There is nothing to do in my town.
If the Internet had never been invented, I would have gotten
stuck hanging out at the local coffee shop, desperate to fill
my time. I have access to unlimited
entertainment and information at my fingertips, and yet I still
can't find answers about what happened last summer.
I'm more of an indoor person. Somehow, my friend Kenny dragged
me along on a camping trip with his brother and my childhood
friend. We all grew up together.
Kenny's brother was two years older, so it felt like we never
really connected. I didn't dislike him.
We just didn't have anything in common.
My best friend was the prettiest girl in the country, and I think
she knew it. I had been in love with her
since we were 13, but I'd never admitted it to her.
I know the movement I did, our relationship would change.
I was scared she might reject my feelings or accept them.
Just being friends suits me just fine.
The only way to get me outside was if Mila was going to be
there. I think Kenny and Darren knew
that I refused to go on the camping trip.
They asked Mila to come along and they told me she would be
with us. I hated how easily they played
me. It was a hot day.
All of us were sweating by the time we arrived at the campsite.
Can we set up the tents after? Kenny said as he let all the
bags drop from his shoulders. No, let's get it done now or
else we won't get to it on time. I told him.
No matter how much I wanted to put it off, I knew him the last
trip he and his brother took. They were too lazy to set up the
tents and just slept outside in their sleeping bags.
They came home covered in bug bites.
I didn't want a repeat of that. They both groaned and listened
to me. Mila and I worked on one tent
while the brothers set up the other.
There are only two tents, I pointed out.
We've shared tents before, she replied, not looking up.
If she had, she would have seen how red my face got.
At least I could blame the sunny weather for my flush cheeks.
Kenny decided to toss a full water bottle at Darren, but
missed. It hit me upside the back of my
head and I needed to go over to them to roughhouse for a little
bit. Mile crossed her arms amused by
us. I got my ass handed to me like
always. As I got back up off the ground
from the play fight, I noticed something white flash between
the trees. I was about to mention it, but
the color was gone as fast as I noticed it.
We had picked a campsite that wasn't that popular with the
locals, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone else in the
woods. We finally got the campsite set
up, tents ready, food put away in case of any animals, and
firewood gathered. Once that was all set, we
started to head down the path that led to the lake.
We all earned a long swim. Kenny and Darren walked ahead of
us and I helped Mila down the rough pathway.
Should we really be camping right now?
Mila asked loud enough for Kenny to hear.
Wasn't there a big search Recently?
I heard a little about that. Kenny chimed in to explain what
happened. 4 campers high on shrooms walked into the woods
and no one found any traces of them.
It was 3 weeks ago, so I don't think we'll come across a feral
lost camper, he said with a shrug.
It was a bit heartless to imply those four were dead.
He was right, though. Those four didn't have a good
chance of still being around after dealing with this summer
heat for three weeks. Just in case.
Let's not go out in the woods alone tonight, I told them,
suddenly feeling a chill even though I was sweating.
Is that your fetish? You like watching us pee?
Kenny teased. I think he likes watching #2.
No free shows, Darren added. Kind of weird how fast you guys
thought of that. Almost like it was on your mind,
I replied. I've dealt with these guys for
years. I expected the dumbest things to
come out of their mouth. Mila giggled at us.
I wondered why she put up with three morons.
The lake wasn't as cool as I hoped.
The water was nice and it did help with the heat, but I almost
wished I was at home with the AC on full blast.
Whenever I saw Mila in her black one piece swimsuit and swim
trunks, the thought of AC went out of my mind.
I kept forcing my eyes away from her so she didn't know how much
of A creep I was. I really needed to get a grip on
myself. Hey, do you see that?
I asked Kenny when he swam over to me.
He wrapped an arm around my neck to playfully drag me under, but
stopped when I spoke. He followed my line of sight
into the woods, trying to spot what I was staring at.
Is that a person? He asked, squinting.
Soon Darren and Mila were looking in the same direction.
A white shape was between 2 trees on the other side of the
lake. It did look like a person, but
it was impossible to tell at that distance.
It was too still to be a person, and yet it didn't sway in the
breeze, as if it was a discarded shirt or some trash.
Let's go and see, Kenny said as he let go of my neck.
He started to swim away, and Mila came up next to me.
What do you think it is? She asked when I'd taken my eyes
off the trees, and to her the white object moved.
Kenny stopped swimming when he realized what we had been
looking at was gone. Probably some old pervert
watching a tasty little thing swim around shirtless, Kenny
said with a splash. He's implying the old pervert is
watching you, Darren finished with a smile.
I slapped the water in his face. Soon the white shape had been
forgotten about. As we got into a water fight, I
kept glancing back into the trees.
The white shape didn't return and I assumed it had been
nothing after all. We started heading back to the
campsite when the sky turned a slight orange.
Kenny and Darren chanted the entire way back about the beans
they were going to cook and eat. I was glad I was not sharing a
tent with them tonight. When we did get back, they
discovered that somehow they left the bag that held the
coveted beans. Back in the truck.
Mila also forgot her socks and a few other things, so she wanted
to go back with them. I didn't feel like walking, so I
volunteered to stay behind to get the fire started.
They had been gone for at least 5 minutes when I heard Kenny's
voice again off in the distance. Oddly enough, it wasn't in the
direction they left in. Did you forget something?
I called out to him. His voice came again, but I
couldn't make out the words. It was coming from the direction
of the lake, but he would have needed to walk through the
campsite to be on that path. I stood up, straining to listen.
I called out his name and took a few steps closer to the pathway
heading to the lake. Kenny, stop fooling around, I
shouted, my voice echoing through the trees.
Did he take the long way around just to scare me?
No, he hadn't been gone that long.
For him to be that far out. I took another step closer, but
stopped. This felt wrong.
After those four people got lost in these woods, I decided I
didn't want to go down a path alone.
I went back to setting up the fire and getting dinner ready.
If Kenny was playing a prank, he would get bored and come back.
