Alexia Sinclair‘s Into the Gloaming series began with the storyteller holding her book of fables and inviting you into a fairytale world. Next, Tatiana the gatekeeper led you into that world, lamp held aloft as she helped you navigated the magical boundary between two worlds.

For installment number three, we have completely left reality as we venture into the famed Brothers Grimm tale Little Red Riding Hood, captured in one of the most haunting forests Alexia could find.

Whispers in the Woods by Alexia Sinclair on 500px.com

The photo above was captured in Australia’s Belanglo state forest, a place made infamous by a set of grizzly murders committed there in the early 90s.

“No location has ever creeped me out as much as this one, and it’s for that very reason it’s so important to reclaim what it once was,” writes Alexia on her blog. “To try and reshape it’s horrible history into something more than just a forest of bones.”

In search of a new location, Alexia found herself wandering through this haunted forest, which repaid her nerve with inspiration:

In truth, it’s hard not to feel like you’re being observed. That sensation that lifts the hairs on your neck also ignited my imagination with the tales of two influential stories of my past, the predatory fable Little Red Riding Hood and the folklore surrounding the disappearance of Princess Anastasia of the House of Romanov.

Whispers in the Woods subtly combines these two stories and, together with the behind the scenes video below, well and truly creeps you out:

If you’d like a detailed behind the scenes look at how this photo came together, and some solid gold advice for anybody who would like to be creating the kind of inspired work that Alexia is known for, visit Alexia’s blog post about this photo.

Plus there’s a GIF of Alexia jumping around with a Siberian husky in the studio so… you know… puppies and stuff.

Finally, if you’d like to support Alexia as she continues to create this magical series of images, click here to purchase a beautiful, museum-quality Whispers in the Woods print at a special Open Edition price.