A tiny village, lost deep in the dense forests of Vologda Oblast, had never made headlines. Life there moved slowly, unchanged for decades. People knew each other by name, left their doors unlocked, and gossip was the main source of news. But one autumn day in 2023, this forgotten place became the center of a chilling mystery. All because of a man who hadn’t been seen in 27 years.

In 1996, Alexey Melnikov, a young, strong, sharp-minded man, went into the woods to gather firewood — and never returned. The entire village searched for him. They combed through the forest, called out his name, waited in silence — but there was nothing. No clothes, no tools, not even a broken branch. The police were brought in. A case was opened, then quietly closed. The only theory: he died in the woods. Wild animals, quicksand, some tragic accident. A year later, they held a memorial service. His mother was bedridden with grief, and his father drank himself to death. A wooden cross stood over an empty grave.

Years passed. People got used to the silence. Occasionally, someone would mention him over tea: “Strange how he just vanished…” But the world moved on — until late autumn of 2023, when snow had just started to fall, and a man appeared at the bus stop on the edge of the village.

He was wearing a tattered coat, had a beard down to his chest, and eyes that looked like they’d seen centuries. It was Alexey.

The local shopkeeper Valentina was the first to spot him. She screamed, dropped her trash bag, and ran toward him. She recognized him instantly. Though thin and worn, it was undeniably him. The village erupted in confusion. Some called the authorities. Others just stared in disbelief. Alexey said nothing. He simply stood there, as though trying to remember where — and who — he was.

He was taken to the clinic. The nurse couldn’t believe her eyes. Blood pressure normal, no signs of injury, but extreme exhaustion. Mentally, he seemed stable. But he didn’t speak a word for three days. And then… the strange part began.

Alexey claimed he had been “on the other side of the forest” all this time. He said he’d found a path that wasn’t on any map. He tried to take a shortcut. But as he walked, the trees began to close in. The sky vanished. His compass spun in circles. His watch stopped. No matter how he turned, he always ended up at the same place — a mossy hollow between two giant boulders, where the light never fully reached.

He lived off mushrooms, roots, and occasionally fresh water from a trickling stream. He hollowed out a tree for shelter. And all that time, he swore he heard footsteps. Human footsteps. Always just behind him. Never showing themselves, but always watching. Sometimes, he heard whispers — faint, soft, calling his name.

He said time didn’t work the same there. A day might feel like an hour, or an hour like a lifetime. He lost track completely. The months, the years — all blurred. Then, just days ago, the path suddenly «let go.» The light returned. And he stepped back into our world.

When he emerged onto the road, everything felt foreign. Cars were monsters. Phones — sorcery. He didn’t even know what year it was. When he learned his parents were dead, he stood in silence. Their graves were side by side… with a third marker — his name carved on it.

Now, he lives in his aunt’s old house. He never goes near the forest. The mere sound of wind through the trees makes him flinch. Sometimes, he wakes up screaming. Says he hears the same voices. The same whispers. As if… something came back with him.

Villagers avoid him. Some believe he went mad. Others — that he died in 1996 and what returned is not entirely human. But there are those who believe every word. Because too much doesn’t add up.

— Why was he never found?
— Why does he look barely older than when he vanished?
— Why is the watch he wore still frozen at exactly 17:43?

Alexey said only one thing:

«The forest doesn’t let go easily. I made it out… but not all of me.»

To this day, the story stirs arguments and hushed conversations. Some want to bring in journalists. Others suggest a priest. But Alexey just sits by the window, eyes locked on the treeline — like he hears something none of us can.

One night, he said quietly:

«I came back… but others are still in there.»