Oddly enough, my three friends came back together.
Did you see any other cars around?
I asked them, wondering if there had just been another camper out
here that sounded like Kenny. No, it's just us.
Why? Mila asked, catching on.
Something was bothering me. I heard something while you guys
were gone. It sounded human, but it's hard
to say now. I was doubting myself.
Did that really sound like a voice, or was it too far away to
tell? Probably a bird, Some of those
loons, or whatever they are, sound spooky, Darren said with a
shrug. He went out camping here pretty
often. I accepted.
He knew what he was talking about and dismissed my concerns.
We settled down to eat. The brothers gladly ate cans of
beans as Mila and I stuck to hot dogs.
The brothers also lit up an after dinner treat.
I didn't smoke, but Mila did on occasion.
She passed that night. I think she didn't want to bring
the smell into the shared tent. Kenny stood up to say he needed
to use the washroom. It had gotten dark, so I found
him a flashlight. I also needed to go.
Then Darren stood up, deciding he should go with us and Mila
didn't want to be left alone, so we all gathered for a bathroom
break. It was a bit hard to focus on
the task at hand, Knowing Mila was so close by.
I knew she had her back turned to us three as we took care of
business, and yet it still took me the longest to finish.
We scouted a good spot for her and gave Mila some privacy, but
also kept scanning the trees in case a wild animal decided to
suddenly appear. With all that taken care of, we
were going to head back when an unnatural sound came from
nearby, something I never expected to hear while in a
forest at night. A few feet away from us came the
sound of a baby crying. I saw Kenny's pale face in the
light of my flashlight. Darren silently shook his head
as Mila stood frozen in place. I took a step closer to the
source of the sound, and Darren's hand fell on my
shoulder. Screw that, he whispered.
I agreed and took a step back. We should all just leave, Mila,
bless her. Didn't want to risk someone
actually being in trouble. She bravely marched off into the
woods with three guys going after her, whispering for us to
get out of there. We followed her to the source of
the sound. She stopped just outside a small
clearing with someone sitting on a log.
They were dressed in rags with their backs facing us, the
figure hunched over, rocking back and forth as they made
shushing sounds. We didn't hear the baby crying
anymore. This was freaky downright
nightmare fuel. Are you all right?
Mila asked in a shaking voice. My baby, my poor baby, The woman
spoke, and she sounded so normal compared to how she looked.
We can call someone to get you some help.
Mila offered. My poor baby is starving.
Slowly, the figure turned its head.
The light caught a set of Gray eyes that reflected in our
flashlights. Stringy Gray hair fell over a
pale face. At first the expression was
blank, then the face transformed into something distorted and
monstrous. Kenny and Darren were screaming
before that creature stood up. They bolted, leaving Mila and me
behind. I grabbed her wrist, forcing her
to run as the pale creature screeched.
It got on all fours to easily cross the cleaning to reach us.
It jumped into the air, mouth open and Bony clawed, hands
outwards. I pulled Mila out of the way.
In time. The monster crashed into a tree,
then flipped around on the ground like a cat trying to
right itself. We started running again.
Mila's legs shook so much I ended up grabbing her around the
waist to start dragging her. To my horror, the monster kept
coming for us. I needed to fight back.
I let go of her long enough to find a hefty stick to use as a
weapon. That was a mistake, although I'm
not sure if we had any chance of getting away unscathed.
The pale creature came down on Mila.
Biting down hard on her hand. She screamed and kicked to get
the thing away from her. I slammed the branch as hard as
I could into the monster's face. It screeched and released my
best friend. I kept hitting it, but I think I
was just pissing it off. Just as it was about to go into
a counter attack, a whistle came from somewhere.
For some reason, the creature suddenly got on all fours, a
look of distress on its face. It turned heel and darted back
into the woods. To my horror, I saw another pale
figure between the trees also take off running on all fours.
I didn't care about the reason why they were leaving, only that
we were safe for now. How bad is it?
I asked Mila, turning all my attention to her.
She shook her head, tears in her eyes.
The bite wasn't as deep as I feared.
We had a first aid kit back at camp.
I took hold of her again to get us moving.
I didn't hear Kenny or Darren, even though they left us behind.
I hoped they were safe. It'll be all right.
We'll get out of here. Do you have your phone?
I asked. As we kept moving, Mila shook
her head. I hadn't grabbed mine either.
Sure, we were smart enough to go into a group, but we hadn't done
anything intelligent after that. An odd whistling sound came
through the trees. The strange melody chilled me to
my core. Mila started to tug at my arm so
we would walk away from the whistling.
I glanced over her shoulder and saw flashes of white darting
around the branches above us. As much as I hated the
whistling, going in that direction seemed like the better
option. Mila protested a little when I
pulled on her arm to get us moving.
I didn't want to scare her by telling her about the creatures
stalking us in the trees. When I heard Kenny scream, I
forgot about the threats we faced and ran in his direction.
Hearing his voice was a good sign.
I just hoped we reached him in time.
We stumbled into another clearing.
I raised the flashlight. I somehow still held on to the
beam of light, landed on a stranger's face.
His left eye reflected the light, but his right eye didn't.
His head was slightly titled, as if amused by our sudden
appearance. My skin crawled, seeing such a
pleased smile after the terrifying encounter.
Beforehand, Kenny was on the ground breathing heavily with
the man's foot on his chest. My friend also had a bite taken
out of his arm that was freely bleeding.
For a moment it appeared he had a bolt from a crossbow sticking
out of his chest. I soon realized the bolt was
stuck inside a pale monster beside him.
I didn't see at first. The stranger had a Hunter's bow
attached to his arm, loaded and ready to shoot.
What did you do to Kenny and where is Darren?
I demanded with a trembling voice.
The man licked his lips and lifted his foot off Kenny's
chest. He brushed strands of dirty
brown hair from his face, only to have it fall back.
