The Place in the Woods

The Place in the Woods

        Growing up in a small town never really had many advantages. Everybody knew who you were and what you were doing 24/7. That never stopped any crime. There’s been rapes, murders, robberies; you name it. That’s why we have such a well-known prison system. Our gallows are said to be the first in our state, aging back to the early 1900s. Surprisingly, that’s how our town keeps going. Every now and then you get the occasional weirdo begging to see the gallows. I don’t understand. Check out our cemeteries! They’re huge! Plenty of old graves and a decent amount of new ones. The best part about the town are the stories you’ll hear. I’ve never really believed much in them, though, I’ve never really believed in anything. But, my favorite has to be about the group of creeps that dance around the gallows. Everybody says they’re a bunch of Satan worshippers and that’s why they never let anybody go near the gallows. Of course, I don’t think it’s true. Tonight, a few friends and I are going to prove this story to be false. We’ve gathered all the supplies we need, nothing much, just a few flashlights really. The roads on the way to the gallows are treacherous, it’s absolutely impossible to see and inch in front of you. Hence, flashlights are our main priority.

I wasn’t surprised when I could only convince Oakley and Hunter to come. They’re crazy about the town’s history. I looked up at the clock and read the time, 8:30pm. In about thirty minutes Hunter and Oakley should be there. We’ve all decided on meeting at the old Vincent Manor that burned down just before my 7th birthday party, ten years ago. I actually remember that day quite well.

Everybody just started to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ as my mom brought out my cake. The next thing you hear is fire trucks’ sirens blaring. Everybody ran from my yard towards the sidewalk to see what was happening. Mom didn’t even have time to set my cake down, she dropped it on the lawn. I can still hear her voice saying, “Luke, honey, mommy will get you a new cake.”  

You know, she never did. I never got anything close to an apology for ruining my birthday. All I have is the image of the whimsical Vincent Manor being gutted by flames. And, here I am, once again standing in front of that image. It will never leave my mind.

Oakley and Hunter showed up about five minutes after I did. They had their flashlights intact and we were ready to go. We wandered to the edge of the forest and took a deep breath before stepping on the grass. The moment we did, the earth fell silent. There was no sound of crows, no sound of the town at all. So silent, you couldn’t hear a boulder drop. Hunter stomped enthusiastically in front of Oakley and I, trying to act normal. Oakley was casually walking next to me. And, though I didn’t show it, I felt someone following us. I don’t know who it is, but someone.

The ground is extremely patchy, we’ve all fallen at least twice. Oakley is ready to go home, she’s almost bailed on us a few times. Hunter, well, he hasn’t come close to giving up. I still feel like we’re being followed, Oakley just assumes I have a guilty conscience, I don’t know. We’ve been walking for maybe two hours, Hunter is suggesting that we split up. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea, but if we’re going to find anything it’s worth a shot. Oakley walked to my left  and I assume Hunter walked to my right, which leaves me to continue walking straight.

I don’t have a watch, I don’t know what time it is. I feel like I’ve been walking forever. The air is stale and my breath is as visible as the sun on a cloudless day. The ground is still dark and my flashlight is running out of battery. It flickered a few times and finally went dead. All I can see is blackness. I’ve fallen about seven more times and I can feel a warm, crimson liquid running down my leg. The scent of copper is dancing about my nose, tickling me with the urge to vomit. I looked around to see if I can find the light of Hunter’s or Oakley’s flashlight. With no luck, I turned to the sudden sound of what faintly sounded like tires screeching. My initial reaction was to, once again, look around praying that I would see a flashlight’s glare. Praying that I could see something other than the blackness of the night. I’ve never had much luck with this praying thing and I’m not having any now.

I can hear the crunching and rustling of leaves, but it soon clicked that I wasn’t moving. My eyes quickly moved to the sound. The noise stopped and I could see a dark mass, but how could anything be darker than what I’ve been seeing? My heart started to beat faster and faster as I braced myself for the shock that was to come. Nothing. Just a bone-chilling wind that stung my raw wounds.The feeling of being followed was still a constant, but I kept stumbling on.

My aching legs carried me as far as they could before I collapsed in a small, mud-filled ditch. Not being able to move much, I sat in silence. I didn’t plan on moving, until I heard a scream in the distance. I used my good arm to prop me up and look for anything. Taking my usual round, I stopped at an orange glow that seemed to be shrinking and growing periodically. I didn’t want to get up, but I reluctantly pushed myself towards the glow. I started to walk again, but my legs were growing heavy with torturous pains. The glow hadn’t gone out yet, but rather seemed to be getting bigger. I finally stopped in front of the source of the glow. The town’s gallows. This time, I heard a crippling cry for help and looked up to see someone bound with leather straps. My eyes haven’t fully adjusted to the brightness of the fire yet, but it looks like a woman with long, black hair.

Wait, Oakley has long black hair. I rubbed my eyes and widened them at the sight of my best friend tied up on a post. She has a rag in her mouth and there’s something on the straps. I can’t make it out. I tried to get a closer look before a deep, raspy voice spoke, “The little princess hasn’t moved, has she?”

I quickly rushed to hide behind a bush, hoping the man wouldn’t notice me. I peeped through the bush, trying to comprehend what I just saw. My eyes caught a line of sand, I followed it around the gallows, making a circle. When they made it back to their starting point, Oakley screamed again. This time, the man freshly charred her skin with a pentagram. What if the stories are right and I’m watching my best friend’s last moments? My thoughts were everywhere as I looked at the tall, built man. He’s turned to the fire, but I can feel him staring at me. Before I could look away, he turned around, a large pendant swinging around his neck. Now the man is looking directly at me, the hatred burning in his eyes. I turned away as quickly as I could, hoping he hadn’t noticed. I was wrong. I could feel his eyes burning his stare into the back of my head. I could hear the sound of his boots stomping, his chains clanking, closer and closer.

The sounds echoed in my head, this moment feels like a lifetime. All of a sudden, the sounds stopped. No boots, no chains, no screaming, nothing. Absolute silence. Within the next minute I could hear a beep. I periodic beep. Beep… beep… beep… My mind was gone, I have no clue where I am.

“Luke? Luke, hello? Are you awake, son?”

My eyes quickly shot open to see my father standing over my bed. My forehead is covered in sweat and there’s scratches on my arms. There’s no way that was a dream. It had to happen. I saw it! My mind was racing, I felt my nerves rising. Then everything went black.

El fin.