Monroe House

The Wolves and the Bonfire

Hunter led his friends into the woods. The trees looked as if they were moving in towards the teens in the dark. Hunter stopped and set down his equipment before pulling out his phone.
"So I figured we should literally follow in the footsteps in the Hazard Falls Four. I have the whole video ready to go right here. This way we won't get lost or turned around, also we could explore things they didn't". Hunter explained, as he turned his phone on. The group understood what Hunter was saying, but still shot him questioning looks. They knew what Hunter wanted to do, but they were more shocked that he wanted to do what other people did rather than blaze his own trail.
"Wow. Listen to that guys! Hunter's following someone else for a change" Caleb exclaimed, mockingly.
"Hardy har, Caleb. I'll admit, it's nit my style. However, I thought since they actually made it that far and documented it, why not do what they did. Seemed like the smart thing to do" Hunter finished.
"Fair point", Candice said.
"Ok then, let's fire her up".
The rest of the group set down their own equipment and huddled around Hunter as he fired his phone back up and pulled up the video.

The group of four walked through the entrance of the famed forest, surveying the area with their flashlights.
"So, remind us again why we're here", Wayne said.
"I told you five times already", Kendall sighed as he grinned. "We're going to find Monroe House! We'll be the first urban explorers to actually stand on the grounds. Who knows, maybe we'll find all the bodies they never found".
Carmen rolled her eyes. "Even if we did find em' , we would only find a few bone fragments. And that's if they haven't already been reduced to ash by now. This all happened in the 1800s, remember". Kendall nodded in agreement. " Maybe so. But, we have a 10 to 20 percent chance of there actually being at least a few fragments".
"Perhaps. However, we would need to know exactly where to look. Does anyone know where to look"? Carmen asked as she looked between the three other group members.
"Nope".
"Nada".
"I got nothin'".
Carmen chuckled and checked the battery on her camera. Kendall and Wayne followed suit. Justin moved his flashlight through the darkness of the trees, glancing around nervously. The three older teens looked at him.
"You ok, little man"? Wayne asked. Justin just shrugged in response.
"What's going on, bud", Carmen questioned, walking over to her brother. "You heard the stories about this place, right"? Justin said, looking around more frantically.
"Hey", Carmen said as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "They're only stories. There's nothing to worry about. Ok"?
"Ok", Justin took in a breath and relaxed a bit. Kendall patted him on the back. "Plus, we aren't splitting up, your sister made that abundantly clear".
"Oh, I feel better already".
They all chuckled. "And, we're sticking to the path this time. Kendall". Wayne said, shooting an accusing glance toward Kendall.
Kendall rolled his eyes. "That was one time. Also, I didn't hear any objections at the time".
"No. But you mentioned time and time again that you knew that park like the back of your hand. Then, before we knew it, we were lost. In the dark. In a park where there was a double murder. See where I'm going with this", Carmen added.
Kendall was silent for a little until he nodded, "Fair point". The four began to walk further into the forest until they came to a fork in the path.
"Which way we goin'"? Wayne asked.
"Well", Kendall started. "The path going right leads up to a small bonfire area. The path going left leads to where we need to go. Left".
"Ok then", Jordan sighed.
"Alrighty", Carmen said as she roped her arm around Justin. "Let's get going"!
They started down the path and began to make small talk, trying to distract one another from the darkness of the woods. The entrance to the forest was just growing out of sight when a howl cut through their conversation. The group stopped in their tracks and listened. More howls rang out from the trees. These howls, however, sounded..... odd.
They were lower and more guttural than any wolf they'd heard. Not only that, but, they sounded human. As if someone was hunkered down in the woods and was howling.
"You guys hearing this"? Wayne said, his voice shaking a bit.
Kendall turned on his camera and pointed it to where the howls were coming from. Then, as soon as they started, they stopped. The four teens looked around more frantically and shined their lights to try to spot the creatures that made the otherworldly howls.
"Has anyone ever heard wolves like that before", Carmen asked.
"Hell no", Wayne cursed.
"That sounded like 'someone' was howling rather than an animal", Kendall informed.
"C-Could someone be screwing around with us", Jordan stuttered.
The older teens exchanged glances.
"Could it be Shane"? Carmen questioned.
"No way. Shane scarcely drives on the road that passes this place let alone wander into the darkest parts of it and howl at us. Besides he and his buddies are at Sadie's party tonight. Like hell they'd leave it". Wayne explained.
"Plus, That was way too deep of a howl for it to be Shane or any of the guys he hangs out with", Kendall added.
"Well, we should keep moving. I don't want to stick around and meet whatever or whoever made those howls".
They took another another look around and continued walking. Silently this time.