I just saved this one from being a midnight snack, and I sent the
other one down the trail. He might not reach the end of it
alone, though, the stranger said, ending his sentence with a
raspy laugh. He sounded as if he smoked a
pack a day for most of his life. I didn't trust this guy.
Mila tightened her grip on my arm, showing she felt the same
way. Two of you got bitten tonight.
Bites can turn people into those things.
The infected ones won't be able to stand the whistling.
After the man spoke, he started whistling in a way that didn't
sound human. It was as if a songbird was
trying to imitate a man made instrument.
I hadn't been bitten that night, and yet the noise put me on
edge. Kenny recovered enough to
scramble away from the stranger. Mila didn't react, aside from
appearing as nervous as she did when we first stumbled onto this
scene. Finally the man finished
whistling and then studied us all very carefully.
He raised the crossbow and rested it on his shoulder.
The trail is just past those trees.
You kids better get going home. A weight had been lifted off my
chest. Aside from some minor injuries
and a few scares, we were free to leave.
Kenny was the 1st to get up. His legs shook as he tried to
walk towards where we had been directed.
Mila and I walked past the man, feeling his eyes on us All The
stress from the night came back as he gave us an unseen judging
stare. I thought we were in the clear
when a sharp whistle came again. It was so sudden I jumped.
Mila did as well. I turned around to comfort her
and what I saw caused my entire world to come crumbling down.
Her face changed. The person I'd cared for so
deeply and for so long looked nothing like herself.
In her shock, she dropped her mask to let a contorted version
of herself show through. When she realized her cover had
been blown, her mouth grew wide and was suddenly filled with
countless sharp teeth. She wanted to take my head off,
but a quick shot from the crossbow stopped her.
A bolt went through her cheeks, shattering teeth.
She screamed, thrashing around before the man shot her again.
She ripped the bolt from her face and jumped backward.
Mila landed on all fours, snarling with a bloody mouth
towards us. To my horror, a ripping sound
came as she sprouted massive bat like wings.
Her hands became claws and her face transformed into something
so far from human that I almost doubted she had once been the
friend I cared about. In a flash she launched into the
treetops, joining the other white creatures that watched the
scene at a distance. It took me a long time to
realize. The stranger started to drag me
away. My brain was so numb from shock.
I don't remember how long we walked on the trail or what
anyone said to me most of the way back.
I knew that man was whistling again.
I snapped, wanting the noise to end.
He stopped for a few minutes, then I realized the noise was
the only thing keeping those creatures away.
He playfully started back up again as Kenny and I kept our
heads forward, trying to ignore the horrors in the trees.
Darren was waiting for us at the end of the trail and outside of
the forest. A lone police officer stood next
to him, face as cold as steel. We stopped in front of them,
unsure of what to say or how to explain ourselves.
Did you take care of the problem?
The officer asked, almost sounding annoyed.
Problems and Nope, too many of them to deal with.
And get these three out at the same time.
I'm going back in to see what I can do.
Sure do wish I had a friend coming with me, the stranger
said with a loud over exaggerated sigh.
I found my mouth opening to offer to go back to try and save
Mila, but the cop stopped me. He saw three scared kids who
would die if they tried to fight some monsters in a dark forest.
None of that. This is your job, not theirs.
Now go and do it while I take care of my duties.
The man shrugged again and pulled something out of his
pocket. I expected it to be a pack of
cigarettes, but he opened a small jar of dried cinnamon
sticks. He tried offering one to Kenny,
who refused. I reached out to take one, not
to start chewing on like he did, but I needed something real from
that night or else my brain wouldn't believe what happened.
This one is bitten. Do you have anything for him?
The officer asked, and the stranger shook his head.
Without warning, the cop pulled out a package syringe with some
sort of clear mystery liquid inside.
Kenny didn't protest the shot. The officer then reached into
his back pocket to pull out three folded pieces of paper.
Sign these statements. The story is your friend got up
in the middle of the night and got lost.
We'll search for her tomorrow, the cop said and handed us a
sheet of paper. Darren looked disgusted, but he
signed his name. Kenny needed some prodding to do
the same. I refused, and the officer
glared daggers in my direction. What if I tell a different
story? I threatened, ready to face
whatever retaliation that might happen.
You can. I say it would be best for you
mentally to get the real story out.
But no one will believe you as it is.
People are going to assume you 3 did something to that girl.
Don't make it harder on yourself, the stranger said as
he rolled the cinnamon around between his teeth.
I hated him, I hated myself, and I hated what happened.
I signed the paper and the officer told us to get inside
his car so he could take us to the station.
He made us repeat the same fake story a few dozen times as we
drove off. I looked out the back window to
see the stranger giving us a sarcastic wave, and I saw the
lights of the car being reflected by so many eyes
watching in the trees. There was a search for Mila, but
nothing turned up. People have whispered about what
happened. None of it is even close to the
truth. Kenny and Darren started to stay
inside and away from accusing stairs.
I've heard they're not as close as they were before.
I've started saving up as much as I can to move away.
There is nothing left for me in this place aside from bad
memories. I don't know if that man haunted
down all the monsters lurking in the woods, and deep down, I hope
he didn't kill the thing Mila turned into.
Twisted or not, I wanted a part of her to live on, no matter how
selfish it was. I need to leave this place.
I found myself wanting to go back to those woods, to try to
find her, and that desire scared me.
The real Mila would want me to live, and that is what I'm going
to try to do. As the first rays of the sun cut
through the thin curtains of my bedroom, I felt a mixture of
excitement and apprehension. Today was the day I've been
planning for weeks, the day I'd step out of my routine and into
the wilderness of the Iwachita National Forest.
I'd camped before as a kid, but those were carefree times.
Under the watchful eyes of my parents, this was different.
I was going alone as an adult, and I couldn't shake off a
strange feeling, a premonition almost, that this trip would be
unlike any other. I double checked my gear laid
out on the living room floor, tent, sleeping bag, extra phone
battery, enough food and water to last a week, and the 9mm my
dad had given me when I turned 18.
