The Woods

Chapter 4

(Night 2, Madeline)
Dirt began to stick to the ends of my fingers on my right hand, mixing with the blood to create a terrible combination. I'll need to get this disinfected, but I'm halfway there. Just keep going, you can do this Madeline! Only a little bit longer!
When I looked up and saw that there was no more hill I closed my eyes and reached up, but the dirt was loose and it slipped and I fell backwards, landing at the base of the hill with a loud thud and could only listen helplessly as I heard a crack and felt pain surge through my left arm.
Tears filled my eyes, I'm so dumb. I celebrated too early and now I'm paying for it. It hurts so much, everything.
"Just let go, just give up, you don't have to keep going."
I opened my eyes and looked around, no one was there. My dry lips refused to form words and I closed my eyes again.
Too much blood loss. Too much pain, I'm going to die out here. Sadness over took me and I began to cry as I thought about how much everything hurt and how I was going to die. My mom's voice entered my head and I listened to it carefully.
"It's okay honey, I understand."
How is she? Why? She would never talk to me like that! She would be encouraging me to do better, to get up and try again, but what did I know? Suddenly a new voice entered my head.
"Don't give up."
That was all the strength I needed and by seemingly some supernatural force I managed to stand. This strength carried me to the hill and I began to climb again, not sure how I was doing this. Is this possible, my left arm has to be broken! This should be hurting.
I stumbled onto the top of the hill and moved away from the edge, pain returning to my wounds and injuries. How did I climb that? My arm. Looking down at my arm, the voices returned. I quickly looked up at the house, just in time to see a light turn on. Is this my break?
I limped to the house and walked up to the window, peering inside caused me to be filled with disgust. Inside was the kitchen were two males. One was older and the younger had what looked like an arrow in his arm. How did that happen? Why would someone shoot him?
My curiosity was about to get the best of me, as I raised my hand to knock on the window, but then the older male pulled an already bloody knife from the counter. I shifted to see what was just out of view and almost threw up. On the counter was the arm and leg of a person. I covered my mouth before I could scream and backed away from the window.
While backing away, my foot hit a rock and sent me sprawling backwards. My scream left me and I heard the knife fall to the floor inside. These aren't good people, I need to leave! I forgot my arm was broken and tried to use it, only falling to the ground in pain. You are not going to die out here!
With newfound strength I pushed off the ground as I heard the front door open. If I run straight out they will see me. I circled around the house quietly and as I moved underneath a different window I heard someone on the phone.
"My daughter is missing!"
"How long has she been missing?"
"Two days."
"Where was the last place you saw her?"
"In the woods near our house."
Who went missing? I knew these were bad people and I kept moving. They had to have ran away. Unless they were found by authorities, but that doesn't make sense, they didn't seem alarmed by them calling. Which means the police don't know!
My thoughts left me unable to hear and I only snapped back to reality when an hand went over my mouth. My mind moved rapidly as I was dragged towards the house. I opened my mouth and bit down, the hand left my mouth and I began to run. I need to... Suddenly I was falling and then felt my head hit something and everything was dark, but I did not feel anymore pain.
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(Night 1-Day 2, Diane)
My eyes became heavy and I soon fell asleep, the sound of creaking awaking me. I looked around and noticed my book was on the ground. Standing, my back began to hurt and I looked for a clock. One in the morning hmm. The clock looked off, but I ignored it as I picked up the book.
I returned it to the bookshelf and yawned. Time for the actual bed. I began to make my way to the steps and stopped when I remembered the light was still on. I walked back over and pulled the chain, the darkness filling the house.
My breath became erratic as I sensed something else in the house with me. My eyes began to see shadows moving and growling filled my ears. Light! I quickly turned on the light and everything faded away. Am I really going insane?
The sensation of someone, or rather something did not leave me as I travelled to the stairs. At the base of the steps I contemplated as to whether or not going upstairs was the right choice. The question hurt my head and I needed some actual sleep.
Taking one step at a time I made my way up the stairs. As I reached the top and looked down the hallway a noise from downstairs catching my attention. I felt the pain behind my nose and as it moved towards the back of my head I made a break for my bedroom.
