The following Journal, excerpt was discovered by a surveyor for
the u.s. forest service. If you have any information that
may identify or locate the missing person in the case,
please contact local or federal authorities March 17th 2022.
I started hiking and backpacking with my father.
When I was around 12 years old, my mom passed away giving birth
to me. So my dad was the only parent I
ever knew he did his best to try to keep me interested in things
that typical little girls enjoy. But I never took to them during
the day he worked as a store manager for an Agricultural
supply company, but on the nights and weekends he worked on
our small farm. He raised livestock to make
additional income as well as planted a few acres of corn.
While this took up the majority of his day, he was careful to
include me to make father-daughter time feeding
cattle, mending fences, harvesting corn and running the
tractors, became our evening routines.
Over the years, our little farm prospered and grew.
Dad was able to hire some additional hands which Freedom
up for more Leisure activity. I can still remember our first
hiking trip. Dad surprised me with a new
hiking pack and pair of boots. My eyes.
Eyes sparkled as he told me, we'd be spending the entire
weekend hiking and camping. On a local trail with how hard
he worked. We had never had the time to
take a trip of any kind that I could remember a few scattered
visits to family members in other states.
But nothing like this. This was an adventure.
He made me wear the boots while we worked on the farm that week
to break them. In my mind, raced with the
possibilities. We had slept in the tent in the
backyard dozens of times, but never in the Thoughts of
spotting Wildlife setting up camp and the smell of eggs
frying over an open fire filled every vacant moment of my day.
And that's exactly how it went. It was magical, we spent three
days hiking beside a rushing stream, sleeping under the stars
and cooking delicious meals on a beat-up, iron skillet over the
years. My Tom boyish ways softened a
bit but my love for the outdoors never faded dad and I went
hiking or camping at least. Once a month until he passed
away. Three years ago I still go as
often as I can. It makes me feel close to him.
Occasionally I find myself talking to the memory of him as
I sit around the Embers of my burning fire.
Last year, I started to develop an interest in ultralight.
Backpacking. If you're not familiar, it's
essentially long distance. Hiking with the least amount of
gear and weight possible. If you give me something to
sleep in something to sleep under and something to cook
with, I can live in the woods for weeks at a time.
I still carry dehydrated food and water ration with me but
otherwise its Bare Essentials three meals a day and enough
water for two will get me started.
The planning process always involves finding trails with
available water, sources, boiling, and bottling keep down
on the amount of weight that I have to carry my foraging skills
are improving. But they aren't up to
self-sustaining level quite yet. My work as a freelance writer,
lets me stay out on the trails longer than a traditional job,
which has been a blessing. So, as long as I make it back to
the old farmhouse five or six days, a month, I can do enough
work to keep the bills paid otherwise you'll find me in the
forest, I've been on the trail for four days.
Now, this time, I'm planning to stay out a bit longer than
usual. Typically I aim for five days
but 10 is My target for this trip, I'm on a trail in the
Appalachian mountain range, and heading toward a waterfall that
some backpacking blogs recommended.
It should only take another day to reach.
So I'll enjoy two days there before heading back time to set
up camp for the evening Laurie. March 18th 2022, so I still
haven't found the waterfall. I followed the maps.
I printed off before heading out the first few days, everything
look exactly as it was described.
But this afternoon, the directions didn't seem to match
up. I was supposed to cross a wooden
foot Bridge earlier this afternoon but when I reach the
stream, there was no bridge to be seen.
I thought about trying to Wade through but I still can't tell
how deep the water is and the Stream.
Wider than I had anticipated. Seems like a bad plan being out
here by myself. If I get swept off or bogged
down, I'm in trouble cell service.
Hasn't been much of a help after a few attempts to look at my
whereabouts on Google Maps. I've given up there is a bar of
service but the loading wheel spins like a tire, going down,
the hill and the map never loads.
I wasted a lot of time by hiking back and forth on the side of
the stream looking for the bridge.
Maybe it washed away. Some of those posts were from
two or three years ago the trail itself doesn't seem to receive
much maintenance either. I'll give it another day of
looking but I'll need to head back soon.
Food will start running low and there hasn't been much to forage
or gather I'm bummed out but it happens if I don't find the
Falls this time, I'll give it another try in a month or two.
I'm feeling a little bit winded from all of the searching today
and it's gettin. Dark better set up camp, better
days ahead Lori. PS setting up camp was quicker
than usual tonight. I ended up stumbling into an
abandoned camping spot at first, I thought someone was still
there after a closer inspection. It's obvious.
Someone left a lot of gear behind to dry rotting shirts
hanging from a tree branch. A sleeping bag filled with Dead
Leaves and animal. Droppings still sits by the
stone. Fire ring the Fire Ring came in
handy. I usually have to set up one
myself but someone took care of that for me.
There are even enough dried logs piled up to keep me from having
to gather my own. But I'm still a little irritated
that someone dumped their gear and bailed stuff like that was
getting more common. These days.
It's a great way to mess up. Natural habitats like the world
isn't full of enough garbage. March 19th 2022.
I didn't sleep. Well last night, it started to
rain around 12 a.m., and I had only set up the sleeping hammock
for the evening. The weather report, before I sat
out showed clear skies, and no precipitation.
So I hadn't tied a tarp over head.
Dad wouldn't have been that lazy I should have listened to him.
There was a lot of noise in the woods as well, a few breaking
tree, branches and rustling leaves.
The And didn't seem that bad. But I guess it was enough to
cause some of the old tree bows to give way and rattle on the
forest floor. Some of the noises sounded
almost rhythmic though. There was a handful of times.
I thought I heard a distinct wrestling of footsteps in the
leaves, but my mind must have been playing tricks on me.
I even pulled out my night vision trail, cam and scan.
The area surrounding my Camp. I didn't see a thing though.
Other than trees, of course, most of the animals in this
Forest. Bed down during the rain.
Anyway, not to say something. Couldn't have snuck away from
its den for a midnight snack, but it wasn't a good night to be
out and about, I should know. It took me nearly a half an hour
to secure a tarp over my hammock before I could get back to my
waterlog sleeping back, my sleeping bag is still soaked,
hope it dries out before bed tonight.
I'm not hopeful on a high note. I found the bridge today looks
like I decided to walk in the wrong direction.
I walked about a half a mile past, the point where I had
originally run into the stream and there it was and all of its
wobbly Splinter filled Glory. It wasn't much more than some
crudely nailed playing supported by some log settled into the
stream bed, but it held up for me to cross it.
I still can't decide if I'm going to try to make it to the
falls this trip or not, it's a long way to go and I already
lost lots of time. If I don't hit the Falls by
afternoon tomorrow, I'll turn back.
Don't want to get stuck out here without any food?
Hoping for a dry night of sleep Lori.
March 22nd 2022. What the hell is going on two
days ago? I turned on my phone to look
through some pictures from the hike so far and it was filled
with photos. I had never taken.
I spent another day trying to hike toward the waterfall.
Before I saw them, there were more than 40 pictures of me
sleeping from various angles. I always sleep with the netting
of the hammock zipped, but some of the pictures are of me with
the zipper open the dates on the picture is starting On March
16th, someone had been following me.
Almost the entire time a video on my phone from last night.
Even shows someone taking dehydrated food from my pack and
dumping them on the ground Brown work, boots grinding the food
into the ground. You can hear them breathing,
like a marathon runner. The entire time, the last
picture was the worst. Whoever took the picture was
holding a hunting knife inches from me.
I've been traveling for a day and a half with no sleep when I
found the pictures, I I grabbed my pack and left my hammock and
sleeping bag. I know I should have grabbed it
but I panicked and didn't want to stick around for another
minute. Some nutcase in the woods is
following me and I'm at least three days from making it back
to my car on the trail head that is if I don't stop to rest, I
told myself at first, I would just walk non-stop until I got
back, but I'm already exhausted. I've got to get some rest.
Maybe I've lost them to make matters worse that crappy little
The wooden bridge was gone when I got back to the stream I know
I was in the right place because the log pilings in the Stream
are still poking out of the water.
I'm going to have to swim or weight across.
I hope I make it. What other option do?
I have God? Help me Lori.
March 23rd 2022, crossing the stream didn't go.
Well, I tried to toss my pack to the other side, but it landed,
two feet shy, and splashed into the moving water.
I couldn't afford to lose the last bit of food.
I had. So I dove in and swam after it.
The effort was more energy than I should have expended, but my
options are running out. It's getting dark and I'm still
at least a day away from my car. All of my clothes are wet and
there is only enough Enough food left in my pack for one more
meal. I'm going to make it tonight and
try to get a little bit of sleep.
My phone is still out of service, and I haven't been able
to reach anyone for help. I'm afraid I'm going to die
here, I'm scared. I just want to go home.
I want my dad. I think I just saw a camera
flash go off in the wood line. If anyone finds this, please
tell. The author of this journal is
still unidentified. Have you ever heard of the Black
Hill Forest? If you didn't, I can't really
blame you. The aforementioned Forest is
rather obscure but we're getting off subject.
My background isn't of importance, nor is my name.
However, what I can tell you is what I know about the Black Hill
Forest. What it truly is.
It's been 20 years since I found my way into the Black Hill
Forest, 20 years. Since I saw things, a person
wasn't supposed to Lay their eyes on the held beings best
left unknown and witnessed events.
Even now I can barely comprehend.
And understand, this is the story of a ten-year-old boy who
ventured into the Black Hill Forest, not much is known about
the forest as many of the map. Simply Mark.
The forest has forbidden and the grown-ups refused to tell me why
none of us could go there. Citing, I'll tell you when you
get older, the whole town seemed to be weary and fearful of the
forest in Winter when the first snow starts to fall and the
trees have completely lost their leaves.
The forest would resemble spikes.
Warning us to stay away. It didn't help that the closer
you got to the forest the more blackened and charred, the
ground seemed to become. It was a cloudy day as far as I
can recall. And it had been snowing.
The day started out as it always did when I was younger.
I ate breakfast and got ready for another day of school.
The school bus route was strange.
Age to say the least. At one point on its Journey, it
would get really close to the Black Hill Forest.
I'm not even sure why it moved along this path, but it always
did without fail and we would be within spitting distance to the
forest. Every time we went to and from
school and I could glance into the areas between the spiked
trees that fateful day as our bus moved along.
Its unchanging path, near the Black Hill Forest, as I stared
out the window pointed toward the forest The bus suddenly
collided with something. I barely caught a glimpse of the
thing. When it let out a shriek, the
thing was alive and it was angry.
I can still hear the sounds of the metal buckling and bending
and the frightened screams of my peers as the dark thing.
Began to smash the bus in anger. I could only get a few glimpses
of the thing. It's yellow eyes and deer like
appendages before something impacted my head knocking me
out. I woke up after who knows how
long inside what remained of the bus, the front half of it had
been smashed. The remaining half was badly
damaged. There was no one else in the
wreckage, but I visibly saw what I can only assume to have been
Blood on the floor. I was unharmed, no injuries, no
cuts, no broken limbs, I was just fine.
I don't know how I survived whatever it was, but I got up
and grabbed what I could and slowly exited the bus.
The first thing I noticed when I left the wreckage, The ground I
could see beneath the thin layer of snow, the blackened ground
and then I saw the trees, those familiar Spike like trees that
thing, whatever it was dragged, part of the bus into the forest.
If that thing wrecked the bus was such ease, what else could
be hidden? Amongst the spike like trees?
My mind raced thinking of the countless possibilities of what
might lie within the forest. I knew I had to leave.
So I started to try to Get my bearings in One Direction.
The bus wreckage in another, a clearing, among the trees and in
a third one, I saw what looked like a creek.
I walked the gentle snow sloshing and slurring underneath
my feet with each step, the snow piled on the air grew colder
nature. Did not seem to care much for my
situation and the snow continued to fall but I continued
wandering forward in a single Direction.
Hoping that Perhaps I could leave the forest but no matter
how much I walked I could not see the edge of the forest.
Its Stillness was baffling The Emptiness the lack of any life
the isolation and nothing aside from the spike like trees as I
walk through the forest I realized what the forest was
unnervingly, quiet, not a single noise emanated from anywhere.
The silence only broken by my own breath and steps on the
powdered snow. The spell of Simply wandering
through the cold was broken when I discovered a cave cold and
exhausted, I moved into the entrance as I walk through the
rocky formation, The Damp, warm air of the cave, welcomed me,
the darkness compared to the starch.
White landscape of snow outside was strangely welcoming I sat
down on the rocky, Stones below me and rest my head against the
wall exhausted. As my eyelids adjusted to the
darkness. I saw something.
The cave walls, a wall painting. The painting looked a lot like
cave paintings from ages past, but it seemed Well a different
instead of the red and orange and black color that most cave
paintings had these had only black, this one depicted not
hunts or some long-forgotten tribe but instead, the forest
itself the spike trees, the blackened ground things that the
longer I stared. At the more I got lost in their
seemingly incomprehensible form in the center of all of the
paintings. Nothing, just a sheer,
Indescribable mass of darkness and from it, all manner, of
Beast, seemed to emerge. The painting seem to Ramble On
as if ancient artists were trying to put disjointed
memories together and paint them down the beasts being peaceful
in the next section rage. Humanoid beings emerged to seal.
Way the darkness or Gods arising to reconcile with the darkness
and then nothing. The painting abruptly cut off on
a final image of darkness and thousands of yellow eyes.
As my mind was lost in the paintings Majesty, I heard a
rumble emanating from deeper in the cave, then yellow eyes
peered out of the darkness. I couldn't make out its form,
but it was big as the cave itself.
I saw dark red fluid like, liquid starting to form on the
cave floor. It smelled of Decay.
I looked around the things eyes, fixed on to me.
As I was struck with fear it, let out an inhuman Roar almost
identical to the roar I heard when the school bus crashed into
that thing. Then I heard screams but it
sounded distorted almost like it was mimicking.
Dozens of the screams from the bus crash.
The Shadows started to almost danced as the thing started to
move towards me without a And thought I ran out of the cave.
My tired legs nearly tripping on the uneven floor as the snow
sloshed under me. I turned back to the opening of
The Cave. I saw the thing, dragging itself
out of the cave before, letting out another great Roar that
shook the forest in the sunlight, I could make out its
form and it didn't make any sense.
Its body was decaying portions of its skeletal structure,
visible. Its skin is dark as the ground,
its bones. Misshapen and twisted and limbs.
It was very dear, like, standing on its hind legs, all being
completely worn out and be on functionality.
It was Almost Human, it was massive, it's formed casting a
long Shadow, it dripped a dark liquid substance, that appeared
as soon as it hit the ground. It shouldn't have been alive,
let alone moving in, such a state.
Know what, how was that? How was it alive?
I Wish to see anymore and started running with no sense of
direction. No care for finding my way out.
Just getting away from that thing.
I heard a deep blaring Roar loud enough to shatter glass.
I recoiled in pain. My hands instinctively reaching
for my ears. I turned behind me to see that
thing. Dragging itself towards me, I
heard trees falling down and crashing under the ground.
As I heard thundering steps of the Beast, it's deafening
lonely, Roars, as it Chased after me, wha-what was that, I
cried at the top of my lungs, as I ran between the mighty spiked
trees the Beast, knock down the trees, like they were nothing.
They're Grand tall structures crashing, under the ground with
a great force and thundering crashes.
It cut through the trees, like a warm knife through butter.
It didn't want to give up the chase.
The hunt for me. It wanted me.
The trees seem too narrow in and blend in as if trying to slow me
down as the He's kept it, space behind me, no matter how fast I
ran the quiet constantly broken, by the beasts Roars and my ever
tired, gasps for air as it followed me, as I ran through
the endless Forest, I noticed that there was less and less
snow on the ground and more of the blackened ground revealed
itself to me until any trace of snow was gone.
And all that was beneath me was black soil.
The thing still followed as I ran, I saw others Like me, some
look to be Lumberjacks. Others look to be cartographers.
People who got thrown into the forest, they just had their
pale. White bones, lying, perfectly on
the ground resting against trees, as I looked back, the
Beast. Again, slashed its great Limbs
and another several trees were Fallen.
It's yellow eyes forever fixed on me.
It's decaying form caring. Nothing more than to take me it
dripped that same black liquid and produce the ever familiar.
Blaring Roar. My legs started to give and I
felt as if I needed to collapse, I now began to see ornaments
made of Spike to tree. Branches, dangling from the
trees. They displayed images that I
could not put into words. And on the ground Effigies of
creatures beings and charred remains of what I could only.
Assume was a ritual, I kept running emerging from the
blackened ground. I saw something I never expected
to grow in such an empty Wasteland, a pale white Rose a
sign of innocence in such a Barren.
Black Wasteland up ahead. I saw countless more roses their
pale white glow, in the stark, contrast to the blackened ground
and Spike trees. Densely collected around a
massive, Frozen League hesitant. I looked behind me only to see
the Beast a couple hundred yards from me and without a second
thought I ran onto the ice, I was lucky the ice was capable of
holding my weight as I ran across almost slipping on the
Several times, I then noticed that the Beast wasn't following
me. It's thundering steps went
silent and I turned around expecting it to be in spitting
distance, but it was standing by the frozen lake.
It stared at me, it's yellow eyes staring at me, never taking
its gaze off of me. It didn't even try to step on
the ice, its limbs refused to move forward.
I took this as an opportunity to take a breather and I collapsed
my hands resting on my knees. Then I noticed something in the
center of the lake standing on a small island on it.
A single tree, not like the others in the forest rested on
black charts soil. The tree was crooked, bent
Twisted, beyond recognition, its branches bent, and molded in
such abstract shapes. It was, as if you were trying to
describe a tree to a man who had never seen one with no other
place to go, I decided to cross the ice and move towards.
Island as I was a few feet from the tree, the Beast, let out a
great Roar turning back. It, swung its arms wildly as if
it were trying to reach me. But it didn't dare step onto the
ice and simply grab the cold air as I stepped closer and closer
to the island. It's Roars, grew, louder, louder
and louder. But once I stepped foot on the
soil of the island, it immediately went silent.
It was then I noticed the stone tablet resting by the tree.
Free reading it aloud. I uttered the words into the
cold air in the beginning. God created Heavens the Earth,
the great empty, God, disregarded the great empty and
left it as empty as the world was before creation before.
God, God has long left, but his mistake of creation, still
lingers the hatred creation, seeps itself into the heavens
and the Earth. Corrupting The Works of God
blackening the soil and destroying man's mind.
Mind the gateway to the great. Empty is here beneath the soil
Beyond the Veil of reality, at the center, and Edge of
everything, and at times, end and beginning.
As I read the last word off the tablet, I heard crackling above
me. And the tree that stood above me
was no longer a tree instead of its wooden bark.
It now was rotten its branches. Were now a series of small bone,
like structures and along its trunk human eyes stared unto me.
I left back and fear as the thing screeched with rage and
it's pupils contracted it. Let out another Screech as it
contorted its branches, and swung its rotten like Branches,
as if it was trying to grab me, what the I backed away from the
tree and then I tripped on a rock, but rooting from the
ground and I stumbled backwards and broke the ice.
I was standing on, I filled down into not freezing cold water,
but pure nothing, I simply fell fell and fell as the world faded
far from my view. As I fell not on to something,
but into nothing. Pure nothing, not black nor
white. Just this year, absence of
either, do you know those sensory, deprivation Chambers,
the ones that dull your senses significantly if you were to
enter them, I've been in a couple in the past year or so
just for curiosity's sake, they don't even compare to what the
void was like. There was utter nothingness, in
the void, time-space the real world seem to just blur as my
ears. Picked up nothing.
My body unable to feel anything and my eyes unable to detect a
single Photon of light that MD, it's enough to drive a man
insane. I screamed yelled and Cried unto
the darkness, but no sound emanated from my mouth.
I tried to move, but my limbs wouldn't obey me.
So I simply stared into the void into the vast darkness and I
felt something had now fixed. Its attention unto me.
It's countless eyes, it's formless form, its sheer
Darkness. It stared at me from the
Timeless ceaseless void. I could feel it was ancient far
older than the Earth, the Sun and every Star perhaps even
older than the universe itself. My mind started to buckle as my
fickle mind, tried to cope with the sensory, deprivation, and I
could feel things slipping their way.
Into my mind, I could feel them. I could feel Things dancing, in
the void things, far greater than any Star things that snuck
into the real world through cracks in reality and things
that plagued our dreams, all their eyes, oh, God, their eyes.
Why do they stare? Why do they not do anything?
And why do they hate you? Why do they stare?
Oh, God, they're yellow orbs, their ever-changing forms the
void. No sense, feeling, Beyond,
eternity, beyond the heavens beyond Earth.
Earth. There was nothing but me.
I could hear them talking screaming roaring corruption,
it's spread across all worlds. It corrupts all it takes all it
took the forest, it took the soil.
I will be embraced by Darkness. Expands I shall be taken by the
great void. I awoke outside the forest
beside the bus. Wreckage, I stood up as my eyes,
adjusted to the light, I started to hear the sirens, the police,
the ambulances and crying parents, the paramedics picked
me up and examined me while I stood in shock, the eyes of the
Beast, and the voids sheer emptiness was still echoing in
my mind, it has been ten years now and nobody knows what
happened to the others who were on board that bus and why I The
only Survivor they asked me what had happened, but I didn't think
they would believe me if I told them.
So, they simply listed it as a mad accident, they assumed the
bus crashed and the others were taken away by wolves.
And I somehow spared, the only Survivor that is what they seem
to want to believe. Anyway, it's been ten years now
since the incident nobody wants to talk about it.
Let alone, what happened? I Occasionally, go to the site
where the crash occurred where I constantly debate to myself,
whether I should go back in and see what else.
The forest held, maybe answer some lingering questions on what
had happened on that day. Like who were the people?
Who came into the forest before me?
What the forest was? Or he'll jump into that Lake
again to feel the absence of sense and meaning now at this
point you might be wondering why I'm even telling this story at
all. Why?
I would even indulge you in something like this.
It's because on my most recent visit, I noticed something odd
about the charred black ground of the forest.
It grew further out. Tape one the road.
Alright, so my name is Grace and I'm recording this for anyone
that either wants to hear it or anyone stupid enough to go into
the hagwood forest, go there at your own risk.
You don't want to know what's waiting for you in there unless
you do. Then listen on, I'll tell you
everything. That happened to me.
You can choose to believe me or just brush it off.
Just saying it was about two months ago, three of my friends.
And I wanted Go lodging in the woods for at least a week for a
bit of down time life had hit us hard the last few weeks and we
just wanted a break. So I decided that we should go
to the hagwood forest and stay in one of the cabins for a
while. They loved the idea and said
that they would start getting ready the same day after about
two days. We were ready for the trip.
Now, if you're listening to this then that means you either know
how to get there and how weird the drive here is or you just
found this on the internet. Just outside Johnsonville
Tennessee, down week drive for about 10 miles.
Then take five rights two left's Andrew there, I recorded the
whole experience so you'll hear some of the videos in the back
while I'm talking I'll stop now and let the video play out.
We recorded it because it was one of the few times we ever got
together and wanted to remember it.
But now we just want to forget it but we never will.
It started out like normal. We pulled our stuff in the back,
got in the car. I start the engine and started
to drive a little after we started, I turned on the camera.
Okay, it's on. Here we go.
I said under a heavy breath, it's good to hang out with you
guys again. Feels like it's been ages.
James said with lots of excitement in his voice.
Yeah, it's good to be back. James said, shyly James has
never been one for talking. He's always been a bit of an
introvert, but Opens up more around us, so that's good.
At least I just hope, we'll get to see some cool stuff.
While we're there said, June June and I have been dating for
about two years and she was excited about the trip.
I'm glad that she was and it made the trip even more
enjoyable, about 15 minutes later.
We made it to the light outside of the week drive and stopped.
There were no cars out. At this time, it was about
seven, twenty five in the morning.
I stopped the car at the light. Then I turned to tell everyone
in the car, alright. Are we ready?
I said with much excitement, you bet we are said, Matt laughing
only because I was doing this for a bit of fun.
Before we started the longest drive into the forest after a
little banter, we started our drive.
Now, if you are driving to the forest from the town, the speed
limit is 45 down week drive. It would usually take about 13
minutes to travel 10 miles at 45 miles an hour.
But it takes about three hours to get to the first turn.
That's 10 miles away. That's the first thing that we
noticed on our trip. Hey, you said the first turn,
was only 10 miles, right? James mentioned.
Yeah, I did. I said back, well, it's been two
hours since we left town. James responded.
Everyone looked at their phones for the time.
Holy crap. June exclaimed, recoiling
backwards. Okay?
I've been down this road plenty of time.
Time's it only takes about a half hour to get to the highway,
I mean, how many miles away are we from the turn?
Matt said with concern and confusion 3.5 miles away 3.5
miles away. I said still confused.
All to hell. That's the thing about week
drive it only does this when you have the intention of going to
the forest an hour later we made the first turn.
Finally Matt said with much relief, okay?
Okay, so five rights and two left's, right?
Grayson James said, yes, James, five rights, and two left's, I
set back. Wait, that doesn't seem
possible. June said in response, how can
you do that without getting back to the same road?
And that's the thing about the journey.
It may not make sense but you'll get there anyway.
I can't tell you how or why it happens, but it does.
Now, the road that We traveled on after our first turn is 15
miles an hour. It gives you a great view
outside the car windows as you drive along.
Hey guys. It's 5:00 James said with a hint
of anxiety in his voice. Okay so I guess we'll get there
a lot later than anticipated. I said in a similar tone we kept
driving down the road taking every turn that we needed and
made it to the entrance of the forest.
We turned into the small parking area and there was no one else
in the Lat nice. We have the whole place to
ourselves. I said with more enthusiasm than
I thought. I had in me, we then started
unloading our items from the car clothes, bathroom stuff and all
the other things that you would need, hey guys, I said yeah.
James responded. Do you see that in between the
trees over there? I questioned the camera focused
in, on the spot. What I saw was a large dark
figure in between the trees, it was about Out the size of half
the tree, it was standing next to it was staring directly at me
as it. Did it slowly wrapped one of its
arms around the tree and opened. Its hand to expose seven long,
sharp fingers, the rest of its body was perfectly blending in
with the Dark Shadows of the forest.
Its eyes were yellow. Almost glowing slightly.
But I had a feeling that they were not lights of Hope but
something more Sinister. That's when Matt walked up next
to me. No, nothing.
But the Shadows of the trees and the trees themselves.
He said I looked back and it was gone.
I kept a footnote on the thing I saw and went back to unloading
with the now apparent feeling that we were being watched tape
to a mr. Easter's, it was James.
Who first saw my unease on our walk, the leaves on the path
crunching underneath our steps, the cold breeze, move through
the trees. I had been looking around
randomly We a bit more quickly than the others and also
allowing the camera to follow my eyes so I could capture
everything. Hey man, you okay over here, he
asked. Yeah, I'm fine, just a little on
edge that's all but he could tell that I was more than that.
I knew that James was very observant, he notes, most things
around him. As we walk down to the cabin, we
take in the forest are in smell, Pine and Oak.
Then June who was in the front stopped.
Soon, everyone else. I walked up next to her to see
what she was looking at. It was a small, deer standing in
the path, eating some grass, but she looked frightened.
So I looked past the deer and saw what she saw the same figure
from before everyone else saw it too.
So now I know, I wasn't crazy in a small whisper.
I said, I told you I saw something back there.
All of us were frozen not making a single sound or movement as we
Watch the deer, eat grass and the thing stood a good 30 feet
from the deer. We waited about a minute, my
camera pointed at the deer and the thing in plain sight past
it. We all were about to move when
the creature ran to the deer. Snatched it and ran off in the
blink of an eye. It almost made.
No sound all of now with looks and shock on our faces.
We exhale, do most at the same time then we heard the scream of
the deer very far off in the forest to Left.
We all looked at each other. What just happened?
Matt exclaimed. Well, a dark Creature from the
forest. Took a deer deep in the woods
and had a meal. June said, sarcastically with a
shaky voice. Let's just get to the cabin
before anything else happens. James said, yeah, I replied.
We walk down the path with no other incident.
We got to the cabin and opened the door.
It was a large building with four bedrooms four bathrooms a
good-size kitchen. Even with a small bar next to
it, there was also a large living room in the Middle with a
large window. Making up one side of the room.
Wow, this is better than I thought, said, Matt.
Well, I wanted us to have a good time so I got the best.
I said, a little nervous, you did well.
James said with a calming hand on the shoulder.
Alright, let's get unpacked. Then meet in here.
I said trying to lighten up the mood.
We all went into our Rooms and did.
As I said, we all went and sat on the couches and turned on the
TV for some background noise. I say we stay in the cabin for
the first day and relax Matt said all in favor raise your
hand. I said, playfully everyone
raised their hands. All right, so it's decided then
we'll stay here for tomorrow. I said I'll get us drinks James
offered as he stood as we all talked James walked over to the
small bar and went to grab us. Some drinks.
When all of the sudden there was a crash of glass hitting the
floor, all of us looked in James's direction to see what he
had. Dropped.
An empty shot glass on the floor and was looking straight in the
mirror. I started to stand when James
says, trembling in fear, don't it's here.
The thing that we saw its hiding in the room opposite the mirror,
the room he is describing was the closet was some general
cleaning supplies in it. We then just stayed as still as
we could. It's moving and as he said that,
I saw a hand slowly come out of the closet then the rest of its
body. The thing was about 12 feet tall
in towered over us. It had long legs that were about
five feet tall with the body of about 6 feet.
The neck and head made up. The last foot.
Its arms went so far down the tips of its fingers, were only
just a few centimeters off the floor, the things sharp pointy
fingers were about the things sharp pointy.
Jurors were about a foot long. It's feet looks normal enough.
If it wasn't for the fact that the things body was darker than
the night sky. I saw them the first time I saw
it but now I was sure. Its eyes were glowing yellow, it
walks slowly around the room. It appeared to be examining us.
None of us looked into the glowing orbs that were at size
but we did follow its movements. It walked over to all of us.
I wouldn't say that it was sizing us up.
Or less examining what we were after its examination.
It slowly walked back to the closet went inside and closed
the door after a minute June walked over to the door and
opened it, it was gone at the same time.
We all let out a breath. Okay, so what happened?
Matt asked shaking with every word.
Well, I think that it was examining us.
I said, what, how can you say that we could have been hurt?
It June exclaimed, if it wanted to get us, it would have done
that, but it made no move to touch one of us.
I merely think it was just interested, James commented.
I mean, Grayson, you said that no one had stayed in the cabin
in years, right? Yeah, the only time there is
someone up here is when someone comes to clean the place I
replied. So it's safe to assume that it
was interested in the fact that there were someone here for
longer than it was used to, you know, that Sense.
Matt said, under breath with exhaustion.
Okay. I say we all try to go to bed,
then we'll talk about it in the morning, I suggested.
Okay, that's fine, said June to bed then I replied Tape 3 day
one. The first move I woke up around
8:30 to A nice bright sun and clear skies overlooking.
The small Valley outside the window.
I didn't remember there being a valley outside the back.
Back windows but I shook it off as nothing and went into the
main area of the cabin. The main cabin area was coded in
sunlight from the big window that made the back wall.
I looked over and saw that the big TV was on quietly playing
the morning. News in the kitchen June made us
four cups of coffee and handed one to me.
Good morning, she said with a yawn.
Good morning, I set back. Didn't think we got the news out
here. I said she just Shrugged and sat
on one of the Couches and I sat on the countertop facing the TV.