I'd never felt the need to use it, but out there it seemed like
a reasonable precaution. You can never be too careful.
My dad's words echoed in my mind as I packed everything into the
back of my SUV. The drive to Awachita was a
blend of familiar landscapes and the excitement of venturing into
the unknown. With each mile, civilization
seemed to recede, replaced by the raw beauty of nature.
By the time I arrived, the sun was high, casting dappled light
through the dense canopy of trees.
I parked in a small clearing, a spot I knew I'd remember, and
took a moment to breathe in the crisp air.
This is it, I whispered to myself, shouldering my backpack
and stepping into the embrace of the forest.
Setting up camp was both exhilarating and exhausting.
I found a spot that seemed like it had been waiting for me,
sheltered by trees yet with a view of the sky above.
As I pitched my tent and gathered wood for a fire, I
couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
This was me doing this on my own.
I cooked lunch over the campfire, the simple food
tasting like the finest meal in the solitude of the forest.
I even managed to snap a few pictures of deer through the
trees, their presence a silent affirmation of the life thriving
in this secluded place. But as the afternoon wore on, an
unsettling stillness began to take hold.
The forest, so alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and
distant animal calls, gradually fell silent.
At first I convinced myself it was natural, perhaps the ebb and
flow of the forest's rhythms, but by late afternoon the
silence felt oppressive, as if the forest itself was holding
its breath. I tried to shake off the
feeling, even calling a friend to break the silence with human
conversation. His laughter and the familiar
sound of his voice were a temporary bomb, but as we hung
up and dusk approached, the unease returned heavier than
before. Night fell like a curtain, and
with it an inescapable feeling of isolation.
I sat by the fire, staring into the flames, lost in thought.
The excitement of the day had faded, replaced by a nagging
sense that I was not alone, not in the sense of a comforting
presence, but an intrusive one. Watching from the shadows as I
crawled into my tent, the 9mm by my side, I couldn't escape the
feeling that this trip, this adventure I had so eagerly
anticipated, was about to take a turn into the unknown.
The last thought I had before sleep finally claimed me was a
hope that the morning would bring back the forest song, that
the silence was just a fleeting shadow passing through the
Watcheta. The cold ground beneath me was
unforgiving, but sleep had finally taken hold, albeit
fitfully. My dreams were a maelstrom of
shadows and sounds, blending with the reality of the forest
that cradled me. It was a noise, distinct and out
of place, that wrestled me from the grasp of uneasy slumber.
My eyes snapped open to a world where moonlight was a scant
visitor filtered through the dense canopy above the forest.
Silence, which had unnerved me earlier, was now shattered by an
unnerving rhythm. Footsteps, if they could be
called that, paced with a precision that felt almost
methodical. Bada da dum bada da dum.
My heart raced, its beats trying to match the cadence of the
unseen visitor. The 9mm, cold and solid in my
grip, offered a whisper of comfort.
I was no stranger to the woods, but this was a fear I hadn't
known. The footsteps drew nearer, A
deliberate taunt against the backdrop of silence.
Then, as if aware of my heightened terror, they ceased.
The silence returned, heavier than before, suffocating.
My breaths were loud in my ears, a frantic Symphony to the
stillness. Then, without warning, the
creature unleashed a screech that curdled my blood, a sound
so alien it seemed to pull the very air from my lungs.
Panic surged as the fabric of my tent tore open, revealing the
night and the nightmare it hid. Its silhouette was a jagged line
against the lesser darkness, its movements unnaturally fluid as
it shredded the barrier between us.
I fired blindly, the report of the gun shockingly loud, but it
only served to anger the creature further.
In a moment fueled by fear and instinct, I made my decision to
flee. The opening of my tent felt
miles away as I scrambled, the creature's aggression focused on
the fabric. I had just escaped the forest
once a haven, now felt like a labyrinth designed for my
torment. I ran branches clawing at me,
the ground uneven beneath my feet, But the creature was
relentless. Its pursuit was a rhythmic
nightmare that echoed through the trees.
Bada da da dum bada da da da. In a moment of desperation, or
perhaps inspiration, I threw myself into a thicket, hoping
beyond hope that stillness might save me.
My body ached. My breaths were shallow heaves,
but I dared not move. Then it appeared, lit by a
moonbeam as if on a stage. Its form was a perversion of
nature, emaciated and stretched, moving with an unsettling grace.
When it stood, it was a mockery of a human silhouette, an
abomination of the human form it mimicked.
Our eyes met, and in that instant I knew true fear, not of
death, but of being seen by such an entity, understood by it in
some unfathomable way. Yet as quickly as our encounter
began, it ended. The creature turned, leaving
with the same unnerving rhythm it arrived with, leaving me to
the dawn and the questions that would haunt me.
As the sun rose, so did I, albeit as a man changed.
The forest was alive again, indifferent to my ordeal.
I packed what remained, my movements mechanical, driven by
the desire to leave this place, to return to a world where such
encounters were impossible. But as I drove away, the
creatures gaze lingered, a reminder of the fragile veil
between our world and those unknown.
The Owashita had shown me something profound and
terrifying, a secret I was not meant to see.
And as I rejoined civilization, the forest silence remained with
me, a haunting melody to the inexplicable encounter that
would forever color my nights beneath the open sky.
It was 3:30 AM, pitch dark and way too early for anyone to be
awake. But there I was, lying in bed,
staring at the ceiling of my barracks room at Fort Bragg, NC.
My alarm had just blared, A harsh sound that seemed way
louder in the quiet of the early morning.
Today wasn't just any day, it was the start of a two week
field training exercise, something we in the military
called the Field. Honestly, I was one of the few
who didn't dread it. Sure, we'd be cut off from cell
phones, bars and worst of all, showers, but it was a chance to
get away from the monotony of daily duties and spend some time
outdoors, even if it was in a heavily wooded training area.
Dragging myself out of bed, I managed to get ready in record
time. Last Warm shower for two weeks?
