The Woods

•Chapter 6•

"OK Taylor, now, I want you and Sonya to stand on opposite sides of the clearing with your hair covering your faces. And hunch over a bit too, just there beyond the tree line." Allison said gesturing toward the edge of the clearing. "Ok.......why?" Sonya asked very confused. "I want a cool shot that looks like you two are like, some kind of ghosts haunting the forest or something." Allison said trying to explain. Sonya and Taylor looked at each other and shrugged, then walked to their designated spots. "Ok, Lyndsey, hold the mic up toward the trees so we can get some audio of the birds." Lyndsey lifted the large microphone above her head and moved closer to the trees. "Hey, Taylor! Go back a bit further, I want you to be in the fog." Allison shouted across the clearing. "Nooooooo! Why? It's so creepy!" Taylor responded, looking at the woods with disgust. "And so are you, now get in there! And put your hair over your face, have like, one eye uncovered." Allison yelled. Taylor reluctantly made her way back into the trees, she went about 3 feet in and stopped. "Ok, now Sonya, I want you a little farther up than Taylor okay, with your hair the same way." "Okay!" Sonya shouted toward Allison. The girls moved into position and it was finally time to start recording. Allison bent over the tripod and panned from one side of the clearing to the other, very slowly. "Okay guys, that was good now let me get a few photos of you guys like that." She said bending over again. As she was bent over, Allison felt what she thought was someone push her forward. She fell into her tripod, and caught herself. She stood frozen for a moment, confused. Lyndsey saw the episode and asked Allison if she was ok. "I'm fine, it was just a gust of wind I think. Knocked me off balance." She replied. Allison resumed her position and continued taking photos. "Alright, now let me get a shot without you two." She said waving her hand toward Taylor and Sonya. The two moved and Allison got a few more shots. "Okay, that seems good. Let's see, now I need some shots of the mountain, but this isn't really a good angle. Maybe if I......." Allison said trailing off. There was a large rock setting at the edge of the clearing, that offered a great view of the mountain if climbed upon. Allison made her way up to the top and stood with her hands in fists on her hips, staring up at the mountain. "Hand me the camera someone." She said getting on her knees and leaning over the edge of the rock. Taylor took the camera off the tripod and reached it up to Allison. Taylor had to stand on her tiptoes and stretch as far as she could do get the camera to meet Allison's arm. "Damn, how tall is this thing." Taylor said fixing her shirt. Allison held up the camera and pointed it straight at the top of the mountain. "God, it is really beautiful out here, if you can get over the creepy vibe." Allison said. "I mean just look at tho-", Allison stopped for a moment and zoomed in on the top of the mountain. There, standing perfectly still and seeming to be watching them from above, was a solid black figure. It was tall and had something that looked like horns on the top of its head. Allison lowered the camera and looked to the mountain. Then she stepped back in surprise and confusion. The figure that was there just seconds ago had disappeared. She raised her camera again and looked, but the figure was still no where to be seen. "You okay up there?" Sonya, who had been watching Allison, asked. Allison didn't answer, but just stood there confused. Taylor rolled her eyes, "Oh what's the matter? Did you see a ghost?" She said and began to laugh until she remembered what had happened earlier with the circus music. Then she asked a little more seriously, "Did you see a ghost?" "No," Allison answered, "just a lens flare." She continued to stare up at the mountain. Allison finally made her way off the rock and, though a bit shaken, was fine. "Ok, what's next director?" Lyndsey asked. "Um, we need to do the narration." "What?" Sonya asked confused. "I thought we were doing the narration in post." Allison shook her head. "No, I wanted you to do it while we were in the wood, kinda like an on location shot ya know?" Sonya sighed and shook her head. She really didn't like talking in front of people. "Well, it's getting dark......er, so we better hurry." Taylor said. "Yeah, and I don't want to be out here at night." Lyndsey added. So the four girls made their way over to a point in the clearing where the forest rise up to meet the mountain. "Ok, you remember your lines right?" Allison asked Sonya, raising an eyebrow. "Ugh, yes. Come on have a little more faith in me than that." She replied walking in front of the camera. "Alright, alright, jeez, how's can be so bitchy." Allison turned to Lyndsey to say this last part. "Hey!" Sonya yelled and stamped her foot. All four began to laugh. Soon though, the overwhelming atmosphere of the wood silenced them. "Okey doke, go ahead." Allison said pressing the red record button. Sonya started in a deep, or at least deep for Sonya, news anchor type voice, "Elmore Woods. A place shrouded in mystery and legend. A place no living soul dare set foot. Many stories are told of what lies within the dark trees, but no one really knows. No one has stepped foot in the forest for over 200 years, that is, until now. Me and my team have decided to venture into Elmore Woods and uncover the dark, disturbing secrets that it hides." She finished as Allison raised up her thumb to signal that that was all they needed. The girls, who had been focused on Sonya, now realized that the wood had suddenly grown almost pitch black. They all shivered with fright. Sonya was the only one who had the bright idea to turn on the flashlight on her phone. The rest soon followed suit. They stood huddled together in a circle, shining their lights in every direction, none of them saying a word. Finally someone spoke up, it was Lyndsey. "I-I t-think it's t-time to leave." She stuttered out through clenched teeth. The other three shook their heads. Just at that moment all their lights went out. "What the fu-", one of them began to say, but she didn't have time. As soon as the lights flashed off they all felt themselves being catapulted through the air. The world began to fade around them, the last thing any of them heard was four screams.