The Mysterious Shadow In The Woods

Chapter 1

In the year 1978, there was a mysterious figure standing out in the woods as I was setting up camp for the evening. I saw it and immediately told my parents but they wouldn't believe me. What does it want? What happened to it? How did it get here? Who or what is it? They are all valid questions, but for now, I can't answer them. After a restless night, I got up early the next day and investigated by myself.

When I got to the edge of the trees, I saw this creature about twenty feet away. It was a large wolf that was black with orange around its midsection and two rows of spikes where the black met with the orange. The spikes were a distinct scarlet color as if they were made of some sort of material. The first row of spines almost reached the shoulders, while both rows of spines were slightly in front of them. It lifted its head slightly so I got a good look at the wolf's fiery eyes. I took several steps toward the creature but stopped after a few steps. I was scared, but I was intrigued by this creature. It lowered its head as it feared for my safety, but I was safe. I was curious about this creature and its place on earth.

When I was positive that I was safe, I took another step. It did not move. I then stepped away from it, and it turned and disappeared quickly into the trees.

After that day, I started to get a weird feeling. I always felt like I was being followed, but I was never able to find anyone.

Now, over 50 years later, on the same day that this creature was sighted, I was once again hiking along the same trail, and I looked up and saw the same creature that I saw when I was 16 years old. I stood there for a minute and watched it. I then shouted at it and it turned and looked at me. It was lifeless and a part of me wished that it would come toward me, but I knew that it wouldn't. The most interesting part of the whole encounter was how it stood still toward me and not toward my parent's camp. It stood still and watched me as I said some words to it. I watched it for a moment before it ran away, just like it did all those years ago.

As I walked back to my camp that night, I started to wonder what it wanted. What did it want to do with me, or what did it want from me? Why did it pick me out of all the other people that are in the world? I started to wonder how it figured out how to get on my trail. Did it feel my desire to see it again, and did it somehow use it to get our paths to cross once more?

A few nights later, I found out that the trail I was on was no longer there. I was a few days' walk from my original camp and was on a trail that I never knew existed. I wanted to investigate the new trail but I knew that it would be dangerous and would cause damage to my body if I dragged myself down into the ground. I would eventually make it back to my camp, but it would be a while before I would get finished with this trail. I was in the middle of it when I thought, "I was in the middle of this trail 50 years ago. I am still in it today. It has never moved. Not one bit." I should have adapted to it, but I wasn't. I never found out why it picked me or why I was going on it. I will never know why, but I guess this is what I'll call 'Love at First Sight.'

After a few weeks, I made it back to my camp and I was happy to be back In my own bed. I was aching all over and was extremely tired. I knew I was going to have to get some rest in order to get back to my normal life.

The next day I took a few steps toward home, but then I stopped. There was a note at my door. It was an unfinished note that I started before I left. It read:

"Whoever finds this note may wonder why it is unfinished. It is unfinished because I am too tired at the moment to finish it. Do not finish it. Do not complete it. Do not read it. Whoever reads this note should be warned to stay safe and take care of themselves. Whoever reads this note and faces the truth within should know that the truth is the truth. It is the truth, no matter how painful it may be. Be careful in your journey, for it will not be easy. The harder you seek it, the more it escapes you. The sooner it slips from your grasp, the more you feel it growing. The faster it grows, the more your scream is heard, but the louder it is, the less it is understood. The longer it takes for you to unwind all the lies within, the more of the lies you fight for. The more you fight for the lies, the less you fight for yourself. Whoever reads this note, be careful if you face the truth within and be ready to fight for whatever it is you are fighting for and do not face it alone. By the time this note is read, chances are the truth is not just a truth anymore but the truth is your truth. Take care of yourself. Be ready to face the truth, but do not face it alone."

I read the note and did not know what the truth was. As I carried the note around with me, my mind was racing, trying to figure out what was really going on. I kept wondering what was going on, but I could not find anything. I put the note under my pillow, closed my eyes, and fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I read the note again and thought, "What is this?" But I ignored all the questions that I was asking myself because everyone needs a little mystery and intrigue in their life.

The next night about an hour after I read the note, I peeked out of the small sleeping bag that I had made for myself. There was a creature standing in the middle of the clearing. I stepped out, and it looked at me. It looked at the garden, then at me again, then at the garden again. I saw that it wanted me to see the garden and walk toward the clearing and climb onto the bench to sit. I had both of my hands wrapped around a stake and I faced it, ready to defend myself. The wolf ran away. Just like the last time I had seen it. I sat down on top of the bench and went through the note again in my mind.  "The truth is the truth, no matter how painful it may be." Then, I went through the same sequence of looking at the garden and looking at the creature. It looked away from me. It looked up and stared at the sky for a moment, and looked back down to look at me.

I thought that maybe I should walk toward it, but I knew that if I broke eye contact, I would be in danger. As I stood up from the bench, I realized it was not a wolf. Its face was human and I saw the same creature and I that were there when I saw it last. I then took the note with me and started walking in the opposite direction. The creature was right behind me and it was moving faster than I was. It was moving at the same speed as I was walking. By this time, I was running as best as I could, but the creature was still right with me. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was happy to feel something like this, but at the same time, I was scared to death. I stopped running and the creature stopped moving. I took another step. The creature looked back from the garden. I took another step and it was right with me. I stopped and I looked at it. The creature took a step back, walked ahead a few steps, and got on the trail with me. The creature followed me the whole way back to the camp. I was able to walk back to my camp faster than anyone else could have walked back to their camp, and once I arrived at my camp, my whole body was hurting and I was out of breath. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I collapsed onto my bed and started reading the note again.

"Be careful in your journey, for it will not be easy. The harder you seek it, the more it escapes you. The sooner it slips from your grasp, the more you feel it growing. The faster it grows, the more your scream is heard, but the louder it is, the less it is understood. The longer it takes for you to unwind all the lies within, the more of the lies you fight for. The more you fight for the lies, the less you fight for yourself. Whoever reads this note, be careful if you face the truth within and be ready to fight for whatever it is you are fighting for, and do not face it alone. By the time this note is read, chances are the truth is not just a truth anymore but the truth is your truth. Take care of yourself. Be ready to face the truth, but do not face it alone."

What is going on…?

Chapter 2 will be coming soon! -Simon