Check. A decent breakfast that didn't
come from a mess hall? Double check.
Living in the barracks had its perks sometimes, and being a
short walk from where we had to muster was definitely one of
them. When I arrived at the company
area, a bunch of my fellow soldiers were already there,
looking about as thrilled as kids on the way to the dentist.
Some were practically asleep on their feet, others were Downing
energy drinks like water. I felt like an old man among
them, even though I was only in my mid 20s.
Most of these guys weren't even old enough to legally drink, but
that never stopped them. We lined up to get our gear and
weapons for the training. I felt a pang of sympathy for
the guys stuck carrying the M24 nines.
Those things were beasts, but soon enough we were all kitted
out and ready to go. Our platoon leader gave us a
brief rundown of what was to come.
Follow the vehicle ahead, watch for potential IE DS, and make
sure to cover our sectors of fire.
It was nothing I hadn't heard before.
With a bit of luck, I ended up driving the lead Humvee with our
platoon leader riding shotgun, issuing orders like he was born
to do it. The drive to the training site
took about an hour. We arrived at a secluded, wooded
area far from the base, our home for the next fortnight.
Setting up camp took several hours, but by the time we
finished it felt like we'd accomplished something tangible.
Tents were pitched, a fire watch roster was set up, and I drew
the short straw for the 3:00 AM guard shift.
Just my luck. Standing guard in the dead of
night, I tried out the night vision goggles, NVGS handed to
me by the previous watch. The woods came alive under the
green glow of the NVGS, and for a moment I felt a sense of
peace. That is, until I caught 2
privates sneaking off for a not so secret rendezvous.
I chose to give them some privacy.
After all, we were all adults here.
But that sense of peace didn't last.
As my shift dragged on and I fought to stay awake, something
caught my eye. A figure stood at the tree line,
just watching. It was too far to make out any
details, but the way it seemed to stare right back gave me the
creeps. My wristwatch alarm went off
suddenly, nearly giving me a heart attack, and just like
that, the figure was gone. I tried to brush it off as my
imagination running wild, but there was a part of me that
couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
Reluctantly, I finished my shift and woke the next guard, then
curled up in the back of my Humvee.
Whatever it was, I didn't want to see it again, But as I
drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what lurked in
the shadows of those woods the next day, After what felt like
only minutes of sleep, the sun was already peeking through the
trees, announcing the start of a new day.
With the previous night's creepy encounter still playing on my
mind, I pushed it aside, convincing myself it was just
the result of too little sleep and an overactive imagination.
Today was about land navigation, something I was actually looking
forward to. No lieutenants.
Messing with maps meant we might actually stand a chance of
finding our way points without getting hopelessly lost.
Breakfast was quick, and then we were grouped into threes, handed
our coordinates, and sent off into the woods.
The dense canopy above us turned the morning light into a sort of
perpetual twilight, and the untouched nature of the terrain
made every step feel like stepping into the unknown.
We were on the lookout for venomous snakes as much as we
were for our next waypoint. The first few coordinates let us
deeper into the forest, and each time we found our mark, it felt
like a small victory. But when we reached a coordinate
that led us to a lone cone in the middle of nowhere with a
photo of a young soldier taped to it, things started to feel
off. Who was this soldier and why was
his picture out here? It was a question none of us
could answer, but I took a picture of it with my phone
anyway, thinking it might make sense later.
As the day wore on and the shadows grew longer, we realized
we needed to head back before darkness made the woods and even
more confusing Labyrinth. I remember joking about not
wanting to spend the night out there, but the humor was lost on
me the moment. Carry on, one of my group
members mentioned he thought we were being followed, Stopping in
our tracks. We listened.
There was a distinct sound of someone or something moving
through the underbrush behind us.
But when we stopped, it stopped too.
That's when the real fear set in.
Was it just some drill Sergeant playing mind games, or was it
something else? We decided against running.
It could provoke whatever was out there, if it turned out to
be more than just a human prankster pushing forward.
Every rustle of leaves had us on edge.
I kept thinking about those horror movies where you scream
at the characters to do the smart thing.
Now I was in one of those movies, and there didn't seem to
be any smart option available. When we were about a mile from
camp. That's when it decided to make
its move. Something darted across our path
so fast I barely caught a glimpse, but it was enough.
Enough to see its eyes reflecting in the flashlight.
Enough to see it wasn't human. The forest around us erupted
into chaos as we saw more of them, eyes glowing, watching us
from the darkness. Diaz, another member of our
trio, pointed his flashlight at a tree, revealing one of those
things clinging to it, smiling that grotesque smile.
That's when panic took over. The sound of a gunshot ripped
through the air as we turned and ran, not caring about the noise
or the direction, only wanting to get away.
I don't remember much about the run back.
My lungs burned, my gear felt like it weighed a ton, and the
forest seemed to close in around us.
We were no longer soldiers on training, we were prey running
for our lives. I fired my weapon into the
darkness, knowing it was useless, hearing screams that I
couldn't place as human or otherwise.
Somehow I made it back to camp alone and out of breath, with no
sign of Diaz or carry on. What happened out there, I
couldn't fully explain, but the looks on the faces of my fellow
soldiers as they saw me covered in blood and rambling about
creatures in the woods, told me everything I needed to know.
They thought I had lost my mind, and maybe I had, but not in the
way they believed. Waking up in camp, the morning
light did little to ease the horror of the previous night.
I was covered in blood. My heart was racing, and Diaz
and Carrion were nowhere to be found.
The camp was in chaos, with soldiers looking at me like I
was a ghost or worse, a monster. I tried to explain, to tell them
about the creatures in the woods, but the words wouldn't
come out right. It was like trying to describe a
nightmare while still dreaming it.
Before I could even attempt to make sense, I was grabbed,
questioned, and then quickly restrained.
My platoon leader looked at me with eyes full of anger and
fear. His questions were sharp,
demanding to know what had happened to Diaz and carry on.