So have the other to come out yet I said they're taking
showers so they'll be out soon she replied after a few minutes
of casual talk James and Matt came out of their rooms.
Good morning. Matt said drying his head with a
towel. Good morning replied, June,
handing them cups of coffee, we all went to the couches where
food was laid out. How did everyone sleep James
asked? The room was quiet for a few
seconds. Everyone looked at each other.
Yeah, I actually did Matt said in almost a whisper, let's not
dwell on it. All we need to do today is try
and relax while we're here at the cabin and tomorrow we can go
out and see some places in the forest.
I said in response, they all nodded their heads and they went
to do their things. Around the cabin I went and got
the camera. I walked out of the main area
and turn the camera on. I looked around the Room with it
and walked around the area showing off everything.
The cabin had to offer a few minutes of showing off the place
later, I grabbed a ladder out of the closet, I did my best to
forget what happened last night but I can't, I don't think
anyone could forget that. Why do you have a ladder?
Matt asked from behind me? I was going to place a camera up
here, pointed it toward one of the low-hanging.
Beams at the far end of the cabin.
I want to keep it there, so it can document while we go.
Oh, about the day. I replied.
Sounds cool. He said back and walked off.
I place the camera on the beam climb down and put back the
ladder. Everyone was in different parts
of the house so there was a good amount of Silence.
I went over to one of the couches, drink in hand and sat
down to watch some TV. I turned it on and there was
static damn, no signal. I said annoyed everyone else
walked into the room right after damn, That sucks.
No TV James said, sitting down. That's when I noticed the sound
of Rushing Water. Almost like, we were by a
waterfall. And there were no water falls
within a mile hike from the cabin.
So it was definitely out of the ordinary.
Hey, what's that noise June? Questioned sounds like water.
Matt said, I went to look outside and there was a view of
a valley but in a different spot.
Hey, I remember seeing the waterfall on the other end of
the valley yesterday. I said, so James replied.
I'm saying that because the same waterfall is next to the cabin.
Now everyone went to look where I was looking.
They all had some of the most questioning faces I'd ever seen.
So did the house move or did some rocks fall, Matt,
questioned. That's way too large for some
rocks. I replied with a bit of a
chuckle so you're saying that the forest is moving James
replied. Yes, for the rest of the day.
We Decided to forget about it and have a good time for today.
Let's just say, drinking started at about lunchtime for the rest
of the day. We went without incident and
about 9:00. We all went to bed tape for Day
2 and 3, the lake. After I woke up, I got the
camera and turned it on. After that I placed the camera
on the bed and got my hiking bag packed and went to meet the
others in the main room. Alright.
Is everyone ready? I said said they all in
confirmation nodded their heads. Okay let's go.
I replied walking out the door. So where are we going?
James asked behind me over to that, large lake in the valley.
Then we'll spend the night camping and returning.
The next morning, I said, with a bit of enthusiasm after that we
went outside and started on the path to the lake.
As we walked, we took some time just to listen to the world
around us the crunch of leaves under our feet.
Eat the moving of leaves in the wind, the occasional chirp of a
bird and the Rushing River nearby, it was peaceful around
an hour of hiking later. We took a break.
We placed our bags down and sat on the edge of a calmer part of
the river by a log that stretched across it.
It's beautiful. Here James commented?
Yeah. Only about another 45 minutes
and we should be there. I replied we all got up put our
backpacks on and started walking again.
The highwomen hike in total was about three miles long.
It had been about five miles since our River stopped.
When we finally noticed something, some of the trees
were different as we moved. We started to notice that the
trees would be in the same spot of our vision, the path going in
abnormal directions. And at times sudden, dizziness
like when going fast on a roller coaster, man.
What is going on in this Forest, Matt complained throwing his
hands up in the air. What do you mean asked?
June? Don't play it off.
We have all noticed. This damned Forest is changing.
No moving. What do you think of all this
James? I exclaimed.
Well, the Lakes right over there.
He said pointing over to the Shoreline.
That wasn't there before, we all walked over there to the water
and sure enough, the lake was right there at this point we all
just accepted it an unloaded, our bags to set up tents in a
small clearing by the water we'd gathered sticks since it was
getting Dark and made a fire. Well, tents are all set fires
burning and we have drinks. Matt said holding a drink up in
the air it was fun to finally not be on edge for part of the
trip. The four of us just sat there by
the fire looking at the league, a small radio playing music
quietly in the background taking in the cool air of the night.
It was peaceful about 11 p.m. we all called it a night and went
to our tents. I laid there closing my eyes,
taking All the sounds of the forest and the lake water moving
in the wind. Then there was a snap of a
branch allowed one. Then loud heavy footsteps
started walking in the same sand near our tents whatever it was.
It was big. I heard it walking around until
it got to my tent. I heard the crunch of dirt under
its feet and even the movement of its limbs for a second.
I saw a glimpse of its shadow in the tent.
It was the creature from before the only France.
This time was its mouth was open through a small clear piece of
plastic in the tent. I could see it.
I saw it's ungodly big mouth for long arm like appendages were
coming out of its back lifting it about a foot and a half off
the ground. It moves slowly observing
everything. I then moved only a little and I
guess it heard that because I was now looking right into its
eyes, the two yellow glowing. Eyes eclipse, the silhouette of
the creature as we were facing off.
There was a crack of a branch in the woods.
I looked over in the direction of the noise and so did it.
It crept toward the noise then stopped it turned back to me.
I don't know why this thing at such an obsession with me over
the others, but I don't want to find out.
I saw it take one step and sped over my tent.
At this point I could feel it's cold breath on my face.
Its teeth looks sharper when up close, it had an awful stench
that came from it and just standing around it.
Made the air feel as if It was in the negatives.
We stared at each other for what felt like forever then in the
blink of an eye, it was gone, Matt, June James, and I all got
out of our tents and slowly gathered by the fire and started
a new one. We all sat in silence for five
minutes. Before we finally, decided to go
to bed, just sitting there under the blanket of stars, listening
to the sounds of the nighttime Forest.
It was calm enough to put anyone to sleep.
We woke up around 8:00 in the morning to Sun rising over the
mountains and birds chirping in the trees.
I stood out of my tent and took in the scenery thankfully, I
woke up in the same place this time.
I thought, as I walked out of the tent, I took the camera out
and placed it on the spot that looked over the camp.
I looked over to the shore of the lake and saw James sitting
there toes in the sand. I walked over and sat next to
him. Good morning.
I said trying to start a conversation.
He stayed still looking. Hang out over the water.
You, okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
James replied. Still looking toward the water.
Why did it take interest in you, he said turning his head to look
at me. I recoiled at the question, it
took me by complete surprise. I didn't even consider that, I
replied. So what was it like?
I mean, being so close to it. June asked walking up behind us.
I'm interested to Maddox. Named also walking up.
Well, the first thing I can think of is it sighs, they felt
Hollow almost empty but the glowing yellow of its eyes
filled that its breath was also cold.
I could almost see frost on the tip of my nose now that I think
of it, the air was really cold too.
I said in almost a calm voice. Wait, it felt cold, Matt
questioned to my right. It also had teeth sharp teeth
that could possibly come, Cut without even touching skin but
its breath also smelt like death or as close as you could get to
death. It moves fast too.
I saw it move across 50 feet. In a matter of seconds, I said,
looking into the water. Damn, that's, that's, I've got
nothing. James said, well, that's in the
past. We are here now and let's enjoy
the. Now, while we still can Matt
said standing up looking back, I feel That I should have been
more affected by what happened. But at the same time, I think
that I was so traumatized that I didn't even process it
correctly. Anyways, enough, focusing on
that. After our conversation, we
decided to have fun and forget about what happened all day.
We took time to focus on relaxing, and being one with
nature. As some would say, after our day
of fun, I grabbed the camera forgot to turn it off and we
went to the tents to fall asleep with no incidents.
For the whole day tape 5. Dave, for the bunker, I don't
know what time I woke up, but very little light and a slight
echoing noise All Around Me. Took me by surprise the ground
that the tent was on was hard and cold.
I picked the camera up and saw what was on it crap, need to
replace the battery. Only just then realizing the
echo in the room, I replace the battery and turned on the
camera. I unzipped the 10th.
Looked out on the other side of the tent was a good-sized
concrete room with only three. Yellow light shining enough
light to see the other tents were in the other room too.
Hey, wake up. I exclaimed, I heard the 10
Shuffle and everyone got out and assess the room.
Why are we in a room? Why are we in a concrete room?
James said freaking out. Hey, calm down.
Let's huddle up near the burnt wood over there.
Is that a fire? In said yep.
Matt replied. Let's sit down for a minute and
gather ourselves. I said calming lie, we all
walked over to what used to be the fire and sat down.
Do you have to bring the camera? Matt said annoyed, if we didn't
have it anyone that would come and find us would know nothing
and find nothing idiot. June said, it's the only proof
we have. She was right.
We had no other proof of what happened and what will happen.
It was the last thing we had we all sat around for a few minutes
until James said, what we all were thinking?
Should we look for a door? We all nodded and went to
explore, what seemed to be an infinitely sized room.
The fire was in the center. That's what the conclusion we
made. When, starting from the fire we
walked in four separate directions and counted.
How many steps from the fire to the wallet was on three.
We started counting, I guess that room just stopped past
Where the light passed from the fire to the edge of the light
was 40 steps and I guess the walls were about forty eight
steps if only I knew June was finished before the rest of us
forty three steps. She said with a raised voice
forty seven steps. I said in the same tone 56
steps. James said, we waited three
minutes format. 530 steps. Mad exclaimed.
We seemed only to hear the Echo of his voice, James June.
And I ran back to the fire and looked toward the direction that
Matt went. We looked at each other, then
ran back to the black void. A minute later, we heard steps
as he came into view. What's with the Box?
June asked, I almost fell on it, I haven't opened it yet, but
it's worth a look. He said placing the Box on the
ground and opening it in the box where some MREs flashlights and
other survival gear. Well, This is expected.
Matt said, I also felt a metal rectangle on the wall with a
door handle. He found a door, a door.
I thought, I thought about, what could be on the other side, a
staircase, the outside, or a room.
As I finished the thoughts, we were all packed and nodded at
each other. We turned on the flashlights and
started to walk for the first minute of walking, it was just
black. Then we saw the door.
We stopped just before the thing it was Tested all over and had
an old dirty metal, sort of smell and shook.
Only a little now. And then a breeze.
There was wind on the other side of the door that reach for the
door and opened. It, it grown too loudly and was
hard to open due to the large amount of rust on the hinges,
that were now flaking off. When the door opened, we aimed
our flashlights down, the new dark hallway, that was pressed
before us crap. James explained, I was hoping
for some stairs that led out. Outside, let's go.
I said taking the lead down the hallway.
We stayed silent. While walking down the long dark
hallway. Keeping quiet out of fear to see
if we could hear anything. There were doors on either side.
We tried them all and none of them would budge.
Not even any sign that they would move about 10 minutes.
Later, the hallway, widened into a large room, we aimed our
flashlights around to reveal, more of the room, a light
dripping sound of water, hitting a puddle on the ground.
Heh Going through the room it was longer than what our
flashlights could light. We could see two pillars holding
the ceilings up and two more at the edge of the light.
Hey, two of you go to the other side of the room and shine, your
lights back at us. I said why Matt asked, so we can
see the room, duh, June, setback, she and James went to
the other side and place their lights to the floor pointing up.
Matt, and I did the same, the lights reflected off the walls,
and Illuminating the room with the faint glow.
We all took a minute to take in the surroundings, four pillars,
kept the ceiling from falling small, coffee tables, and chairs
lined. The room old vintage machines
were placed on one of the walls, a sign above the door, set
bathroom. Next to the other door was
another hallway on the last wall.
There was a large window that looked into a room that we
couldn't see, but there seemed to be a faint red glow far into
the distance. What kind of place is this?
This James questioned. It looks like some sort of break
room, I said and how might have you guessed that Matt said,
annoyed the counter with a coffee machine in microwave on
it and the fridge next to that I said pointing toward the wall
with the vending machines. Oh, I guess that would make
sense. He said in response.
We then got some chairs in, sat them in a circle in a random
spot in the room and sat down. All right, first question.
What the hell? Is this place that we're in?
Matt said, well, I would say that we're in a bunker of some
sort, James said, shivering over how cold it was.
And why do you say that Matt returned?
The shapes of the rooms are too simple and the fact that
everything is made of concrete. The better question is, how did
we get here? I think I might know, I replied
remember how in the cabin when we woke up the building was in a
completely different spot. Yes.
In June replied, and in the walk to the lake.
It took a surprisingly short time to get there.
I returned. I think that whatever happened
there happened last night, or if it's still night, have any of
you tried your phones, James asked, everyone pulled out their
phones. None were turning on damn out of
battery. June said, we all just sat
around for a while and looked at all the different things
throughout the room. Everything looked normal and
everything looked pretty. Up-to-date up until the rapper
of the candy bar. Sitting in one of the vending
machines, the rapper showed that it expired, in 1985 1985 older
than I expected. I thought, hey guys, this place
is older than you may think I shouted.
Why James asked? Because the Candy in the vending
machine expired back in 85, what Matt said, coming out of the
bathroom, I then turned my attention back to the wall.
With the big window and walked over to it.
Hey guys, so if this place existed back in 85 and if back
then the US was looking for ways to get the upper hand on the
Soviets and this was a bunker, could this be an observation
room on the other side of this window?
I said, with a hint of curiosity, everyone then looked
at me, what? Matt questioned it only makes
sense, James said, but if that's the case, then we might want to
get out of here because I don't want to find out.
Down here. So down the next hallway we go.
June asked onward. I replied we quickly grabbed our
gear and started down the hallway.
This hallway felt unnatural there was something off about
it, we all could feel it. The deeper, we got the more
strange things happened. After about four minutes of
walking down the hallway. I strange particles started
floating about it was almost snow like but far colder.
On each side of the hallway, the door is started appearing.
We took our time to investigate and show as much as we could on
camera some rooms just had an operating table, a light and a
set of tools on a small table interrogation rooms about seven
minutes into our walk. Deep fog started to set in the
air, started to get hard to breathe in.
What the hell happened here? June asked, I don't know, but I
think our government bunker theory has been proven James.
Why'd we walk some more until we came to a four-way intersection
of hallways. Well isn't this perfect for
directions for people? Matt said, no we're not
splitting up. I said that's the last thing
that we need to do. We stick together, I said,
sternly they recoiled back with surprise on their faces, I'm
sorry. I just wanted to have a nice
vacation. Hey, we'll make it through this
and afterward. We'll have an Interesting story
to tell James said placing his hand on my shoulder.
Now let's get out of here. The wall with the window was on
the right side when facing the hallway from the room.
So we went right down this hallway.
There were larger doors that led to full-on operation rooms cold
storage rooms and decontamination rooms the place
was a maze, a Labyrinth of hallways, and rooms of the same
stuff, it was more of the same until we found a stairwell.
Our stairwell that went down farther than we could see.
We looked up and saw a sign that said lower levels officers and
higher-ups only Tape 6 the lower levels even they keep secrets
from themselves. James said, looking up at the
sign. What do you mean?
I asked what I mean is that even if you're allowed to work in
this place, you don't really know what's going on here.
We all took a second to look around.
What might be down here? I shivered at the thought of
going down there, but we all had been exploring for hours and
there didn't seem to be any way up.
So, this was our only option. We looked at each other for
reassurance. Aaron's, that we all agreed and
started down the stairs. The walk down was unstable.
They were rusted all to hell and some of the steps fell
completely off. Most of them, just fell on the
stairs below, but one, fell down the middle shaft.
And we decided to listen, we waited and waited to hear it.
Hit the floor below, but we heard nothing and must be so far
down the echo didn't reach us. I thought after that, we moved
more carefully, it was only after Five minutes.
Did we make it to the bottom at the bottom?
We found the step that fell and a door, a door with a faint, red
light shining through the fog. So there is power here, June
said, anxiety, filling her body. The light kept blinking on and
off an alarm. I thought with me still taking
the lead, we walked forward more particles floating in the air
started appearing open, doors on either side of the white
hallway. All of the room.
Has made four different experiments.
What the hell were they doing down here?
Matt said, hey, I found an office over here.
I exclaimed, they ran over and we entered the room, it's clean.
I questioned. I can't breathe in here.
June said, well, at least the light works.
Matt said, flicking on the late with the light on the room,
revealed to be a conference room.
A large table, sat in the Middle with 11 chairs surrounding the
table. There was Also a projector on
the far end that face toward a large white surface.
On the other wall stacks of paper were all over the room,
large filing cabinets line. The wall filled with folders I
took in a deep breath of clean air in the room and walked over
to the table. The others joined me.
And we all sat down to rest, James reached for the folder
that was laying in front of him. On the table, dark creature,
James read aloud. What, Matt asked what this
folder says? James replied.
He proceeded to open the file and start taking out, papers,
research, documents analysis, papers, official, reports and
pictures. Most of the pictures and papers
described. What we had seen above ground, a
tall dark creature with glowing yellow eyes we all got to
James's side of the table and he gave us each some papers origin
unknown appears in Old cave writing in Native, carvings the
natives referred to it as a dark creature.
It is not part of our natural order and does not belong here.
I read aloud from what I've read, it seems to have the
abilities that we have seen, but is suspected to have more.
James said, mine says that his blood is an extremely good
energy source and that one gallon could power.
New York for almost 15 years. June, red, we looked over to
Matt to hear what his paper said, but he seemed to be
covered in fear his eyes wide and muscles tensed up.
But breathing, almost Calmly, mine says that they found
worried came from by looking at ancient writings in the area and
found a door to another world. He said, I'll explain the rest
to you. What they found behind the door
was a world that was dark and cold, dark clouds.
Covered the sky, a purple Hue, covered everything and vibrant.
Red lightning would trace the sky at random points dense,
forest and old vacant cities that had been destroyed large
mountains, surrounded, the valley that the door opens to
There are more of the creatures in that place and something else
in the reports in the pictures. It described a large towering
monster. That was almost as large as
Everest. It had appendages that stretched
out word for miles and was as dark.
Maybe even darker than the creature.
We saw there wasn't much information on the creature
beyond that. I grabbed the camera and I
placed it at the end of the table and made sure to capture
everything for proof. We decided to take as much
information as possible with Us after talking, we decided that
we needed to go there as soon as possible.
We got our stuff and headed toward the door.
That's one of the loud. Thump came from the other side
of the door. My hand stopped on the doorknob
Frozen in place. I felt small.
Vibrations, reach my hand when the creature stomped.
I slowly put my ear to the door, trying not to make a sound
through the door. I heard steps, get louder and
the door get colder within a few seconds.
The doorknob felt ice cold and frost started forming on the All
the air became dry and we could see our breath more clearly and
the steps got louder a muffled growl from the creature could be
heard on the other side, it huffed as it took a breath.
I quickly looked around the room at everyone and as I did the
creature stomped on the ground outside causing a vibration in
the floor and the table where a pence at it's.
As if time, slow down at that moment, the pain bounced up a
little off the table and started rolling off until it hit the
ground with a loud. Thud.
We locked eyes and ran under the table behind anything that we
could find. I went to dive under the table
and slam myself against one of the sides.
At the same time, the door was thrown open and a loud thud.
The creature stepped into the room, a thin layer of frost.
Now started to cover the room, the room fell silent so silent.
I could hear my heart beating. I moved as slow as I could to
get the camera where I could see, at least where the creature
was through a small sliver at the bottom of the table, I could
see the ever. Being black leg standing in the
doorway. I could hear the Deep gargling
growls of the creature scanning the room, a crackling fleshy
sound filled. The room then, 5 more limbs,
touch the ground and lifted the two original legs.
The new limbs slowly. Take steps around the room.
The step, sounded more like, needles being stuck into the
ground. It's joined sounded like they
were breaking with every joint. I go to look over to my left and
see James has either through a gap behind some of the
cabinet's. His His eyes were wide with
fear. Looking back at me, his mouth
covered by his hands to not make any noise.
One of its Lake step down onto the ground startling, both of
us, James kept his eye on me. Another Lake stepped down in
front of us, and the creature started to bend down the
crunching. Sounds of it.
Moving almost made me nauseous before.
The creatures had got down to our level.
I'm mouth to James play dead. I quickly set the camera down
and made myself look limp. I held my breath.
Then close my eyes and waited only from the camera.
Do I know what happened in that moment for me?
All I could do was listen, its head was now down at our level,
it's glowing eyes scanning for any movement.
It first looked over in the direction of James, looking over
every detail for any sign of life, it must not have seen
anything because now it had its eyes on me, it slowly moves
forward as if it's being cautious.
So as not to provoke a dangerous animal, its eyes Scanned every
inch of me I could feel its cold breath on my face.
And smelled the god awful stench coming out of the creature.
It slowly started to move away keeping its eyes locked on me.
I did my very best not to move I could feel my joints starting to
hurt just by trying to stay still it's head eventually left
the underside of the table and lifted.
Once I heard the cracking of its bones as it was starting.
Its way back up. I open my eyes and let out a
long silent breath, almost coughing due to the particles.
The air. I looked over at James who I
could see past the things. Bony legs, he looked back at me
and let out a sigh of relief then immediately breathed back
in when one of the Lakes moved and stomped on the ground.
The creature made sort of a hellish chirping noise as it
explored the room. The Stomps of its feet vibrated,
the room shaking, everything a pencil or pen dropped on the
floor. The creature stomped over to it,
making a growl of disappointment, once it found
the item, it lost interest in the item and walk to another
area of the room as it did. I slowly took off my bag and
tried to find something. Something heavy.
I landed on a heavy metal water bottle, I took it out of the bag
and crawled over to the edge of the table.
I looked out and saw the door, the lightning peering into the
room fog, filling the space. I arched my arm and toss the
Bottle Into the hallway, the bottle, hit the wall and under
the floor of the hallway with banging, the metal to concrete,
the bottle, made a fuel. Banging sounds that echo down
the hallway, the creature snap to look at the door and sprinted
toward the table. Vaulted over and ran out of the
room down the hallway with lightning speed, its body
snapping and crackling with every movement, the room shaking
in a guttural, horrifying Roar erupted from its mouth.
The further, it was the warmer everything got once I knew that
it was gone, I got up and close the door slowly.
Hey, it's clear. I spoke looking around the room.
Umm, James walked out, first looking around.
That was smart. James said, walking up to me,
Matt and June walked out from where they were hiding.
Dang, that was something Matt, said walking to me and James
June walked up and hugged me. I patted her on the back, and
she let go. So, what now she asked, now we
get out of here. I said we all fixed our packs
and I placed my hand on the cold metal door handle.
Here we go. I said Ed opening the door when
the door opened there was silence total, absolute silence.
I poked my head out and looked both ways shining my flashlight
with it. The only thing that I saw were
objects floating in the air, the fog and lights, blinking,
slowly. And Rhythm, I took a few steps
into the hallway and Signal the others to follow.
Once everyone was in the hallway, we started to walk back
in the direction. We were going in the same
direction as the creature. Tape seven the creature in the
tree. We walked for, who knows?
How long down? Never-ending hallways and large
rooms meant for various purposes.
The dust was almost an inch thick.
On every surface. We found a large Barracks a few
hours into the wok. I turned on the camera and
started recording. There were bunk beds in either
side of the room, all of them, very messy waving the flashlight
around. I went to each bed.
Looking at all the things that each person had Each one had a
life, looks like they left in a hurry.
June said, well, most of them. Matt said pointing his
flashlight toward a dark stained blanket.
There was also dark stains on the ground below the sheets, and
a trail had left, leading to the door.
On the other side of the room, the door led to the kitchen or
the room had a shiny red color to it.
There were Dent marks in some of the cabinets and some of the
utensils were missing all of the sudden the intercom, beep, tan,
Eerie White, Sounded faintly from the intercom on the
ceiling, I felt my stomach drop and my body turned cold.
I looked toward the others and they were just as shocked as I
was. I slowly walked out into the
room with the beds, the slow faint red glow of the lights.
Outside of the room, only just making their presence known,
then loud. Bellowing of hellish screams
could be heard from the intercom, the horrifying sound
filled the room? I fell to the floor of shocked
and felt fear overwhelm me. Me, the screams were distorted
some almost sounding reversed or gargled.
The sound continued for another minute.
Then slowly faded back down to the White Noise, I opened my
eyes slowly and sat up, I was shaking.
Barely able to keep the flashlight.
In my hand, the camera tipped over.
After dropping it. Facing me.
I look toward the kitchen. Matt June, and James.
All looked at each other and looked at me.
What the hell was that? James said, shaking out of fear?
I don't know, but I think we need to get out of this room.
Something tells me that we just heard where the screams of the
people were in this room. I said trembling still.
Yeah, good idea. Grayson.
Let's keep moving Matt said standing almost falling.
I got up and walked towards the doorway.
I moved my hand onto the doorknob and turned it slowly.
I poked my head out. To make sure everything was
clear. I looked right?
Just fog. It was clear.
I looked left. Also fog red-tinted fog, but it
was clear, the intercom noise stopped when I looked left and
everything went Silent. Not a single noise or vibration.
I motioned them to come along and June handed me the camera I
turned left out the door and waited for them to come out.
We walked for a few minutes down the same looking hallway before.
For a faint noise could be heard.
They was muffled, and echoed passed us in the other
direction. It sounded almost like yelling
or moaning of a whale. I still can't place it.
I felt this sinking feeling return and look toward them.
Matt looked almost as pale as snow and James's eyes were
almost as wide as golf balls. I then looked at June, she had
the same expression and kept going flashlight and Camera in
hand. As we walk down the hallway, the
noise only filled the area more and more.
We walked a little more in found a turn at the end.
I turned the corner in the flashlight went out, but the
other flash lights were still on.
I walked back around the corner and the flashlight was turned
back on. Oh, crap.
I said under my breath. I look back at the others.
Why did this have to be us? Matt said, what do you mean?
Matt asked June, we were just trying to have Good time.
And now now we're going to be lost in this bunker concrete
that we can't find an exit to Matt said, pushing his hands to
his face. Hey listen, we're not going to
stay lost down here. I said placing my hand on his
shoulder. Let's go and get out of here.
Okay, I said okay, Matt responded standing up.
I looked toward everyone and walked back around the corner,
in the flashlight turned off again.
All I could see in front of me was black and the Occasional
fading in and out of red light. The sound coming from down the
Dark Hall. I stayed still for a good.
Well, felt like an eternity until I took my first step then
the next and the next, the others still followed behind all
of us doing long breaths to keep us calm as we could get all
there was. Now was a faint red glow of a
red light through the fog. The sounds of our footsteps and
breaths and the faint louder noise down the hall.
We could have Turn back. But there would be no point in
doing so we don't even know where the creature is.
So we continued, the more we walked the louder, the noise God
after a while. The sounds of our footsteps
changed, it sounded like we were stepping in some squishy
material. The ground was slippery and my
shoes were wet the air got stuffy, but still, it felt cold.
I went to feel the wall and it felt like touching uncooked,
chicken. A substance was dripping from
the walls and ceiling and I swear it felt like there was a
pulse moving through it. We moved along until how I said,
what Matt asked in a sudden panic.
I ran into a wall. I felt around to my left and
found a wall. I looked over to my right and
saw a large red light coming from the fog.
The sound that we have been hearing was almost deafening
now, it filled the room and made the walls.
Vibrate we walked Toward the light and entered some large
room, the light in the fog lit up some of what was surrounding
us. We looked back into the hallway
and saw that the hallways floor was covered in Remains the wall
of the room that connected. The hallway was dark gray
concrete and had symbols carved into them as we looked a shadow
appeared on the wall and we turned around.
There was something in front of the light.
The creature. It was looking in our direction,
we quickly duck down and walked out.
Out of the light from the dark. We saw the silhouette move in
search making those familiar noises.
It makes we stayed. Absolutely.
Still, we watched its can its surroundings.
It totally focused not bothered by anything.
Not even the deafening hellish yelling, I heard Matt.
Go to move and a rock slide under his shoe.
It felt like time had slowed down.
I looked over at the creature who was already looking in our
Direction and starting to move, I turn my body to move.
Dropping the camera on the floor.
I kicked off and toss myself towards Matt, the creature
moving faster than what I could see.
And before I knew it, I hit the floor where Matt was June and
James were in shock, still frozen.
Not moving, not breathing. They looked over to me and I to
them tears. Slowly fell down their eyes and
mine. We knew what just happened but
we couldn't let it stop us from getting out.
We couldn't the horrific noise stopped and we looked A over to
the light, nothing total silence.
We couldn't even hear. If the creature was in the room,
we didn't even know how big the room was.
I grabbed the camera and made sure it was still recording.
I looked over to them, he did the same.
We looked back over to the light and heard the intercom system
turned back on the same. White Noise, playing through.
And the red light starting to flicker, I stood up and the
others did the same. I took one step at a time.
Going towards the Light June. And James following just right
behind. All of us, making sure not to
make a noise. After about 45 steps.
We reached the light, it was just a light, we looked down at
it for a second, only for it to turn off the intercom turned off
as well, PitchBlack surrounded us.
And the only thing that you could hear was our breathing, we
made no moves. The only thing that provided
light was the camera. I slowly.
Hold it. Up to my face and press their
night, vision button. The camera went dark for a
second, then switch to night vision, with the camera.
I could see the edge of the room.
The only thing being that edge. Almost a quarter mile away.
The other wall to, I looked up at the wall to the left of the
door and saw window, the window from the room we stopped in.
Then, I looked over to the wall opposite, the hall, there was a
large tree thing in the center of the room larger than I think,
any known tree. I quickly threw over my backpack
and grab my flashlight. I pointed at the direction of
the tree and turned it on the fog helped eliminate the room,
the trees Shadow made it seem bigger somehow it was dark
almost perfect black. It had thin lines of purple
substance coming from a large door.
Looking opening at its base. We started walking toward it.
The ground turned from concrete of the room to an almost soil
like substance. Once we were a good 500 feet
from the Tree. The muffled yelling came back.
Only this time, we knew where it was coming from the hole in the
tree. We walked closer and begin to
see purple flashes of light coming from the upper area
through it. There was a Forest Clearing that
led out to a large grouping of destroyed buildings in the
background above us. In one of the branches of the
tree, we heard a growl then smaller branches, snapping as
the creature, was charging toward us.
If then jumped and landed on the ground between us in the door.
It stalled. He body and glowing eyes.
Now walking toward us, the muffled yelling still coming
from the door, was still unknown, but it was still
walking towards us. It stopped four feet from me and
leaned forward. I was now staring directly into
its eyes and in them, I saw only death pain and suffering, it
raises. Its left hand and touched my
forehead with its cold finger and everything started to fade.
I feel myself Hit the Floor, a year to muffled screams and two
others. Hit the Floor, then everything
Fades to Black. Tape, eight home.
The next thing I know, I'm laying in the cabin, both June
and James are there to I hear the muffled noise of a door
being kicked in and I see blurry figures looking at June and
James. And one comes to me, they try to
say something to me, but it's just muffled.
I try to get up, but I can't then everything Fades to Black.
I awake to the sounds of a heart monitor to my left.
I opened my eyes to see if one of Works.
I look over to the window on my left, it's sunny, I see clouds
moving across the sky outside. I see the sign to Knoxville
Hospital. I take a look around the room
and see my camera on the desk to my right, I pick it up and open
the screen. I look in the files and see
everything is still. There I go back to the camera
and press record. I place it on the table and look
back and see June and James waking up on the couch.
Hey, how do you feel June asked placing her hand on mine?
