Several hours passed with Ryan drifting in and out of restless slumber. No matter how exhausted his body felt, his mind resisted the pull towards deep sleep. The old barn creaked and groaned against the steady wind, almost forming words in the odd pops and snaps. Eventually, he slipped into vivid dreams of a dark figure pursuing him through the woods, vaguely aware of tossing fitfully. Panic flooded his senses as Ryan snapped awake with a sharp cry. Disoriented, he bolted upright and collided headfirst into Jory leaning over him.

"Sorry there, didn't mean to startle you. You were thrashing pretty wildly in your sleep and I wanted to make sure you were alright," Jory said. Though his tone sounded sincere, Ryan detected a sly grin on Jory's face from the lantern glow.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine...just, uhhh... bad dream. Too many scary stories I guess," Ryan mumbled, heat rising in his cheeks. The other boys predictably chuckled at his expense.

"Maybe the Soulstealer mistook your girlish shrieking for a lost little kid and came sniffing for a midnight snack," Oliver jested. This elicited louder snorting laughter from the group.

Ryan forced a weak, sarcastic half-smile. "Ha ha, very funny. You know those demented old legends don't scare me anymore." He tried ignoring their amused smirks, not wanting to encourage more taunting.

"It sure seems to scare you, Ryan. I've never seen someone so terrified of make-believe forest demons," Lucas said mockingly. "My young cousin gets less freaked out from those farfetched old wives tales."

"I do not! Those stories are just annoying background noise after the millionth time hearing them," Ryan huffed defensively.

"Methinks you doth protest too much," Oliver interjected in an exaggerated scholarly tone. "If you're so blasé about our charming local history, let's see you put your courage where your mouth is." The other boys murmured excitedly, gearing up for another round of "spook Ryan till he cries, uncle."

Ryan hesitated, positive he would sorely regret indulging another of their baiting challenges. Yet the smug expressions taunting him also stirred his stubborn resolve. "Fine, I'll take your bet. What exactly did you have in mind?"

The group exchanged devious sideways glances before Oliver continued. "It's simple. To prove the whole Soulstealer legend holds no power over you anymore, sneak over to the forest at midnight and bring back a trophy."

Ryan gulped hard, momentarily speechless. They couldn't possibly expect him to get that close to the forbidden forest, not in the dead of night! Just the idea sent his heart racing all over again. Images from his earlier nightmare of being helplessly pursued through the woods flashed unbidden through his mind.

Noticing his blanched expression, Jory playfully jabbed Ryan's shoulder. "What's wrong there Ry, you look like you've seen a ghost already!" Raucous laughter echoed from the others.

"I'm not scared!" Ryan retorted hotly, his stubborn defiance kicking back in. "But you know we'll get our backsides tanned if anyone catches us disobeying the restrictions." Even as he said it though, Ryan knew the other boys remained unconcerned about minor behavior violations. They often sneaked up to the perimeter on dares, though never crossing directly into the woods themselves.

"No one's forcing you to do anything," Lucas said mildly, clearly goading Ryan's pride. "Either admit those fairy tales freak you out or prove otherwise. Unless you're alright with everyone thinking you're a total chicken." Lucas made flapping wing motions with his arms as the boys descended into further giggling.

Stupid idiot friends with their stupid idiot challenges! Ryan fumed silently, resentment boiling up to displace the anxiety. He knew when he got mocked later for refusing, they would make it seem like harmless fun. But their teasing cut deeper over the years, often leaving Ryan questioning his worth to them. Swallowing back frustrated tears, he set his face neutrally. Enough getting pushed around just to secure their fleeting approval. What did he care anyway if they thought of him as a wimp? Ryan would show them exactly what he thought of their dumb bet!

"Alright gentlemen, challenge accepted. But when I return victorious, you losers owe me your dessert portions for a month!" Ryan declared boldly. Lucas opened his mouth for another snide remark before Ryan cut him off. "And no more teasing about me being scared all the time!"

The group exchanged stunned but impressed looks before Oliver responded. "You drive a hard bargain there, Ryan my good man. We agree to your terms, assuming you fully deliver as promised."