I tried to tell him, tried to warn him about the creatures,
but it only made things worse. The disbelief in his eyes turned
to rage and then to violence. I was left alone, tied up,
wondering if I was the only one who knew the truth, and if that
truth would even matter. Time passed slowly in that
makeshift prison. My thoughts were a jumbled mess
of fear, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of dread.
They sent another search party out, despite my warnings.
I knew it was a mistake, but there was nothing I could do.
When the platoon leader finally came back, the look on his face
said it all. The static from the radio, the
absence of any response, the distant gunfire.
It was happening again, and this time they couldn't deny it.
They cut me loose, but it wasn't out of trust or understanding,
it was out of necessity. The camp was under attack and
every able body was needed. I grabbed a pair of night vision
goggles and looked out into the night.
There they were, the creatures attacking my friends, my
comrades. It was a scene straight out of a
horror movie. Only this was real and the fear
was paralyzing. I crawled to a Humvee, desperate
to escape, to survive. The engine roared to life, and
for a moment I thought I might make it.
But then, tapping on the window, one of those things was smiling
at me, its mouth stained with blood.
In that moment, I knew I couldn't hesitate.
I floored it, driving over anything in my path, driven by a
mix of fear and determination. The drive back to base was a
blur. When I finally stopped, I was
greeted not with relief but with suspicion.
Arrested and thrown into the Brig, I was left to ponder the
nightmare that had unfolded. It was only after what seemed
like an eternity that they released me, the investigation
into the events somehow corroborating my story, or at
least enough of it to prove I wasn't at fault.
I was medically discharged, a pension and a ticket away from
Fort Bragg, away from the woods that held horrors no one should
ever face. I moved as far as I could,
trying to put distance between myself and the memories, But
some nights I can still see those eyes, hear the tapping on
the window, and feel the fear that nearly consumed me.
It was over, or so I hoped. But deep down I knew those woods
still held secrets, and the creatures within were far from
imaginary. My only solace was the hope that
no one else would have to face them.
But in the quiet of the night, I couldn't help but wonder if the
nightmare was truly over. I've always felt a kinship with
the untamed landscapes that stretch far beyond the confines
of our everyday lives. There's something about the raw,
unfiltered beauty of nature that speaks to me, Calls to me in a
way that nothing else does. It's a bond I share with my
girlfriend, an invisible thread that ties us together, drawing
us out into the wilderness time and time again on a foggy
Friday, with the weekend yawning open before us, devoid of plans
or obligations, she suggested we go camping.
The idea struck a chord in me, resonating with my deep seated
need to escape the trappings of our mundane existence.
We decided on a forest an hour's drive from our place, a spot we
hadn't explored yet but had heard was a hiker's paradise.
Lacking a car, we embarked on foot, our journey taking us
through landscapes that transitioned from the familiar
to the increasingly remote. The trek, lasting between 2 1/2
to 3 hours, tested our resolve but also reinforced our
connection not just to each other, but to the world around
us. As we stepped into the forest,
the sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the sky and
hues of fire and gold. The beauty of the scene was
breathtaking, a perfect welcome to what promised to be a
sanctuary. From the chaos of our daily
routines we hiked, lost in the tranquility of our surroundings,
our conversation flowing as easily as the wind through the
trees, but then a ripple of unease.
My girlfriend, always more attuned to the nuances of our
surroundings than I, mentioned seeing something.
A presence, she said, watching from the shadows between the
trees. I tried to see what she saw
peering into the dense underbrush, but found nothing.
I chalked it up to her imagination, her anxiety
painting phantoms where there were none.
Her steps grew closer to mine. Seeking reassurance in my
proximity, I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close,
and for a moment the unease dissipated.
Swallowed by the forest serene embrace, we stumbled upon a
clearing, as if by design, A secluded haven deep within the
heart of the woods. It was as if the forest itself
had carved out of space just for us, with fallen trees lying in a
rough square that beckoned us to set up camp.
This was our spot, our temporary home away from home, surrounded
by the unspoiled beauty of nature.
We pitched our tent with practiced ease, transforming the
clearing into a cozy retreat as twilight deepened into night.
We lit a fire, it's warm glow a beacon against the encroaching
darkness. We cooked, ate, and talked, our
conversation meandering through topics dark and light.
We spoke of mysteries unsolved and tales macabre, our voices
mingling with the crackle of the fire and the whisper of the wind
through the trees. It was late when we decided to
turn in the night, wrapping the forest in a blanket of stars.
Our sleeping bags were a promise of comfort in the chill of the
night, our tent to shield against the wild.
As I drifted off to sleep, I felt a profound sense of peace,
a belief that in this moment, all was right in the world.
Little did I know, the darkness held secrets, and our sanctuary
was not as safe as we believed. The true nature of the wild,
unforgiving and unpredictable, was about to reveal itself,
changing our lives forever. The night was a living thing,
breathing and whispering around our tent, a cocoon nestled in
the heart of the wilderness. It was in these quiet hours,
with the fire reduced to embers and the forest a shadowy realm
beyond our canvas walls, that reality began to shift,
imperceptible at first, then with alarming clarity.
It started with a simple act, so mundane that in any other
context it would have been forgettable.
My girlfriend, Her voice tinged with an emotion I couldn't quite
place, whispered that she needed a bathroom break.
There was a fragility in her tone, a vulnerability that was
rare for her. My concern spiked, manifesting
as a nod in my gut. Are you all right?
I asked, my voice low, attempting to mask my sudden
anxiety. Yeah, I'm fine, she replied,
though her voice betrayed her. She left the tent a silhouette
against the faint glow of our dying fire, and as the zipper
closed behind her, a chill ran down my spine, an instinctual
warning that something was amiss.
Minutes stretched into eternity. The forest's nocturnal chorus
played on, indifferent to my growing unease. 15 minutes past,
then 20. It was too long, far too long
for her to be gone. I called out, my voice swallowed
by the vastness of the night, receiving no response but the
rustling of leaves and the distant call of a night bird.