It felt cold. Almost metal.
Well, received, I responded. How long have we been here?
I asked, looking out the window about a week and a half, James
responded, walking over a doctor, walked through the door,
sat down and rolled over to the side of the bed.
Well, look who's awake. He said, all right.
As far as we can tell you aren't really Anywhere.
Well, except your left eye. I'm sorry to say that you won't
be getting that eyesight back, but your eye is now, a deep
purple, he stated waving a pen around.
Anyway, you'll be able to get out of here by the end of the
day and go back home. You'll also be prescribed
medication. You'll need to take them when
needed and not take them with alcohol.
He said, I looked over to him. What do you mean?
My eye is purple. I asked he picked up the mirror
and held it to my My face. There were scars, all over my
left side. My I was slightly faded but
definitely purple. So the end of the day, right?
I asked still looking at my face.
Yeah, we'll come release you in a few hours, rest up.
He said, walking out of the door a few hours later, the doctor
came in and discharge me from the hospital and we walk to the
entrance, the doors of the hospital opened and I stepped
outside and I don't think I It into words, what?
I felt to feel the cool autumn breeze on my face to feel the
sun warming the area around us. Just for a moment, I forgot all
about what happened. And just took in the fact that I
was alive with my friends, we found my car got in and drove to
our small town, a good few miles north of Knoxville.
I drop James off at his place and just hugged him.
We both cried tears of happiness because we were just able to
have this moment. Aunt after that June, and I
drove back to our place across town.
It's been about two months. Since that day, we have lived
happily. Since all that happened, I found
that James is now more open to people.
And that after all, June and I have experienced together, she
wants to get married, but I don't sleep well anymore.
I get nightmares of that. Place of Matt, I've had his
parents ask where he's been but I can't say anything.
Only that I haven't seen him for a while.
I started recording these tapes. A few days ago, I guess to try
to comprehend everything that happened.
It's something that I haven't put much thought into lately.
Now, that I've said everything I needed to, I finally put this
whole thing behind me, but sometimes I look outside only to
see two yellow circles. Looking back at me.
I hated campfire stories growing up.
My parents made me go to summer camps where people who couldn't
stand their kids Stitch to them, why bother having kids?
If you couldn't stand to be around them during the summer,
my parents told me it was for enrichment, whatever that meant
make friends get to know people have a good time.
Well nothing is good about being forced to sit by wood smoke
while getting poked by mosquitoes.
All while some idiot named counselor.
Todd told a Cheesy Campfire Story worse was when cool
counselor Chadley accompanied on his guitar.
Anyway, as I said, I hated these stories growing up.
I always had really vivid dreams along with an overactive
imagination. Those stories that blurred the
lines between between reality and Fiction made both go haywire
and my mind became trapped in a spiral of what if scenarios
always watching the Shadows of the cabin walls as the Moonlight
made the branches, stretch like fingers, feeling breath on my
ear when it was just the AC, the grown of my bunkmates bed.
Springs was some horrible criminal dragging his sickle
along the floor. I think the worst story that
taught ever told was about the dear woman.
It was nothing like the Native American Tales of shape-shifting
women where men are lured away to be stomped by their Hooves or
stories of transformation know Todd's.
Dear woman was something much more scary.
It was something like this woman was driving down a road close to
camp and hit a deer upon impact. She went through the windshield
and collided with the deer, when the police and ambulance
arrived, they found the deer, the Crush that car and a set of
red Footprints leading off into the woods, they never found the
woman Legend says she still haunts the forest around the
camp to this day. Todd said this to his terrified
masses, the Shadows playing over his face, made him.
Look demonic after enduring three weeks of Todd's Dramatics,
I was over the spooky firelight trick, but the story freaked me
out. I already tested the idea of
Saving the very thought of driving alone.
Some dark Winding Road only to slam into a deer was terrifying.
Then mix that in with having my broken remains smashed with the
deer. If that noise the other stuff
about the woman walking away to haunt.
The forest was obviously BS though.
My fear of anything servine in nature, wasn't so sure.
Don't judge me. Dear are freaky.
Looking and have you ever heard an elk bugle?
Haunting. So the story itself was playing
on my imagination, a little anything.
Vaguely horn-like had my skin crawling which my fellow campers
thought was super hilarious. Then the night only got worse.
It was already late being in the middle of June.
The sun was still lighting up the sky around 9:00 p.m.
So the scary stories hadn't commenced until about 10:00.
Now the horrible hour of midnight Slowly approaching, and
tonight was supposed to be a camp-wide hide-and-seek
Spotlight, tag event the whole thing, sounded horrible.
Why allow campers armed with only a flashlight and wits to
hide anywhere on the campgrounds.
There were restrictions like no one was allowed to hide in the
woods still, the situation sounded dubious at best.
Nevertheless, campers who saw the flawed logic of such a game.
We're not permitted to stay on the bench, so I played against
my will at first, I tried to hide somewhere obvious, so I
would be found and made to sit out early.
That plan was foiled when counselor Chad came up and
looked at me with that expression.
You'd give to an obnoxious toddler.
Come on dude, he said in his chat, least tone.
I know you don't like these games, but you got to at least
try man. I'm going to turn around and
count it. N.
And this time, you better find a good place to hide.
Okay. One, two, three.
He was really going to make me do this, fine.
If I had to play, I'd play to win and give them a scare for
once. I ran from my spot under the
picnic tables, down the road toward the best hiding place.
I knew about half a mile from the actual campgrounds, sat a
collection of abandoned buildings.
That Had been part of the camp at one point.
All of the buildings had fallen into despair.
Some had boarded windows and doors.
The areas were littered with broken glass.
Many of them stuffed with old furniture and Hardware, like
ovens fridges and those serving tables.
You'd see at buffets plenty of broken bunk, beds mattresses
dressers in other words things to hide under was I afraid of
the potential spider or tetanus hazard?
Were, but the drive to stick it to those annoying Camp, jockeys,
spurred me. I'm still not sure about what
happened after that. After I found a place to hide
tucked away under a collection of discarded, bunk beds.
I watched the windows for signs of the flashlights.
I felt pretty proud of myself. Not going to lie, they would
probably be searching for me for hours.
What I get in trouble for this later.
Probably, what? I get sent home.
Um, oh God, I hope. So, I remember being in that
abandoned cabin for a long time. Far longer than I thought I
would be. I didn't have a watch or phone
with me, so I couldn't tell what time it was boredom.
Started to take its toll after a while the longer time went,
without any of the counselors coming to find me.
The more I considered crawling out of my Hiding Place and
walking back to my cabin. A horrible stench reached my
nose. Just as I decided that enough
was enough, it was probably the worst thing I had ever smelled.
And someone exploded, a can of fart spray in my high school
Woodshop class last year. So that was saying something,
whatever it was, it was clear that something was rotting
nearby. I hoped it wasn't anywhere close
to my Hiding Place. You think I would have noticed
sooner but then I heard a sound of something walking I say
something and not someone because the Rhythm was off,
there was this kind of lopping dragging noise.
There were too many lakes for a person, but it wasn't enough for
an animal step step, step drag, step, step, step drag the hairs,
on the back of my neck, and arms, stood up, and not formed
in my gut, and a little voice of self-preservation.
Seemed that something wasn't right?
The sound Drew closer, the scent of rot growing more intense with
each step. Then my ears caught the inhale
and exhale of ragged breaths, as if whatever it was, was
attempting to breathe through a wet towel.
Something fell in heavy drops onto the ground like someone was
carrying a bucket of water and some of it was sloshing out then
there was the buzzing of flies. As I stared out the window
nearest my Hiding Place. I could see a black cloud
swirling in the Moonlight not long after a shadowy figures
stumbled into view my mind world, to place the jumble of
shapes and forms into some kind of order.
The thing appear to be humanoid in the way it moved.
But I saw a set of massive dear like antlers and a slender
animal face sitting on top along twisted neck.
S'more flavored bile Rose in my throat as my eyes picked out
strips of hanging me. Meet through the dirt covered
windows. As the thing, Lumber to the
cabin door, I forced myself to be still forced my breathing to
be silent. Forced my bladder, to not go and
Terror the creature. Pushed the door open.
It's Dreadful Dole Creek, fill the air, like the last grown of
a wounded. Animal step step, step, drag,
step, step, step, drag, it lurched.
And Across the floor, carried by two broken, humanoid legs.
And one deer leg trailing behind the stench from earlier.
Hit my nose with a forest that nearly made, my stomach Revolt.
Read bile dripping from the dislocated jaw onto the floor
Shadows enveloped the creatures face, but I knew it was looking
for me, this couldn't be real monsters and things that
searched for kids in the woods didn't exist in real life.
This had to be some kind of a sick prank Todd in the others
were playing. Seeing someone one of them had
to see me running off to the abandoned camp area.
They got all dressed up and covered themselves in whatever.
Foul-smelling spray, this was to scare me.
They knew how over-reactive my imagination was and were messing
with me. The thing grew closer.
If this was a prank, it wasn't funny.
I wanted to scream for whatever it was to stop it.
Go back to camp and tell the others that they had found me.
However, something In the back of my mind, clamped down on my
voice, a primal sense, that screamed that this thing was not
a person. Step step, step drag the
creature stopped in front of my Hiding Place.
My stomach rolled with the stench of Decay.
What little light shine through the grimy, Windows illuminated,
pale misshapen purple, blue legs bones.
Crackle, does it bent in half to peer into my Den read and Maggie
bile dripped from it's Broken dear jaw and one of the empty
sockets, warm putrid breath, hit my face.
And I could feel myself fill with nausea on the edge of
release, we stared at each other, for a mind-numbing amount
of time. Silence stretched on and weighed
heavy and cold. Not knowing what else to do?
I pointed one, trembling finger toward the door with a voice
filled with tears and Terror. I said, the the hospital the
hospital is that A, the dear woman.
Continued, her silence stare for a few more minutes.
I thought my racing heart would get to me before she decided to,
as I stared into her one Dole black eye, then like a rubber
toy her body slumped in half before rolling back up.
Each of her vertebrae popped and cracked.
As she stood finally, she turned and made her slow shambling way,
out of the building and Away. In the direction, I pointed step
Step step drag. I'm sure I passed out after she
disappeared or maybe I went into some kind of blackened out state
of panic. I can't really remember.
I know I had returned to the camp at some point with everyone
in a frenzy looking for me, even the police.
And an ambulance had been called, everyone was ready to
give me a Stern, talking-to until one of the EMTs.
Notice the shock on my face in a way.
I got my wish because I was To the hospital and later picked up
by my parents to go home and before you ask no no one
believed me. Why would they the story sounded
impossible? I wanted to believe it was
impossible because things like that aren't real.
They only exist in stories told around dumb campfires to
susceptible imaginations like mine.
So now that you've heard my story who wants to play hide and
seek. Bobby leaned his head against
the cool glass counter, the gas station was empty.
No one ever came down this way and he doubted tonight would be
any different. He often wondered.
Why the hell he was here. If only one customer showed up
every third week, he did not Wonder tonight.
It was too damn hot. I should have called out sick,
he muttered rotating his head making sure the skin never left
the cold safety of the glass there.
Room spun around him. It was a dramatic, and frankly,
goofy way of moving, but Bobby prided himself and finding
little things to keep himself entertained, the thought of
exposing himself to anything, other than the cold counter was
not entertaining. The security camera TV flashed
by in one corner, the rows of cigarettes on the wall, behind
him until finally the back wall of refrigerator doors.
Even it's cramped I see Corridor would offer little relief in
that hot. Muggy air Bobby slid off the
counter and scan the room. The shelves, all sat with their
products, neatly organized, the coffee maker, across the room,
blinked plainly Ready to Brew for any would-be customer there
probably wouldn't be any. He stood and stretched leaned
over the counter to scan the parking lot.
The gas station sat in the middle of Acres of unplanted
fields with a single Winding, Road separating the fields from
a thick forest of pine. I'll be thought the fields were
dried up and had never been told otherwise he hadn't seen any
farmers and all the years that he had worked here, it didn't
bother him any, most of the people who stopped in the gas
station were locals, who just happened to be at this end of
town. Rarely did they ever come here
by choice? Bobby side and checked his
watch? He needed to pass the time and
the only thing that would help was to work.
He wandered to the tiny storage closet to the left of the fridge
doors. And fished out a mop and a
bucket cleaning. The bathroom was rarely
something he would ever volunteer for, but it would pass
the time and more importantly, it was cold in there.
Bobby hooked his fingers around the out on break sign under the
front counter and sauntered over to the front doors with it.
Allowed ringing echoed through the empty store.
When he pressed his foot on the door mat, the same Bell would
ring of someone stepped on the rug on the other side of the
door to Bobby rarely. Heard that Bell should have
called out today. He sighed to himself, Bobby,
hung up the sign and stared out into the quiet night.
He wondered, if there were any animals out there, looking back
at him from the woods, he pressed his forehead to the door
and thought about all the things that he would rather be doing
it. Did nothing to help his current
situation but it was refreshing to think about all the things he
could be doing when he eventually did have off Heroes
wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Head and peered at the door glass, a wet blurry smudge Mark,
where he had leaned another job to make the time pass by Bobby,
nodded to himself, grab the mop and began willing, the bucket
towards the bathroom, as he sauntered towards the bathroom
door. He missed the loan.
Car speeding past into the dark distance like a bat, out of hell
as Bobby prop, the door open, he could not see the car wildly
swerving across the center lane, over the trees lights had
suddenly began to Not in the night sky bigger than Stars.
No closer than Stars. They descended ever so gently
large groups of them. Converging toward the retreating
vehicle. They were like paper lanterns
lanterns dotting at the night sky lights began appearing in
the forest and klum's more lanterns.
The car banked hard into the open field to avoid a cluster of
lanterns that had exited the dense Tree Line.
The car kicked up dirt and rocks and struck something incredibly
hard. The front end bucked, bounced
into the error and dipped sending the car flipping end
over end, its tail lights world and dance through the night.
It came to a complete. Stop tilted forward in the dirt
as if it had been sent from a cannon, some miles away because
Bobby was wiping down the bathroom mirror, he did not see
the man crawl from the wreckage screaming, waving frantically at
the gas station the lanterns begin to convene above him.
Slowly descending from every direction.
The man noticed them and began. Sprinting yelling, louder.
Bobby could not hear him over the mob going back and forth
across the cool bathroom tile, the lanterns froze in place.
They surrounded the man. Now, then one by one, they broke
the Huddle in a mad dive one. Got the man in the back, sending
him rolling through the dirt. He flailed the lanterns.
Converged one do for his head. Attaching itself.
The light inside pulsing the pole slowed dimmed then gently
warm to its original brightness. Gently at Rose into the air and
the man with it. His weight seemed to make it
difficult for the lantern but his feet were no longer touching
the ground, he jerked and spasmed his arms Rose then fell
weekly his feet, kicked then dangled levitating from it.
Fully now the man and the lantern began floating towards
the gas station. As Bobby wiped off the sink and
discarded. The crumpled paper towels, the
floor was still wet and would need an hour or so to dry.
He pumped, the paper towel dispenser for a final wipe down.
It was empty more work. He muttered.
He found the key dangling from his belt and fished out the one
for the supply cabinet in the bathroom.
He fished out a roll of paper towels and put them in the
dispenser. He pumped out one piece of paper
for himself and left the other day.
Angling for the next time someone used the bathroom, it
would probably be himself as he walked out of the bathroom.
A loud thud echoed on the ceiling above him.
He jumped something was on the roof, a group of some things, by
the sound of it. They were moving over the
freezer section, at the back of the store raccoons.
It happened last year to a group of raccoons that come out from
the forest and tried climbing in through the vents to get away
from the heat one at Exceeded and needed to be fished out with
a net, by the local PD, Bobby lean them up against the wall,
between the closet in the refrigerator doors inside the
closet. He retrieved a broom and walked
over to where he had heard the thud.
He scraped the handle across the ceiling and banged the vent.
A few times he had done this ever since the raccoon had
gotten stuck, whenever he heard rustling above the freezers, it
must have worked too because no raccoon had ever gotten stuck
again. Sure, a few bangs he had stopped
and listened the wrestling continued.
I really should have called out today.
Bobby side a raccoon, it probably made its way into the
vent, and he would have to go up onto the roof to confirm.
He didn't so much mind, the roof.
Oftentimes he would go up there when he knew for sure.
No one would be coming in to gaze at the stars, which was
always the latter was in the outdoor storage.
Closet near the ice machine, he turned and let out Startling
Yelp in front of him was the magazine stand.
The gaudy colorful covers all plastered with faces looking in
different directions. It's at against the front
windows and they're behind him was the man staring off into the
sky. The man, stood there,
slack-jawed wearing the most ridiculous hat Bobby had ever
seen, his sudden materialization had surprised him.
There was something clearly wrong with the man other than
the fact that he was staring off into space.
A space outside. A gas station, people, rarely
visited Bobby had a run-in with a junkie, two years prior.
The guy had wandered up to the gas station, probably after
hitchhiking, and just stood around the pumps.
Bobby asked him if he needed anything and the junkie just
laughed hysterically before falling into a Fugue State.
Beneath the lights, Pete. The local PD officer working.
Whenever Bobby did was usually asleep in the station or
watching TV. Turned up way too loud.
Bobby To call four times to get a hold of him.
Bobby took two steps forward and froze.
There was definitely something wrong with the man.
Now that he was closer, Bobby could see his jaw, a twitching
up and down, as if he was trying to make words, he was twitching.
And his eyes were almost rolled back into his head.
Not to mention. He had a nosebleed, the ear
facing the window and a small trickle from the corner of his
mouth before darting for the phone.
Something in the distance caught Bobby's.
Sigh the smoldering wreck of a car.
Wonderful Bobby thought and dash for the phone behind the
counter. As he rounded it, he scowled the
scratching had gotten louder above the refrigerator's.
The raccoons would have to. Wait, he ducked under the front
counter to retrieve his phone from its charger, and dialed the
station. This is Pete.
Bobby's phone. Hey Pete, it's Bobby down at the
gas station. Hey Bobby, what can I do for
you? Pete Muse.
Used Bobby could hear the TV on in the background Pete, I'm
gonna need some help over here. Looks like a real bad car
accident off, England. Way in front of the station
driver is here. Wandering around looks pretty
beat up. He might be on something too.
Ah, really Pete muttered. Bobby could hear the seat.
He was in Creek as he sat up. Yeah, you may want to get on the
phone with the Myers in case anything in the field catches
and definitely Zach for the toe. Plus, I think there's a raccoon
in the vent again, so, bring a net, and the kitchen sink.
Pete asked and hung up without another word.
Bobby plugged his phone, back into the charger.
He grabbed the first aid kit nestled in the corner, near his
Chargers outlet and shuffled over to the front door.
The man was where Bobby had left him.
Still staring absently at the sky, he was facing the opposite
direction and Bobby couldn't help.
But stare at his hat, it was more like a plastic bag.
Really. But it had the most fantastic
light display coming from inside like a warm glow.
Come to think of it. It looked an awful like a
lantern. You'd release over a lake with a
candle inside, Bobby had done that once, as a class project in
grade school, Bobby wanted to help the man but didn't want to
get any closer if he was on something.
So, he wrapped his knuckles on the doors glass pane.
Hey, he shouted. Hey, do you need help?
The man turned towards him? But Bobby's shuttered, there was
something off about the way he turned.
Not like a person turning around, but more of a rotation,
like a cake on display down at the bakery.
It reminded him of his Aunt Carol's Lazy.
Susan that let her turn the TV to face, wherever she was in her
living room. Do you need help?
The man didn't move. He had clearly heard Bobby's
since he had turned, so strangely, but he was making no
real indication of responding to or or even understanding what
Bobby was asking. Come on, man.
Bobby whispered, then it caught his eye.
The car was still tilted forward, like a weird fence,
post in the distance but there were lights dancing around it,
not like the ones you saw if you rubbed your eyes too hard but
more like those lanterns he squinted there was at least a
dozen around the car, floating aimlessly, he spotted one in the
corner of the parking lot. Then two more at the pumps, he
tilted his head. Could make another floating past
the corner of the building, he turned to see if there were any
on the other side and screamed dropping the first aid box and
scattering its contents, all over the welcome mat and making
the Bell chime in the store, the man was nose-to-nose with Bobby.
On the other side of the door, something was definitely wrong
with him, even though they were nose-to-nose, the Man's eyes
were still looking upwards. His mouth hanging slack.
Damn man. You on something Bobby shouted
through. The glass.
The man gave no reply, Bobby, knelt down to collect the first
aid kit. It was one thing to deal with
the car accident, another to deal with a bunch of trash
floating around the station, but a junkie to maybe he had been
driving a car filled with Chinese lanterns.
I am definitely calling out tomorrow Bobby muttered.
He put the last band aid in the box and closed it with a snap.
Look man, the local PD will be here any minute.
So if you could just wait by your car, that would be He
stopped himself mid-sentence, he ran cold and shock.
Bobby was still kneeling but had raised his hand and saw that the
man were only one shoe. The other may be having flown
off in the wreck, he wondered in that instant how the man had
been able to sneak up on him in the front of the door.
The welcome mat Bell. Never rang.
The man was floating floating was the wrong word.
His feet had barely lift off the ground and were dangling.
Twitching every so So often Bobby forced himself to look up.
He could see now that the man was floating midair his arms.
Turn slightly red, he wasn't floating, he was being lifted
the Hat. It looked exactly like the
lanterns, he had seen floating around the property but this one
was on the guy's head and it was pulsing not too much but this
close Bobby could see a triple and waiver every so often what
he originally had thought streamers hanging from a goofy.
Had seemed to grip the man's skin and Pull It upwards some
reaching nonchalantly and random directions.
The man was being lifted by the lantern, Bobby noticed the man's
neck muscles, stretch from the weight of himself.
Bobby took a careful step backwards away from the door.
The man's hand went upwards, slamming into the glass, it
stayed in place for a moment. Then streak downwards, creating
a long vertical. Smudge, the man began whimpering
his face muscles, Began to Twitch his nose dance.
Like he had a sneeze on the way and his eyelids danced up and
down the corners of his mouth lifted and snagged.
His jaw flipping, open and closed like a fish.
Oh, Ben, he croaked, Bobby took another step backwards.
The man's hands slapped against the glass again, dragging down
to his side. His face twitched again.
Softer this time the words came easier open.
Bobby wondered when Pete would get here, Pete had a weapon, but
so did Bobby. In case of emergencies it was in
a holster bolted under the front counter.
He had never needed it and had been explicitly told to never
use it on anything, he questioned, whether he would
need it. Now a crash behind him, snapped
his attention away from the floating man.
The raccoon had come through the vent into the freezer but the
hair on Bobby's arm stood up and his heart jumped into his
throat. There were no raccoons in the
Hence it was the lantern. It drifted aimlessly behind the
rows of drinks, Bobby, followed the floating light, the vent
crash had knocked over one of the freezer shelves.
Scattering milk and butter across the floor.
The door was still shut, but there was nothing between the
Lantern and him other than glass.
Now, he walked away from the floating man, open.
There was a plastic hard case above a sunglass display to his
right filled with several knives.
Of different color and size, it had never needed a lock.
And Bobby was thankful for that. Now, still staring at the
lantern Bobby fished, a knife out of the display box and held
it between him and The Empty Glass freezer door.
It was a comical hot pink with flames.
Bobby didn't care. Whatever these lanterns had done
to the man. Seemed painful Bobby wasn't
going to let it happen to himself Bobby, stepped closer,
to the glass and watched the lanterns Grace the floor.
It's tendrils. If that's what they were gently
swept around in every direction. Some of them would rise in the
air and gently come to rest, some touch the spilled milk and
recoiled the lantern bobbed and glided over to the door between
Bobby and it. It was filled with light like a
shopping bag that they gave you at a local five-and-dime.
Covering a lone light bulb Bobby's hands began to shake,
but he held the knife in front of himself, bending at the
elbow, he got close enough to the glass.
To happen, very fast so fast that Bobby fell backwards after
the fact without warning, the lanterns, reared backwards, and
lunged at the glass, The Feelers splayed out in every direction.
It had lunged at Bobby, but the glass held he could see the
underside of the lantern now and it began shivering.
It was filled with teeth and tendrils, the tendrils pulled at
the glass. The teeth were all facing a
nondescript directions. There were mouths in there.
They had no lips. Oops.
And were lined with more of those horrible, Jagged teeth,
they bobbed open and close independently of each other,
Bobby needed the weapon now. The lantern pulled away from the
freezer door. Bobby, shakily Drew himself up
to a Crouch, the lantern slam forward and Bobby nearly fell
backwards again, shutting the weapon forward in front of him,
the lantern repeated, the motion, the freezer door, popped
open, and then closed the mob still leaned against the wall to
refrigerator doors away. As the lantern reared back,
Bobby lunch towards it. He grabbed it with one hand and
rammed it, towards the refrigerator door handle the
lantern was faster smashing forward in opening the door
again. Bobby swung his hand out hard
and caught it. The lantern was strong.
Strong enough to open the door from inside, at least, but it
had used momentum. There was no strength keeping it
open now and Bobby was able to close it quickly with relative
ease. He fumbled for a moment and then
Jap the broom Angle between the three door handles, bearing the
lantern inside Bobby, was lucky three.
More had just come through the broken ceiling.
Damn, Bobby gasped weekly. He spun on his heels as he heard
more banging from behind him. It had joined.
The floating man, slapping hand at a horrible korres.
The floating man had now started punching the window.
The lanterns didn't seem to have much control over his bodily
functions yet, as he couldn't truly form a fist, it had
mastered. Slapping motion.
However, and now the man's half-formed fist smashed
repeatedly into the glass. It left small patches of red,
which spattered more and more with each hit.
Bobby could see the man's hand to becoming bent in his fingers
in the wrong ways. The floating man kept going,
there was however a bigger problem multiple lanterns had
now latch themselves onto the front windows of the store and
we're attempting to open them in the same way the lantern in, the
refrigerator, had opened the door, Or their teeth filled
Moss, Baird at the store opening and closing in a maddening
Rhythm. Bobby wanted to look away, they
drew themselves backwards and thrust it forwards.
Each at different times thudding into the windows, the glass
would not hold for long, Bobby dash for the front counter.
Just as the floating man's fist, broke through the front doors
glass and a spray of shards, he attempted to move through the
opening, bumping into the rest of the door.
Several times, Bobby fum. Trying to unholster the weapon.
Afraid to take his eyes off the floating man.
He had started to wildly swing both arms at the glass and an
attempt to wipe away. The obstruction ruining the
welcome mat on the floor. He was making progress, so were
the other lanterns the front window.
Panes. Now bulged, horribly in words.
In numerous places Bobby, risked it, he bent his head down under
the counter. Found the weapon and retrieved
it from its holster. He heard what sounded like an
explosion of Glass one of the windows had finally broken in.
He ducked, instinctively ran out the side of the other Corner
aimed as weapon. Nothing happened.
Damn it, Bobby screamed. His hands were shaking terribly
now, he eyed the weapon frantically searching for the
safety. He remembered all the cop shows
that always had the stupid criminals, forget to take the
safety off. Right now, he wished.
It was the latter, the lanterns which had shattered the window,
where thankfully still Gone it but three more were slowly
floating through the wide Gap. The floating man had
successfully cleared the way of the glass of the front door to
and was now gliding through Bobby found the safety flipped,
it re aimed and fired. The first one went wide and
threw a bag of chips. Near the front door it exploded
sending snacks into the error. It kicked harder than Bobby at
imagined. It would Eerie planted his feet
took game again and fired off three more.
Or the first got the floating man.
He stopped rocking back and forth, softly from it, then
began to slowly Advance forward again, his feet grazing, the
shattered glass shards on the floor with a sound like
twinkling stars. The second one at also missed,
its Mark sending magazines tumbling off the shelf.
The third got one of the lanterns.
Still stuck to the Glass Center Mass.
It popped like a bubble sending neon blue liquid across the
overturned window Bob. Hair stood on end, taking out
the lantern had caused a strange electricity to fill the room
like a soft, buzzing more lanterns had grouped outside and
we're moving towards the store the three lanterns nearest.
The window had now began wafting inside, Bobby started moving
towards the bathroom. He could use the back door but
there was no telling how many were out there.
A quick glance toward the refrigerator's, showed a total
of six lanterns. That had come through the front
roof, they were having trouble reaching Seeing the glass and
still had product in them. But their tendrils were reaching
between the bottles and attempting to find.
Purchase Bobby moved faster. He turned back towards the
front, windows and duck just in time to see the lantern.
Whizzed over his head, he aimed quickly and fired.
Several more blind shots toward the lanterns while reaching for
the bathroom door. He heard two of the lanterns
explode in a sickening pop the buzzing filled the air again.
Bobby thrust, his hand out, gripping the bathroom door
handle threw it open In one motion, he spun into the
bathroom aimed and fired. One more shot.
The floating man was making his way down the row of the bathroom
supplies directly toward him. The shot was missed striking a
small travel pillow sending feathers through the air.
The floating man went through them.
A few sticking to his shirt, and some to the Lantern on his head.
Bobby's eyes went wild. The store was filled with
lanterns now, and more were filling, the front windows front
door and refrigerator he Was surrounded out of the corner of
his eye. He could see several lanterns,
rearing back for a charge. He dropped the weapon sending it
across the floor and slam the door shut.
He reached out to hammer in the sliding lock, when the door
pushed him backwards, he slid to his feet.
The lanterns had charged hitting the door before he could close,
slamming it inwards and nearly off its hinges, Bobby leaned,
back and rammed his shoulder forward slamming into the door.
He was thankful the lanterns didn't seem to Strength outside
of their initial lunge. The lanterns on the other side
of the heavy door reach their tentacles around, Bobby was too
quick, he jabbed the door into its frame, the tentacles flailed
wildly then came to rest, it looked as though streamers had,
gotten caught in the door. Bobby turned, both the deadbolt
and sliding lock and took a step backwards.
He took in a ragged. Slow breath, three more Lantern
slammed into the door. Bobby stumbled backwards.
Slipping on to this still wet tile and hit his head on the
sink with a wet. Thunk.
He fell to the floor landing on his back, the door had shattered
but the locks held the door, slammed two more times for How
long Bobby's head hurt. He reached his hand back,
running it through his hair, his hand was hard to focus on, when
he put it in front of his face. Three more lanterns at the door.
A screw from the top lock, flew out bouncing next to Bobby.
Bobby look down at the weapon in his hand took some time and he
found the eject button for the magazine and checked it only two
left the door shuttered. Again, another screw popped
loose, Bobby rested his head against the cool.
Think something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what he
heard sirens. They were getting closer.
Bobby tried to stand but still slake.
He was unable to find the footing, a steady pounding had
jolted the core - of reming's against the bathroom door.
The floating man was out there. Bobby slid further under the
desk the door was starting to bend inwards first.
One then two tendrils began sneaking into the crack between
the door and its frame, three more slams.
The steady pounding was getting louder, both on the door and in
Bobby's head, the sirens were blaring where they outside
Bobby. Thought he could hear voices.
He heard a shot a scream. He could hear officer Pete
yelling out someone else's name, was it sacks?
There was shots now steady and controlled another Scream, the
fire continued but somehow it seemed less.
Now Bobby kept his I locked on the bathroom door it was still
hard for him to focus. He could see the floating man
the door had started to bend inwards on the top right corner.
The floating man seemed to be staring towards him.
His arm shot forward through the gap Up slapping wildly at the
door. Was he looking for the lock
open? He rasped Bobby raise the
weapon. His arm was Heavy.