They solemnly shook hands on it, though Ryan noticed a strange gleam still lingering in Oliver's expression. Unease swirled in his gut as he tried psyching himself up for this insanely reckless idea. Sneak through the darkness to the cursed forest of nightmares, somehow obtain a creepy memento, and return unscathed. No big deal.

As the distant village clock tolled midnight, Ryan crept silently out of the barn towards the wall of gnarled trees. The ominous sight fully visible in the bright moonlight did nothing to settle his escalating panic. Ryan paused, swaying slightly as his vision started blurring strangely. What little courage he scraped together now threatened to dissolve completely. This was madness! He should sneak back inside before the others checked to shame him into proceeding.

Continuing forward felt hazardous, not only from possible supernatural dangers but very tangible consequences. If anyone spotted Ryan breaking the consecrated bounds, he would face severe disciplinary action. Though the restrictive mandate existed mainly now as a formality, few tested the ingrained rules. And his poor mother would be beside herself if she discovered his reckless defiance.

But Ryan stood so very weary of being pegged the weak, frightened one. If surviving a brief trip into the woods earned back some dignity, he desperately needed to try. Ryan swallowed down his screaming instincts to flee as he crossed the forbidden perimeter. Pausing at the threshold, he glanced back once towards the cheery lantern glow in the barn window. His friends watched expectantly, urging him onward with exaggerated gestures. Steeling his nerves, Ryan stepped into the shadows beneath the trees and disappeared from view.

The stillness felt heavier somehow within the forest as if the vegetation itself absorbed surrounding sounds. Even the midnight breeze didn't disturb the branches, leaving the air hot and stale. Ryan hesitated, reconsidering his rash choice when a nearby snap jerked his attention sideways. Probably just a small animal foraging, he told himself firmly. The woods teemed with benign nighttime creatures and other innocent explanations for odd noises.

Letting out a shaky breath, Ryan continued creeping slowly in the general direction of the central ash tree. Countless generations of children carved their initials across the ancient trunk, though none recently. He selected a small fallen branch near the base as satisfying proof of his courageous errand. A few more steps and he would collect the token before sprinting back to sweet reassuring torchlight.

A crackling rustle echoed faintly left of Ryan's position, accompanied by heavy muted stomping. That sure didn't sound like any harmless bunny or squirrel! Ryan froze, ears straining into the stillness as the ominous sounds faded. Should he keep moving or hide? The overwhelming urge to flee seized his muscles, heart pounded violently against his ribs. But running heedlessly through unfamiliar terrain seemed an excellent way to trip headlong into trouble.

Slowly pivoting towards the disturbance, Ryan peered desperately for signs of movement. As his vision adjusted, shapes coalesced into crooked shadowy forms rather than solid objects. Gnarly trees, shrubs, and vines overlapped to disguise the forest's true composition. Clouds obscured the prior bright moon, leaving Ryan struggling to separate vague dark blobs.

Except off on his far left, at the edge of resolution floated two small but vivid red points. Ryan blinked slowly, praying the eerie lights just reflected some nocturnal animal's eyes. But as he stared transfixed, the glow intensified almost like hot coals. Against all self-preservation, Ryan felt an irresistible compulsion to approach the bizarre radiance. Some hypnotic quality enticed his legs gradually forward without conscious thought.

Closer and closer, until Ryan stood near enough to distinguish a large humanoid form lurking amongst the trees. The chaotic outline almost blended with the background, except where dim rays glinted along contorted grotesquely long limbs. It hunched oddly to the side, hovering several feet above the ground. The malevolent crimson orbs flared brighter, bathing Ryan's petrified face in blood-hued light.

A strangled cry escaped his throat as the panicking realization struck home. No benign woodland dweller existed with such massive spindly appendages and glowing eyes. Nocturnal predators stalked on four feet, not looming upright like menacing specters. Against all conceivable logic, the dreaded Soulstealer itself tracked Ryan through the gloomy trees.

His mind shrieked deafening warnings to run, though his body remained paralyzed under the fiend's hypnotic glare. Manic laughter echoed from the woods as the ghostly creature wavered closer. A vicious voice rasped excitedly from his right.

"Silly, foolish boy, wandering all alone where you don't belong...now you shall join the legions of lost souls who dared trespass in my domain..."