A lone individual stood still at the entrance of the infamous suicide forest, looking at the place with a complicated gaze on his face. There was a mixed feeling of fear, nervousness, and anticipation within him as he thought of entering the forest to do what others might consider an immoral act.

For starters, this wasn't just any spontaneous decision on his part. No, he had thought this through for a long time.

Thinking back, he lived a very shitty life. He never did anything right. Everything had always been a mess in his life so far. He was a failure through and through— a worthless person who was nothing but a burden to the people around him.

He was unwanted. Even his own family despised him. Every time they looked at him, he could always see the disappointment in their eyes.

It hurt him.

Countless times did he try his best to change. He didn't want to disappoint them. He wanted to make them proud. However, his best wasn't enough. Everything always turned out for the worst for him no matter what he did.

He was and always will be a loser.

He sometimes wondered;

When did life become so hard?

When did society become this cruel?

When did he become such a failure?

He couldn't remember. He just knew that life wasn't this hard back when he was a child.

During that time, he didn't have many worries, he didn't have to live up to everyone's expectations, and he could do whatever he wanted as long as it wasn't at the expense of others.

He could be himself.

Now?

People often mocked him. Even children looked down on him. As for his family? They felt ashamed for being even associated with him.

After everything that he experienced, he thought he was already numb to it all. However...

"Why are you so worthless?"

"Why can't you be like the others?"

"Your friends back then are already successful. What about you?"

"Why did I even give birth to you?"

...his heart dropped.

What was the use of living like this? If these things happened only occasionally, he would have probably endured them. But living like this while constantly being reminded how much of a failure he was for years on end?

It was impossible.

Life or death? The choice was all too easy.

His heart wasn't made of stone. The constant mental abuse he suffered would wear out anyone's psyche given enough time. Anyone in his position probably would make the same decision he did. Furthermore, his death would most likely bring joy to everyone around him. That was a good thing, right?

There was no hope for a failure like him anyway.

Ending his life in the forest might just be the only right thing he could ever do in his life.

With that said, he stepped foot into the infamous forest without any hesitation.

Shortly after entering the place, he felt chills all over his body. The temperature seemed to have instantly dropped by a few degrees, and there was a heavy feeling inside his heart. Although it was noon, his surroundings were cold as though it was the beginning of winter, and the sky was pitch black. But strangely, the path ahead was illuminated by a faint light.

There wasn't any nearby light source and the sky was completely blocked out by the thick canopy cover of trees. This shouldn't be possible, he told himself. Regardless, he walked ahead, following that light.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

It was a sign attached to a tree.

"Hope, huh?"

He wouldn't have come into this place if there was still a little hope left in him. Sadly, he had slowly lost that over the years. All he was left with was a feeling of hopelessness.

So, he continued walking ahead.

As he got deeper and deeper into the forest, he encountered a few more signs:

Turn back. It's not too late for you.

Do not let a stumble on the road be the end of your journey.

They were beautiful sounding words but they were just that— beautiful words. It couldn't help him. No words could've changed anything in his life at this point. If it could, it wouldn't have come into this.

Don't keep to yourself. Talk about your troubles.

"For what? So they could ridicule me more?"

When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is UP!

"I've been at the bottom for many years. How long should I wait for that up?"

If you're looking for a sign not to kill yourself, this is it.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm not looking for one."

Your life is a precious gift from your parents.

"Parents who would most likely cry tears of joy when I die."

You can cry, you can scream, but you can NEVER give up!

Upon reading those words, he paused as a sardonic smile appeared on his face.

"If only it was that easy."

As he continued ahead, the heavy feeling in his heart disappeared. The air that once felt chilly had become quite soothing, and the worries in his mind had gradually dissipated.

At this moment, he felt great. He no longer had any worries, he no longer had to mind the others, he no longer had to meet anyone's expectations, and he could finally be himself!

For once, he felt free!

Tears ran down his face as he breathed in the fresh air in his surroundings.

"When did I last experience something like this?"

It had been such a long time, that he nearly forgot about this feeling of happiness.

After a few years of suffering, he finally found his solace, and it was all thanks to this forest. In this place, he forgot about all of his problems. It brought him the peace that he was seeking. Now that he tasted this kind of happiness again, he no longer wanted to return. He wanted to remain here...

...for all of eternity.

Suddenly, he heard a soft, melodic voice, beckoning him to come deeper into the forest. The voice brought warmth to his heart. He wanted more of it.

So he followed it.

The voice reassured him that death wasn't scary. What was scary was living.

In death, you have no worries, no pain, and no suffering.

But life?

Life was pure hell.

Eventually, the voice disappeared as he arrived in front of a huge tree. Upon seeing this tree, he instantly knew what he had to do.

This was it, the end of his journey.

He took out the rope that he prepared beforehand and knotted it into a noose. When he was done, he looked at the tree blankly as he quickly realized one thing: he was never good at climbing so he was a bit concerned that he wouldn't be able to climb the tree, much more a tree this huge.

"I think I'll find a smaller tree."

Just as he was about to do that, he felt a gentle push from his back.

"You can do it. I believe in you."

He turned around but didn't find anyone. Nevertheless, the voice gave him comfort and strength.

With renewed confidence, he climbed up the tree with relative ease. He was quite surprised by how easy it was. He wouldn't have been able to climb this tree with his physical ability alone.

"That voice must've helped me!" he thought with a smile.

