooks.”

Mrs.Crooks nodded and stood up carefully. As she passed Annie, she leaned close and whispered, almost roo quietly to hear:

“You shouldn’t be asking questions about the forst.”

The worss chilled Annie.

After Mrs.Crooks left, Annie’s eyes wandered to the dresser beside ythe bed. A framed family photo sat there. Aman, a woman, and two girls. Mr and Mrs.Crooks looked younger, ahppier. Natalie had short curls and a bright smile. Claire stood beside her, her smile smaller, stiffer.

Mr.Crooks’s hand rested on her Claire’s shoulder, not Natalie’s.

Something about that photo bothered Annie. It looked almost… intentional.

She stared at the photo for awhile before finally turning to leave. The nurse at the desk smiled politely as Annie walked out, bu she barely noticed. Her thoughts were spinning too fast.

Dear diary,

I met Mrs.Crooks today. She’s starnge. Sad, like she’s been living in a memory for too long. When I brought up Natalie she forze. She told me not to ask questions about the forest.

Why would she say that? What’s so terrible about taht place?

And when I mentioned Mr.Crooks, she looked away like she didn’t even want to hear his name. They’re both hiding something, I’m sure of it. 

There’s also that photo. She has, Mr.Crooks rested on Claire’s shoulder, not Natalie’s. It’s such a small thing, but it doesn’t sit right with me.

Mr Crooks said Claire saw something that day. What if she did, and told her mother?

I need. Find her. She’s the key to all of this.

(End of Diary Entry)