When It Comes

A dead twig snapped beneath my feet as I moved further into the woods. Since arriving about an hour ago, an unsettling fear weighed me down. It was inescapable, yet I couldn't grasp why I felt this way.

My mind flashed back to the grumpy old man I encountered earlier that day when I stopped for gas:

"There's something evil in the woods... Something sinister rooted in the trees that no man can see." He had a faraway look in his eye as he spoke. Curious, I asked him what he meant but the man refused to elaborate. Instead, he seemed to snap out of a trance, not even remembering what he just said as he sat in his rickety old chair in the sun. It was a scene right out of those cheesy horror films.

Figuring him for an old cook, I filled my tank and rounded up the rest of the supplies for my much-needed camping trip. I'd been needing to get away for months. So when my time off was approved, I decided to plan a trip. So there I was, trekking through woods I never heard of with nothing but my flashlight and backpack stocked with essentials to keep me company.

I kept pressing forward, even though the day had been long. The more I did, though, the more intense the feelings of dread and worry got. I couldn't shake it. It was as if the further I was into the trees the more tired and worn down I was. A force unbeknownst to me was urging me forward with little promise of much more than a short getaway from the strenuous tasks that constituted everyday life.

I had become so bored and tired of the same old stale routine, the same disappointing outings with "friends." I took this time for myself, to reconnect with who I was and what I wanted. But something was off here in between these oak trees and dead leaves. It had been since I got here. I just could not figure out what.

Every 30 yards or so, I tied off a branch with a neon orange rope. The ground was uneven and covered in debris. The only solace and comfort I got was that I was wearing my new hiking boots. It was also dark and raining so hard I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face as I held it up. All there was was a dim white cone of light emitting from my flashlight.

As I walked, I heard something behind me. Instinctively, I swung my light around. It revealed nothing but the woods behind me. Probably a small deer or other animal. Shrugging it off, I continued on.

"Boy it got dark fast," I mumbled to myself. When I got to the woods, it was bright out still. It was almost as if the woods made me lose track of time.

What was I thinking? The woods were a bunch of big sticks with leaves attached. The man must have gotten in my head. I checked my watch and it read 4:27. Still a bit early to be as dark as it was. I looked at the sky and chalked it up to being under a thick canopy of treetops, though I was pretty sure that was only rainforests.

Close enough to be seen using my flashlight was a small clearing in the trees. I decided it would make a good place to set up camp for the night. As I neared it, I was stopped by a sound once more.

It was quiet again before I could even pinpoint where it was coming from. Must have been my imagination or another animal... Though as I thought about it, the woods seemed pretty dead since I had been here. Nonetheless, I set up my gear and decided to cook dinner.

The loud crackling of the flames echoed against the eerie silence of the woods. The same echoes were almost enough to disguise noise coming from not too far away. Almost. I strained my ears to hear what it might be. As I did it seemed to be getting louder... Closer. The sense of dread turned quickly to fear and then panic. Somehow I knew it was looking for me, angry and evil with a desire to get rid of me. I could feel it. Without any more thought, I shot up from where I sat on an old tree stump, deciding that making a break for it would give me the best shot I would ever at making it out alive. Not bothering to collect even my flashlight, I headed back toward where I came, my feet sinking into the ground as I ran. The noise followed me and as I sprinted through the pitch-black trees I realized what the noise was. Footsteps. Running footsteps.

The problem was, they weren't coming from just one direction anymore. They were coming from everywhere at once, becoming louder and I felt as though they were closing in quickly. The fear coursing through my body created a wave of adrenaline, allowing me to run for what felt like a very long time. As I stopped to catch my breath, I realized I was stepping on something. Looking down, I recognized it even in the empty, unforgiving darkness that enveloped me. Small cuts of neon orange rope piled beneath my feet.

It was then I realized something didn't want me to leave... And whatever it was went out of its way to make sure I couldn't. With that thought as motive, I caught my second wind and made my way deeper into the woods as the sound of footsteps followed not too far behind me...

***

I don't know how long it's been. I can tell it's been days but I can't be certain how many as it is always night here. I spend my time hiding and running, running and hiding. I can't be still too long, the trees are watching, I can feel them. They are evil and so is everything else in these woods. The scariest of them all is still looking for me, it has almost caught up with me too many times for comfort. I have to keep moving. When I am still and unprepared... That's when it comes...