Hunter paused the video and put his phone back in his pocket. "Well, at least we know what trail to take".
"That, and that there's some kind of wolf creatures in here", Candice said in a worried tone.
"I told you guys before hand that there are wolf creatures in this forest. We discussed this back at the house. Remember Sandy Arnold who saw wolves around her house and all the other people who saw wolf-like creatures in the tree lines"?
"I didn't think they actually existed. I thought those were just bullshit rumors and the delusions of a paranoid old lady", Chris interjected.
"Nope. All true, amigo. And there are photos and videos to prove it. Here take a look".
Hunter took his phone out a second time and pulled up a photo to show the group. The picture showed an unknown part of the forest. It looked around dawn or early morning as the sky had an orange hue to it. In the foreground, standing in the tree line, we're three lengthy figures. Their eyes shined red, contrasting their black fur/skin. Stranger still, they had the appearance of werewolves. They were hunched on two legs, their arms hung by their sides with the fingers ending in sharpened points.
"Ok, man, put that away", Chris begged, turning away.
"That was taken here"? Layla asked.
"Well not in this exact spot, but in these woods yes".
"Either way, you want us to wander on in here knowing those things are in here with us"? Caleb questioned.
"Well....".
"Hey, guys. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think we're the only people in here", Julia interrupted.
She pointed in the direction of where the bonfire site was. There they could see a small orange glow peeking out from the shadowed trees. Very faint voices could be heard, though they sounded more like noise from the distance they were rather than voices.
"You think it's the guys who own that rust bucket by the entrance"? Candice asked.
"Not too sure I want to find out", Layla said.
"I kind of do", Hunter replied. "I at least want to know who it is we're dealing with. I'm just going to sneak over, get a good luck, then sneak back to you guys. If anyone wants to accompany me, they can. If not, stay by the fork in the path and stay low, just in case".
"I'll come", Julia volunteered.
"Me too", said Caleb.
"Anyone else"? Hunter asked.
Everyone else stayed silent. "Ok then. Let's get going then". The group walked towards the fork in the path and went their assigned ways. Layla, Chris, and Candice huddled in the grass by the path, while Hunter, Julia, and Caleb crept up the trail that led towards the glow.
Hunter powered on his camera and switched it to night vision. Quietly they stalked forward until they were mere feet away. The three laid low on the ground, while Hunter propped himself on his elbows so he could zoom in with his camera. He hit record, just to be safe. There was a group of about eight guys. They were all sitting scattered around the fire. They were laughing and slurring more than having a real conversation.
"How many of em' are there", Caleb asked.
"It's hard to tell. I think there's only eight. Yeah, there's eight guys".
"Anyone look familiar"? Julia asked.
"No. They look a little older than us. Except for one, he looks like he's still in high school. But if he is he doesn't go to our school".
"Do they look like a threat"?
"I don't really think so. Just a bunch of average, drunken Joes to me. Wait, wait, wait, don't move"!
"What is it"?
"Two of them are walking away from the fire. Stay completely still"! Hunter whispered as two of the guys walked away from the fire. It was the younger male and another one. The boy had ear length dark hair and sharp facial features. The older male had the same facial features and long, dark hair that hung down from a beanie.
"Your awfully quiet tonight, Gavin", said the older male as he lit a cigarette.
Gavin shrugged, "Just a little tired. Why'd we chase them for so long"?
"Just havin' a bit of fun, is all. If they run from dollar store masks and plastic knives, they're the biggest chickens that ever walked the planet. Can't say I really blame em' though, I'd run from you too"!
"Tanner, you look like a serial killer. You have no room to talk", Gavin chuckled.
"So does Johnny! Hey Johnny c'mere! Our baby brother has something to tell ya"!
Hunter struggled to keep the camera still. He was relieved to hear that they were only pranksters. However, the fact that they were hanging out in Hazard Falls forest of all places was weird, but not that sketchy. The three friends watched as another guy, or Johnny, walked towards the other two. Johnny looked like his brothers did, long dark hair, except his facial features weren't as sharp as his brothers'.
"These guys are way to sketchy for me", Caleb whispered.
"Well, at least they aren't total psychopaths", Julia added.
"No, but still. They're hanging out 'here'. Now shush". They stopped whispering and continued to listen as the three brothers laughed at each other. Just then, a yell came from back toward the fire.
One of the group members had on a Dracula mask and held a toy knife. He was running around the fire in a comedic fashion while another friend ran ahead of him, acting afraid. Tanner, Johnny, and Gavin walked back over and rejoined their friends. Hunter stopped recording and motioned for Caleb and Julia to go backwards. The three of them snuck back to the rest of the group, who perked up as they returned. The six of them snuck down the adjacent path, making sure to stay out of the other group's radar.
Little did they know about the dark figures that stood in the shadows around the bonfire.