Decay and Dread
The deeper they went, the stronger the smell became. It was like old motor oil and rotting wood, combined with the smell of a thousand roaring car exhausts. The reindeer didn’t seem bothered.
But Andrew’s stomach turned. He paused, looking around, and saw an increasing number of dead trees all around them. Some were snapped like twigs; others were oozing and covered in a black goo.