31 Stories of Halloween

Day 28: Birch Wood Forest

Prompt: Birch

The way too happy tour guide smiled and called out, "Alright everyone and this is our town famous Birch Wood forest and as you can see during our winter months the natives who lived beyond the forest used to use the white winters and white wood to camouflage themselves for hunting and keeping an eye on the settlers. Which was an interesting technique that was shared with us only after we returned the land to them." I drown her out and walk towards the woods.

The tour guide called out, "Oh, let's stay out here the legend says that once the natives took their land back, they cursed it to keep outsiders who were not welcome out." She takes the tour through the heavy snow back; I stay behind and tread the snow through the forest, I find nothing but trees, after 20 mins I begin to walk back when the tour guide comes out of nowhere. "Hmm, what is this? I think I told you to stay out of here, but you just couldn't listen to what is with you teens and not listening oh well, you'll make a good meal."

Wait a minute, where was she, how is she here? I didn't even hear her; the snow is crunching under my feet she couldn't have snuck up on me. The tour guide shapeshifts into a monstrous humanoid figure; a Skin Walker. I scream and run through the forest, what was only a 20-minute walk was an endless forest. The screams and shrieks that the skinwalker lets out are terrorizing. I believe I've finally found it! The exit's finally here— wait, I'm on the ground? I turn my head and see a large root sticking out of the ground.

I scramble to get up but it's too late, the skinwalker grabbed my leg and dragged me through the snow. "What a pity, if only you listened to my warning. Either way, you'll be delicious human." I was dangled above its large head and dropped in.

*POV Changed*

Back at the lodge, "Wow, Tour-guide Heather you know so much about the people of this land and their history, and I'm sorry my sister gave you such a fright." The young teen sat in a chair, covered in snow and looking rather beaten. "Don't worry she wasn't ready for my twin sister Kelly to come to find her as she did, but all is fine. She is safe here with us back in the lodge."

The teen leaned closer to the fireplace when Heather the tour guide walked away, and the young woman went over and lectured the teen about going into the forest. "Do you understand?" The teen looked at her sister and looked away, "Fine I'll never disobey you again." Her older sister turned, "Good I'm going to get us some hot chocolate, I'll be right back." The teen sighed, "Fine," the door closed as the sharp teeth of the skinwalker showed themselves through its camouflages. "Hehe, what a nice body for sure, do you think so sister?" Heather smiled evilly as she reentered the room. "Yes, quite so." They share an evil laugh.