He closed one eye and tried to aim at the Lantern on the
floating man's head, Bobby smiled.
Weakly, it really did look like a ridiculous hat.
He pulled the trigger for a moment Bobby thought.
Nothing happened. It had missed its Mark, but not
entirely. The floating man's hand had been
hit. But to Bobby, it made no sound
the arm hung there. Now, dangling bent over the
opening. Had he stopped the door.
Continue to shut her as other lanterns.
Pounded against it. Bobby heard Pete, enter the
store, the door had chimed, he had heard him scream.
Something, was it at something? Or because of something?
Bobby couldn't tell. Was that his name, he heard more
shots. One of them dented the bathroom
door. Bobby could see the Version like
a small pimple three, more than a muffled scream silence.
Bobby looked down at his weapon and back towards the door.
The floating man's arm. Had began to move again.
His forearms wiped helplessly at the doors.
Locks it left. Streaks of crimson, Bobby,
squinted, something was moving behind the floating, man.
Another floating man. Did it look like Zach.
Bobby couldn't tell. He looked down at the Then
again, the door continued shaking on its frame, the steady
pounding had doubled. Now, the thunderous slams of
individual lanterns peppered, the are in the chaotic chorus of
noise. The top lock shot out with the
last. Screw the dead bolt was holding
but the door had began to bend inwards at a faster rate, both
above and below the bolts. Now he had no way out the
lanterns outside a doubled before he had gotten into the
bathroom. How many were there now?
His help had come. It had gone.
Bobby did not want to be a lanterns puppet.
Like the floating man. Probably like sack.
Now, also Pete, he could see the additional floating Men Behind
the one missing his hand. It was like they were in line
waiting for the bathroom they were in line waiting for him.
I should have called out of work.
Bobby Chuckles. I've been a fire watch look out
for about a year now. I spend most of my life alone in
a small window lined. One-room Shack.
Atop a steel and wood frame Tower in the middle of the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. My only companions are my
collection of cheap novels a laptop computer with infrequent
and unreliable internet service. And the two-way radio I used to
communicate with the few other nearby towers and ranger
stations. Nearby is a bit of a misnomer
though. Using my high-powered
binoculars. I can just barely make out
Tower. 12 on a clear day situated.
Several miles to my West Tower 15.
The next nearest to my location only appears as a glint of
sunlight to my East when the sun catches it.
Just right. I've been told the parks
department intends to put up some additional Towers in this
area as soon as it gets the necessary funding, which is
probably no time soon. That's fine with me though.
I like the solitude. It helps quiet.
My mind keeps the memories at Bay.
I occupy most of my days either with simple maintenance in and
around the Tower or else scanning the density of trees
all around me for any signs of trouble.
It's been a dry year. So the threat of fire is a
constant one, this particular afternoon, I was clearing some
brush from around the base of the tower that had begun to
encroach on the Fire Road that light from my tower, back to the
main Ranger Station, 20 miles away even with the heavy
suspension of the government issue.
Ooh, Jeep parked nearby. That was a harsh ride in the
best of times. I had just finished, dragging
some brush cuttings off into the tree line.
When the radio clipped on my belt squawked Tower 9, this is
Tower 12, how copy it was Billy Johnson, my supervisor, nice
enough guy, I suppose tended, to leave me alone, most of the time
I straightened up and stretched my back wiping, the sweat out of
my eyes with my forearm and keep the microphone attached at my
shoulder, go for at our nine. I Flight, as I replace the
shears in both saw to the small storage shed, near the base of
the stairs John, do you have eyes on a bit of smoke north of
your position, stand by Billy, I said, snatching up my water
bottle and jogging up the metal staircase that wrapped its way.
Around my tower, I didn't bother locking the 8 feet chain link
fence, that surrounded, my little compound chances were
that. I'd be back down here soon
enough. Reaching the top.
I step through the trap door and onto the walkway that
surrounded, the cabin close. Easing it behind me.
It was habit at this point. The last thing I needed was to
take a misstep and tumbled down through the open trap door.
I'd probably end up breaking my neck as I passed by.
I reached into the open door of the shack and grab the
binoculars hanging on a nearby hook rounding.
The railed corner of the walkway and turning my attention to the
dark green blanket of trees, stretching out before me, I saw
the smoke almost immediately. If thin trickle of wispy white
Haze Rose, lazily above the canopy, some distance off.
Probably just some campers. I figured though there weren't
any approved campsites in that area we always had more than a
few folks every season who decided that camping off-trail
in the Deep Bush, sounded like a hoot, most of them come back,
just fine, oblivious to the danger that this Wilderness
shows to anyone, not adequately prepared for its risks.
Some of them have to be brought out by search and rescue, some
of them just don't come back. A member of the Rangers or maybe
even a random hiker will occasionally trip across the
Hurted remains of a campsite and reported in those.
Are the spooky ones, the ones were the people have just
vanished and left behind a perfectly set up camp site.
No explanation, no clues. Just a deserted clearing often
with perfectly intact tense and personal effects, but there are
bears and mountain lions along with a handful of lesser
predators that roam, these forests and sometimes they get
hungry enough to stalk and even get humans, and that doesn't
even take into consideration. The much more likely probability
that Folks step out of their tents at night to take a leak in
the woods and very quickly get lost, and can't find their way
back to their Camp. Most humans aren't suited to
survival in the wilderness. Unfortunately, my radio squawked
again, Tower 9, what's the word? Yeah, I see it.
Men looks to be a couple miles due north of my tower.
What's your plan? He asked.
And I knew what he was asking, keep an eye on it and hope for
the best or take a trip over and investigate.
After a brief moments pause, I side with resignation.
It's probably just a campfire, but I guess I'd better head on
over and take a look, just to be sure.
I didn't relish the thought of a trek into that area of
wilderness, to be honest, it was the only area I hadn't explored
during my time here, there weren't many trails headed in
that direction. And the ones that did were badly
overgrown in too narrow for the Jeep.
A couple miles hike, might not seem like a lot, but when you're
out here alone, the dense trees seem distressed.
Sean forever to Mi can seem like a hundred Roger that John Billy
replied take your pack in your rifle and check in periodically.
Well do Tower. Nine out.
I said replacing the binoculars to their Hook and shouldering
the red canvas backpack waiting dutifully in the corner chair.
I grabbed the rifle from its rock over the door frame check
to make sure it was loaded and headed out as I locked the gate
behind me I threw my pack into the back of the Jeep and set the
A rifle beside it did Jeep wouldn't get me too far before
the brush made the trail impassable, but if it's saved me
even a half mile of hiking, it was well worth it.
The sun was still high in the sky.
I had plenty of time to get there and back before dusk.
As long as I didn't dawdle, I started the engine and put the
Jeep into gear. Turning the wheels towards the
unmaintained trail to my right after only a few moments the
trees in canopy obscured, any trace of the Watchtower behind
me. I was actually able to push the
Jeep. Farther than I had expected a
pleasant surprise. I was probably a mile along the
trail before it crapped the bed in a massive.
Pine lay across the path. Much too large to go over the
dense underbrush around me, precluded the possibility of
going around and I immediately lamented not bringing the
chainsaw with me, cutting it up and winching the pieces out of
the way, wouldn't have been too difficult and would have saved
me a ton of trouble with a quiet curse.
I stepped out of the Jeep and grabbed my gear from the
backseat. I smile to myself as a quote
from a certain fictional adventure-seeking archaeologist
suddenly came to mind. We walk from here making sure to
Mark the location of the Jeep on my handheld GPS, so I could find
it again. I stepped over the thigh high
tree trunk and continued along the path.
According to the estimate I had made before leaving the trail.
I was walking seem to head in the direction of the smoke,
which was a blessing in my book. The less time I had to spend
bushwhacking, the better the trail continue to narrow As I
expected and before too long, I was brushing branches and leaves
with my shoulders. As I walked the trees which had
been alive with the chittering Xin chirpings of animal life,
back at the tower, now seemed muted the forest around.
Me was growing, denser feeling, oddly claustrophobic at times.
I checked in with Billy a couple of times, advising him of my
progress and promising to maintain periodic checks.
He advised me that a weather really had come in from the
ranger station indicating an approaching storm that would
likely reach. Each us before nightfall, a
quick check of my watch, made me wince.
I had already spent more time than I had predicted.
It would take to reach the suspected campsite, maybe it was
best to turn around and head back.
The last thing I wanted was to get caught out here, overnight
with minimal supplies and in a rainstorm, I wasn't worried but
it sure wouldn't make for a comfortable overnight.
If I had been farther from my destination, I probably would
have turned back. Right.
Then I wish I had within another 20 minutes.
However, Her. I smelled the faint Scent of a
wood fire, not strong, but it was there.
I was even more certain of what I would find when I reach them,
when I stepped out of the now, almost non-existent Trail and
found myself in a sparsely treat area, amidst, a dozen or so.
Wooden Shacks. I halted in surprise, I had
reached the base of a hill ear eyes covered in heavy forestry
and these old forgotten cabins looked like they had been some
sort of small settlement, perhaps an Old Logging Camp.
I thought to myself. I didn't know this place even
existed and made a mental note to research a.
When I got back to my tower, I keyed the microphone Tower 12,
this is John, do you copy when Billy replied, his voice was
staticky and distant. Hey, John Tower 12, what's your
status? I frowned and looked around at
the Towering trees all around me.
I suppose. I was asking more out of the
portable radio than was reasonable.
I was lucky. I still had any signal at all.
To be honest, I found what looks like An Old Logging are trapping
Camp. I said Meandering among the
decaying and derelict cabins, most of them had decayed to the
point of collapse and there weren't any with intact roofs.
The campfire has to be nearby. I'm going to take a look around
a bit more. There was an odd pause before,
Billy spoke again. What's your current location
John? I glanced at my handheld GPS and
relayed, my position to him. Another pause, John.
I think you should probably just turn around and Come back.
You don't have too many more hours of daylight left and that
storm looks to be getting worse. Something in his voice sounded
off, but I couldn't quite place it nervous.
Maybe I don't. Think I can blame him though.
My safety was his responsibility and the prospect of one of his
Lookouts being caught out in the storm overnight.
Probably didn't sit well with him.
Coincidentally, it didn't sit well with me either.
I thought with a smile, you may be right Billy.
I replied turning around and letting my eyes.
Taken the entirety of the area. I think I'll just go I stopped
as my eyes caught sight of the bright yellow.
Nylon 10 just beyond the last of the structures repeat.
Your last said Billy. I didn't get that standby Tower
12, I said absently making my way to what I now realized was a
small cluster of three modern 10 situated around a central Fire
Ring. The fire had been extinguished
but the Embers still smoldered lowly the source of the smoke I
looked around. For the campers, but didn't see
or hear anyone sleeping bags and electric lanterns were still in
the tents. Though I couldn't find any
backpacks or supplies. Hello.
I called out turning in a circle and trying to pick out any signs
or sounds of human life. I'm with the forest service is
anyone there? Nothing but the muted echo of my
own voice. I was about to just dump some
dirt on the remaining Embers of the campfire and call it a day
when I noticed the narrow footpath, heading towards the
slope, I could see. Early the recent footprints in
the soft dirt heading away from the camp at keyed.
The microphone at my shoulder again Tower 12.
This is John, I found the source of the smoke.
It's a campfire. All right.
Nothing to be concerned about Billy answered almost
immediately. Roger that John head back home.
I paused a moment. Curiosity pulling me towards the
foot bath. I'll be heading back shortly.
Billy. I just want to check something
out. First, I wouldn't screw.
You around out there, John Billy replied, an edge to his voice
better head back now so you can beat the storm.
His last sentence didn't exactly sound like a suggestion.
Something had him. Rattled I hesitated before I
answered acknowledged knowing full well that I was going to
check out the path a bit before heading back still, I didn't
feel like arguing with my supervisor about something so
silly, just a quick walk up that path and then I'd be on my way
this path was even. Established than the one I had
been on when I discovered the camp, but I could clearly see
the prince of the campers in the soft dirt.
Before long, I emerged into a small clearing eyes widening
with yet, another unexpected Discovery, the rough-hewn timber
that framed. The entryway was set into the
near vertical slope of the hill face before me.
It created a dark tunnel entrance that had been sealed
off with a heavy iron gate many years before likely by the park
service to keep inquisitive hikers from falling to their
ends in an old. Abandoned mine shaft.
So it had been a mining camp, not a logging Camp.
I didn't know there were any mines anywhere near here.
Hell I'm not sure what they would have, been mining for
coal. Maybe.
Did they even have gold mines in Tennessee?
Who knows, certainly not me clearly regardless.
Now that gate stood wide open on its hinges, the remains of
Arrested chain and antique padlock laying in the dirt
nearby. Hell, now, I couldn't just turn
around and leave. Not if these A had decided it
would be fun to explore a closed and restricted.
Mine entrance Tower 12. This is John, do you copy Billy?
Probably wouldn't be happy that I had continued.
My exploration after he told me to head back but there was
nothing to do about it. Now I wasn't equipped or trained
for any sort of cave, exploration or rescue the
Rangers had very specialized teams for that sort of thing.
But I could at least poke my head inside and see if I could
hear the Campers or at least confirm that they actually went
It inside no answer from the radio.
I tried again with the same results.
Nothing. I tried a different approach
Tower 15. This is John from Tower 12 do
you copy? I said into the radio I figured
I might be able to at least get Nathan's attention.
If I was out of range of tower 12, there was a burst of static
that sounded like, it might have contained the hint of a human
voice, but it was too distorted and distant to make anything
out. There was only a moment of
indecision before I made up my mind.
I knew it was Reckless to go into the mine, especially when
my supervisor was under the belief that I was currently on
my way back to my tower, but I just had this nagging intuition.
That something might be wrong with this whole situation.
Maybe someone was hurt and in need of help, I couldn't just
leave them there. Knowing that I might be their
only chance of rescue in retrospect.
I should have turned back and called it in to the ranger
station. They could have mobilized the
Search and rescue teams that specialized in cave rescues.
I should have, but I didn't. I pulled my flashlight from my
pack turned it on and headed into the pitch-black darkness of
the mine entrance. The walls and floor had been
smoothly carved, many years ago, which made my footing uneventful
and the tunnel itself was mostly a straight shot several times
during the first few minutes, I turned back to watch the bright
square of daylight at the entrance gradually shrink to a
pinpoint of Light. By the time I had taken In the
first dogleg turn of the tunnel. I was in complete darkness.
It was a very strange feeling oppressive.
Almost at one point, I turned off my flashlight experiment
Ali, but after only a few seconds, I quickly flicked it
back on. In that time, my heart had been
pounding in my chest and some Primal, Fear had begun growing
inside of me, I took a moment to calm myself, the darkness was
absolute. It was almost as if you could
feel it pressing in on you, my footsteps seem much louder.
And they should have on the dirt floor in the air was beginning
to grow cold and damp. The farther I went after another
hundred feet or so the smoothly carve tunnel ended abruptly in a
wall of rubble. I couldn't tell if it was a
cave-in at some point or if this was simply where the miners stop
digging and hadn't bothered to remove the debris.
But either way, it certainly appeared to be the end of the
line and then I saw it. I almost missed it because of
the way, the light and shadows, played over the head sized,
rock-strewn before me, but When I looked closer, I realized I
was looking at her ragged hole in the wall.
It was only five feet across her so and definitely didn't look
like the deliberate formation of the tunnel I was standing in.
Now it almost looked like the miners had broken into a natural
void of some sort interesting, but there was no way in hell.
I was going in there. I was definitely not trained or
outfitted for any sort of spelling, King trip and it
didn't seem the sort of thing suited to the learn as you go
method. Just as I was turning back to My
way out of the mine. I heard the distant sound of
voices. Echoing from the opening, in the
stone wall, the sound was faint and may have just been my
imagination, but I didn't think so.
Hello. I called pressing my face into
the black abyss of the whole. Can you hear me?
I'm with the Park Service. I'm here to help you nothing.
Pierre from Beyond the breach was cold and smelled stale old,
Ronnie I felt as if I didn't belong here.
None of us did. If there was a lawn moment of
unbroken silence and then I Heard a Voice again closer this
time. Did you hear that?
It said, presumably to a companion.
It sounded like a young woman nervous on certain.
Hello is someone in there? That settled it for me.
I carefully Crawl Through the opening and into the space
beyond shining my light around. I found myself in a small
natural chamber, maybe 30 feet across and with an uneven
ceiling of jagged rock that barely cleared my head.
The first thing that caught my attention was the cracked
Lantern laying on the ground. It looked old very old, maybe
100 years or more a thick layer of grime in each covered.
Its it black and Tin surface and the glass was thick and uneven.
Beside the Askew. Lantern was a small leather
bound book, partially buried in the dirt and dust with a
moldering leather strap. Securing it closed, it looked
like a journal and without a thought, I tucked it into my
backpack, raising my light back up to scan around the room.
Hello. I called again, I couldn't hear
the voices anymore, but the narrow beam of my flash light
illuminated, another tunnel in the far corner of this room
mired in darkness. Can you hear me once again, I
got that feeling. In that something wasn't, right,
then the voice came again closer this time.
Did you hear that? Fellow is someone in there?
She asked her voice, trembling with apprehension.
I hesitated frowning. Something didn't seem right
about the voice, but I couldn't put my finger on it before.
I could summon my words to respond.
Another voice called out this time.
It was clearly the voice of a young men.
We can hear you moving around in there.
Please help us. We're lost in our Hurt.
I was shouting to them. I sure as hell wasn't trying to
hide. Can they not hear me for some
reason? I stepped forward to the
secondary tunnel and raise my voice.
Again, I'm with the forest service.
Can you follow my voice? It was.
Then when I reached out to steady myself against the wall
of the tunnel entrance, that my hand met something.
What and I recoiled, in disgust thinking, I had just grabbed a
handful of some Subterranean slime.
When I put my light on it however it became very clear.
Clear. The reality was far worse,
blood. I stepped back trying to keep
the Panic that was fighting to take control of my rationality
at Bay. I needed to keep a level head
now, painting my light around I saw an astonishing amount of red
liquid painting, the wall and floor in front of me.
Somebody had definitely been hurt and badly with lost like
this. I wasn't sure I'd be able to
stabilize them long enough to get rescue in here.
What the hell happened here? And why did the hikers continue
into the cave after? One of them was injured this
badly unless they'd lost their light and gotten turned around,
there was no way for them to get lost.
There hadn't been any branches to this tunnel.
Since I first entered, all they had to do was turn around and
walk until they saw day late. The man's voice called again,
colored with the unmistakable tinge of fear.
What is that? Hurry up, Becky, take my hand.
He seemed to be getting closer. At least.
If I could guide them to my voice, maybe I could get them
out of here. Here, get to Higher Ground and
radio for a rescue evacuation. They had a helicopter
permanently stationed at the main Ranger Station, it could be
here in 20 minutes. If I was able to reach them, the
woman's voice came again. And this time, I froze.
Did you hear that? Hello is someone in there all at
once? It hit me and the Indescribable
unease I had been mostly successful in repressing, now
fought back with renewed Vigor. I realized at that moment, what
I had missed previously the Repeated herself twice, more,
now, no change in her inflection.
No variation in a motion or urgency.
It was exactly the same down to the syllable.
It was like, I was listening to a recording.
What is that repeated? The male voice.
Now even closer, hurry up Becky. Take my hand below the words.
I thought I could hear the stealthy sliding of something
soft over rocks. It seemed like it wasn't too far
beyond the tunnel entrance. Now but I wasn't going to wait,
For it. I didn't think that what I'd see
emerge from the darkness would be a couple of college kids.
Who'd had a rough time of it during a weekend, camping trip.
Now allowing my Panic to run free.
I turned and threw myself through the cave breach and
landed roughly on the flat. Stone floor of the mine shaft
Beyond skinning my hands to hell and banging my knee on a rock.
Scrambling to my feet with a hiss of pain, I ran as fast as I
could not realizing until I finally burst into the waning
light of the late afternoon, light that I had lost my right.
Well somewhere in that cave it was darker than it was when I
first entered the mine and a quick glance to the sky, showed
the Angry Black thunderheads that had moved in his promised
much faster than I had expected. I quickly swung the iron gate
closed on screeching hinges and loop the chain Between the Bars
as tightly as I could securing it rather lamely with the hasp
of the broken padlock. I stood there along moment bent
over in hands on knees. As I tried to catch my breath
outside of the mine entrance when I felt the first Ops of the
coming storm on the back of my neck.
I straightened, and look through the bars of the gate.
Into the ominous Darkness Beyond realizing how ridiculous my
barricade really. Was, it wouldn't do much good if
something tried to get out, but at least, it made me feel a
little better until I heard the voice echoing from the mine
shaft getting closer, it was unmistakable uncanny.
Hello, can you hear me? I'm with the Park Service.
I'm here to help you. By the time Dawn, arrived, the
next morning, I had climbed down from my temporary shelter, in
the Lobos of a red cedar and tried to work out all the
painful Kinks, from my stiff, shoulders and neck.
The night had not been kind to me, but I was alive.
Which is more than my fear stressed mind expected after
yesterday. The night had been harrowing,
there was no better word to describe it.
The rain hissed among the trees and stunned Exposed Skin angrily
driven by the Banshee wail of the wind rushing through the
forest and was accentuated by the chaotic.
Dick flashing of lightning and heart-stopping crack of thunder
because of this Relentless chaos, it's difficult to say
with any certainty but throughout the night I thought I
heard something large trying to move stealthily in the forest
near my shelter. I say trying because it felt
like whatever stock through the underbrush was more at home in
the unnatural stygian, Gloom of the cave than under the watchful
eyes of nature. Of course, it could just, as
easily have been my imagination. When the first dim light of dawn
started to illuminate the sodden and dripping, Forrest.
I spent the better part of 20 minutes straining.
My eyes with every ounce of concentration, as I scan the
gray. Woodlands around me.
I was only 10 feet or so above the ground but there was no way.
I was going to step foot from my hide until I was absolutely
certain. I was alone, once I was
satisfied that I was alone for the moment, I climbed down to
the muddy ground. I tried the radio several times
through the night and into the morning, but wasn't able to get
even a burst of static that might indicate someone was
trying to respond a Combination of the storm and the
interference from the trees worked against me.
My first thought was to get back to my Jeep as quickly as
possible and run. Every drop of gas out of its
tank. Trying to get as far away from
this place. As I could when I checked the
GPS to see how close I was to its marked position.
However I found the unit unresponsive and with a
disastrous crack across the screen that seemed to mock my
dismay probably caused by my less than graceful scramble from
that damned cave. No rifle, no radio, no.
Yes, perfect. I still had a compass and the
Rising Sun to guide me though. And that was something.
I was only a couple miles from my tower, which should have been
somewhere due. South of Where I Stood, I knew
that once I got close, I should be able to either find the
service road or the tower itself.
So there wasn't much danger of getting myself lost.
At least it was a small Comfort, but when I gladly took, I move
through the trees and undergrowth with more speed and
recklessness than I probably should have an ankle broken.
Okin by an errant misstep would have been bad news?
Still even though I hadn't heard or seen anything of my
late-night visitor, I couldn't help but feel like I was being
watched you know, that creeping sense of dread.
You feel when you've just turned the lights off in a basement and
now have to climb the stairs back to the light of the doorway
or when you're making your way from your car in a darkened and
lonely parking lot. It's the feeling that something.
Is there something much more suited to the dark than you are?
It's that same feeling that pushed my footsteps almost to a
jog. As I Traverse the uneven ground
and storm fell detritus, that tried to hinder my passage for
the next hour. I moved at this pace aware with
every rasping lung full of breath that.
I should pause and rest for a few minutes knowing that pushing
myself to fatigue would only increase my chances of falling
or hurting myself. I imagine myself lying in
blinding pain, next to an unseen chuckhole clutching at a broken
leg and watching as the sunlight began to dim with the onset of
dusk waiting for whatever haunted.
My trail to find, Find me. What would happen then what?
I even have time to look on its visit before it struck, did
those campers in the cave, a misstep and stumbled at nearly
made, this nightmare is self-fulfilled prophecy, Jarred
me back to the present against all Instinct.
I forced my Pace to slow first to a trot, then to a walk, then
reluctantly, I stopped completely trying to catch my
breath. While I scan the dense Woodland
around me. Nothing.
No, not nothing. As my heart began to slow and my
breathing return to More manageable, Cadence.
I turn my gaze back in the direction.
I had been headed and an unconscious smile found its way
to my lips. The sun had risen high in the
morning, sky during my flight and now I caught the flash of
its reflection on the Windows of my tower, not 200 yards.
Directly ahead of me, I laughed aloud with relief, fully aware
that the fear tinted eruption was closer to the manic cackle
of lunacy than anything else. I didn't care though, and my
feet started forward again on their own quickly.
Reaching A Brisk Pace a few minutes later.
I burst out of the trees into the maintained clearing.
Surrounding my tower, feeling the full sunlight on my face for
the first time. Since yesterday morning, how did
only been a day? It seemed like longer.
I was so filled with relief that I didn't even register.
The fact that a Forestry Department, Jeeps a park near my
fence and closed Tower. Until I started entering the
combination into the gate, lock The Faded white 12, emblazoned
on the corner of the windshield told me that it was Billy's
cheap which Isn't much of a surprise I realized after a
moment after not hearing back from me, I was more surprised.
I hadn't returned to find an entire S&R, team making
preparations to search for their lost puppy.
I punched the four digit code into the mechanical combination
lock on the gate and step through.
Making sure to close and lock it behind me.
I stood there a moment staring through the tall chain-link
fence at the dense Tree Line wondering.
If something waited just out of sight in the shadows, staring
back at me with hungry. Ation.
I shook myself of the sudden chill as best I could and made
my way quickly to the staircase. Taking the steps two at a time.
Billy was going to be mad at me. I was sure but the thought was a
fleeting one that didn't take purchase.
His displeasure was the least of my concerns right now.
When I reach the top, I threw open the trapdoor and suddenly
found myself looking down the muzzle of a very large rifle,
even in that brief moment of abrupt shocked.
I could register how the barrel trembled in the hands of its
agitated master. And I wonder how close I came to
having my life ended in a bright flash of light.
The moment only lasted a second or two and then Billy hastily
swung the rifle away in a safe Direction.
Damn it, John. He exclaimed his tone and
incongruous mixture of relief and fear.
I almost shot you. I stepped fully through the trap
door and let it drop close behind me.
Jesus, Billy I breathed leaning back against the railing.
I suddenly felt weary and realized it was likely the
adrenaline. Now, Seeing from my system that
had kept me moving at such a hurried Pace throughout the
morning. Where the hell have you been?
He demanded stepping back inside my shack and taking a chair at
the small table in the center of the room?
I noted with mild interest that he kept the rifle leaning
against the table beside him. Instead of stowing it in the
rack over the door, but decided not to comment on it.
Billy Johnson was in his middle years, maybe 45 or so with a bit
of a gut and grayish brown hair trimmed clothes, he wore an
impressive must That reminded me of something an Old West Gun
Slinger might groom. He was dressed in typical attire
khaki, forestry service shirt and brown cargo pants.
In addition to the rifle, light had, the unfortunate opportunity
to closely examine a moment earlier, I noticed that he wore
his .500 Magnum in a holster at his side.
That wasn't too unusual when out in the bush bears and mountain,
lions can sneak up on you unaware, having a hand Cannon
within easy. Reach goes a long way towards
taking the fight out of them. Um, if necessary it was a little
unusual for a drive over to another Tower, I supposed but
not exceptionally. So given the circumstances, I
took the opposite chair, dropping my pack to the floor.
Next to me, I realized my legs were still shaking, anxiously
and I placed my hands on my knees to try to calm them.
He was trying to deflect, but he was horrendously bad at it.
He knew something. I was sure of it, you know,
where I've been. I replied gambling on Instinct.
I watched his face closely for a Action and wasn't disappointed.
When he Winston turned his Focus out the window and over the
forest to the north, I told you to a board and head back to your
Tower, he stated brusquely but you just had to feed that
Curiosity of yours, didn't you? You're lucky to be alive.
You know that from my chair I reached under the Shelf to my
right and pulled a half empty bottle of Jameson and a couple
of mostly clean glasses, Billy turned his head and raised an
inquisitive eyebrow, alcohol was a No-No appear.
When I pour it. And handed him one of the
glasses. However, he accepted it without
a word. I took a poll from the other.
It's my own damn fault. I suppose he continued turning
back fully to me. It's been so long since anyone's
even thought of Camp Leclair, that it didn't even click for
me. When you told me where you saw
the campfire, I took another drink and then poured a bit more
of the whiskey Camp Leclair that old mining camp.
I asked logging Camp, actually, he corrected me the mine was
there long before. The East Atlanta clocking
companies set up out here. Nobody knows who Duckett?
Hell, nobody even knows when it was duck a long time before the
19th century, at least Camp, Leclair was established in 1872
and the mine was old even before that.
He looked at me in Earnest for the first time since I'd
returned in. Frowned, you look like hell.
John got caught in the storm. I'm guessing hell of a storm.
I only raised my eyebrows as if to say, what an understatement
that was was Billy nodded knowingly and took another
swallow. Did you find the Campers?
At least, I shook my head and turn to look out the window to
the north where I could almost Envision, the black void of
that. Mine entrance, staring back at
me. No, I tracked them to the mine
but lost them in the cave. I jumped when Billy's glass hit
the floor and was out of my chair before I even realized it.
Billy hadn't moved from his seat but now both hands worse played
on the table before him as if to steady himself his pale blue
eyes. A white and fixed on me.
You went into the cave, he said a sudden and horrifying
realization Dawning on him. It was then I realized my
mistake, he hadn't known. He thought I had just discovered
the camp in the mine and then got caught in the storm
overnight. A close call, but nothing that
couldn't be undone. Yeah, I replied nodding slowly
deliberately. Yeah, I went into that cave.
Looking for the campers, the gate had been cracked open
already, not sure when her by who I lean forward.
In my chair and stared hard at him.
Billy, there's something in there.
I think it got those campers, and I think it followed me out,
Billy Johnson's face had gone white then.
And I thought for a moment, he might pass out, he scooped his
glass up from the for, with numb fingers and poured himself,
another splash of whiskey, Downing it in a gulp, when he
spoke again, it seemed far away distant Puma Tommy, that's what
the Chickasaw called it and they were here long before we ever
were angler is what the white man called.
Among other names Puma, Tommy, he nodded false brother lying
men or something like that. Hell, I don't know.
What do I look like a translator?
It means bad, no matter what language you speak.
It means something is out there that isn't supposed to be
something that was locked away. A long time ago and forgotten.
It was then that he stood and grabbed up his rifle, as if
suddenly remembering something, I need to get back to my tower
and make a call. Now I gestured to the radio
base. Ation sitting patiently on the
table near the door. Why not use mine.
Billy shook his head. Sorry John, but it doesn't work
that way. Special phone, special number.
I just hope I'm not too late. I started to stand.
I'll go with you. I said he pointed a Stern finger
at me and narrowed his eyes. No, you stay here.
Strap on your handgun and make sure it's loaded.
His voice was calm, almost cold and didn't leave much room for
debate still. I had no desire.
To stay here alone with whatever.
This anger thing was roaming around out there.
Billy I can go with you, I can help.
I started to argue but was quickly cut off when he took a
menacing step towards me. And I realized quickly how much
I had underestimated him, because of his normally easy
manner, you will stay in your damn Tower and you will follow
your orders. He roared, and I unconsciously
took a step back and reclaimed my seat.