Upon climbing the nearest branch of the tree, he started tying his noose around it. Memories from his past suddenly came into his mind as he was doing all this.

At this moment, he couldn't help but remember the happy scenes from his childhood that he had once buried in the depths of his mind.

He was so carefree... so happy... so innocent...

Where and when did he go wrong? He wondered.

His family used to look at him with warmth so when did their eyes become so cold?

"Ah, I was so happy back then. When did everything change?"

Was there really nothing that he could've done?

Was he really going to end his life here?

Was this really the only way?

"Heh!"

He smiled mockingly at himself. He thought he was ready. He thought he could go do it without any hesitation, but when it came down to it, he was indecisive as hell.

Even in this stuff, he was a failure.

As he began to doubt himself, the mysterious voice reassured him once again.

With his heart finally set at ease, he placed the noose on his neck, and then he jumped down from the branch.

"Urghkkk!"

It hurts.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

IT HURTS!

He wanted to breathe! He can't breathe! It hurts!

No...

No no no no...! No! NOOOOO!

This wasn't what he wanted! This wasn't what he wanted at all!

He didn't want to die! He wanted to live!

Damn it! Why was he here?! Why the fuck did he come here?!

Where was the voice?! The voice! Where was it?!

It tricked him! The voice tricked him! There was no peace in this! The process wasn't painless at all!

His body trashed violently as he desperately pulled on the rope. He didn't want to die yet! He wanted to live! He didn't want to end everything here! He could still turn things around! As long as he live, there was still hope left!

His hands started bleeding as pulled on the rope, but that was nothing compared to the suffocation he was feeling. His vision was fading in and out, and he was about to lose his consciousness.

NO!

NOOOO!

Endure it! Endure it!

Please! Someone! Anyone!

God! Please give him another chance!

The peaceful atmosphere in the forest disappeared. The strange faint light that illuminated his path had faded and his surroundings became cold once again. The soft, melodic voice that was guiding him earlier was gone. It became cruel, and it was screaming at him while being joined by hundreds of other voices wailing in despair, drowning out the sounds of insects everywhere!

From the darkness of the forest, he saw a woman in white appear and slowly walk towards him, bringing him a great feeling of dread.

As the woman approached him, he tugged into his noose harder. He struggled and twisted violently as he desperately reached for the ground. He gasped for air as he began clawing the rope around his neck.

Only a few seconds had passed since he jumped down, but for him, it felt like an eternity.

Eventually, the woman reached him. She placed her icy hands on his cheeks, and then she gripped his head so tightly he felt like it was going to burst. The next moment...

She screamed at him.

Her hideous face was shown as she let out an ear-piercing wail. It was a bloating and rotting face filled with maggots with some even falling from her empty eye sockets. Then, both of her thumbs slowly crept towards his eyes.

"Grhkkhkgh!"

He kicked her as he fought against the rope with all his strength, exposing the bones in his palm in the process. Finally, the rope snapped.

"Ugh!"

He found himself on the cold forest floor, his body crunching the leaves underneath him which cushioned his fall. When he looked up, the woman in white was already gone.

He took this opportunity to catch his breath before he immediately scrambled away.

He wanted to leave! Anywhere was fine! As long as it wasn't this forest, he would be fine anywhere! He could endure any insults, he could endure staying in his wretched home, but he couldn't endure staying here! He didn't want to go insane in this place!

As he kept running, he encountered several wooden signs attached to the trees on his way.

Where are you going?

It's no use.

You are never getting out of this forest.

He screamed in terror before changing his direction. However, there were still many signs ahead of him. This time, he ignored them as he kept on running and running and running and running!

Then, he paused.

He found himself back at the huge tree again.

This couldn't be real.

You are worthless.

You deserve to die!

You will stay here...

...for eternity!

"LIES! You're telling lies! I will leave! I will be able to leave! You cannot keep me here! You're lying!" he screamed out loud with a crazed look on his face.

He turned around and ran. He ran and ran and ran only to hit something that was hanging limply from another tree. He fell down to the ground along with it.

A nauseous smell assaulted his nose. It was the smell from the rotting corpse which had landed on top of him!

"Aaahh... aaaahhh... there's no way this is real!"

He pushed the corpse off of him as he quickly got up.

"This isn't real. This couldn't be real! This had to be a lie!"

He wished at this moment that he had broken his neck when he jumped down the rope. At the very least, he wouldn't have to undergo this kind of horror.

As he was about to make a run for it again, he nearly fell down once again as his foot got caught in something. He looked down and saw the hands of the rotting corpse holding his ankle.

"Where are you going?" the corpse asked with a hoarse voice.

"Don't touch me!" he screamed in fear as he repeatedly kicked the corpse's face until the latter was forced to let go of him.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, he ran away from the scene. This time, all of the corpses of those who took their lives in the forest followed after him. Some of the corpses were bloating, some were partially rotting, and then there were some that had completely become skeletons.

It was a terrifying sight.

He didn't know for how long he was running. He was tired but he wasn't stopping. He wasn't going to let this cursed place take him. He was going to leave this forest no matter what.

He was going to live!

He didn't want to die here and become like them, forever doomed to roam this place!

Someone...!

If anyone could hear him, please!

Get him away from this hell!

"I... I don't want to die!"

He stopped running and slumped in defeat when he found himself back at the huge tree again.

"Haha!"

He regretted it.

He really regretted it!

Coming here was a mistake.

He never should've come into this place.

This forest was hell.