Panic, sharp and unyielding, propelled me out of the tent,
flashlight in hand. I scanned the darkness, the beam
of light, a feeble attempt to Pierce the overwhelming black, a
whimper so faint I thought. I imagined It guided me deeper
into the woods, away from the safety of our camp.
And then I saw her. The flashlight fell from my
hand. It's light landing on a scene so
horrific that for a moment my mind refused to comprehend it.
Suspended from a tree, her body was a testament to an
unspeakable violence. Half of her face was gone, torn
away by what my mind reeled, trying to make sense of the
impossible. Her last words to me were a
whisper, a plea laced with love and a warning I couldn't
understand. Stay away from The Cave, in the
distance. And then she was gone, her body
going limp, leaving me alone in the night with my grief and a
growing terror. The Cave, the mention of it,
ignited A curiosity, a need to understand, to find the source
of this nightmare. My heart pounded as I
approached, driven by a mix of dread and an inexplicable pull
towards the dark maw and the earth.
What I found was a creature from a nightmare, a being so
grotesque and otherworldly that my mind struggled to accept its
reality. It spoke, its voice a mockery of
human speech, taunting me with my ignorance, my failure to
protect her, to believe her fears.
I couldn't stay, couldn't bear the weight of its gaze or the
truth in its words. I fled, stumbling through the
dark, the forest now a labyrinth of shadows and fear behind me.
The creature laughed, a sound that would haunt me for the rest
of my days. The escape was a blur of terror
and adrenaline, the forest a hostile entity intent on my
demise. But I emerged, broken and alone,
back into a world that seemed alien to me now.
I had survived, but at what cost?
The night had unravelled, taking with it the illusion of safety,
of sanity. What remained was a shattered
reality, a life irrevocably changed by the horrors that
lurked in the unseen depths of the wild.
Dawn broke with a cruelty that morning.
It's light a stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed
my world. The forest, once a place of
refuge and beauty, now felt like a prison.
It's trees standing like silent witnesses to the horror of the
night before. My escape from that nightmare,
driven by primal fear and the instinct to survive, was a blur,
A frenzied dash through the underbrush.
Every shadow a potential threat, every sound a possible harbinger
of death. The creature's taunts echoed in
my mind, a constant reminder of my failure, of the price of
disbelief. I'll find you someday, it had
shouted, its voice a chilling promise of fear without end.
You can join that stupid woman of yours in the futile void we
call death. The words were a poison seeping
into my soul, leaving me with a terror that I knew would never
fully dissipate. Somehow I made it to the road,
my body moving on autopilot, driven by a deep seated need to
return to a semblance of normalcy, to a world where such
monsters couldn't possibly exist.
I hitchhiked back to civilization, my story pouring
out in a disjointed flood to the stranger who had offered me a
ride. To my surprise, there was no
skepticism in his eyes, only a deep, unsettling understanding.
Back in the realm of the living, the reality of what had happened
hit me with the force of a physical blow.
I was alone, truly alone in a way I had never been before.
My girlfriend, my love, my partner in every adventure was
gone. Taken by a horror that defied
explanation, I told my story again and again to anyone who
would listen to the police, to friends, to anyone.
The reactions were mixed, ranging from disbelief to
horror. But a surprising number of
people believed me. It turned out there were legends
about the forest. Tales of a creature that lurked
in the shadows, praying on the unwary.
These stories, once just that, stories, now felt like grim
warnings, ignored at our peril. The days turned into weeks, then
months, but the terror of that night remained a constant shadow
that followed me. Sleep was elusive, each night a
battle against the memories that surged forth the moment I closed
my eyes. And sometimes, in the darkest
hours before dawn, I would see it, the outline of a figure,
hunched and grotesque, lurking in the corners of my room,
drawing closer with each passing night.
The guilt was a relentless companion, gnawing at me with
the relentless persistence of a carrion eater.
I could have prevented it all, could have saved her, if only I
had believed, if only I had listened.
That realization was a weight that I knew I would carry for
the rest of my days. The forest, once a place of
escape and joy, now represented something else entirely, a
reminder of the fragility of life, of the thin veneer of
safety that separates us from the darkness that lies in wait.
I had sought solace in the wild, only to find a nightmare that
would forever haunt my dreams. As I moved through the motions
of life, a shell of my former self, I couldn't shake the
feeling that the creature's eyes were still on me, watching,
waiting. The wilderness had called, and
we had answered, not knowing that some calls are better left
unanswered. The wild had revealed its true
nature. Unforgiving, unpredictable.
A reminder that for all our advancements, we are still at
the mercy of forces beyond our understanding, beyond our
control. I ain't scared of nothing.
That's what I told my brother, loud enough for the whole street
to hear as I slammed my car door shut.
I remember his smirk, holding out my jacket like a white flag,
listing all the things I should fear.
Skinwalkers, witches, werewolves.
Straight out of a horror movie. He thought he could scare me,
make me back down. I rolled my eyes, snatched my
jacket, and yelled back. I'm not scared Before driving
off. The mountains ahead, with their
jagged outlines against the setting sun looked like giant
teeth, ready to swallow me whole.
I wish I'd listen to him. It all started a couple of days
ago. Depression had become my shadow.
It followed me everywhere, whispering thoughts of jumping
off bridges or stepping in front of cars.
I was tired of fighting it. One of my friends, probably
tired of my gloom, suggested I try solo camping.
It's peaceful, he said. The wilderness, the silence.
It helps. He gave me a list of places, but
my eyes were drawn to the most isolated spot, 3 hours hike from
the last campsite in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.
You sure? He asked, disbelief clear in his
voice. I nodded, too exhausted to
argue. Just don't go out at night, he
warned. You might not like what you
find. The drive was surprisingly
calming. The road snaked through the
forest, the trees a blur of green and brown.
I decided then to leave my phone locked in my glove box.
This trip was about disconnecting, finding peace
away from the noise. I planned to be out for five
days. Surely that was enough time to
clear my head to figure things out.