Only managing a shaken, not an acknowledgement.
He took a trembling breath pointed at the Radio and said in
a slightly less terrifying tone and keep that thing on.
As soon as I'm back at my tower, I'll radio you with updates
while later he was gone and the trap door slammed shut behind
him. I stood in retrieve, the Pelican
case from under my cot inside was the same model of Magnum
revolver that Billy had been wearing heavy and cold in my
hands. I loaded it and belted on the
leather holster, feeling the reassuring.
Wait, tugging at my waist John, I heard Billy call from below
and An outside to the walkway, leaning over the railing.
He was standing beside his Jeep, 50 feet below.
Shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight, as he looked up
at me, make sure to keep everything locked, I'll come
back for you. He shouted, I raised a hand to
him and slid the latch shut on the trap door with my toe.
I turned back into my shack as I heard Billy's Jeep fire up in a
moment later. Drive off down the rough service
road towards his Tower. I glanced back to the north to
the place where I had first seen the campfire.
Smoke Rising the day before and suppress his shutter.
I was alone again safe in my tower and armed but alone
abruptly like an unexpected wave of nausea.
The feeling that I was being watched washed over me with a
chill. Making the hairs on the back of
my neck, stand on end, I looked back over my shoulder to where
Billy had been only a minute before, but solemnly the rough
Service Road in dense, impenetrable Tree, Line, beyond
that. Probably just my imagination but
the feeling didn't diminish and with every passing breath, I was
more and more certain that there was something nearby just out of
sight standing stones, still in the gray-green.
Foliage waiting, I stood there along moment.
I straining for any hint of movement or alien shape among
the Shadows, but if it was there, my human eyes weren't
sharp enough to pick it out. I stepped back through the open,
doorway of my shack, and drop down into the chair again.
My eyes catching the bottle of whiskey.
Before me, I was tempted to pour another drink to help settle my
nerves, but I could already feel the tickle of a buzz at the
edges of my mind from what I had already drank and quickly.
Decided that the last thing I needed was for my reflexes and
awareness to be dulled right now.
I'd made more than one poor decision in the last 24 hours.
I didn't think adding another to the pile was such a great idea.
Grabbing the bottle, I screwed the cap back on and reach to
return it to the sparse shelf to my right as I did.
So, my boot caught my pack, knocking it over without a
thought. I reached down to move it out of
the way and then remembered the old Whether Journal tucked
inside the front pocket, the one I'd found in the cave, I reached
into the unzipped front pocket for a frustratingly alarming
moment. My searching hand couldn't feel
anything in the compartment and I feared that I had lost it in
my chaotic Escape, but then my fingers brush, The Familiar
shape and I withdrew it, setting it in front of me on the table,
I could see the book much more clearly.
Now in the daylight, it wasn't overly large a little larger
than my hand and maybe the thickness of my thumb.
There were no markings on the front, except for a simple
grimy, brass Loop that secured the leather strap holding it
closed. I wasn't sure I wanted to see
what was inside, but I needed some answers.
Anything astray sound from the trees below Rose to my ears and
I froze listening intently for more but none came the forest
around me was silent again and I turned my attention back to the
journal, pulling the strap free from the cover and turning to
the first page from the pocket of Andrew Robinson.
It said, The writing was neat and Compact and distinctly male.
The ink was a rich black scrawled upon brittle Yellow
Pages. And though faded with the years
was still mostly legible. I turn to the next page where
the entries begin? I felt as though I had dropped
into his account. Midway, as though, this was just
the latest in a series of journals that this Andrew
Robinson, had been keeping the 23rd of July 1891.
After nearly a week of hard, Overland trekking, we reach the
abandoned camp. Late this afternoon.
Exactly where the Old Trapper said we would sequani our Pawnee
tracker. As once again, astonished me
with his Overland navigation skills, I must admit I was
skeptical at the yarn. The Old Trapper had spun in the
crowded confines of the common house in done Creek.
Especially after I smelled the drinks on his breath, but the
professor never doubted a moment.
The man's instincts for reading human character are absolutely
singular. The camp looks to have been
abandoned, and I have to admit to a certain unease as As we
inspected the rough cabins there isn't a soul to be found and it
looks years abandoned. He had everything stands as if
awaiting the loggers return at any moment.
Strange The 24th of July, 1891 are small, troop of intrepid
Adventurer is made camp in the center of Leclair last night,
though. The cabins likely would have
been more comfortable. I doubt any of us would have
felt at ease intruding upon them, Richard's laughed it off.
When someone mentioned how peculiar it was that the loggers
had departed in such a hurry, that they abandoned their
personal possessions, but I could see in his eyes that he
felt it, odd as well, sakhi are ever courageous and stolid guide
seemed Dylan. He's an unusually withdrawn
refusing, all conversation and only responding to queries with
quiet. Grunts something of concern
Heights behind his eyes though and I wonder at what it is.
Only the professor seems unmoved by the unusually still
atmosphere of this place and his typically infectious positivity
keeps working at our on. He's keeping it from expanding
Beyond its current state. Today, we spent much of the day,
exploring the area surrounding Camp Leclair and the sunlight
was nearly spent when Dobson. Back into camp with news of his
Discovery. We all of us raised at a
moment's notice behind him. As he led us along an ill-used,
an eye invisible foot path that led ever ascending upon the side
of the northern Rocky slope. When the path terminated, we
were deposited before a truly curious sight, a barricaded
tunnel, entrance have been bored into the rock face by some
unknown hands. I suspect some sort of
exploration tunnel or at it dug in search of precious ores
especially given the nation's more recent history.
Curry with Gold Fever. The wooden barrier that had been
roughly assembled from a hodgepodge of heavy.
Timber beams was curious and several of our group commented
on it, but the professor dismissed, it as a triviality.
So, the matter was dropped, it is far too late in the day to
proceed further, but we plan to penetrate the barricade and
enter the tunnel in the morning. The excitement among the men is
palpable The 25th of July 1891 Sequoia, he is gone.
He took his supplies in his prized Winchester rifle and fled
sometime during the night like a phantom.
This is a shocking blow to us all, but none more so than to
the professor with whom the Pawnee tracker.
Had partnered for a number of years across much of the eastern
states. We have no explanation for his
sudden desertion and it sits on well with the entirety of the
group. The overall, mood has darkened.
I fear still, we must push onward.
The 25th of July 1891 addendum. It took more than two hours of
hard labor, but we were finally able to gain entrance to the
mine shortly before noon today, Richard's managed to get his
boot caught between two heavy Timbers as he stumbled forward
straining his ankle with a terrible cry.
We feared it broken, but dr. Franklin assured us that the
bone cement act. Regardless Richards was taken
back to the camp where you will convalesce while the rest of us
make our entry his art in our exploration has come to an end
for now, we made our way in a single file through the at it
tunnel for some way before reaching its carved end.
The light from our oil lanterns. Providing regrettably
inadequate, illumination over the rocky surroundings when we
reached the Terminus of the mine tunnel, our hearts sank for a
moment before the professor gave an exclamation of Discovery and
suddenly disappeared through a nearly hidden Rift in the wall
surrounded by Jagged rocks. We eagerly followed him through
careful of our footing, We went and found ourselves in what.
I can only assume to be an accidental breach by the miners
into a natural Cave System. The air was Chillin moving.
But our excitement at this discovery allayed any concerns
or discomfort this might have caused.
The professor directed us to set a secondary camp in this new
chamber which will be used as a staging point for further
exploration. So we spent the rest of the day,
bringing supplies from our main camp in constructing, a smaller
version in this moderately-sized chamber, by the time we
completed, Did this endeavor, the efforts of the day.
Precluded a start to the exploration until the group has
had the opportunity to rest and replenish their energy.
I feel, I will sleep well tonight despite the anxious
excitement buzzing around my mind, the 26th of July 1891,
another shock. When we awoke this morning
O'Connor is gone, the Irishman who has ever been reliable in
constant as the North Star was assigned.
First watch last night, there is no trace of him.
And no indication that he took any provisions or even his
personal rucksack with him. I fear his natural
inquisitiveness may have gotten the best of him and led him to
explore the deeper Caverns beyond our ad.
Hoc base camp for his Lantern, is the sole item that has gone
missing with his person. The professor immediately
rallied. The rest of our small group
seven in all, no, and mounted a search for our lost companion.
I tried to caution him against rushing into action, but he was
not to be deterred to my dismay. A I was the sole man ordered to
remain here at Camp. Whilst my companions took up
their supplies and launched deeper into the cave system in
the event. You know, Connor returned in
their absence. I was understandably
disappointed, but grasp, the logic of it, well enough, I
would love to think of O'Connor returning, only to find us all
God and then losing himself again.
Trying to find us. I shall Endeavor to rest.
A bit with luck, my companions will return before long with our
lost compatriot. The 27th of July 1891, I am at
my Wit's End and I'm unsure how to proceed.
It has been more than a day since the professor led, the
rest of the men in search of poor O'Connor and I have felt
their absence as keenly as I am aware of my own Solitude in this
cave, I have seen nothing of our missing companion, or of the
party that delve deeper into the system yesterday morning.
And I know their lanterns did not have sufficient fuel to
carry them this long without other means of Illumination to
guide their return. I fear, they are hopelessly
lost. I myself had to return to
Leclair for more lantern oil. For my own waning light.
I must admit with no little embarrassment.
Some reluctance to my return, to this dark place, which no longer
carries any of its former adventurous excitement or
Fascination. It is now nothing more than a
doorway into the deep places below the Earth where men were
never intended to tread, but the growing apprehension is not the
worst of it. The Sounds by Heavens Grace, the
sounds Since I first became aware of them last night, as I
did my Lantern and tried to set myself to sleep.
At first, it was only an indistinct and muted Echo, that
may have been interpreted as nothing more than the distant
whistle of wind or other natural sound distorted by the unique
Acoustics of this place. But then I heard the distinct
tonal qualities. That could only be a man's
voice. I instantly Rose and took up my
Lantern, raising the flame and rushing to the entrance of the
cave that had swallowed my companions there.
I stood listening. With such Keen Focus that I felt
beads of sweat upon my brow. I would swear upon a holy book
that it was the distant cause of the professor himself and I
eagerly called back with as much fervor as I could summon.
Hoping desperately to guide them back to me.
However, the instant I called out the voices vanished and I
was met only with the suffocating Silence of an open
Tomb. There, I stood straight as a
sentinel praying for a response from my friends, after several
minutes of absolute silence, my thoughts began An turning to
dark things, I became painfully aware that.
Anything beyond the week cast of my Lantern, would be utterly
invisible to me, but I on the other hand would be lighted as a
beacon to it. I pushed these thoughts from my
mind as forcefully as I could inwardly chastising myself at
seeing ghouls where none existed and was about to call out again,
to my lost companions. When I heard it, the voice came
again, at going from the claustrophobic Abyss that lay
before me mired in the blackest. Darkness one could have Legend,
it was still some distance away but I was certain it seemed
closer now when the third time I heard it, I was just barely able
to make out the words, but it was enough to be sure my own
words. Echoed back to me from the
depths of that cave and in my own voice I staggered and nearly
dropped the lantern at that moment.
Could the Legends be true. The professor always seem to
believe them, though. I must admit I attributed his
faith to the unwavering certainty, he held in those
things lost to antiquity. He had always maintained that a
legend, especially one whispered by so many indigenous peoples,
without Mutual contact. Must have some rude and truth,
but that line of reasoning is antithetical to Modern Civility,
and I must reject it and focus on the more probable explanation
that my already stressed nerves were turning my fears against
me. The voices.
Must be those of my companions lost in the dark, but near
enough to hear their calls. They must be.
I am not certain, what lies next?
But I know that I cannot abandon And in my companions, my friends
to wander the darkness until they fall from exhaustion or
dehydration. Not while I might get help them.
I will leave this written account at the entrance to the
cave. This Lantern is nearly spent but
I have another with a full vessel that I will take in its
state. If I do not return, at least
someone may know of our passing here, may God be with us.
All I closed the journal with a trembling hand momentarily, lost
in. What I had just read, how is it
possible? The No was more than 130 years
old, no one animal alive than could be what pursued me now.
What if it's not an animal, the sudden burst of static from
Billy's call that simultaneously erupted for my radio base
station and the portable handset clipped at my shoulder made me
jump and drop the journal on the floor.
Heart pounding, I cursed under my breath and keyed the
microphone Beaufort our nine. I answered my voice tight as I
spoke my eyes drifted out across the sky to the east Just were
darkened Thunderhead said been unknowingly Gathering and
marching slowly in my direction. I shook my head, icing on the
cake, I thought John what's your position asked?
Billy the self-assured Authority that had filled his tone before
was strangely absent now, replaced with something else.
Sear, I frowned a moment at the question before answering.
Why do you think Billy, I'm in my tower, just like you told me,
it's strange pause before he spoke again.
John. This isn't some sort of joke,
right? You're not outside of my tower.
I was growing more agitated by the moment.
What sort of question was that I had no Jeep?
There was no way, I could have made it to his Tower.
In such a short amount of time, even if I'd wanted to know.
Billy, I answered with more Force than I'd intended, not
outside of your Tower. I stopped mid-sentence.
A horrified realization sweeping over me in that moment.
I tried to speak Seek but my mouth had gone dry.
Delhi was all I could muster the radio was silent as my.
I slowly drifted to the west where I could just make out the
small lonely shape of tower 12, barely visible over the
darkening blanket of green. Was that a gunshot?
Another damn night. Stuck in this window line
prison. At least I have a good view so I
guess that's something the storm raged all night.
Again last night and only let up just before Dawn.
At one point, the winds were gusting hard enough to rock the
tower, which was a bit disconcerting to say the least.
As I stand out on the wet, cat walk around my shack.
I see that the clouds. Haven't let us go just yet and
look every bit as ticked off as they did yesterday afternoon.
It seems like the dry season has come to an end, which is Is good
since I've been slacking a bit on my fire watching duties over
the last couple days. Dallas humor, right?
It's either that or sitting in the corner in a fetal position.
Crying. And I've been told by my
ex-fiance that I'm not an attractive crier.
I haven't heard a peep from Billy.
Since his last terrifying broadcast to me yesterday, I've
tried to reach him several times since then, but no dice, I've
also tried reaching Nathan and the ranger station, but all I
get is static even from my Base radio.
It when I first started here, I remember Billy telling me during
my brief orientation that the radio should be able to reach
out, 50 miles or more. So I'm not sure what's going on
with it update. I just took a quick look at the
base station and found that the cable leading up to the antenna,
on the roof of the shack is now, just a dangly thing.
Swaying in the breeze, the storm must have decided, it needed the
antenna more than I did, because it's gone.
I can see where the screws were torn out of the wooden, Mast,
and before you say anything. Thing about whatever this thing
is that's been stalking around deciding to sabotage, my radio,
I should probably tell you that the wooden antenna Mast.
Looks like it's been around for a long time.
The Wood was probably dry rotted to begin with and now that it's
soaked it crumbled away and little wet Brown bits as soon as
I probed at it with my fingers, speaking of whatever this Q
autonomy or angler thing is, I'm just going to call it a mimic.
I think I haven't heard or sensed anything weird since
yesterday. I'm assuming, it's still out
there somewhere. I don't think it's nearby if
it's still anywhere around here, it's probably somewhere over
near Tower 12 or at least that's what makes the most sense to me
anyway. Which brings me to my shiny new
lunatic idea my Jeep. It can't be more than a mile
down. The northern track still sitting
there in front of that Fallen Pine I could probably get to it
in less than an hour even with the wet and muddy ground.
It had almost a full tank of gas and I'm pretty sure I could
outrun this mimic thing in it. If I can get onto a straight
shot, Shot of service road. I definitely don't relish the
idea mind, you. Every instinct is screaming at
me to sit my butt right where I am in this Tower.
I know that the ranger station will start getting a little
antsy when Billy doesn't check in after a few days.
But I'm also thinking, they may extend it out a day or two in
light of the foul weather, maybe five days at the outside and
then I'll have a ranger truck parked outside my tower.
The question is, what they'll find when they get here.
See, I've been thinking about it, Billy, definitely new.
About this thing that I do, certainly enough to not open the
door for it, when he heard it outside pretending to be a girl
scout selling cookies, that makes me think that maybe the
fence and the trapdoor might not be enough to stop it if it
really wants in as terrifying as the prospect of leaving the
tower and making for the Jeep is sitting here.
Cornered in my window line. Shack, just waiting for it to
show up in the middle of the night is even worse.
At least I have chance out there.
I still have the Magnum. It's been holstered on my belt
since Yesterday they don't issue peashooters for Bear protection
out here. This thing is the most powerful
handgun in mass production. It'll put down anything in North
America, as long as you can hit it, right?
Any normal animal anyway, who knows what this thing is capable
of still. It does provide a level of
comfort and gives me some confidence that my plan may
work. If Luck's on my side for now,
I'm going to try to eat a granola bar to put something in
my churning stomach and try to build a little energy.
I don't I've eaten anything since early yesterday.
After that, I'm grabbing my pack and heading out.
Wish me luck. I left my tower shortly after
10:00 a.m. And let me tell you, those were
some of the most difficult first steps I've ever taken in my
life. Stepping out through the
chain-link gate, into the open space, beyond my small compound
felt like I was stepping off the roof of the skyscraper When I
close the gate behind me. I just stood there, motionless
for what must have been five minutes Frozen in place with my
hand clenched? In the grip of the revolver,
still holstered at my belt, even with all the stress and anxiety
swirling around in my head. I was amazed at exactly how key
my senses seemed in that moment. It felt like I could hear every
rustle of leaves and smell every damp patch of moss in the
thousands of Acres of wilderness surrounding me in that moment.
I felt very small, very insignificant trivial when my
chest began to ache, I realized that I had been holding a breath
in subconsciously afraid to make even the slightest sound.
Let it out slowly and forced myself to breathe.
Normally, again, scanning the trees.
I turned slowly in a circle. I searching for anything that
seemed out of place, like it didn't belong, but there was
nothing there. Everything seemed normal at
least to me, casting one last look over my shoulder at The
Refuge of my tower. I started off along the seldom
use service road to the north careful of my footing on the
muddy and uneven ground. I allowed myself to move at a
slow jog fast enough to make good Progress.
But not so fast that I was announcing my presence to the
world. Not so fast that I couldn't hear
the forest around me over my own breathing.
I stopped a couple times during my Trek to catch my breath and
take a drink of water and thankfully still seemed alone
and unpursued for now. I wondered if it was out there
somewhere among the dense trees, hiding in the muted grey,
Shadows of the forest, maybe it was looking for me at that
moment, perhaps it had returned to my tower in my absence found
it. Empty and was even Tracking my
flight along this Trail. If I paused long enough, what I
see it suddenly rounding, the gentle curve behind me as it
caught up or did it prefer to move more stealthily among the
trees and underbrush laying in? Wait alongside the path ahead
ready for my Approach. I had to forcibly shake myself
of that line of thought. It wasn't doing me any good now.
I was committed to my plan, the thought of retracing my steps
and returning to my lonely Watchtower held just as much
Terror because now it's at their unmanned Unwatched abandoned for
all. I know the mimic could be there
at this very moment. Ransacking my shack, I
definitely didn't want to walk back in on that little scene, I
can promise you that much. I ended up making surprisingly
good time on that Northern path. It was only about 30 minutes
before I saw the dim Shape of My Jeep waiting dutifully in the
middle of the path ahead, the mat tan paint job in Black
cloth, roof stood out, remarkably well against the
muted greens and Browns of the surrounding Forest.
Jang, Mi pase to Quicken, I covered the last hundred yards
before I even realized it and found myself standing at the
door. And on handle, I paused a chill.
Ran down my spine and siding and unbidden Shiver.
I realized then how quiet the forest around me was in, wasn't
sure how long it had been this way.
I felt that something was out of place and so, did the Native
fauna on any given day? The trees were alive with the
sounds of wildlife squirrels and Chipmunks jittered insects
buzzed and a thousand varieties of birds called.
And sang from the Treetops. Not now though it was as if they
had all left and I felt very alone in that moment, only not
quite alone, somewhere out there in that sea of trees, something
stalked, something that didn't belong in the light of day,
something that didn't belong under the watchful eyes of
Mother Nature. I was pretty sure she wouldn't
have let something like the mimic evolve at it not been
hidden in its underground realm. The door of the jeep was
thankfully quiet. As I depress the latch and swung
it open if this. Been a horror movie, I'm sure an
ear-splitting Screech would have erupted from its hinges, but in
real life we tend to take care of these vehicles pretty well in
the best of times, they are the only convenient way to travel
for 20 miles or more in times like this, though, it was
likely. The only thing that would save
me. I jumped in and pulled the door.
Shut behind me with a dull. Funk subconsciously locking it.
I almost laughed aloud when I did that.
The entire top of the jeep was nothing more than canvas and
plastic windows. A A hamster.
Could probably have penetrated my little Haven.
I doubt the mimic. What even think twice about it.
The Jeep fired up immediately. When I turn the key in the
ignition, and I threw it in reverse for the most ungraceful,
14-point turn you've ever seen on the narrow and muddy Service
Road. Once I got turned around, I
didn't waste any time, directing it back the way.
I went the service road was really little more than an
uneven and he'll maintain dirt Trail and was only ever used
infrequently by the Rangers and Lookouts as I previously.
We mentioned it was a rough ride even for the heavy suspension of
my trusty Steed. So I had to keep it at a
reasonable speed. The very last thing I needed was
to snap an axle or bounce myself right off the road and into the
trees, compound, the condition of the trail with the fact that
it constantly curved as it progressed and it meant that
even my best speed wasn't too much faster than I could run on
foot. That's okay, once I got past my
tower, the service road was generally better maintained and
followed a more Or less straight path.
I'd be able to build some decent speed there and I'd be out of
the Wilderness and standing at the ranger station in an hour or
so, the abrupt appearance of my tower caused me to feather off
the gas, as I rounded the last curve from the northern track.
I slowed, to a crawl in, squint it through the now.
Dirty windshield from here, everything looked exactly like I
had left it. The gate still stood closed and
looking up I could see the trapdoor also appeared shut
maybe this thing hadn't returned hell maybe Thing wasn't ever
going to return for all. I knew it was headed in the
opposite direction. It's not like it had a GPS or
anything. It was at that moment that I
nearly scared myself when the radio still clipped to my belt
squawked, and I heard probably the last thing I had expected to
hear Billy. John are you there?
The signal was pretty clear, but his voice sounded weak.
I almost didn't respond. I was frozen in decision.
Clouding, my mind. I didn't know what I could trust
to be true. But I doubted that this mimic
had read the radio manual and learn to operate.
The hand sit, I snatched the handset from my shoulder and
keep the mic Delhi. Holy crap is that you he
answered me right away and I thought I could hear relief in
his tone buried under his pained words John, thank God.
I was afraid you were gone. My eyes drifted to the trail
leading past my tower toward the ranger station towards safety,
another five minutes and I would have been over.
I've got mine. Jeep.
And I was just about to haul it for the ranger station.
I replied. What's your status?
There was a moment of silence and I wondered briefly a few
even heard me, but then he answered, I'm not doing too
good. John, I'm in my tower but that
thing hurt me. I've been drifting in and out.
I've patched myself up as best I could, but I can't stop the cut
on my leg. I frowned and close my eyes.
A moment asking, a question that I was pretty sure I knew the
answer to. Are you able to get to your
Jeep? I thought I heard a coughing
bark of laughter before he answered, I don't think so.
I'm pretty banged up. What happened?
The thing got into my tower. I managed to get off a shot at
it but not before it got the jump on me.
He explained it took off before it did me in.
So I think I hit it. I don't know where it is now
though, my tower is wide open and it hasn't come back, so
maybe it's gone. I doubted that things.
Never work out that simple. Are you stable?
Can you be moved? Another silence and then I know
what you're thinking and haul it to the ranger station.
That's an order. I dropped my forehead to the
steering wheel. Closing my eyes and cursing.
It would have been easier if Billy hadn't radioed me.
I know it's selfish. I know I'm a jerk for even
thinking it, but I could have been blissfully out of range.
If he had only waited another 10 minutes, I We'll put the
throttle down and get out of here.
I could still race for the ranger station and have them
mobilize a chopper to come back for Billy, but they were at
least an hour away factor in the spin up and travel time for the
helicopter, and you're talking more like an hour and a half
before anyone gets to him, he didn't sound good.
Something told me it was unlikely.
He would last. That amount of time I could
still turn left. I'd likely survive.
But could I live with myself knowing that I left Billy to
pass alone in his Tower. What if our situations had been
reversed? Sure.
I might be saying the same words.
He was saying now, but in my heart, I be pleading for that
voice on the radio to help me. I couldn't imagine being in his
position, lying there hurt and running out of time knowing that
his Safe Haven was wide open and that thing was out there
somewhere. Look, I know what you're going
to say. I know what you're probably
already saying, don't be stupid. This is exactly why everyone
dies. In a horror movie, I get it.
Believe me, I get it, but this isn't a movie and my friend was
lying there in his Shack. If I could get to him and get
him into the Jeep, we could both be out of here, leaving all this
Twisted nightmare behind us, Delhi.
I'm headed your way. Get ready, because we're going
to wrestle you down the stairs and into my Jeep, as quickly as
we can. I said, cranking the wheels to
the right and taking the Western Trail with more speed than I
should have John. I gave you an order.
Get out of here now. Despite the situation, I managed
a sardonic grin as my rig buckton, bounced over the uneven
Trail Billy. I'd like to take this
opportunity to officially tender my resignation from the fire
watch now. Shut your mouth and conserve
your strength. I'll be there in 15 minutes, 15
minutes turned out to be a pretty good guess.
And before long I skidded to a halt outside Tower 12 next to
Billy's ride, I opened the door and stepped out into the quiet.
Are my handgun coming out of its holster and held before Me, like
some sort of s.h.i.e.l.d. I took a quick moment to let my
eyes roam over the surrounding Woodlands for any sign of
movement before, quickly jogging around my Jeep and towards the
compounds entrance, I passed through the open.
Doorway, taking note of the heavy chain link gate, that was
laying Twisted 15 feet inside of the fence, another dozen paces
and I was at the base of the stairs craning my neck, to make
sure nothing was awaiting me above.
I keep the mic at my shoulder and said, in a low voice Billy,
I'm outside of your Tower. Right now heading up.
Don't shoot me. I turned the volume on the
speaker down just in time for his response.
Damn it, John, I told you to leave, but despite his words,
the Gratitude and relief were clear in his tone.
I started up the stairs. Revolver still held at the
ready. As my other hand ran lightly
along the railing. My eyes were drawn to the red
black spot staining. The gray paint of the steel
steps. I found even more of the viscous
fluid on the railing as I continued my Sent blood but not
Billy's good. I hope that idiot is laying in
the woods breathing its last breath.
He definitely hit it but I had no way of telling how seriously
it was hurt in a human bright red indicated, an arterial bleed
which was typically a fairly significant injury with this
thing. Who knew?
What black red meant. I climbed the rest of the
staircase as it ran around the tower and stop just below the
open trap door. Billy I called out cautiously
Then came his reply shaky and with a wheezing sound that I
didn't like at all. How do I know it's you say
something that this idiot couldn't have heard, you say
before? I've always admired and
respected you, I answered without hesitation jerk, he said
under his breath, come on up. I took another couple steps
cautiously poking, my head through the trap door, Billy was
sitting upright more or less resting his back against the
door frame of his Shack and aiming his own handgun.
Generally. In my direction.
As soon as he saw my face, he dropped his hand to his side.
The stainless steel barrel falling against the metal
walkway. As I stepped fully through the
trapdoor. I noted two things immediately.
Firstly there was a significant amount of that black red whose
splattered around. Secondly I realized how badly
injured Billy was his face. Had gone gray with a sickly
paleness and his breath came in ragged hitches.
Soaked bandages, wrapped both forearms, and the side of his
face was covered with a crimson red.
Tip Tap Hazard lie down, his entire khaki Park, shirt was
painted in a hellish tie-dye of shades of red, but it was his
like, that worried me. Most a tourniquet had been tied
around his thigh, but the pants leg was a cherry red below that
and was glistening in the late morning, light Jesus.
Billy, I exclaimed holstering my gun in rushing to his side.
He waved me off as I knelt beside him.
I know it looks bad, save it for later.
Let's get out of here. Before that thing decides to To
come back for another round. I nodded and stood again, taking
a quick glance past him and into his Shack, a twin to my own
Tower. Normally Billy's looked like a
war zone. Now his table and desk had both
been overturned and smashed along with his base Set Radio on
the floor. Nearby was a satellite phone.
It's antenna and display obviously smashed during the
attack, lifting his arm over my head, I helped him to his feet,
he grimaced and pain, but through his remaining strength
in with mine and we began. Precarious descent through his
trap. Door, did you at least get to
make your phone call? I asked him as we took the steps
carefully and agonizingly slow. He shook his head, it got here,
just as I was getting ready to it was using your voice telling
me that you are from the park service, and that you were here
to help, he looked at me with a shaken astonishment, it sounded
just like you John, but when I looked over the catwalk railing
down at it, he winced again, as we have stumbled on a step
almost there, He continued, holy hell, I've never seen anything
like it. I shook my head.
As we reach the bottom step in moved on to the rain-soaked
ground and grunted with exertion.
Save it Billy. We have a long ride ahead of us,
plenty of time for that later. He just nodded as I maneuvered
him around the passenger, side of my Jeep, and helped him climb
in. Once he was in, I hurried back
around to the driver's door and got in starting the engine, as I
pulled the door closed behind me, throwing it into reverse.
I felt the wheels. Was break loose as I stepped on
the gas with a bit too much enthusiasm.
I swung the 4x4 around and put it into drive pointing it back
towards my tower and Beyond safety.
I only had a heart beats warning from Billy before, I saw it,
barreling from the underbrush at us, it threw itself a great Mass
crashing into the side of the Jeep, and Billy scramble to get
away from it. Dang near climbing over the
center console in the process, and knocking my hands off, the
wheel in his Panic, the Jeep. Us one wildly left and I stomped
down on the brakes to avoid careening off into the trees,
one of the front wheels dipped off the road in the steel bumper
crashed through a small cluster of Oak saplings.
Halting us abruptly installing the engine.
Everything went silent in that moment.
As we froze, my breath hitched in my lungs and my eyes widened
in shock, as I laid eyes upon this Abomination.
For the first time, my first impression was that it was much
larger than I had thought. But the nightmare visits before
me Eclipse such a An observation, the thing stood in
the middle of the trail still shaking its head as if trying to
recover its senses after the collision with the two ton
vehicle. It looked vaguely humanoid in a
sense but it walked on four Islands, clearly proportion to
such a task. It was hairless and with modeled
pink gray skin stretched tight over muscles bones and odd
unidentifiable growths, the limbs seem to have joints that
bent in all the wrong directions and ended in what should have
been Clause. But instead of the distinctive
keratin Composed sharp nails. That seem so familiar in the
natural world. These seem to be extensions of
the creatures. Skeletal structure protruding
painfully through its veiny translucent hide, but worst of
all, was the bulbous and disproportionately large head.
That topped an oddly gone to peering neck.
It was oblong and reminded me of the shape of a feline skull in
general appearance, its ma seemed a jagged tear across its
face with ill-fitting and chaotically position teeth that
didn't seem to allow the mouth to close properly.
