The Mysterious Woods (Needs Editing)

Chapter Two: A Week Earlier

I've always wanted to be a detective when I'm older. Ever since my mum disappeared in the woods almost a year ago, I've been putting my detective skills to the test. I'm 15 and live with my dad so I have lots of space. I hardly ever see my dad because he's always working, but so am I.

I'm being the detective of my own mum's disappearance because none of the police think it's important. Well I do. Ever since my mum disappeared in the woods weird things have been happening. Dead animals have been found in the village, people's belongings have been disappearing and people have been dying.

The police say that all the things that have been happening are not connected to my mum's disappearance, but I think it is. Today, I'm off to find one of the dead animals before the police discover it. If they find them before me they will take it away and I will not get a close look at it.

I'm going to search nearer the woods today because I might get more clues near there. I don't tell my dad what I do because he gets scared that he will lose me as well, so I don't tell him so he doesn't get worried. I can look after myself. I took karate for 3 years so that I could defend myself.

I get to the spot near the woods where it is fenced off. I don't know why they fence it off because animals can still get under it. I walk along next to the fence, searching for any clues. I don't think anyone comes near this part of the village anymore, it's all abandoned.

As I'm walking along something catches my eyes on the fence. I stop to take a closer look and then realize that there is a huge hole in the side of the fence. This hole wasn't created by a wild animal but a creature because the hole is human size. I take a picture of the hole on my camera for evidence.

As I check the picture is on my camera I can see a piece of ripped material in the picture. I look up to see the piece of material attached to the fence. Another clue! I take my bag off and get a small plastic bag out and put the ripped material inside. Well this has been a good day so far, two clues in one day. I put my clue in my bag and put my bag on my back.

I look up and into the woods. I wonder what this creature is and how it can live in that dark, cold woods. Why does it want to kill people and animals? What does it want with the stuff it steals? Lots of questions but still no answers, yet. I will find out one day, just not today.

Before I take my eyes off of the woods my eyes catch a figure standing in the shadows of the trees. I take a step closer to the fence and make out that the figure is a person! Why is that person in there? I take another step closer and can make out that the person is a boy, about my age wearing a leather jacket and jeans.

"Hey! What are you doing in the woods?" I shout to the boy so he can hear me over all the loud wind.

I watch the boy as he takes a step back into the shadows and I lose sight of him.

"Hey! Don't go in there! It's dangerous!" I shout but it's too late.

Well, I wish him luck with surviving in there when there's a creature on the loose. He will probably die which is probably what happened to my mum, but I don't like to think that she's dead. As I stand there still looking into the woods, I have this feeling that I should go in there and find that boy. Maybe all answers to these questions I have are in those woods. Maybe I have to go in there to solve this mystery.

No! There's got to be another way then going in there. I look away from the woods and carry on my search for a dead animal. If I find a dead animal it could at least answer a few of my on growing list of questions.

I give up my search after I have done almost the whole width of the woods where the fence is. No dead animals for me today, but I did get two clues. I run the whole way back to my house because the sky is getting darker and it might rain soon.

When I get home I see that my dad is not home yet because his car isn't on the drive. I get my keys out and get inside before it starts to rain. I rush up the stairs so I can add my clues to my board. I have a board in my room where I put all my clues and evidence, then try and link them to things. 

I dump my bag on my bed and start to empty it. I get my camera and plug it into my laptop so I can print out the picture. I go back to my bag and get the ripped material and pin it to my board. I pin the picture next to the material and write my notes about what happened today next to the picture.

The fence couldn't have been recked by any human because no human can break that fence. It wasn't an animal because animals are not that strong to rip open a fence and animals don't wear clothes or have any material on them. That only leaves me with a creature that wears clothes or has material attached to it.

When I finish writing I remember the boy is saw and try to see him in the picture I took. I find the spot where he was standing but...there's no one there. Maybe my camera didn't pick him up because he was standing in the shadows. That must be why, it was too dark to see him. Maybe that boy lives in those woods and protects himself from the creature...or that boy is the creature. What am I thinking? He's just a boy with a death wish, he couldn't possibly be the creature...or could he?