Where the Hemlock Grows

Art & story by atosaido

We follow the story of a young man named Malachi Wolfe in his town of Port Angeles, Washington…2 years after our main protagonist has graduated high school, his little sister joins the growing list of missing people in their town. The local police force refuses to acknowledge his sister’s disappearance as anything more than a cold case, but Malachi knows better. Fueled by a desire to find his sister, Malachi and his closest companions set out to uncover the mystery that plagues their town.

Location

Port Angeles, Washington USA
Olympic national park, Washington USA

Time Period

Late 2000’s - early 2010’s

Malachi & August

During their high school years, both Malachi and August were too nervous to truly approach each other. The extent of their relationship was August sticking up for Malachi when he noticed others picking on him. Malachi was always grateful but never knew how to express it, always running away before August could say anything. He didn’t know why August made him so nervous but he didn’t want to dwell too much on it. August always thought of Malachi as a mystery, someone he could never quite figure out. But he preferred it to stay that way. Keeping Malachi at a distance meant he wouldn’t have to confront what this obsession with him really meant.After they both graduated, they seemed to run into each other more and more. August became a familiar face at the record shop Malachi worked at (only when Malachi was scheduled to work), always asking for random music recommendations that they both knew August wasn’t really interested in. They crossed paths several times on the trails of Olympic National Park, Malachi always trying to turn tail and run. But one day August stopped him, forcing a long awaited and proper conversation between the two. In that moment they both realized their true feelings towards each other.

Malachi & Mikhailo

During his junior year of high school, Mikhailo moved to Port Angeles with his parents. It was the middle of the school year, so Mikhailo had a hard time fitting in with the rest of his class. Being a foreign new kid with a short temper didn’t help him socialize either. Picking fights and lashing out at other kids singled Mikhailo out immediately as someone to stay away from. Mikhailo didn’t mind though, in fact he preferred it this way. Having friends never seemed to work out for him so he came to the conclusion that it was better to never let anyone get close. However, there was one person Mikhailo couldn’t wrap his head around; Malachi Wolfe. Through Mikhailo’s eyes, Malachi was quiet, melancholy, and a massive loser if he was being honest. He first singled Malachi out as he passed him in the halls, the only other kid wearing a metal tee. As the weeks went on, Mikhailo developed a weird obsession with Malachi. He would pick on Malachi, make fun of him, and all around treat him like shit. But Malachi always seemed to come back. It seemed as if Mikhailo was the only person Malachi really talked to and the only person that willingly spoke to Malachi, even if it was just to torment him. After a while, Mikhailo started to actually care about Malachi in his own twisted way. He became possessive, and developed a strange attraction to Malachi, not wanting anyone else to come near him.Through the eyes of Malachi, Mikhailo was wild, erratic, and unpredictable, all traits that were lacking in the people of Port Angeles he had grown up with. Malachi had never had someone take an interest in him before, even if it was just to pick on him. Even with the constant jabs from Mikhailo, they shared good moments. They fawned over music together, explored their town and surrounding wilderness, and expressed their internal struggles to each other. Malachi’s extreme loneliness let Mikhailo take complete advantage of him, letting him get away with the torment. On top of it all, Malachi was dealing with his own personal repression. As his family was at the center of their town’s religious community, any form of queerness was ridiculed and ostracized. Malachi doesn’t even want to imagine the punishment that he would have to suffer at the hands of his mother if she knew anything about his identity. But something in Mikhailo made Malachi want to risk it, even if Mikhailo didn’t reciprocate.Mikhailo latched onto Malachi and didn’t want to let him go. Their relationship was messy, toxic, violent, and slowly draining Malachi. He was blinded by the new experience that was Mikhailo, causing him to form a sort of reliance on Mikhailo. Their “romance” (as Malachi forced himself to call it) lasted for 3 ½ years. Mikhailo saw Malachi as his plaything, something to go to when he needed relief. But to Malachi, it was everything until it broke him.2 years after they graduated high school together, Mikhailo and Malachi were still trapped in their vicious cycle of affection and violence. Malachi was at his breaking point, not being able to rid himself of Mikhailo due to his reliance on him. He felt that if he were to end their relationship, he wouldn’t be able to function on his own. He had no one to go to, no one to reach out to. But one day in the record store he and Mikhailo worked at, Malachi ran into August Eklund.

