Was It Real?

Looking over his shoulder for what seemed like the hundredth time since the traveling group started out that morning.

Caleb was sure there was someone or at least something following them!

The road seemed to be a banded so far from town. Scarcely a person was seen.

Becca tucked her small hand in his, smiling up at him. Though they hadn’t much money to their name and two small sugar sacks that fit everything they owned, they were happy. Happy because they had each other, which is all they needed.

Caleb should have had nothing on his mind but the life he and his childhood love were going to have.

Still, his mind was telling him something was a miss. 

Soon the afternoon sun beat down on top of the small group, they would need to stop to give the horses a break, food and water if they wanted to keep up the pace they were going.

Caleb and Becca had no horses to tend to nor wagon to inspect so while the others scrambled about doing what needed to be done, the two set off a little ways gathering dried wood to start what little they had for an afternoon meal.

While Becca searched in their sacks for what she needed, Caleb began the fire. He looked all about him before turning his attention to his task.

Becca hummed as she fixed what she could for herself and her new young husband. He smiled as he watched her. She had been that way for as long as he could remember, humming or singing when she was content. 

She caught him smiling at her, and smiled back. How the gods above blessed her with the boy she loved as child. Never in her life had she expected him to get up the nerve to ask for her hand.

She sat down beside him and handed him his food. He paid her with a small kiss on her soft lips. 

A small shaggy dog ran up and sat down beside Caleb, expecting a small portion. This dumb animal had been doing this since their journey, a week ago! It bothered everyone.

An hour later they set off again, thankful for the small rest they had.

There was a rustling behind him, he turned with his hand reaching for the small hatchet he carried on his belt. He looked about the forest surrounding them.

He saw and heard nothing but green woods and birds chirping about.

Still he needed to be on his guard, if not for his sake but for his wife’s. 

Becca seemed to feel his husband’s distress, if it didn’t soon ease she would question him about what was troubling him.

As they walked on, one of the wagons near the back had some trouble with its wheel. The group could not afford to be slowed down of they were to make it half way to the next town by dark.

One other wagon stayed behind to help with the one with the broken wheel, while the others went ahead.

Caleb watched the two wagons getting smaller and smaller as the group traveled on.

They made it to their desired destination as the sun began to set.

Everyone began to settle down for the evening. Fires were lit, food was cooked and there was cheerful conversion all around.

Caleb sat beside his young wife, trying to join in the convention. Still he couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched.

Looking all about the camp he realized, that little dog was no where to be seen!

Where could the little guy be? Knowing his mind would wonder til he found the fury beast, Caleb excused himself to look around camp.

He didn’t find the dog but I’d in fact other things that were of interest to him.

Such as other small pets or animals, like goats and pigs were also missing.

No one seemed to know were they had done or when. They were there one minute, then gone the next!

Knowing he should stay close to camp, he turned to make his way back to Becca as to not level her unprotected.

He was stopped dead in his tracks when a bloodcurdling screamed pierced the night air. One of the travelers ventured too far from the protection of the camp fires and was in peril.

Had an wild animal grabbed them? Were they being mauled by a bear?

Instead of running into the forest to see what he could do to help the poor soul, he did what everyone was doing after hearing such a screech. He ran as fast as he could, back to where he left his wife.

Snatching both sacks with hand, he grabbed Becca with the other. They didn’t stop until they reached the center of camp.

Men with guns ran in the direction of the cries for help. They came back later to report they found nothing but a pool of blood and bits of shredded material that used to be clothing.

Concluding that it would be much safer if everyone sleep as close to the fires as possible, they all did just that. Though not much sleep was be had that night.

When dawn finally broke everyone was just as tired as the day before, if not more so. Flinching at each and every sound.

Laying awake wandering if they were the next to die.

There were no morning smiles, no cheerful chatter around the morning fires as the body of their traveling companion was to be searched for.

Caleb stood with those who volunteered.

“No Caleb! Not you!” Becca ordered, with her small arms crossed and her pretty face stern.

He sighed with a smile. “my love, I must. I can’t just sit around while there may be someone alone and injured out in the woods. I have to help!”

Knowing he had made up his mind and there was no changing it, she hugged him tightly.

“Please come back to me!” she whispered.

“Always my love!” He whispered back hugging her just as tight.

With one last kiss, Caleb followed the six other men out into cold damp woods.

What were they hopping to find? What were they wanting to find? What were they going to find?

These questions echoed in the young boys mind as they walked quickly and quietly as humanly possible through the woods.

They made it to where the man was attacked. 

What Caleb saw made his blood run stone cold. There was blood everywhere. As if someone had slaughtered an animal. 

There were large, deep, and long markings on the nearby trees as is made by some sort of huge blade.

One of the men walked a little ways and bent down to look t something on the ground.

“Look” he whispered hoarsely, pointing to the earth.

The others joined him.