Couldn't see any eyes but where they should have been were
instead to bulbous insist like organs seeming to bulge in
flattened in a slow Rhythm. As if bladders filling with air
or liquid, I reeled back and revulsion as it turned its
sightless head in our Direction. Searchingly flaps of skin, on
either side of its malformed snouted open slowly like some
obscene Blossom. Composed of Milky gray bat wings
and I had this sense that it was using them to try to somehow
locate us. It was then I saw where Billy
shot it struck the creature in the Face one of the snout flaps
was nearly completely cut hanging in contrast to its
sibling and a gouge furrowed by the shots travel.
Creased along the right side of the things head, when it turned
its head farther. In our Direction, I could see
clearly where it had blood significantly from the shot but
was horrified to see that the wound had already sealed itself
and a shiny silver scar was left to Mark the incident.
I knew I hit you Billy whispered.
The mimic stopped its motion a moment later the twins.
Did sound of a human voice assaulted, our ears.
I know you're out there. The voice was unmistakably
Billy's, but was distorted and wrong.
I thought that the injury from his shot, probably had something
to do with that. The thing raised its head, again
turning a bit more in our Direction and took a few
experimental steps forward, begin hit paused and lowered.
Its head. This time we heard what sounded
like the pained Roar of a bear almost perfectly replicated
except for that same Distortion that we had heard previously.
Had this thing. Got a bear, I held my breath.
As we watched it again raised its head and take a few more
contemplative steps in our Direction, slowly swinging its
grotesques now back and forth. I could see how the flaps of
skin that were flared open where it snows should have been twist,
minutely back and forth, and I felt like it was using them to
listen for us. It knows we're here somewhere,
but it can't see us whispered Billy leaning close, but if it
gets close enough, I'm thinking, we're done for, I looked over.
RIT billion realized that there was no way he'd be able to make
a run for it in his condition from the look of the thing,
growing ever closer to where we coward in the Jeep.
I thought it was likely, we didn't have much time before it
got close enough to hear our breathing or heart beats or
whatever. Even inside the 4x4 when that
happened, I knew what would come next Billy closed.
His eyes a moment and turn to me.
There was something in his eyes, then some sort of acceptance
that I didn't like one bit. Get ready with that.
Cannon. He whispered, you're only going
to get one chance at this. What are you talking about?
I asked a moment later. I had my answer.
Billy took a deep breath and mustard every bit of his
strength, flinging the door, open and staggering out of the
Jeep. I'm right here.
He shouted at the thing. Limping weekly across the road
away from the Jeep. The mimic whipped its head in
his Direction instantly. But tilted, its head to the side
seemingly momentarily puzzled at this unexpected, turn of events
bill Hold his own Magnum in his hand but he was too weak to
raise it towards the Beast. Still he pulled the trigger and
a resounding boom seem to shake. The are the mimic flinched at
the deafening sound of the shot, the membrane at its snout
snapping shut protectively, but it stunned.
Hesitation didn't last very long in an instant faster than I
would have thought possible. It launched itself on powerful
limbs at Billy, knocking him to the ground and going at him with
teeth and Claws. I heard my friend start
screaming then A horrible Soul rending sound that I'll never
forget as long as I live but now is my chance.
And I took it, I swung the door and stepped out of the Jeep.
My gun coming free of its holster.
In the same movement, the creature was preoccupied with
what was left of Billy, but as soon as I brought the gun up and
thumbed back the hammer its head whipped around at me, it
crouched like a compressed spring as it prepared to launch
but I was quicker. The report of the shot was
incredible and The Recoil of the powerful round.
Rocked my Back painfully, the be staggered, and I saw a burst of
red explode from near where it's shoulder met its neck, it held
out an otherworldly cry, sounding like a Bedlam mixture
of man and beast, but though the wounds seem terrible, it tried
once again, to throw itself at me, I was set in my course
though and took step after step. Towards the creature, pulling
the trigger. Again, and again, until the gun
ran dry. And all I was left with was the
clicking of the hammer, and the high-pitched ringing in my ears,
the acrid smell. All of gunpowder stunned, my
nose. And by the time, I finally
stopped, I found myself within only a few feet of the terrible
thing, six black and whole stippled, the neck and torso of
the creature where the shots had entered.
And I knew that the destruction of their exits on the opposite
side would be far worse, the mimiclay across Billy Johnson
its weight crushing. What?
Whatever had been left of my friend black red fluid spread
out from beneath the thing like an oil spill across a smooth
floor. I noted with some muted
surprised that the creature Stilt witched and slowly flexed,
its powerful muscles and a wheezing sound was quietly
emanating from the top of its head.
I holstered my empty hand, cut and scanned around the sodden
ground for what I knew. Was there a moment later?
I spotted it. Billy's own Magnum laying half
buried in the muck where it had been torn from his grip, under
the weight of the monster. I snatched it up and shook it,
clear of most of the mud and grass opening the cylinder.
I saw that only one unfired round remained that was enough.
I approached the thing before me without apprehension or pause.
My eyes focused on this thing that had caused such pain and
Terror. I found the hammer back and
placed the muzzle against the mimic, which still moved with
some small remaining life. I didn't know if it would be
able to heal from the wounds. I had already inflicted logic,
told me it was unlikely. But the Silvery scar I had seen
from Billy's previous encounter, caused me to question
everything. I thought was possible.
I felt the Tremors from the creature vibrate through the gun
as the bear Rested against its head right between where it's I
should have been a tense, my finger on the cool steel of the
trigger and the crack of the shot, echoed through the forest,
it was done. But even as I walked back,
numbly to the Jeep and restarted the engine.
I wondered if that was true, I thought back to the journal.
I had read written more than 130 years before and how it had
alluded to Tales of this creature.
Going back long before. Then as I drove the Jeep along
the rough and winding service road, I wondered at the The
possibility that what we encountered was the only one of
its kind that this same beast at somehow terrorized cultures
separated from each other. By great time in distance,
spawning, the legends that the author of the journal and his
companions at pursued, it didn't seem likely.
And now, the door was open. For as long as I can remember.
Christmas has been a big deal in my family.
I suppose. That's not all that surprising.
It is with most families after all, you'd have to be pretty
cynical to not think of Christmas as a big deal.
Unless, of course, it's for religious reasons, but that goes
without saying, my point is Christmas is a time to share.
Love, give gifts help your fellow human beings and just be
generally cheerful. For no real reason.
It's the most wonderful time of the year after.
All right, that's why And hard for me over the years to explain
why. I hate Christmas.
Now before you assume that, I'm just some miserable Scrooge, let
me explain. I'm all about the lights,
Christmas, carols gift-giving hell.
I even have a few ugly sweaters in my closet.
My reason for loathing, this time of year is a little more
complicated than that. You see ever since I was a
little kid, I've always seen something every night on
Christmas Eve. No, it's not Santa Claus or an
elf or something stupid. Like that what I see is kind of
I can't really explain it. It is the only word I can use to
explain what this thing is. The first time I saw it, I
couldn't have been older than seven or eight years old.
I was standing in the kitchen with my mom.
As she was, finishing making some warm cinnamon buns.
Before we opened a present on the night of Christmas Eve, it
was a particularly Dark Night with not a single star in the
sky. I was looking out our kitchen
window into the forest behind our house, taking in the sweet
smell of the cinnamon buns. As my mom, took them To the
living room. I was about to turn and walk
into the living room when I saw something.
There was a figure in the darkness just outside of the
woods, not a figure but rather a mess but dark mess at first.
I thought it was an animal but the way it moved it was as if
it's simply glided over the ground.
While it's dark, Mass rolled over itself.
Why young brain was in overdrive, trying to make sense
of what I was seeing. This was not an animal.
It definitely wasn't human. What the hell was it?
The more I Stared. The more creeping feeling of
dread entered. My heart I began whimpering.
I was so afraid in broken at that moment.
Then suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.
It was my mom, she turned me around and hugged me asking what
was wrong? I couldn't speak words, could
not convey the pure, unfiltered feeling of Despair and Terror
that gripped, my young heart, she brought me into the living
room and sat me between my father and her handing me, my
cinnamon buns, after what felt like hours of being in their
warm presence, I started to feel like myself Again the next
morning I tried to tell my parents what I had seen but they
were skeptical. They assured me, it must have
been an animal, maybe a deer. My dad took me outside to look
for tracks thinking. He turned this into an
educational moment but much to his surprise.
There were no tracks even though it hadn't snowed the night
before or that morning he Shrugged it off to my eyes
playing tricks on me and we went inside after a few days.
I had forgotten all about it. That was until the following
Christmas Eve. Eve.
Now, let me just say, I never believed in any of the Hokey
stuff from a young age. My parents were always honest
with me about Santa life and all that.
I lost a grandparent when I was quite young.
So death was a concept. I understood in the feelings
that came along with it, they also introduced me to the
concept of fear pretty early on in the form of horror movies.
They taught me that it was all fake.
That these monsters are ghosts, were just make believe, I
believe them to, which is what made this so much harder.
The following Christmas Eve, I was sitting in the kitchen.
Again, this time I was finishing a drawing.
I had worked on to give to my mother for Christmas.
She was a sap for that sort of thing.
When I had finished. I stood up and stretched while
casually glancing outside and there it was the dark Mass just
outside of the trees. Only this time it wasn't moving
it. Stayed perfectly still aside
from the dark mass that seemed to continue to flow and crawl
all over itself. I couldn't look away, I was
terrified and yet I I couldn't take my eyes off the damn thing,
slowly that feeling of dread returned.
I began to whimper his Terror pain and despair entered my
heart. Yet again, I started to shake my
whole body was beginning to feel numb.
My legs gave out and I fell to the floor with a crash.
My dad came running in as he was just in the other room and tried
to figure out what had happened. I had no words to share with
him. I just sobbed in his arms for a
while. It took even longer this time
for the feeling of dread in my heart to leave.
It wasn't until The next afternoon and after a very long
sleep, that I felt like myself again, my parents were
concerned, but they couldn't get a straight answer out of me.
I didn't want them to think there was something wrong with
me, so I didn't tell them about it.
So every year, it's a similar story, the following year, I
decided to stay away from the kitchen, but I saw it outside of
the living room window. This time just sitting there
wallets, Darkness seemed to crawl, a news over itself, a
couple of years. After that, I just stayed in
bed, Christmas Eve night, Right. But that was the worst because I
saw it in my dreams. And when I woke up, I saw its
shadow on the ceiling of my bedroom, no matter what I did, I
couldn't escape it and the feeling that it would give me
got worse every year. This thing haunts me every
Christmas Eve like a bad memory that I want to forget.
Just when I think I was going to go a year without seeing it.
There it was after so many years I guess you could say.
I got used to it, I would have that feeling of dread four days
after, but it also left me. I'm on my own.
No trying to make my way into the world.
I have a modest first floor apartment in a duplex.
Nothing special, but it's mine. I stopped decorating for
Christmas when I went away to college, I just didn't feel the
need to celebrate anymore. No matter how hard I tried.
Once I saw it, my Christmas was ruined.
That thing sucked, all the joy right out of me, replacing it
with a dark dread last year. However, the feeling never left,
all year round, I've been living with this constant despair in my
heart and numbness in my body that I just Can't explain food,
doesn't taste as good. Being around my family, and
friends doesn't give me the same Joy at once did and physical
affection leaves me feeling worse than ever before.
I simply feel a deep numbing despair.
I know that it did this to me. I've had a lot of time to think
and figure this out as I've been stuck up in my room waiting for
Christmas Eve. The thing that has visited me
every year on Christmas Eve, ever since I was a little boy,
it is a hateful mirror of the world arriving, massive people's
Darkness fear Despair and sadness.
Yes, Christmastime is one of the happiest times for most people
but for some there's no worst time to be alive.
It feeds off this and it sucks the Joy from You Like A
Parasite. That's what it is.
As to why it's doing it to me, I don't know.
But I suspect all these years it's been feeding on me and now
I'm left with no joy of my own God.
I miss being able to feel genuine Joy.
It's back now, only this time. It's right at my window.
Looking at me, it's a hideous, right?
Thing, massive Darkness pressing against my window.
It's hungry. I can feel it.
It wants to finish off. What's left of me of my joy?
My good memories, I have so little left, I won't let it take
them away from me. I will let it starve.
My only hope is that after reading this others will know
that, if it visits you on Christmas Eve, look away, fight
it and maybe there will be hope for you.
Don't let it take your joy away. Don't let it numb.
You to the goodness in life. Don't let it turn you into me.
Let it starve to my parents. You were the Best mom.
And dad I could ever ask for, I love you with all my heart.
Please no nothing you could have ever.
Done would have changed this and it's not your fault.
I won't let it take. What little I have left.
This is the only move I have left to fight it so long.
The snow first started falling at 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
It was the first time I'd seen Mom's smile in so long.
And I mean, really smile, not that fake smile that she puts on
to try and tell me that everything is.
Okay. They smile reached her eyes and
would have kept on going all the way up to her auburn hair.
If it was possible she always put me first no matter what.
I'll never be able to repay her for that.
Shielding me from my demons and her own which is why that smile
on her face was better than any gift.
I'd find under the Tree on Christmas morning.
The white powder was just starting to gather on the ground
as we headed off to bed an hour later.
It was a pretty sound sleep. That night, I had long since
outgrown the tossing and turning that Christmas brings a few
empty. Trees will do that to you.
I know now that Mom couldn't actually afford to spoil me the
way that she wanted to so anything was good enough for me.
We woke up at 8 a.m. Well I got up at 8 and like any
other self-respecting 17 year old woman.
I got into mom's bed. The furnace is The fritz.
Okay. It's not like I want to share a
bed with my mom, but the frost on the inside of my window was
less than inviting. Eventually we headed down for
breakfast and to swap presence. I had gotten Mom some face masks
and it relaxing candle. God knows she needed.
Some relaxing in her life. She gave me an eyeshadow
palette, which I was pretty happy with her stale old.
Eyeshadow was not ideal for practicing smokey eye with but
that's another story for another time.
The snow had come down thicken the night.
It must have been a foot deep. At least I'd never seen anything
like it. Mom said it snowed this heavily
maybe once or twice when she was a kid.
So she was super-excited to we put breakfast on hold while I
sort of mom made me have my multivitamin in orange juice.
She said it's good for your immune system in the cold.
Typical mum, the warm gear, went on top of our PJs, getting out
into that, snow was way more important than dressing
ourselves. We made a snowman.
Each I went for the traditional Big snow rounds with stick arms
and a carrot, nose mom. However, decided to get a bit
Maverick, and try to build a Muscle Man's nomen.
What he lacked in definition, he definitely made up for in mess.
I'll give him that. Once the Snowman were built, the
snow angels were made. And after that, the Snowballs
were thrown, we've been out there for a good few hours.
When Mom had decided that my lips were a shade of blue, she
was no longer comfortable with. So we went in and tried our best
to get warm. The rest of Christmas was pretty
uneventful. Awful.
We gorged ourselves on turkey and ice cream.
We watched a few movies and played a few rounds of Uno.
Mom can get very, very intense with Muno, so I usually try to
stop it after three rounds before.
We knew it, it was bedtime Christmas was over for another
year. At least we still had the snow
to prolong the magic though, warning came.
Again, my sleep was fitful this time tossing and turning feeling
unsettled anxious but unable to pinpoint.
Why waking up feeling? Extra rough, stuffy nose.
In a scratchy throat. I looked at my window, Surprise
Frozen again, only this Frost was much harsher, angry even
slowly getting out of bed. I walked over and try to draw a
smile with my finger on the glass.
The ice was barely moved or melted to my touch, but before I
could dwell on it too much, my eyes wandered out to the lawn.
The Snowman were still there, but with another foot of snow
surrounding them in covering the tops of their heads, it was
going to be a long day. Breakfast was on the more
depressing Side, mom couldn't get the stove to work.
So, instead of having a balanced meal of scrambled eggs orange
juice in a vitamin, it was slightly stale cornflakes with
orange juice and a vitamin. Thank God for orange juice.
We better hope this. No eases off a little tomorrow,
kiddo, we need supplies and these are running low.
She said to me while shaking the bottle of vitamins, I'm not sure
what use they are. If I still catch a cold but it's
important to her that, I take them.
So whatever fights not worth it. We thought about Building
another snowman each to keep us entertained, but the door
wouldn't budge. I don't know if the door itself
was frozen. Or if the snow outside had
Frozen like concrete and was blocking Us in whatever.
It was neither of us were strong enough to brute force it.
So we turned to the Comforts of The Great Indoors by lunchtime.
I couldn't comprehend how bored I actually was, the TV was
cutting out and I had no attention span for reading.
I ended up napping, most of the day just to pass the time after
an indiscernible amount of time. Mom, shh.
Me awake, which I am slightly embarrassed to admit.
I didn't take it too. Well, the stereotypical
wide-eyed big gasp inward panic and then trying to brush it off.
I don't think she bought it off upstairs.
We went for another fitful night of sleep.
There were no actual nightmares, but the snow kept on in my
dreams. It was unending surrounding me.
Every direction I turned, all I could see was a thick white
sheet. I couldn't tell if I could make
out any figures, but the anxiety.
I felt in the dream was so real. When I finally, Wake up.
I'd managed to carry that anxiety with me into
Consciousness, which was perfect.
The window Frost was as angry as yesterday.
I thought about taking a hair dryer to it later on, it
couldn't be good for me. Living in a fridge, glancing
through the frosty pains the snow look thicker again.
It didn't look like another foot, but it definitely looked
solid. Mom was stood in the kitchen
Orange Juice and vitamin on the counter next to her.
She was vacant. Her eyes were staring out the
window, but I knew her mind was Sir away concerned.
That's the best way. I could describe it.
I pulled the chair from under the table, a little more loudly
than I normally would. The noise roused her.
And she looked at me with a smile, a smile with painful
eyes. She was definitely concerned.
It's not like the snow is that bad?
And we have plenty of food stores enough for a week or so
I'd say sure we'd get sick of canned peaches, but we wouldn't
starve by any means. She walked over to me, but a
plate of toast down with the Old, Faithful orange juice.
And half of Vitamin calf. That was weird.
I looked up at her. She could clearly see the
confusion on my face. I'm sorry sweetie.
Looks like I won't be able to get more until the new year so
we'll have to ration them out. Okay?
Mom as long as you make sure you're taking some too I don't
want you getting sick in the cold funny I don't remember
actually ever seeing mom take her vitamins but I also don't
watch her every move. She probably took hers before I
got up or something. The power gave up completely
that day until the lady. Evening.
So it was another day of snacking on Christmas, chocolate
and napping on the sofa, it was at this point where the day
started to blur wake up, check the snow breakfast routine and
kill time until bed sleep, or try to anyway, and then wake up
and do it all again. After another night of
interrupted sleep and dreams of the snow closing in on me.
I woke up with my heart racing, but when I sat up my head, still
felt weightless. Like I was still dreaming.
I decided that all I needed was a nice strong coffee to Me up.
Again following my new routine. I looked out at the snow same as
it. Had been four days.
Now, turning away to head downstairs, I caught something
out of the corner of my eye. It was a snowmen, not our
snowmen another one. But this one was unsettling, it
was tall and thin. It didn't have any features on
its perfectly round head, yet somehow it felt as though, it
was looking directly up into my window.
It took some effort to tear my eyes away, definitely needed
that strong coffee the trouble. Sleep was catching up with me.
Clearly oatmeal for breakfast today.
Supplies are definitely starting to dwindle OJ, downed vitamin
swallowed and oatmeal unenthusiastically.
Eaten, it was time for coffee pouring myself, a nice big mug.
I asked Mom, why she made another snowman without waiting
for me? She gave me such a weird look
and said, the door was still frozen closed at this.
I looked past her and out into the yard one snowman.
Two snowmen only two, stood out there.
Absolutely Sign of a third. No eerily perfect spherical
head, no Frozen. Sentinel, staring up at me, my
eyes must be playing tricks. On me, I could feel mom's
staring at me while I was looking out the window.
No idea what her problem is, regardless I needed a good
night's sleep, I tried to avoid napping from then on.
I lost track of the days. I could quite easily.
Look at a calendar, check a phone to find out but I was
starting to feel a little disconnected from the world with
no inclination to actually we seek the date or time.
All I knew was breakfast time and when the snow dreams begin,
I took two drawing to fill the time, trying to draw the Snowman
from the morning, but I could never get the head, right?
It was never good enough, so I would scribble it out and try
again. Getting more irritated every
time I messed up. I stopped paying attention to
Mom. She would ask me questions, but
I could never make out the words.
I didn't want to, I need it to make the Snowman.
He deserved my full concentration, he deserved to be
Wallace. I snapped out of it.
When Mom snatched the pencil out of my hand, it was dark time to
rest. I was excited to rest.
If I went to sleep, I might catch a glimpse of him.
Again in the morning, I went up to bed without saying a word to
Mom. Didn't change my clothes or
brush my teeth. I walked up the stairs and into
my room looked out the window. No snowmen turning.
I got into bed, shut my eyes and drift it off.
Within minutes. The dream seemed to continue
from where they left off. Off in a wide open space, or
was? It can find?
It was so snowy. It was hard to tell.
I couldn't see a foot in front of my face, but I could feel the
presence of something multiple things.
There were faint. Outlines tall figures perfectly
round heads. Moving yet on moving far away,
but claustrophobic at the same time, my heart was racing the
whole time. Only it wasn't anxiety anymore.
It was something different. The dream ended with no event, I
was awake. It was morning.
Didn't feel rested, but I wasn't tired either.
I simply was awake. The routine started once more.
I went to the window there, he was no.
There they were several tall and great with their perfect.
Heads staring up at me. Worshipping me adoring, me, I
needed to be with them, walking silently down the stairs.
I made my way to the back door, it pushed open with some effort.
When I looked up through the open door, they were gone.
Tears welled in my eyes. How could they they invited me
down to them and they vanish, I stooped down and grabbed a
handful of snow and started to compact it together if I
couldn't draw them, perhaps I could make one, I must have been
out there for quite a while before mom came down.
She sprinted over to me, her word, sounded, muffled, like she
was under water. I was pulled inside and wrapped
up. She was crying.
I don't know why I wasn't upset. I wasn't hurt.
I just wanted to make them. I wanted to see them up close.
Yes, she was babbling about sickness and apologizing, but I
had never felt better. I might not have felt much at
all, but I had a purpose. She tried to feed me breakfast,
only a quarter of a vitamin today.
She said, there's only two more quarters left.
When did she stop giving me halves?
I didn't say anything. I didn't look at her.
I swallowed the quarter and said staring out of the window until
the sun sank into the sky. When the light had faded, I
shuffled back up to my room straight.
Past the bathroom. I had not been in there for
days, I thought to myself, but as quickly as the thought
entered my mind at left again, there wasn't much room left for
anything other than the perfect round heads and their tranquil
blank Expressions. The dreams were much the same
yet, every night. It felt as though, the Figures
were creeping closer, no, not creeping approaching.
They wouldn't creep if they meant me, no harm.
Surely they offered me something.
But what I didn't know there was no memory of waking the next
morning. City found me standing at my
window. They weren't there.
I felt Hollow sick alone, my invitations, from the day
previous were still there, but it looked, as if somebody had
tried to tear them all down. Why would anyone do that?
No, not anyone. Mom, she was the only one who
could have done that. I felt the anger rise in my
chest and the loss and pity, for my broken snow men strewn across
the yard, I marched down to the back door, mom was stood by it,
putting something in her pocket. It, the door was locked.
We never lock the door, there's no one around for Miles.
There was no need to lock the door.
Why was she keeping me away from them and them away from me?
The anger was boiling to a point.
I couldn't get out there to mourn for what I'd lost.
She didn't get it. And she was keeping me from
them. How could she another lapse in
Consciousness? I don't think I passed out.
I think maybe the fog got too thick, so that I couldn't see
through it, but I was aware or as much as I could be.
I didn't know. Her mom was or the key, but I
stood in the bathroom I must have been going to bed and took
a wrong turn. While in my Hayes the reflection
staring back at me was not my own.
My face was blank. If it wasn't for the pain, deep
in my eyes, I would have looked tranquil.
I turned and walked to my room. I couldn't hear any signs of
mom. But then again, I don't think I
was listening. I wasn't in control anymore.
I only had thoughts for one thing and I was hoping to see
them. In my dreams, the dream was cold
cold R than before the snow wasn't as heavy.
I could make out where I was my garden there was one tall
snowman. Right in front of me, the head
perfect. Not as tall as I thought it
would be, but still taller than me.
It was so cold. The dream felt so real.
I felt so connected to the Snowman enamored by its
Perfection. I wish Mom could see how amazing
it was. I wish you would just accept the
beauty and its blank face. The dream was starting to wane.
I felt grief, I didn't want it to end.
But I was moving back towards the house and I couldn't stop.
I was receding back inside my mind.
The autopilot taking over Vision was dark black.
I couldn't see anything. Was I sleeping know?
I could still hear, infrequent sounds a loud.
Bang. A clatter of objects, something
being dragged, the crunch of snow underfoot but I felt
nothing. I saw nothing.
It was bright outside. I was lying on my bed freezing.
My socks were wet feet freezing. I felt a bit more like me.
Once the dreams had ended, I must have gotten real sleep for
the first time in maybe a week. It was hard to keep track of
time. I sat up, changed into dry
clothes. Why were my PJs?
So dirty leaving the room? I glanced out of the window.
One of them was out there standing next, to our snowmen,
my stack of rounds and Mom's muscle man mother, I couldn't
remember speaking to her the day before calling out to her with
my eyes still glued to the No man silence, no answer at all.
She was probably in the kitchen. It took everything.
I had within me to tear my eyes from the snowy figure.
It didn't look right. The head wasn't perfect.
It was barely taller than me. It filled me with unease.
The staircase was littered with scraps of paper circles at the
top of tall bodies, no single Circle, being close to right
making my way to the kitchen. The trail of paper continued.
The kitchen was empty, no, sign of mom.
No, orange juice, no vitamins. I couldn't truly.
Remember my last vitamin dosage. Hoping, I wouldn't get sick.
My eyes drifted to the back door, the curtain was torn down,
the key in the lock, but the door, ajar dirty tracks leading
in and out. I walked to the door and pushed
it open. Fully the tracks lead over to
the snowmen, the tall one was still there.
Stood proud. Although its shoulders seem to
stoop it wasn't standing straight and proud.
Like the ones in my dreams, it was leaning slightly.
Forward with the not perfect head bowed over transfixed on
the Snowman. I start to feel the fog, come
over me again. Only this time on filled with
Dread heart racing hands sweating.
Throat is dry. Eyes wide open approaching the
figure stopping a few feet away. Staring it stared back at me.
The blank face is not perfect. Nor is it tranquil it does not
match what was in my dreams but I can't look away by is locked
on a feature that figure had in my Dreams or visions not
captured in any drawing on the top of the not perfect head, a
lock of Mom's auburn hair. I wanted to share my story with
you since it was really creepy and it happened to me a couple
days ago. I'm not the type of person who
gets scared easily, but this incident really freaked me out.
So a little back story about me, I'm a 19 year, old female, and I
live by myself. I'm pretty much a home person
and I like spending time by myself.
I usually spend my time hanging with my two cats writing reading
and listening to music. But that night, I was really
bored and wanted to do something.
So I decided To go out and hang out at the city center of my
city. I live 10 km away from the
center, so I decided to take a bus because the day had been
really cold and it has snowed. So I couldn't really use my
bike. I left my house around 5 p.m.
and arrive to the center at about 6:30 p.m.
I headed to the mall and checked out a couple new shops that had
opened and looked for inspiration for Christmas
presents. I also wanted to go check out
another smaller mall nearby so I started making my way in there.
It. It was really cold when I got
out again and it had started snowing.
So I decided to take a shortcut through another smaller Mall,
which had pretty much been empty for quite a while.
And had only one grocery shop the place was empty.
So I started to make my way through after 5 m.
I noticed someone standing in front of me from my first
glance. It looked like a middle-aged man
just standing there looking blankly ahead.
I didn't really think anything of it because maybe he was cold
also and wanted to warm up, so I just continued to walk.
After walking for a little bit. I think the man heard me coming,
because he turned around and started looking at me.
Again I didn't really think anything about it, but when I
got closer, I saw the man's face and kind of got spooked.
He had a really dirty face with little scars all over and really
big eyes. He was really tall and skinny
and his stance was a little crooked.
However, I decided to ignore it and just wanted to quickly pass
him since I already saw the exit door, but when I passed him in
accidentally made eye contact, I contact, I was scared, he
started humming, what sounded like a lullaby and had the most
Sinister smile across his face from year to year.
I quickly looked away and almost sprinted to the exit door.
I didn't look back until I was at the other mall.
I was creeped out. But thought to myself that it
was just some drug user or a drunk guy, since they were
really common in that part of town.
I spent some time at the other Mall soon.
Forgetting this incident time went by really fast and at
around 8:30 p.m. I decided to go.
Buy some food and head home. I went to the malls grocery
store and bought supplies for a salad and made my way to the
check out the lines were long. And since there was only one
check out open, I had to wait for a little, for my turn.
When it was my turn, I started paying and while waiting for the
cashier to count and hand me, my change.
I glanced to the exit door at the mall.
That's when my heart sink. That same man, was standing
there watching me and smiling. I felt my heart beat fast and
quickly packed my stuff up and walked.
Tune out the doors without looking at him.
I went to my bus stop to wait since it was supposed to be
there in like five minutes, the stop was really packed to my
surprise since it was kind of late.
And usually, the bus was really empty.
However, I put my headphones on and started to listen to music,
not really paying attention to my surroundings until the bus
came. I was pretty much the last
person to step in the bus because I waited a little
further away from everyone else and by the time I got in all the
seats were taken. So I had Stand at the middle of
the bus. The trip went by real fast,
since I was listening to my gems and kind of zoning out when my
stop came, I stepped out and started walking towards Houma
from the stop to. My house is like 20 meters.
So not that bad. Some other person also jumped
off at the same stop after me and walked like 10 meters away
from me. When I got to the house complex
door. I glanced back to see if the
other person was my neighbor. So I could hold the door open
for them because it was not uncommon for me to be on the
same bus with my neighbor's. For some reason.
However, I didn't see anyone in decided to enter to the hall and
make my way to my door. I heard a loud noise coming from
the main doors, like someone with forced tried to yank the
door open. I almost went there to check it
out, but something didn't feel, right?
I entered my house and double check that the door was locked.
My apartment windows are facing the road, you need to walk to
get to the apartments. So I checked the road.
If I saw someone maybe my neighbor at the door or
something. I didn't see anyone at the door
anymore. So I started to unpack my stuff
after unpacking, I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water
and glance to the road, only to see a shadowy figure standing
there. I got this uneasy feeling in my
stomach and decided to close my blind since I live in the first
floor, and you can see inside my apartment from the street after
having a drink. I went to the living room to
watch TV and passed out since I was really tired.
I woke up at 11:30 p.m. to this weird noise coming from my
background. Balcony.
I thought it was some teenagers once again, throwing snowballs
to the balcony window because it wouldn't be the first time I got
up and went to the kitchen where my balcony door was and peek
through the blinds. And what I saw made my skin
turned cold and turn my stomach upside down, it was the same
man. From the mall knocking at my
balcony window and smiling. I stepped away and reach to my
phone in my pocket to call the police.
I think the man saw me peeking because I could faintly hear him
humming his lullaby and say I saw you already.
There's no point to hiding. Come on out.
I just want to ask you something.
I was so scared. I felt like I was gonna throw
up. I called the police and still
could hear the man knocking. I didn't move.