Mikhailo & august

August and Mikhailo never interacted much before meeting through Malachi a year after they all graduated high school. Mikhailo, still having a tight grasp on Malachi at this point, didn't intend on letting him go anytime soon. But as soon as he saw how Malachi looked at August, Mikhailo knew he could never let Malachi near him.August remembered the first day Mikhailo came to school. He had heard talk of a new kid from Ukraine joining their grade but didn’t see him until he spotted an unfamiliar figure at one of the hallway lockers. August, being the person he was, went up to Mikhailo with a gentle presence. He tapped Mikhailo on the shoulder who snapped around violently like he had heard a gun go off. August was slightly startled by Mikhailo’s appearance; incredibly skinny, hooded gray eyes lined with messy black eyeshadow, blindingly white hair, and an intimidating expression on his face. After an uncomfortable 5 seconds of silence, August broke the tension and tried to introduce himself. All he got in response was a sarcastic sneer and the loud slam of Mikhailo’s locker as he walked away. August stood there, somewhat dumbfounded. He came to the conclusion that this was someone he didn’t want to interact with again.Due to his increasing interest in Malachi, August visited the record store Malachi and Mikhailo worked at more frequently. As he wandered aimlessly through the shop, August loved to ask dumb questions to a flustered Malachi about his music taste, what system he should use when playing cd’s, or whatever else he could think of on the spot in order to interact with Malachi. He felt comfortable in Malachi’s presence, his place of work their one place of consistent interaction. But no matter the time of day he went in there, August could always feel the piercing stare of Mikhailo, always just out of his line of sight.Once Malachi and August began hanging out outside of the record store, August always felt an air of caution and nervousness coming from Malachi. It always seemed as if he was afraid of being caught. Though there were plenty of reasons for Malachi to be anxious about the nature of his relationship with August (his family’s reaction, being outcasted, being disowned, coming to terms with his own identity, etc.) August always suspected a deep fear of Mikhailo finding out. During the beginning of their friendship, August casually tried to ask Malachi how he knew Mikhailo. He was always met with a frantic reaction and nothing more than “we met in high school”. Already having a negative idea of Mikhailo from their one interaction back in school, August knew he had some sort of bad connection with Malachi, no matter how many times Malachi insisted he was his closest friend.

Malachi & Ella

Even at a young age, Malachi felt his parents' disappointment in him seeping out of every crack and crevice of their home. They so desperately wanted the “picture perfect son” for their “picture perfect family”. A boy who followed God, a boy who was involved in his community, a boy who smiled. But Malachi was never these things, instilling a hate in his Mother for the embarrassment she believed he caused their name. At the age of 7, a new member was brought into the Wolfe household. Malachi was not told he would be getting a sibling, his parents not caring for his opinion on the matter. But the second he saw his sister's face, he knew she would be a new beacon of hope in his life. Malachi took his role of “big brother” very seriously. Ella was a family member that cared for Malachi and someone that Malachi truly cared for. He had yet to receive parental adoration, so the presence of Ella exposed him to a family bond for the first time in his life. As he watched Ella grow up, he couldn’t have been more proud. Watching someone he had helped raise turn into a good person was something that made Malachi very proud.Malachi’s Mother, Eve, was very possessive of Ella, causing an even more dramatic separation between herself and her son. She thought of Ella as the child that hadn’t failed her, so she wanted to do everything she could to keep Malachi’s influence away from her daughter. But this didn’t stop Malachi from being involved in his sister's life. He took her to school, bought her gifts, went on adventures in the woods with her, and even got her to listen to some of his music. She always said it sounded funny but she danced to it anyway. She was a happy kid, even happier around Malachi. The day she went missing almost ended him completely.

Where to find me

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Twitter