Locking the door quickly I ran to the bed, jumping on to it as my vision began to change to that of hers. It was dark. I felt lifeless and helpless. I couldn't breathe clearly and I felt pain everywhere.
My vision went away as I felt a hand on my foot. I pulled away blind and it started cutting at my ankle, causing severe pain to travel up my leg. I started kicking at it, but I still couldn't see, it was slimy and sticky and as my eyes opened I only caught a brief glimpse as it disappeared.
"What is happening to me?"
I curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth gently until the sun filtered in through the window. I looked over at the filtered light and watched as dust flew about. My thoughts seemed to stop as the light was stopped from coming into my house and there was only darkness, but a moment later the light returned. What has the strength to climb up here to block the window and then crawl away? It was not a cloud, other things exist in this reality, or I'm going insane.
"It isn't I am partly insane and some of this is real. No. It is one or the other."
Reality hit me and I knew I needed someone to talk to, Maybe I can get Parker to? Or I can call my- they don't care. I stood from the bed and almost fell as my foot touched the ground. I collapsed back onto the bed and looked at my left foot's ankle. There were scratches and cuts, So it was real? That changes everything, it isn't good enough proof though, they will all think it is an excuse for self harm, any way I try to present this, they can turn it around on me, call me suicidal, insane, or a liar.
The pain didn't bother me, neither did the blood getting onto the bedsheets, the only thing that mattered to me now, was getting out of this house. Staying here was no longer a valid option. These bad situations will keep occuring, and the longer I stay here, it can only get worse.
My thoughts shifted to my foot as I went to scratch my leg, only to pull back as I remembered the cuts. Something evil is in this house or in my head. I really can't stay here. Either way, I'll either go completely insane or whatever is here will kill me.
Trying to stand again, I put my weight on my right leg and it seemed to work better, but it caused me to limp. As I limped into the hallway I felt the evil presence again and I shivered. Will it attempt to attack me again?
I felt it creep near behind me as I tried to move faster I felt its cold, slimy fingers touch my back, seemingly going straight through my shirt and it moved down my back until it reached the base of my spine, at which point it stopped and then left as I turned to go down the steps. I didn't want to think about where it would have gone.
As I took a step down the stairs I forgot about my foot and fell as the pain surged up my leg. The stairs hit my arms and legs, my back and stomach. I landed on my stomach at the bottom of the steps and I couldn't get up, every part of my body hurt. Why didn't I think?
I felt the hand return and it grabbed my leg and began to pull me toward the stairs, I couldn't fight back due to the pain. Do something! As much as I knew I needed to do something to protect myself, I couldn't.
I laid there helpless, being pulled back up the steps, suddenly the front door opened and I looked up at Parker. He looked down at me in confusion and I peered down at myself. I was curled up in a ball, back against the stairs, sitting on the floor. My body didn't hurt and I stood, again forgetting my leg, and fell onto Parker. Why did everything else not stay if my foot did? Why me? Why?
"Are you okay Diane?"
I couldn't speak, but shook my head as I tried to stand myself properly. I knew he was going to question me, but I didn't want to talk about it and so I put my finger up to his lips and he stayed quiet. We walked out of the house together, I was leaning on him for support so I didn't fall over and we stopped right before the road.
He helped me into the passenger seat of his truck and I buckled, my arms feeling more weak than usual. This is just a bad experience, everything is over now. No more mental outbursts, I can have a break now that I'm with someone else. He began to back the car out of my driveway and I watched as my car and my phone that lied within disappeared in the distance.
We had been in the car for awhile and I realized we weren't going to his house. I couldn't help but wonder as I watched the blurriness of everything outside of the car pass by. I let my eyes focus and realized we were in the main part of town. Why are we here?
"Where are we going?" I asked with a strong voice.
"Calm down, we are going to the hospital to get you some help with those cuts."
"I can't go to the hospital!" I almost screamed.
"Why not?" He questioned his voice rising slightly.
"If they ask me what happened and I tell them... They'll claim I am insane, say I've been on drugs, something!"
"What did happen?"
"A lot actually, I can't even tell if all of it was real, but these are real," I gestured to the cuts on my leg, "and I can't let them keep me in the hospital I can't deal with this problem."