I didn't make a sound. I stood there holding back tears
and waiting for the police for what felt like hours.
After 10 minutes, he stopped knocking and let out a scream,
then it all just stopped. No noise, no knocking nothing.
I heard a car turn up to the parking.
Pace and peaked again. It was the cops and I made my
way out to the front of the house to give a description
about the man and told them what happened.
The police said that they would check out the area, but it was
possible that the man had ran to the forest nearby to get away.
They left. But said they would come back if
they found something after it all the police found nothing,
there was nothing they could do at that point, they told me to
call again if he appeared the fact that none of my neighbors
were around or none of them heard, or saw anything made It
more difficult. It was probably just some junkie
stalker and only God knows what would have happened.
If the glass window on my balcony was open and my balcony
door unlocked needless to say, this really creeped me out and
makes me think, twice before leaving my house alone after
Dark. It was a dark and stormy night
when I set out on my hiking trip through the dense and remote
Woods of the Sierra, Nevada mountain range.
I had been planning this trip for weeks and despite the
ominous weather I was determined to see it through as I trudged
through the muddy. Trails, the rain pounding down
on my hooded jacket, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was
being watched, I tried to reassure myself that it was just
my imagination but the hair on the back of my neck stood on end
and a shiver ran down my spine. Fine.
As I hiked deeper into the woods, the trees seem to close
in around me blocking out what little like, the stormy sky
provided. The trail had become nearly
unrecognizable and I found myself relying on my compass and
the faint glow of my headlamp to navigate through the dense
foliage. It was then that I heard the
first how it was a deep guttural sound that sent shivers down my
spine, I froze in my tracks trying to listen for any other
signs of movement. The howling grew louder and more
frenzied. And I knew I had to keep moving.
I picked up my Pace, barely able to see more than a few feet in
front of me. My heart was pounding in my
chest as I stumbled through the underbrush trying to put as much
distance as possible between myself and whatever was making
that terrifying sound. Suddenly I heard a rustling in
the bushes behind me. I spun around my head lamp
swinging wildly but all I could see were the trees and the
driving rain. I took off running my feet
pounding, the muddy ground, as I tried to outrun, whatever was
chasing me. I couldn't see where I was going
but I knew I had to keep moving. As I stumbled through the
darkness, the howling grew louder, and more frenzied.
It seemed to be coming from all around me, and I knew that
whatever was making that sound was getting closer.
I was panting and gasping for breath.
When I finally saw a glimmer of light in the distance, I
redoubled my efforts pushing myself to the Limit as I
sprinted towards the light. Right.
As I burst through the trees and into the clearing, I skidded to
a halt. My heart racing, I was
face-to-face with a pack of skinwalkers, they were tall and
lean with long, sharp claws and glowing yellow eyes.
Their fur was matted and covered in mud and their snarling Mounds
were filled with sharp teeth. I stood there Frozen in fear as
the skinwalkers closed in around me.
I knew I was no match for their strength and speed and I braced
myself for the attack. But then, As they were about to
strike a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, the skinwalkers
howled in pain and Scattered disappearing into the darkness.
I stood there shaking and panting as the storm raged on
around me. I knew I had to get out of there
but I was too terrified to move. It was only when the rain began
to he's in the howling stop that.
I summoned the courage to turn and flee, I ran as fast as my
trembling legs would carry me. Not stopping until I reach the
safety of my car. As I drove away from the dark
and stormy Woods, I knew I would never forget the terrifying
encounter with the skinwalkers and I vowed never to venture
into those woods again. I have a small scar directly
above my right eyebrow, it's not noticeable anymore, but when I
was younger, people always ask me about it.
I was inspired to write this when I told the story to my
girlfriend and she pointed out something strange with how I
remember it as a kid, I had a series of dreams and experiences
from when I was 6 to about 8 years old, I would get in bed in
sometime after midnight I would wake up, I remember it being
strange because I didn't wake up for a specific reason.
I was just awake after a few minutes of bright white light
would appear outside. It wasn't like daylight or
artificial light, it was a brighter Pure White Light.
It didn't hurt my eyes and I could look right into it.
I think this was one of the reasons I always assumed it was
a dream. I never moved in these
experiences either. I would just sit under my covers
and watch after the light came, a shadow moving towards my
window. It would stand there for a
moment. Completely Motionless.
Casting a strange silhouette on my wall after this, it would
push its hands against my window.
The glass would seem to vanish as the being slipped into my
room. It would always stand in the
corner. Next to my bookshelf.
It had a tall thin body having to Crane its neck forward.
As it stood in my corner, watching me.
It's body had no discernible joints, making it move and
appear like it was made of wire its movements were slow and
deliberate almost if after a while, I would just fall back
asleep. I remember I was never really
scared of them. They didn't do anything scary
and they almost felt familiar. I think as a kid.
I just assumed this was a normal thing, and since I was never
heard or startled in any way, it came off as mundane or
uninteresting, the same. As if my dad were to open my
door and check on me while I was playing the last time I was ever
visited everything happened. Like normal.
Not that any of this could be considered normal, but I
remember feeling scared. As the being approached, he
looked more Sinister than Youíll looming over me.
The face of this being, they had very large, round eyes that
almost protruded from their head.
The eyes were a pure glowing white dotted with tiny black
specks almost like accubow. The rest of the face was all
mouth in lieu of teeth. They had a large Forest of
Balian, appearing as a gaping, maw with millions of hair teeth,
the general shape and layout of the face was similar to an owl.
I should point out that no noise was ever made during these
experiences. It made no sounds as it.
In the room was silent in general.
Tonight was different. Have you ever heard that bugle
sound? That helps make.
We see them up here during rotten it's a very interesting
sound. Imagine that but slightly
smoother shifting between all different tones in a rhythmic
pattern. This was the sound the creature
made but it wasn't loud. It was as if the sound were fake
or played from a speaker. Right next to my head I couldn't
feel the sound of that makes sense.
Like I imagined it or something without coming closer.
The An extended. A large Branch like calm be are
made it three. Quarters across the room in the
rest of that distance was covered.
When it unfurled the long fingers of its previously
clenched fist the index finger, the longest of what was possibly
ten to twelve fingers. Slowly went closer to my face on
the tip. I could see balanced what looked
like a small iridescent piece of glass rainbow light shimmering
across its surface. I remember it reminding me of my
mother's engagement ring. I couldn't move out of fear as
the Rest of the fingers, gently gripped, my face.
They felt light in areas if they were barely, there it felt more
like a force than a physical touch, the finger with the glass
pressed onto my forehead, softly.
And I remember a burning pain. I can't recall if I had Winston
pain at the time but remembering it now.
I cringe thinking about it. There was no blighted, I
remember touching the spot after ended feeling hot and tender,
like a burn, the bugle still droned on through this process
and I began to almost understand it.
It suddenly I could hear the words in the tones, but they
didn't make sense. There were hundreds of words and
is a small child. I couldn't understand any of
them as though week, suppuration.
Kicker, irrevocable derelict first, where every are a few.
I remember there was no series just single words, hundreds of
them, then like nothing had happened to being left.
My parents didn't believe my story about the small scar, they
told me, it was a dream and I was I tend to believe them, it
became a fear of mine to see them again Over time.
However, I dismissed it as a dream in mostly forgot about
this incident until I was about 14 and I learned about sleep
paralysis and the strange Visions people have that was it
for me. I had my explanation and it's
satisfied me for years. I recently told this story to my
girlfriend and she pointed out that in these sleep paralysis
dreams. The figures never usually do
anything, they'd usually stay still or hold you down, but they
Don't touch you like that. I found this information
alarming and decided to post my story here while I search for
answers and related experiences. I grew up in the Shenandoah
Valley of Virginia, surrounded by The Rolling Hills and dense
forests of the Appalachian Mountains.
My parents were farmers and I spent my days working the land
and exploring the woods around our farm.
I knew these Woods like the back of my hand and I never felt
afraid while wandering among the trees.
But on this particular night, something felt different.
The air was Heavy with a sense of foreboding and the animals
were silent as if they were hiding from some unseen Danger.
I had been searching for a missing goat all day, following
its tracks through the woods, as I called out its name, the goats
were invaluable to our small farm and I knew my parents would
be devastated. If anything happened to it as
the sun began to set, I reluctantly decided to head back
home and continue the search in the morning.
The moon was full and high in the sky, as I made my way
through the dense and quiet Woods, it's pale light, casting
Shadows among the trees. But as I made my way through the
woods, I couldn't shake the feeling that I Was being
watched. I had heard reports of coyotes
in the area and there. Eerie howls echo through the
trees. At night.
I quickened my Pace my heart racing as I imagine the sharp
teeth and glowing eyes of the Predators stalking me through
the Darkness. At first, I told myself, it was
just my imagination but then I heard a rustling in the
underbrush and I knew I was no longer alone.
I turned to face the source of the noise and that's when I saw
it, the creature with the body of a wolf and the face of a
demon, its skin stretch. Tight over bones, and sinew, its
eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.
And it slips were pulled back in a snarl that revealed sharp
needle-like teeth. I froze in place my heart racing
with fear as the creature stocked closer and closer.
I could smell its putrid breath, as it filled my nostrils, and I
could smell the rank stench of it's wet, hairless flesh.
And then, with a primal Scream Of Terror, I turned and ran I
could hear the creature behind me.
It's claws, scratching at the ground as it closed the distance
between us. I could feel its breath behind
me, could hear its guttural growls as it, drew closer and
closer. I don't know where it came from
or what it wanted with me. All I knew was that I had to get
away, had to find safety before it was too late.
So, I ran my feet pounding, the ground, as I fled from the
terror that lurked in the shadows.
And eventually I emerged from the woods, my heart racing, and
my breath going, and gasps. Even now as I sit safely at home
and look out at the peaceful moonlit landscape, I can't shake
the feeling that Something is out there waiting for me in the
darkness. The memory of that night will
stay with me forever. A constant reminder of the
dangers that lurk in the shadows.
I was out on a routine job patrolling, a remote area of the
park when I saw it the small but unmistakable opening of a cave
since it wasn't on any of the maps.
And it was my job to check things like that out.
I wasted no time in taking out my flashlight and heading
towards the smaller, but manageable Cave opening, that
was wide enough for me to step through without having to
crouch. Down the cave was situated in a
clearing close to a pond. The opening was located right in
the middle of a wall of sandstone and was fairly We
unremarkable looking no sign that it was dangerous or out of
the ordinary. Since the opening was barely
wide enough for several people to step through that meant the
cave had never been turned into a mine.
There was also no garbage lying around or any other traces of
recent human activity. So for all I knew I was the
first human being to set foot in this cave.
In, who knows how long the feeling came with a sense of
exhilaration, I'd never felt before.
So, I took a deep breath switched on my extra strength,
flashlight and steadily Started walking inside my first few
steps in the cave were Beyond cautious aside from the fact I'd
never been here before. The terrain was very steep.
You could feel it slowly descending further into the
Earth. Since I didn't want to lose my
footing and go tumbling down. I kept casting the flashlight
beam around because despite the intense glaring light it
provided the darkness in the cave was unlike anything I had
ever seen before. I'd been in the forest at night,
many times, but this far exceeded that Darkness was dense
after enough. Careful steps.
The Descent became smoother and the floor, leveled out the cave.
Floor itself, was rough in some spots and smooth and others.
You could tell where the elements had weathered away
parts of the land and made a smoother path to walk.
The temperature had also dropped significantly down here and I
could now see the many impressive stalactites and
stalagmites, dotting, the Cave, the rough descent had been
replaced by a fairly even path straight forward, but there
wasn't a ton of space to walk. Around here a small group of
people could squeeze through, but no more than that, my boots
occasionally crunched on gravel. But apart from that, the cave
floor was empty. Almost completely clean seeing
how untouched the cave was. It can't help but make you feel
like an insignificant Speck in the vast scheme of the universe.
The cave was not only far older than I was.
It would be here long after I was gone especially because the
cave seemed endless, the more I explored.
The more I got the sense that I was making no.
Progress at all. A look at my watch.
Told me I'd been down there for about an hour.
When the Narrow Path opened into a massive chamber and the site
made me gasp the entire space was filled with water and the
walkway served as a makeshift bridge to the other side.
The walls were rough-hewn in Jagged virtually everywhere.
You looked there had been plenty of impressive stalactites in the
cave but the ones dangling from the ceiling.
Here were massive so precise and sharp-looking.
It seemed impossible that they had occurred naturally.
Some of them were Only touching the water that filled the space.
I had no idea how deep the water was but in the thick Darkness it
looked unnervingly deep the walkway that went from one side
of the cavern to the other got rougher here but it still looked
as steady and whether it is before so being more careful of
where I step the never. I slowly began to cross the
cavern. I was almost halfway across.
When I heard the sound of a rock, hit a cavern wall and
splashed into the water, the sound in the empty space.
Seems so incredibly loud. I almost jumped.
Jumped. Once I was sure of my footing, I
carefully shined the flashlight around to check, there was
nothing no signs that anything at all had happened but on this
job, you learned that just because everything looks fine,
doesn't mean nothing is going on the hair, standing up on the
back of my neck. Told me everything I needed to
know. I didn't dare take another step
forward, if anything I was slowly adjusting my footing to
turn back around. I was just about to go back the
way I came when I heard it, the sound of Voices at first, I had
no idea what it was. I hadn't heard a single sound
before. Now, aside from my own
footsteps, ignoring the chill slowly washing over me.
I slowly began to walk back across the cavern.
I'm not sure if it was just my imagination, but as I did, the
whispering got louder. The creepiest, part was how the
voice seemed faintly familiar, not enough.
So I recognized it but enough that it was unsettling, the
worst part was that I had absolutely no idea where the
voice It was coming from the Acoustics of the cave.
Made it seem like the voice was both everywhere and nowhere.
At the same time. I was almost completely across
the cavern when I cast my flashlight around and saw it
there on the left side of the cavern, in the middle of the
Dark Water, was a shadow with my heart pounding, in my chest and
the grip on my flashlight. Slick from sweat, I carefully
turned and aim, the beam directly at it.
The water illuminated was a murky gray but the shape was as
dark as it had been without the flashlight.
I No idea what the shape was. It was completely solid but it
wasn't any sort of animal and it didn't look remotely human, it
just hung there floating just below the surface.
If there had been the slightest suggestion of human activity
here, I'd say it was garbage, a blanket or some clothing that
fell in the water, but I knew that wasn't the case.
The site made my stomach clenched, but then with my
flashlight still aimed right at it.
It disappeared. There was no movement or any
disturbance in the water. It just vanished.
T' that was my cue to leave. Once I was safely across the
cavern and On Solid Ground. I ran out of there as fast as I
could due to the numerous rock. Formations, I had to maneuver
around, it seemed to take an eternity.
I periodically check behind me to make sure there was nothing
there. And while there never was, I
could never shake the feeling that something was watching me
after what seemed like a painfully long time.
I finally arrived back at The Cave opening, then came the
difficult task of maneuvering. What was An uphill Climb by.
Now, I was drenched in sweat in the climb.
Did nothing to help that but taking care with where I
stepped. I eventually was standing at the
mouth of the cave with day light shining through.
I gratefully walked out into the sunshine and looked down into
the cave. As I did, I swear, I saw a
figure walk past on the cave, floor below.
The when I looked back, it was gone.
Once I caught my breath. I radioed the cave Discovery
into the station, in some other rangers.
Came out to check it out. One of them was my My supervisor
Jack. I told them I didn't see
anything, but one look at me and my demeanor told them.
Something was up, Jack was no, stranger to the unusual things
Park Rangers can encounter on the job.
So, with him, in the other two Rangers listening, I told them
what I saw and experienced down in the cave.
When I was done Jack's at there, quietly, for a moment, doesn't
matter. If it's 2022 or 1822 things,
still go bump in the night. He said, in his deep steady
voice, I don't disagree. Ordered.
I'm sure you don't. Wait, I won't pretend, I saw
what you saw but I believe you saw.
What you saw nature can be and often is a very scary place.
No kidding. One of the other rangers agreed,
there's a reason this cave looked so Untouched by people,
no sign of animals. Either none Jack shook his head
at that. That's the sign.
Something is off animals, Don't Go Near something, that means
people shouldn't either. So we'll mark, this cave is
dangerous. Go back to base and log the Find
now, let's get out of here. I went camping out at Trinity,
Lakes this October and Idaho, my brother and his mom's family,
told me how great it was out there.
I figured if we went on a weekday that late into this
year, we could be alone, truly be out on a nature experience
after doing nothing but stay in the city for the past few years.
What I was not told was that the road out, there was a two-hour
crawl through dirt roads, the final ten miles of which are
practically animals Trails on the edge of mountains, it is a
very rough trip in a big 250, red flag, number one in
hindsight, but by the time, the roads got that bad.
We were so far and I was committed.
We would do this and it would be a unique experience for both of
us. I eat those words, when we
finally made it to the first Campground area on the smallest
leak, we just wanted to get out of the truck and couldn't take
much more. Bone-shaking rock crawling.
So, we did that. Meaning, we were in a different
spot than where him and that side of the family had camped.
Farther up at the big leak everything with this.
Setup was standard and we had gotten what we wanted.
We were completely alone. Only the fire, Watchtower two
miles back and over a mountain. If anything went wrong.
This should have been red flag number two but we figured we had
enough gear and knowledge. If a bear or a cougar came
along. Another important thing was the
rules of that area saying no guns.
So we didn't bring one not even as a last resort kind of tool
red. Flied number three, not one hour
after setting up camp all the way I hear a snap off on the
other. Side of the empty, Campground.
While me and him are talking. He doesn't notice, but I look
back and see two giant. Antlers.
I knew what it was immediately. I rushed him quietly into the
truck and a big bull moose, Sprint's into view behind the
truck. We did not know there were moose
out there and they had not seen any wind camped at the main Lake
grounds earlier in the year. We were not that scared because
he ran off immediately after we got some good footage of him.
By the lake, we just thought it was a rare chance encounter and
were kind of an odd. The experience.
Since I knew how crazy dangerous moose are, but never bothered
researching the details on their behavior or anything like that
big mistake. Not immediately packing
everything and getting out while we would still have enough
daylight to we hop out of the truck, make sure he's long gone
and continued are now much cooler.
Nature trip relaxing and taking photos almost three hours later.
I hear that same kind of cracking but a lot more of it
and it's approaching our campsite quickly.
We are not close enough to the truck with how fast it's coming.
So I pull my brother into the tent and just stay perfectly
still. I didn't even want to breathe is
5 or more moose with two bulls that seem to be chasing each
other around sprinted, past our campsite on both sides.
We could only see out the front flap of the tent and determine
where abouts outside of that from the footsteps and what I
assume were mating calls this time.
We were not so excited about it. Merely crapping bricks and just
praying. When we got out of the tent,
that there wouldn't be a lurking moose that hadn't gone with the
rest of Them there wasn't. But now there was not enough
light left to pack everything and get out safely.
We no longer felt safe and were constantly on edge.
Knowing at any moment we may need to get to the truck and
have to be aware. The plan was now to pack up as
soon as morning broke and we just had to make it till then
when night came we actually relaxed again thinking that with
a fire up and it being night, surely we were done with any
possible moose in the area. We just wanted to eat and smoked
our cigars around the campfire. We had our fire going, strong,
ate our food, and had our cigars ready.
However, we needed a bit more firewood to last for our smoke
before bed. So we made a small trip, it was
pitch-black in that Forest even with our eyes adjusted.
The second we got away from Camp to the area.
We had been Gathering from me and him were both on edge again,
we just got that feeling like something was watching us just
on the edge of the light from my phone.
So we hurried up scurried back to the campsite like you just
turned off the stairs light. And breathed a sigh of relief.
The fire was safe. Nothing was out there,
everything was fine. Then the bone-chilling crunch of
one of the thick branches. We had dropped in our hurry,
just on the edge of the Fire Light directly behind us.
Every single Instinct and reactionary.
Fiber in my being activated right, then the only word I
plainly and coarsely told my brother was par, I had already
made two strides to the truck. My brother told me after the
fact, the way that word left, Mouth took me out of freeze
mode. It was the most direct
fear-induced command I've ever received, to both our horror,
the truck had Auto locked, the one or two seconds, it took for
me to Fumble. The keys out of my tight
Wrangler pockets and hit that button felt like.
Hell, we jumped into the truck and I scrambled over him as he
slammed the door to fling. The headlights on right there
right in front of the fire. We had just been standing at Abu
staring the truck down, but the part that makes this all so much
more messed up. Up.
He didn't look like a normal moose.
The fur was all patchy and it looked discolored.
Like he was rotting on the outside but still easily taller
than the lifted truck. I watched him.
Slowly, walk out of the headlights back into the
darkness while staring at us. I turned off the lights
immediately. So our eyes could adjust and we
could see around the truck at least we were freaking out and
filled with adrenaline still, but doing so quietly.
Neither him, nor I can agree on. If these next occurrences were
just a shared parenting. Well we're not for nearly an
hour at 10 p.m. in the night. We heard heavy footsteps just
slowly moving big circles around the truck.
Eventually we stopped hearing anything at all and the forest
was completely silent. We crack the windows to make
sure deafening silence, no bugs, no frogs, no owls, nothing we
sat there, an additional 30 minutes listening for anything
at all but still silence, neither of us wanted to do it,
but all are warm gear was in the tent and it Is dropping 228 that
night. We would not fare well, in just
our normal clothes. So, slowly, we open the doors
and started to sneak to the tent.
The moment we did footsteps on my side of the forest, coming
towards us. Both of us, fly back in the
truck. Clicking the lock button, like
maniacs. I couldn't take it anymore.
I nearly lost my cool but knew I had to keep it for my brother's
sake to. It was stalking us.
Is it even a moose moose, don't do this.
It's almost midnight. Night.
What is happening? We kept throwing these
statements around to each other trying to rationalize what we
were experiencing and how our nice Escape From the City.
Had turned into a horror movie with the unnatural look of the
moose that we thought had been keeping us trapped in the truck
for an hour and a half. We started talking about it
being a skinwalker even some might think this would freak us
out more but starting to make things a supernatural event and
joking in our dark sense of humor is what helped us calm
down. We We were still shaken to our
core though, and the fear was stronger than the bite of the
cold. That was setting, in no way in
hell, where we leaving that truck again, until it was
morning. And we could see he managed to
fall asleep at around 12:30, but the forest was still dead silent
and it put dreaded me, it wasn't until nearly two that all of a
sudden crickets and the occasional who'd of an owl.
The normal forest sounds came back and I had stayed up until
the temperature reached its bottom for the night.
I turned the heater on full blast for a few.
To stop the unbearable chill. So I could sleep waking up and
repeating that every 45 minutes to keep us warm until morning.
Then I opened my eyes to light and shook him awake.
We packed in 15 minutes and left.
I'm not a story writer. So I'm sorry if this is a
sloppy. Read if anyone reads this long
post at all, but nothing has strike such a primal fear.
In me ever, I've had guns pointed at me.
Other dangerous encounters with animals.
None of those compared to the terror this Didn't caused.
I fear going into the woods at all or going camping again.
The world is filled with Tales of strange creatures that share
this world with us myths, Legends tall, tales and urban
legends stories told around a campfire at night to a
disbelieving audience, despite all the stories, most people
seemed to dismiss them occasionally, something turns
out to be true, like the Giants quits.
But in a time of cameras and phones, everywhere, it seems
hard to believe any of the bizarre.
Could be out there. Unrecorded, maybe in the depths
of the ocean or the most. Isolated spots in the Amazon,
but not around civilization, not in the place as humans.
Call home. I used to believe the same.
I used to be a skeptic who didn't believe in anything that
didn't have a scientific article behind it.
I wish that we're still true because ever, since I found out
about what really exists out there, I haven't had a night of
good sleep. Let me explain.
I'm not putting my name out there, but you can call me Robin
for convenience and I was born in a small town, 22.
Years ago I won't say what it's called or where it is.
It's not my place to give away the information of others
suffice to say. It was an ordinary Town
surrounded by thick, forests endless Meadows, and giant Farms
hosting, God knows how many cows my childhood was dull and
uneventful. I got a normal family with my
two siblings and a small neighborhood with just enough
kids to have play dates with. I didn't have many friends, and
my relationships with my siblings were strained, but I
wasn't lonely much. After High School, I went to a
big City University. Got a degree in something.
I'll probably never use and made my parents proud.
My parents had messaged me less and less over my four years at
college, and the last two years, they got me in apartment that I
stayed in over the Summers as well.
Any time we got together those last two years, they came to me,
I didn't think much of it. I was never the most observant
when it came to people. It was when I decided to go home
the summer after my degree that they panicked.
They I didn't ban me from coming home but they hinted.
I should stay away. I came anyway, it hurt that.
It seemed they didn't want me at home now.
I know they were protecting me that's when it all started.
The first thing I noticed was The Emptiness.
My hometown was never the liveliest place and it had its
fair share of poverty. But the people there were happy
for the most part kids, chilled-out adults went to the
bar and people enjoyed their honest work, it was Delta me.
But to those who like the quiet life, it was a lovely place.
You could always see people walking around downtown and the
hot spots for getting together usually had people there.
None of that was the case. Now everywhere was all, but
deserted employees that used to wave.
Hello stayed inside the Hangouts were empty and even the bar only
had a small handful of drunks from the moment.
I crossed the county line to when I pulled into the driveway.
The number of people I saw not working could be counted on one
hand, even though it was a weekend afternoon, I found it a
bit odd. Odd.
But I was focused on getting home as I parked in my driveway.
I noticed the second odd thing, most of the neighborhood had
overgrown grass. The once neat, Lawns were filled
with weeds and some of the dry grass was reaching the height of
my knees that got me suspicious. It being a sacred American
tradition to keep your front Lawns as neat and green as
possible. I looked past it in my
excitement to get home. I knocked on my door, I heard
footsteps. And then I saw my mother look
through the bedroom window. Next to the entrance hallway.
Peeking at me, that was the third odd thing, for as long as
I've lived at home, my parents have never checked, who was at
the door before opening it around here.
Only a few paranoid, people did that, did get my nervous,
attention had something happened, a burglary, perhaps,
whatever. The reason she gave a look of
what almost seemed like fear before, closing the blinds and
walking to the front hallway, the door unlocked and opened.
My parents were both standing there.
R. And For a Moment, I Saw sadness
on their faces, then they both hugged me and my problems were
forgotten. I won't bore you with the
details, but suffice to say the next few hours were what you'd
expect from a family reunions. Lots of catching up in tearful
hugs and a happy dinner. When we weren't busy, getting my
things in order the whole time, my parents seem somewhat
subdued, but when I asked them, what was wrong, they insisted
everything was fine. I didn't believe them, but I
didn't push it. Nothing.
Interesting happened until After dark, when my parents and
siblings went to sleep and I stayed up in my room for a
couple of hours, reading a book, it started with a light, a
bright white Speck appeared in my window, casting a glare
through that Disturbed me while reading with only my nightstand
light on. After a couple of minutes of
irritation, I got up to close the blinds in my room.
That's when I saw the light outside the window, it was in
the distance. Just above my backyard and I
couldn't make out what it was all.
I could tell was that it Was all but blinding.
When I look directly at it, I made to close the blinds, but
before I fully closed, then I saw the light, get bigger, no,
not bigger closer. It must have been in the
neighbors, large cattle, farm to the back of our neighborhood and
it was slowly approaching as it did.
The light began to change color flickering from white to Blue to
yellow and then back again and it became to dance.
The ball twisting from side to side and floating in circles.
I should have closed the blinds and been done with it.
But I couldn't, I was mesmerised.
I lost all thought as I spaced out seeing double, as the light
dance differently. In each eye, I started to hear a
whispered chanting too soft to make out the words, there were
at least two voices. Maybe three, their voices were
harsh growling like the wind as the light got bigger, the voices
got louder until their chant was also being screamed in my years
but they never changed from a whisper and no matter how close
it got, I couldn't understand anything they said Ed the lights
blinded my entire field of sight.
The chant thundered into my ears.
I saw nothing else. Heard nothing else.
It became everything. Then I blacked out and
remembered nothing. The next moment I was conscious.
I was alone in a meadow with flowers and grass up to my
waist. I felt rather than saw that
because it was near midnight in the middle of nowhere, with only
the moon and stars to illuminate the earth.
I don't know if you've ever been far from civilization at night
but if you have, you know, it's all but impossible.
Possible to see anything. So I had no way to see more than
the nearby field and didn't hear anything except for distant
crickets. And I was utterly alone with
nothing on me. But my clothes, I tried to stay
calm, my breath heightened, and I felt dizzy, but I forced
myself to focus. It wasn't too cold out and I
wasn't going to freeze. And in the darkness, I'd have no
idea where I was going, whether I was getting closer or farther
to people. If I stayed where I was until
morning, I could use the daylight to navigate.
Back to some place, I knew, or at least a road I could follow.
So I sat down and did my best to avoid panicking somewhere to the
far front of me. I heard rustling through the
grass. I figured it was the wind
although I felt no Breeze. Then I heard footsteps loud
slow, footsteps. Each one was a few seconds apart
and as they got louder closer the ground began to tremble by
panicked. I got up and ran to my back not
caring where I might arrive but only concerned with Then
whatever was causing those footsteps.
I stumbled and tripped in a few places earning me scratches
around my ankles, I didn't care all I needed was to run but no
matter how fast I ran the footsteps just got louder, they
never stepped up their Cadence yet.
They Shrunk the distance to me. I admit at this point, I was
crying. I had only faced situations like
this in my nightmares, suddenly the field brightened.
And behind me I saw a white light.
It didn't move or change color. Hours.
But somehow I could tell it was the same light from my bedroom
window, The Whispers returned this time, not in tune with each
other but each shrieking each scream sent a white bolt of pain
through my head I turned around again in the light was a little
closer. I started to yell for help.
Oh God, someone help me, not original.
But it was hardly the time for originality from behind.
I heard what sounded like laughter but in a deep in human
voice I looked back in the light couldn't have been more than 30
feet away. The next time I looked 25, then
20 by wailed into the night for help ahead of me.
I heard new noises and I saw a second light from close by.
I stopped running for a second before sprinting to my left in
the now, head high grass almost. As soon as I switched I ran
right into a third light. It was a flash light behind.
It was a man. I recognized I'll call him Jim
and he was the owner of a farm inside the county, but a few
miles outside town. He leaned down and offered.
A hand run. No, he yelled.
I got up and followed him. The second light was the
flashlight of his wife who had brought a large Cow by a rope
around the neck. She threw the Rope down and
together the three of us ran, I heard a loud crack.
Not even 10 feet behind me and I looked back.
I wish I hadn't some thing more than 10 feet tall was standing
right behind me in front of it. Was a light attached to a long
antennae hanging in front of its face.
Its face was made of what look, Like meat and bones mashed
together, it had no eyes, no nose, no ears, it had only a
massive mouth hanging open in a mocking grin shattered.
Bone served his teeth, going back into the darkness at the
back of its mouth and its body was the same like raw meat and
crunched bones all mashed together in pack tightly enough
to allow for support with one-handed, grab the cow and
lifted it up. Its head lean forward and ripped
the head right off the cow, gave a loud grunt of fear before its
head was Shattered and the only sound was the Flesh and Bones
being ripped apart with both hands at lifted to cow up above
its head and tore it in half, then it brought the cow Parts in
its left hand forward and began eating again.
Come on, we have to go. Jim shouted.
I realized I had been standing there in shock.
I stumbled forward turning slowly away from the thing and
began running as fast as I could after a while.