Estes Park was my last glimpse of civilization.
I drove through, resisting the urge to stop and book a room at
the Stanley Hotel. The park entrance loomed ahead
and I drove in, feeling like I was crossing into another world.
As night began to fall, I regretted leaving so late.
The last thing I wanted was to hike in the dark.
I found a parking lot with a few tents set up just for tonight.
I promised myself, setting up my own tent among strangers who
soon became temporary friends. We shared food and stories,
their laughter, the kids playing.
It all felt so normal, so comforting.
Wrapped in my sleeping bag, I fell asleep to the sound of
their voices, the crackling fire and the faint rustle of the
trees. That night was the last bit of
peace I'd have. If I had known what awaited me
in the depths of those woods, I would have turned my car around
and driven straight home. But I was determined, stubbornly
clinging to the belief that I wasn't scared of anything.
How wrong I was. Waking up in that parking lot
felt like waking up from the last good dream I'd have for a
while. I packed up my tent, said
goodbye to the temporary friends I'd made, and set off towards my
real destination. The deeper into the forest I
walked, the heavier my heart felt.
It was like each step was a step further away from the world I
knew, and deeper into a silence that was too quiet.
I remember thinking it's just trees, right, Just nature.
But man, was I wrong. The trees felt like they were
watching me, moving with me. Every noise made me jump.
The isolation I thought I wanted now felt like a heavy blanket,
suffocating and too warm. I got lost a lot.
What was supposed to be a three hour hike turned into nearly six
hours of me cursing, sweating, and regretting every choice that
led me to this moment. When I finally found the
campsite, the sun was already saying goodbye.
I hastily set up my tent, my hands shaking not from the cold
but from a fear I couldn't quite name.
As darkness swallowed the forest, every sound seemed
louder. A branch snapping made me think
of a horror movie jump scare. I told myself it was just
animals, just the wind. But the comfort of those
thoughts was thin and fragile. I crawled into my tent, hoping
sleep would take me away from the creeping dread.
It was a foolish hope. The night was restless, filled
with sounds that seemed too deliberate, too close.
Footsteps circled my tent and I lay there frozen, too scared to
even breathe loudly. My imagination turned shadows
into monsters and the rustling leaves into whispers.
I tried to convince myself it was all in my head, that I was
just not used to the wilderness. But then there was the
unmistakable sound of something or someone brushing against my
tent. My heart raced and all the
bravado I had claimed as my own melted away into the darkness.
I was scared. No, I was terrified.
The reality of my isolation hit me.
Then. There was no one to call for
help, no one to hear me scream. I was utterly alone with
whatever lurked just beyond the thin fabric of my tent.
The night dragged on an endless loop of fear and brief moments
of exhausted dozing. When dawn finally broke, it felt
like a reprieve, a stay of execution.
But the relief was short lived. The day brought its own
challenges, its own fears, and as the sunset again, I knew the
night would only bring more terror.
That second night in the wilderness broke something in
me. Every sound was a threat, every
shadow a demon. I realized then that the
solitude I thought would heal me was actually a mirror,
reflecting back my deepest fears.
I was lost in a forest of my own making, and the way out seemed
just as inscrutable as the way in.
The darkness wasn't just around me.
It was inside me, and I didn't know how to escape it.
That third night, I didn't just cross the line into fear.
I dove head first into a nightmare.
Sitting in my tent, the darkness outside felt like a living,
breathing thing waiting to swallow me whole.
My mind raced with every Horror Story I'd ever heard, each sound
outside, a confirmation that the worst was about to happen.
The fire I'd managed to keep alive flickered like the last
heartbeat of hope in my chest. I told myself to be rational,
that it was just animals or the wind, but deep down I knew it
wasn't. The footsteps returned, but this
time they were joined by others, a chorus of whispers and
laughter that seemed to mock my terror.
Then it happened. The side of my tent was pushed
in, as if something wanted to breakthrough.
My scream was lost in the vastness of the forest.
In a moment of panic and madness, I unzipped the tent and
looked outside. What I saw will haunt me
forever. A figure resembling me but
twisted into something grotesque, with eyes like empty
voids. I ran.
The forest around me turned into a blur of shadows and fear.
I could hear it behind me, its footsteps mirroring mine, a
grotesque echo of my own terror. The trees seemed to reach out,
their branches like hands, trying to drag me back into the
darkness. I didn't know where I was going.
I just knew I had to keep moving.
When I crashed into something solid and warm.
I thought it was the end. But it wasn't a monster.
It was a man claiming to be a park Ranger, yet nothing about
him fit the bill. His suit was too clean, his
shoes too polished for someone who'd been in the forest.
But in that moment, I didn't care.
He was my escape from the nightmare.
We drove in silence, his SUV cutting through the night like a
beacon of hope. When we finally stopped, the
light of dawn was just touching the horizon.
He handed me a card with just a number on it.
No name, No title, just a lifeline I wasn't sure I'd ever
use. After he drove off, leaving me
alone with the rising sun, I couldn't shake the feeling of
dread. What had I seen?
Was it real, or just a product of my fear soaked mind?
And the man who claimed to be a Ranger?
Who was he really? I drove away from the mountains
as fast as I could, vowing never to return.
The wilderness, once a place of beauty and wonder, now held only
terror and unanswered questions. My friends noticed the change in
me, but how could I explain? How do you tell someone you were
chased by your own twisted reflection, or that you might
have encountered something supernatural?
Sometimes I pull out the card the man gave me, wondering if I
should call, if I should seek answers.
But then I remember the laughter in the darkness, the eyes that
mirrored my own but held only malice, And I realize some
things are better left unexplored.
I've changed. The forest changed me.
It showed me fear in its purest form.
And now every shadow, every whisper of wind brings me back
to that night. I don't know if I'll ever truly
escape it. Maybe we carry our forests with
us, the darkness that whispers our name with a voice too much
like our own.