As Caleb looked on, his heart nearly stopped.

There were track all right, but none like he’d ever seen!

It was similar to that of a bear, yet so much larger. With what looked like long claws to go with it.

The tracks were imbedded almost a whole inch into the ground. Telling them this was much bigger and heavier then another wild animal they had encountered.

As they looked on, each seemed to know what the other was thinking.

They needed to get out and away from this part of the forest as soon as possible.

Randy a boy, about as old as Caleb began to back away from this horrible scene.

“We must go! We need to get away from here! Its not safe!”

He began to rant, his voice getting louder and louder. His body began to shake and his voice tremble.

“Randy be silent!” they tried to calm the boy. “We’re all coming to die!”

The boy turned and ran, heading back towards camp.

The others ran after him, wanting to calm him before he had everyone in a state of panic.

Randy was in such a frenzy he wasn’t aware where he going. He tripped over a small fallen tree and landed on his stomach, his gun flung several feet away. 

As he lay there trying to make sense of his fall, he heard a low growl coming from behind him. Not that of any kind of creator he knew. 

A known stench filled his nose, the stench of old rotting flesh. His body frozen with fear, he stayed on the ground shaking uncontrollably.

Suddenly a piercing sound rang out into the air. It made the boy grab his head. 

It made his brain hurt, it made his ears ring painfully. 

It was as if sharp objects were being shot through his skull.

He could feel blood pouring from his eyes, noise, and mouth.

The pain was too much. Though he didn’t feel it for long, soon his world went black as he choked on his own insides.

Hearing the terrified screams of their conrad, the group followed in that direction.

Finding what they found before.

The same tracks, the same strange markings the tree and a large pool of blood.

If this creator was coming after them one by one at night was one thing, but to have it attacking them during the day was too much.

They needed to leave this place and now.

Running all the way back to camp, they quickly told people what they found and what needed to be done. 

The travelers took only what they could carry with ease and started their journey for the day.

Everyone on their guard and constantly looking over their shoulders, they should be safe.

Becca clung to Caleb, her body trembling. He tried to reassure her with soft words of love and tender touches that everything was going to be alright, that he was going to her safe above all else.

Still her body, soul and mind were not convinced.

By midday the group was exhausted. They had been going hard for hours without rest.

Still they refused to stop. For fear of being brutality slain by whatever creator hunted them.

All was silent til terrified screams ran out. There was a mad dash to the front. Everyone trying their best to get away and save themselves from an inhumane death.

Caleb wasted no time. He dropped their belongings, grabbed Becca’s hand and ran. The sounds of their companions being slaughtered did not alter his speed.

They were nearly out of this wretched place. They just needed to make it a little while longer!

Soon their legs and lungs could ale it no longer, the two clasped to the ground, gasping for air.

Becca was trembling and was as white as the clouds in the sky.

He pulled her into his arms.

She was in too much shock to object. She melted into him.

Letting him stroke her soft brown hair.

“Hush my dear. Your alright, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’m here, I’m here”

He continued to soft words of love her til she stopped shaking.

“We have to keep moving Becca” he said as he hauled her to her feet.

Her hand firmly in his, they quickly and quietly started out again.

The young couple didn’t make it very far, when they heard movement coming up from behind them.

Was the monster? Was it here to killed them! Was it others who survived the last attack?

They didn’t wait to find out. The two were off on a run.

They took refuge behind a large tree. Waiting for whatever was there to pass.

Hardly breathing they heard the thing move farther and farther away.

When it seemed to be far enough, the two tried again. Keeping low to the ground.

It was hours before they allowed themselves a small rest. Their bodies weak from hunger and no water, how could they continue on? How much farther til they were out of this nightmare?

Should they give up and let the beast take them, as it did all their friends? Caleb glanced at Becca and scolded himself for the cowardly thought.

Before he tried to convince Becca once more that everything was gong to work out, there was rustling behind them. He watched her freeze in terror, no amount of tender words was gong to make this situation any better 

He saw no other choice but to make a run for it. He didn’t know how far nor long they needed to run, all he know is they needed to flee.

He took her hand in his, looking into the eyes he loved the most. 

He smiled at the person that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

Hand in hand, they ran for their lives.

Hearing the crashing of small trees behind them, the piercing screaming of the creator being them didn’t cause them to stumble once. Soon they saw the end to their horrors, the end of the forest.

Could they reach it, and even if they could, would this animal stop hunting them?

They had to try!

The creator was closing in on them.

They could smell its disgusting stink of rotting flesh.

The more felt and heard it, the harder they ran.

The light was getting closer and closer but so was the wild beast.

The to had no other option but to jump into the light.

So jump they did.

They leaped into the clearing, the end of the murderous forest.

Looking back they expected the beast to follow, though it never did. There was no sign of it.

As if was never really there to began with.

The looked at each other. Dare they tell anyone? They must!

Though they both knew no one believe them.