The footstep started up again in the distance, but we had gained
ground and had I saw The porch light of what I assume to be
Jin's house. The three of us ran in.
Before his wife, slammed the door, I stopped to catch my
breath and noticed, all of the windows were shut in their
house. Not only that, but every light
was on in the TV was blaring noise.
I could hear the footsteps. No more.
Are we safe? I asked as safe as we can be now
Jim replied for some reason. Most of these things don't come
in homes. They'll snatch you right up.
If you look outside though, how do you get there in the middle
of our field? Anyways, I explained to them
everything I could, they seemed unsurprised by any of it,
although they did look understandingly.
As I described my Panic while I did this.
Jim made me a cup of hot coffee which I thanked him for after, I
was done explaining, it was their turn dark things have
begun to haunt the night. A few years ago, they said at
first, it was all rumors and Tall, Tales few believed stories
of being stranded in the dark sleepwalking, they thought were
seeing things creep along the farm to steal.
Cattle coyotes are other Predators, they thought then a
couple of years ago, the first death occurred, some man named
Aaron. I had only heard of was found
ripped into five pieces. Outside his home along the
sidewalk. The concrete was cracked next to
him. People thought a serial killer
was on the loose but over the next few weeks disappearances
and corpses appeared all over the county, more people reported
seeing things outside in the night and slowly.
But surely people realize the night was haunted.
Now, He went outside when it seemed dark people rarely went
out in the day other than for Necessities either.
After a couple of children disappeared in broad daylight,
people tried to get the word out, but nothing worked.
No cameras are phones. Work near anything odd and any
online mentions were quickly deleted or lost to the depths of
the internet. The people of my home county
were isolated scared and dying and now, I was living with them
that morning. Jim drove me to my parents
house, who had already called the police Everything got under
control and I calm down. Once I reached family in the
daytime, but it hasn't stopped the nightmares ever.
Since, I got back these past months, things have been
horrifying, I even tried to move back to my apartment.
First before finding out, my landlord was evicting me.
I'm searching for a new home, but who knows?
When that will work out. In the meantime, I've done odd
jobs around town and asked more questions, whatever was out
there, and I heard a lot of ideas terrified me.
Me. But it also intrigued me.
God forbid, I be interested in something normal.
I think I know what these things are.
They are the creatures of Legends of myths and urban
legends and spiritual Traditions long since lost the things that
make us feel weak and alone. The things that remind us, we
are not in control, I think they are coming back or maybe they
never left and were just hiding or living elsewhere but they
were back in my home now and everyone.
I loved was in danger. I don't know if anything is
happening. Happening where you live?
Maybe were alone in this. Maybe we aren't but if you're
luckier than us. Just remember this.
The next you go somewhere alone in the dark.
We are not alone anymore. It was a dark and rainy day the
kind of one where you just want to curl up with a good book and
a cup of tea. But I wasn't at home.
I was out in the woods hiking with a group of friends, we had
planned this trip for weeks and we were all excited to spend a
few days. Exploring.
The beautiful Wilderness, we had set up camp near a small stream
and we spent the afternoon fishing and swimming in the cool
clear water as the sun began to set.
We gathered around the campfire to roast marshmallows and tell
ghost stories. One of my friends, a Native
American woman named Sarah told us a story about skinwalkers.
According to Legend skinwalkers are evil beings that can
transform into any animal. They choose, they are said to be
able to control the minds of their victims and they are
feared by many Native American tribes.
Sarah told us that skinwalkers are often seen in the woods at
night, and that, if you see one, it's best to run.
And never look back. She said that they can sense
fear and that they are attracted to people who are alone and
vulnerable. Double as the fire began to die
down. I started to feel a sense of
unease. The would seem to be getting
darker and more ominous by the minute.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching us,
and I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder as we
got ready for bed. I made sure to stay close to the
others. I didn't want to be alone in the
woods, not with the skinwalker potentially lurking in the
shadows, I finally fell asleep. But my sleep was fitful and
Disturbed I kept waking up. Up feeling like something was in
the tent with me. I tried to tell myself.
It was just my imagination but I couldn't shake the feeling of
being watched in the middle of the night.
I was awoken by a loud guttural, growl.
It was so close. I could feel the vibrations in
the ground. I got up heart racing and peered
into the darkness. That's when I saw it, a pair of
glowing eyes staring at me from the Shadows, they seem to be
getting closer and closer until I could make out the shape of a
large wolf. The creature, I screamed, and
the skinwalker, let out a deafening Howell, I could feel
it's warm breath on my face. And I knew I had to do something
I fumbled for my flashlight, and when I found it, I flashed it
directly into the skinwalkers eyes it.
Let out a high-pitched, whine and retreated into the darkness.
I woke up the others and we huddled together, shaking and
terrified. We knew we had to get out of
there as fast as possible. We packed up our belongings and
started to run. We ran for It felt like hours,
not stopping until we saw the faint glow of dawn on the
horizon, when we finally reach civilization, we collapsed in
exhaustion. I don't think I'll ever forget
that night in the woods. The memory of the skinwalkers
glowing eyes will haunt me forever, but I'm grateful to be
alive and I know that I'll never take the safety of civilization
for granted again. It was a crisp autumn evening
when our group of six set out on our camping trip in the remote
mountains of Utah. We had planned this trip for
weeks, excited to escape the city and spend a few days.
Exploring the rugged Wilderness. As we drove deeper into the
mountains, the trees grew taller, and the air grew colder.
We eventually reached our campsite a clearing nestled
among the pine-trees. We set up our tents and built a
fire settling in for the night at first.
Everything seemed normal, we chatted and laughed.
Around the camp fire roasting marshmallows and telling
stories. But as the night wore on, we
began to sense a strange presence in the woods around us.
The animals had gone silent and the air was Heavy with an
unsettling energy. We tried to brush it off as our
imaginations, running wild, but the feeling only grew stronger.
As the hours passed. It was as if something was
watching us from the darkness, just beyond the light of the
fire. As we huddled around the fire,
trying to shake off the creeping dread.
We heard of Faint rustling in the brush at first.
We assumed it was just a small animal but as the wrestling grew
louder, it became clear that whatever was out.
There was much larger suddenly a shadow emerged from the trees.
It was a hulking humanoid figure its eyes glowing in the
darkness. We froze paralyzed with fear as
it approached us as it drew closer.
We could see that it was covered in matted fur.
Its face Twisted into a grotesque snarl, it was like
nothing we had ever seen before and we knew we In grave danger,
we scramble to our feet, ready to run, but it was too late.
The creature lunged at us. It's claws outstretched.
We scattered in every direction, desperate to escape, I raced
through the woods, my heart pounding, in my chest.
I could hear the creatures growls and snarls behind me
getting closer and closer. I knew I had to find a way to
escape, or it would be the end for all of us.
I burst out of the trees into a clearing panting and gasping for
air. I turned to see if the Creature
was still following me and that's when I saw it there in
the center of the clearing. Stood, a strange ancient looking
stone monument. It was covered in strange,
symbols and markings and it seemed to radiate a faint Eerie
light. I didn't know what it was or
what it meant. But I knew one thing, for sure,
it was my only chance at survival.
I ran towards the monument. My eyes fixed on its glowing
surface. As I reached it, I felt a surge
of energy coursing through my body.
The creatures, growls grew louder, but I No longer afraid.
I turned to face the creature, my fists clenched at my sides.
It lunged at me. It's claws extended, but I was
ready for it with a fierce cry. I swore on my arm striking, the
creature with all my might to my surprise, it crumpled to the
ground, its snarls, turning to whimpers as it retreated back
into the woods. I stood there panting and
trembling my heart racing with adrenaline, I had no idea what
had just happened, but I knew that the stone monument had
somehow given me the strength. Encouraged to defeat the
creature, we return to civilization the next day.
Shaken, but grateful to be alive.
We never spoke of what happened in the woods that night.
I had always been an avid hiker. And when I heard about the new
National Park that had just opened up in the mountains, I
knew I had to go check it out. The park was said to be filled
with beautiful trails and breathtaking views and I
couldn't wait to explore it. I plan my trip for a weekend in
the fall. When the leaves were turning in
the weather was just starting to get chilly by packed my
backpack, with all the essentials, water, snacks, a
map, and my trusty camera and set off.
Early in the morning, the drive to the park was long.
But the views were worth it. The mountains, rose up around
me, their peaks covered in a dusting of snow.
As I drove, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and
Adventure, welling up inside me, I arrived at the park around
noon. And after paying the entrance
fee, I set off on the trail, it was a clear sunny day and the
air was crisp and clean. The trees were starting to turn
orange and gold and the leaves. Rustled softly under my feet.
As I walked, as I hiked deeper into the park.
I felt myself. Becoming more and more immersed
in the wilderness. The trail twisted and turned
leading me through dense forests and over Rocky Cliffs.
I took in deep breaths of the fresh Mountain, Air feeling my
worries melting away. But as the day wore on the sun
began to dip lower in the sky and a sense of unease started to
creep Over Me. I checked my map and realized
that I had been walking for much longer than I had planned.
I was starting to worry that I might not make it back to my car
before nightfall I picked up my pace.
Trying to make it back to the trailhead as quickly as
possible. But as I hurried along, I
couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
I kept turning around trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was
following me, but I never saw anything just when I thought I
couldn't take the tension, any longer, I spotted the trailhead
up ahead, I let out a sigh of relief and Quicken my Pace even
more eager to get back to the safety of my car.
But as I approached the trailhead, I noticed something
strange the In lot was empty, except for my car.
There wasn't a single person in sight.
I hesitated for a moment. Wondering if I should go back
and try to find another way out of the park, but the thought of
being out there in the dark alone and lost was too much to
bear. So, I gathered my courage and
headed towards my car as I approached, I saw that the
driver's side door was slightly, ajar I froze.
My heart pounding in my chest at someone broke into my car.
While I was out on the trail, Slowly approach.
The car my hand shaking as I reached for the door as I
touched it. I heard a rustling sound behind
me. I spun around my heart racing
but I saw nothing. I stood there for a moment,
trying to calm my nerves. I told myself that it was just
the wind or maybe a squirrel or something but I couldn't shake
the feeling that something was watching me.
I gathered my courage and peered inside the car.
It was empty. Just as I had left it.
I let out a sigh of relief. Climbed inside, locking the
doors behind me as I started the engine and pulled out of the
parking lot. I couldn't help, but feel like I
was being followed, I kept looking in my rearview mirror
expecting to see someone or something lurking behind me, but
the road was empty. I drove as quickly as I could
trying to put as much distance between myself and the park is
possible. But as I reached the highway, I
suddenly heard a loud thud against the back of my car, I
yelped and swerved trying to regain control.
When I finally came to a stop on the side of the road I
frantically check for damage. There was a large dent in the
back bumper but thankfully it didn't seem to have affected the
car's performance. I sat there for a moment trying
to catch my breath. I couldn't believe what had just
happened. I had never been in an accident
before and the thought of being out here alone and vulnerable
was terrifying. As I sat there, trying to
compose myself. I suddenly heard a rustling
sound behind me. I turned around expecting to see
an animal or something but instead I saw a figure standing
just a few feet away. It was a tall thin man with long
straggly hair in a wild maniacal.
Look in his eyes. He was covered in dirt and grime
and he looked like he hadn't slept her bathed in days.
I tried to scream but my voice was stuck in my throat.
I scrambled to start the car but my hands were shaking so badly
that I couldn't even get the key in the ignition.
The man approached me slowly as sinister.
Smile spreading across his face. I close my eyes expecting the
worst, but instead I heard the sound of footsteps receding into
the distance. When I opened my eyes, the man
was gone. I sat there for a moment trying
to wrap my head around what had just happened.
Had I really just seen a ghost or something.
I finally managed to start the car and get back on the road,
but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still
following me. Every time I looked in the
rearview mirror, I half expected to see them.
Man standing behind me. I drove for what felt like an
eternity, my heart racing, the whole way.
When I finally reached the safety of my own home.
I collapsed on the couch too terrified to even move.
I never went back to that national park again.
The thought of encountering that creepy, man again was too much
to bear. And every time I went hiking, I
couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me
waiting to strike. It was a cold dark November
evening in Minnesota when my hunting party and I set out into
the woods, the air was crisp. And the leaves crunched beneath
our feet as we trudged, through the forest, our rifles, slung
over our shoulders, and our senses on high alert.
We were searching for dear. Of course, it was hunting season
after all, but as the sun began to set in the shadows grew
longer, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off
about this particular trip. At first, it was just a faint
sense of unease that At prickled, at the back of my
neck. But as the hours ticked by, and
we failed to spot a single deer, the feeling only grew stronger,
my companion seemed to sense it too.
They were quieter than usual and kept casting nervous glances at
the trees around us, just as the last slivers of daylight were
fading from the sky. We finally caught sight of a
deer. It was a big one with a Sleek
muscular body in a rack of antlers that gleamed in the
Moonlight. We readied our rifles and took
aim our hearts pounding Excitement.
But just, as we were about to pull the trigger, something
strange happened, the deer suddenly turned and looked
straight at us. It's eyes glowing with an eerie
otherworldly light and then with a flick of its tail, it bounded
off into the darkness, we followed it of course it was a
rare opportunity to back such a trophy deer but as we crept
through the underbrush, I couldn't shake the feeling that
we were being watched every rustle in the leaves.
Every snap of a twig sent shivers down my spine and then
Just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer.
We heard a faint high-pitched shrieking sound.
It seemed to be coming from all around us, at going through the
trees and sending a chill down, my spine, we froze in our
tracks, unsure of what to do. And then out of the darkness, a
pair of glowing eyes appeared, they seem to be floating in
mid-air staring at us with a malevolent intensity that sent a
wave of fear coursing through my body.
I wanted to run to get as far away from that cursed place as I
could but Feet were rooted to the spot as if some unseen force
was holding me there. And then with a sudden burst of
movement, the eyes, darted towards us, we scattered trying
to escape the creature. That seem to be pursuing us.
But no matter how fast we ran, it seemed to be right behind us.
It shrieks echoing in our ears and it's glowing eyes.
Fixed on our backs we ran for what felt like hours.
Our breath coming in short gasps in our hearts pounding in our
chests but eventually we stumbled upon a clearing ass
small grassy patch surrounded by a circle of trees.
We collapsed onto the ground panting and gasping for air.
And As We Lay there, trying to catch our breath, we heard a
rustling in the underbrush slowly.
We turn to see a deer standing at the edge of the clearing but
this was no ordinary. Dear, its eyes were glowing with
that, same year, he light and its antlers seem to Shimmer in
the darkness, we scrambled to our feet, our rifles at the
ready, but the deer just stood there gazing at us with an
almost curious. Oppression and then with a flick
of its tail, it turned and vanished into the woods.
We looked at each other confused.
We didn't see that thing again. And we went back to our trucks
and went home. We all agreed to never go back
to those woods. We never spoke of that night
again. It was a dark and stormy night,
when I arrived at the gas station where I worked, I had
been working the late shift at the station for a few months now
and had never really experienced anything out of the ordinary.
It was a quiet town in the middle of nowhere and the only
thing that really made it scary was the fact that it was so
isolated. I pulled into the parking lot
and saw that the lights were on inside the store.
I assume that the previous employee had left them on by
accident which wasn't uncommon. I grabbed my umbrella.
And made my way to the door trying to avoid the puddles of
water that had formed on the ground.
As I entered the store, I was greeted by the sound of the rain
pounding against the roof, it was a comforting sound, but also
a bit Eerie. Given the circumstances, I made
my way to the back of the store to clock in and start my shift
the first few hours went by smoothly.
I stocked shelves, cleaned up the store and even managed to
get a few hours of homework done.
It wasn't until around midnight that things started to get.
Inch. I was sitting behind the counter
scrolling through my phone, when I heard a knock at the door, I
assumed it was just someone looking to use the restroom or
maybe buy a snack. So I didn't think much of it.
I walked to the door and unlocked it, but when I opened
it, there was nobody there I looked around the parking lot,
but all I saw was the rain in a few cars driving by on the road.
I Shrugged it off and went back to my seat behind the counter,
but then it happened again, another knock at the door,
followed by the Sound of footsteps running away.
At this point, I was starting to get a bit creeped out, I locked
the door and went back to my seat trying to reassure myself
that it was just some kids playing a prank but then the
phone rang I answered it and was met with silence on the other
end. I assumed it was just a wrong
number so I hung up and went back to my phone but then the
phone rang again. And again, each time there was
nothing but silence on the other end I started to feel like I was
being Watched, I could feel eyes on me even though I was alone in
the store, I couldn't shake the feeling.
That something wasn't right? I tried to ignore it but it was
becoming impossible. Finally after what felt like
hours of this strange activity. I heard a knock at the door
again, but this time it was different.
It was louder and more persistent.
I couldn't ignore it. I slowly made my way to the
door, my heart racing in my chest.
I unlock the door and slowly opened it peering out.
Into the darkness. And that's when I saw it.
I figure standing in the rain soaked to the bone and covered
in mud. It was a man, but there was
something off about him. His eyes were wild, and his hair
was matted to his face. He was staring at me with an
intensity that made me feel like I was being dissected.
Can I help you? I asked my voice shaking.
The man didn't say anything. He just stared at me a strange
smile spreading across his face. I could feel the fear coursing
through my veins. And I knew I needed to get out
of there, I started to back away, but the man reached out
and grabbed my arm, please let me go.
I begged trying to pull my arm free from his grasp but he
didn't let go instead he leaned in his face close from mine.
I've been looking for you. He whispered his voice low and
raspy I couldn't move. I was Frozen with fear not
knowing what to do. The man seemed to sense my fear
and he started to laugh a maniacal sound that.
Sent chills down. My spine, don't worry.
He said his grip on my arm tightening, I'm not going to
hurt you, I just need your help. I couldn't believe what I was
hearing. How could this man?
Think that I would help him after everything?
He had put me through. I tried to pull away again, but
he was too strong. Please let me go.
I begged again, the man finally released his grip on my arm, but
he didn't move away. He just stood there.
Staring at me with those wild eyes.
I knew I had to get out of there but I couldn't just leave him in
the rain. Come inside.
I said my voice barely above a whisper, you can wait out the
storm in the store, the man, nodded and followed me inside
his footsteps, heavy on the floor.
I locked the door behind us and led him to a chair in the corner
of the store. I couldn't shake the feeling
that I was making a huge mistake, but I couldn't just
leave him out in the storm. We sat in silence for a few
minutes, the only sound being the rain pounding.
The windows I couldn't bring myself to look at the man, so I
just stared at the floor trying to come up with a plan.
Finally, the man spoke thank you.
He said his voice, still raspy, I didn't know where else to go.
I turned to look at him trying to gauge his sincerity.
He seemed genuine but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was
more to his story. What are you doing out here in
the middle of nowhere? I asked the man hesitated for a
moment before answering. I'm Running from something.
He said his eyes downcast something that's been chasing me
for a long time. I couldn't believe what I was
hearing, this man was running from something, what could be so
terrifying that he would end up out here in the middle of
nowhere. What are you running from?
I asked my voice barely above a whisper.
The man looked up at me. His eyes filled with fear.
I don't know. He said, I just know that I have
to keep moving. It's the only way to stay safe.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing this man was clearly in
trouble, and I had no idea how to help him but I couldn't just
turn him away not in the middle of a storm.
You can stay here as long as you need.
I said trying to sound reassuring but you have to tell
me what's going on. Maybe I can help the man
hesitated for a moment before. Finally speaking, I don't know
if anyone can help he said, but I'll tell you what I can.
And so, the man told me his story, he had been Going from
something for months ever since it had first appeared in his
dreams, he had no idea what it was, but he knew that it was
after him. It had chased him from town to
town, always one step behind. He had lost everything in his
pursuit to stay alive, including his home in his job.
And now he had ended up here in this gas station in the middle
of nowhere. Hoping to outrun whatever it was
that was after him. I listened to his story with
growing horror, it was clear that this man was terrified And
I couldn't blame him but I had no idea how to help him.
What can I do? I asked my voice shaking, the
man looked at me, with desperation, in his eyes.
I don't know he said, but I can't keep running forever.
I need to find a way to stop it. I nodded trying to think of a
solution, but before I could come up with anything the man
suddenly stood up his eyes, wild with fear, it's here.
He whispered it's found me. I looked around the store trying
See what he was talking about, but there was nothing there,
just the rain in the darkness. What do you mean?
I asked trying to keep the Panic out of my voice, the man didn't
answer. He just stood there shaking with
fear, and then I heard it the sound of footsteps approaching
the door. I froze, not knowing what to do.
The man. Grabbed my arm and pulled me
towards the back of the store. We have to hide.
He whispered, I followed him, my heart pounding, in my chest, we
hid behind And a shelf of chips, trying to stay as quiet as
possible. I could hear the footsteps
getting closer and closer and I knew that whatever was out there
was getting closer to finally the footsteps stopped.
I could hear the sound of someone, trying to open the
door, but it was locked. And then silence.
We waited there for what felt like hours, not daring to move.
And then just as suddenly as it had appeared, the presence was
gone. The man and I emerged from our
hiding spot shaking with fear Gone.
I said trying to reassure myself as much as him but the man
didn't look relieved. He just looked more scared than
ever. It's knocked on, he said his
voice. Barely above a whisper, it's
never gone. It's always watching waiting for
the moment when it can strike again.
I didn't know what to say. I knew that this man was
terrified and I couldn't blame him, but I had no idea how to
help him. All I could do was offer him a
place to rest until the storm passed the man stayed.
With me, for the rest of my shift, sitting in the corner of
the store and staring into space.
I tried to talk to him to get him to open up about what was
going on. But he just sat there, lost in
his own thoughts. When my shift was over.
I left the man in the store and made my way home.
My mind racing with everything that had happened.
I knew that I couldn't just leave him there but I had no
idea what to do. I spent the rest of the night
lying in bed, trying to make sense of everything that had
happened and as the rain, pounded, Against my window.
I knew that I would never be able to forget the night that I
met the man running from something in the middle of
nowhere. It was a cold Dark Night in the
Woods of Utah and I was all alone in my tent huddled, under
my blankets, trying to stay warm.
I had been camping by myself for the past week, exploring the
remote Wilderness and enjoying the peace and solitude.
But as the hours ticked by, I couldn't shake the feeling that
something was watching me. The rustling of the leaves
outside. My tent seem louder than usual
and every now and then I thought I heard the faint sound of
footsteps approaching. I tried to convince myself, If
that it was just my imagination but the longer I lay there, the
more uneasy I became I kept telling myself to go to sleep,
but my mind was racing and my heart was pounding in my chest.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I fell into a Restless
Slumber. But my sleep was short-lived as
I was soon awoken by a loud guttural.
Growl that seem to be coming from just outside my tent.
I sat up with a start, my heart racing, as I listened intently
for any other sounds for a few Moments there was nothing but
silence and then I heard it again the growling this time
accompanied by the sound of something scratching at the
fabric of my tent. I froze not daring to move a
muscle as the scratching continued, growing louder and
more frenzied with each passing moment.
And then with a sudden burst of strength, the tent was torn open
and a shadowy figure loomed over me.
I screamed scrambling to get away as the figure reached out
towards me with long clawed fingers but it was too late.
Eight. I was trapped with nowhere to go
as the creature closed in on me as I looked up at it.
I saw that it was a skinwalker, a creature from Native American
folklore said to be able to transform into any animal it
desired. And as it leaned down towards
me, it's face contorted into a grotesque snarl.
I knew that I was doomed, I close my eyes, bracing myself
for the end, but to my surprise, the skinwalker didn't attack
instead. It spoke to me in a voice that
was both guttural and eerily. Human.
Why are you here it growled? This is my territory.
You have no business being here. I stared at the creature and
shock unable to believe what was happening.
But as it continued to stare at me, with its cold glowing eyes.
I knew that I had to answer. I'm just camping.
I stammered my voice trembling with fear.
I didn't mean to intrude. I'll leave right away.
I promise the skinwalker seem to consider this for a moment and
then at nodded very well. It said, but if you value your
life, you will leave and never return.
Do you understand? I nodded fervently tears,
streaming down my face as I begged for mercy.
And with a final growl, the skinwalker turned and
disappeared into the darkness leaving me alone and shaking in
my torn up tent, I packed up my things as quickly as I could not
daring to look back as I fled the woods and as I stumbled
through the darkness, I couldn't help, but wonder what other
Horrors. Lay hidden in the shadows
waiting to claim. Their next victim.
I ran through the woods as fast as my legs.
Could carry me, not stopping until I reach the safety of my
car. I threw my belongings into the
trunk and jumped into the driver's seat.
Handshaking as I tried to start the engine.
Finally after what felt like an eternity, the car roared to life
and I tore out of the campsite leaving the woods and the
skinwalker far behind. But as I drove through the dark,
empty roads, every time I looked in the rearview mirror, I half
expected to see the glowing Guys of the skinwalker staring back
at me, I tried to push the thought out of my mind focusing,
instead on getting as far away from the woods as possible, but
no matter how fast, I drove the memories of my encounter, with
the skinwalker stayed. With me, haunting me every step
of the way, I drove four hours, not stopping until I reach the
nearest town. And as I stumbled into the first
hotel I saw, I knew that I would never go camping again.
The memory of the skinwalker stayed with me for years.
Always lurking in the back of my mind.
I never told anyone about what had happened.
Not even my closest friends and family, but every now and then,
when the moon was full in the stars were bright.
I would find myself thinking back to that terrifying Night in
the Woods of Utah. And I knew that I was lucky to
have escaped with my life. It all started on a stormy night
when park ranger John, decided to venture into the Deep Woods
of the park to check on a reported disturbance as he made
his way through the thick brush, the wind howled in the tree.
Swayed violently John tried to shake off the feeling of unease
that was creeping up on him, but he couldn't shake the sense that
something was watching him as he approached the area of the
disturbance. He heard a faint rustling coming
from a nearby cave. Without hesitation, he drew his
flashlight and made his way towards The opening the cave was
dark and narrow and John could feel the cool air emanating from
within. He took a deep breath and
stepped inside as he made his way deeper into the cave.
He could feel the temperature. Drop significantly, the walls
were slick with moisture in the floor was uneven in Rocky.
John's flash, light flickered and he stopped to replace the
batteries as he searched through his pack.
He heard a faint scratching sound coming from ahead, he
froze, whistling intently, the scratching.
Louder and more urgent and John could feel his heart racing in
his chest. He grabbed his flashlight and
continued forward trying to ignore the creeping sense of
dread. That was overtaking him as he
rounded a bend in the cave. He saw something that made his
blood run cold, a pair of glowing eyes, stared back at him
from the darkness. John put his flashlight on the
creature. Revealing a twisted fur-covered,
monster with sharp teeth and Claws.
It was a skinwalker a creature of legend that could take on the
form of Any animal at desired and it was hungry, John turned
and ran his heart, pounding his chest, he could feel the
skinwalker right on his heels, its claws, scraping against the
rocky floor. He knew he couldn't outrun it
forever. So he turned and faced it
brandishing. His flashlight as a weapon, the
skinwalker snarled and lunged at him its teeth bared.
John swung, the flashlight with all his might connecting with
the creatures. Head it yelped and retreated,
giving John the opportunity to make a break for It, he ran as
fast as he could his heart racing, he could feel the
skinwalker gaining on him. Just as he thought he was going
to be caught. He stumbled upon a small opening
in the cave wall without hesitation.
He squeezed through the opening and into the darkness Beyond as
he stumbled through the darkness.
He heard the skinwalkers cries fade away.
He collapsed against the wall panting and shaking with fear.
He knew he couldn't stay there forever.
So he gathered his strength and continued on.
Determined to find a way out of the cave after what seemed like
hours. He finally saw a faint light in
the distance. He stumbled towards it as, like
shaking with exhaustion, as he emerged from the cave.
He collapsed to the ground tears.
Streaming down his face. He had survived the encounter
with the skinwalker, but he knew he would never forget the
terror. He had experienced in that
underground cave. From now on, he vowed to always
be cautious when venturing into the unknown, the park was a
beautiful and dangerous. Ace.
And he knew he would always have to be on guard for whatever
dangers. Lurked within John's mind was
racing as he tried to process. What had just happened.
He had always heard the stories about skinwalkers but he had
never actually believed they were real.
And yet he had just come face to face with one of the deadliest
creatures in Native American folklore.
He knew he had to report this encounter to his superiors.
He pulled out his radio and called for backup his voice
shaking with fear. He knew it was unlikely.
We, anyone would believe him, but he had to try as he waited
for backup to arrive. He decided to try and find his
way back to the entrance of the cave.
He knew it would be a long and difficult Journey, but he had to
try, he couldn't just sit and wait for the skinwalker to come
back. As he made his way back through
the cave. Something was looking at him in
the darkness, he looked with his flashlight into every corner and
crevice, but he saw nothing, he knew the skinwalker could take
on any form at wanted and it could be anywhere.
After what felt like forever, he finally made it back to the
entrance of the cave. He emerged into the daylight.
His eyes squinting against the bright light as he stepped out
of the cave. He was greeted by a group of
armed Park Rangers. We received a distress call from
you. One of the Rangers said, what's
going on John? Took a deep breath and told them
everything that had happened. He told them about the
disturbance he had gone to investigate and about the
skinwalker he had encountered in the cave, the Rangers.
Looked skeptical, but they knew John was a reliable Ranger.
They knew he wouldn't make up a story like this after
debriefing, John, the Rangers decided to send a team back into
the cave, to investigate. They wanted to see if there was
any evidence of the skinwalkers presence.
John knew he couldn't go back in there, so he stayed behind as
the team ventured into the cave. The hours ticked by John had,
the feeling that something was wrong.
He knew the skinwalker was still out there and he was terrified.
It would come after him. He tried to stay calm but he
couldn't get rid of the feeling of dread that had settled in.
Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, the team
emerged from the cave. They look pale and shaken.
And they had found evidence of the skinwalkers presence.
They had found tracks and claw marks and they had heard strange
noises coming from deep within the cave.
Jon knew he had to get out of there.
He couldn't stay in the park anymore.
He knew the skinwalker would never stop going after him.
He gathered his things and left. Never looking back as he drove
away from the park. He knew he would never forget
the terrifying encounter. He had with the skinwalker, he
knew he would always be haunted by the memory of those glowing
eyes staring back at him from the darkness.
He vowed to never Venture into the unknown again, and to always
be cautious of the dangers that lurked in the shadows, despite
his fear, John knew he had a duty to protect the park and its
visitors. He knew he couldn't just leave
and forget about the skinwalker he had to do something to stop.
B, he decided to seek the help of a local Native American
tribe. He knew they had a deep
understanding of the creatures that inhabited the land and he
hoped they could help him. Defeat the skinwalker the tribal
Elder. Listen to John story, and nodded
Gravely, I believe you. He said the skinwalker is a
powerful and dangerous creature but we have ways of defeating
it. The older LED John to a sacred
ground and performed a ritual, to banish the skinwalker, from
the park, as the ritual. Did the Elder looked at John and
said the skinwalker will no longer be a threat to you?
Or anyone else it has been banished from this place.
John felt a sense of relief wash over him.
He knew the skinwalker was gone for good and he could finally
rest easy. He thanked the Elder and left
the park feeling grateful for the help and guidance he had
received from that day on John never forgot the encounter.
He had with the skinwalker, he knew there were always dangers,
lurking in the shadows, but he was prepared.
To face them head-on, he knew he had the strength and courage to
protect the park and its visitors, no matter what threats
may come his way.