Bad Trip

When we first arrived to our campsite it was well past midday. The sun hung bright above our head, hot and blistering. The evergreens stretched tall into the cloudless sky around us. 

  It was the perfect day for our fourth annual boys trip. Nate, Richard, and Julian have been by my side through every awkward stage of my childhood, all the way up to my early adult years. 

  Although after the situation last year when Richards wife caught him doing lines in the strip clubs bathroom, we were lucky to have him with us at all. 

  So this year we decided that a campsite two miles back, might be a safer bet to carry out our tradition. Which usually consisted of plenty of alcohol and drugs. 

  Everyone dropped their bags and began setting up their tents. I however, plopped firmly down on the ground and pulled out my bag of shrooms. Before I could pop one in my mouth I heard Julian clear his throat. Peeking through my sunglasses up at him with a smirk. I saw him standing over me looking like a disappointed parent, his hands planted on his hips. 

“May I help you, dad?” I said, sarcastically smirking up at him. 

  “Don’t call me that.” He responded, annoyed. 

  “Well I’m not going to daddy.” Holding back a laugh, “you’ll have to at-least buy me a few drinks first.” 

 Before I had time to react Julian plucked the bag of mushrooms from my hands. 

I tried to snatch it back but he was already walking away from me. “You get this back when you do your part, you’re not leaving me to do everything while you go off into the void for the next eight to ten hours.” 

 I laughed after him “let’s aim for ten!” Then laid back with my arms propped behind my head. Julian’s imperious attitude has never bothered me before, it was just his way of just looking after us. 

  “Whatever, I’m not sharing my tent with you though.” Julian said as he tossed the bag back to me. 

  “Fine by me, I will be sleeping one with nature tonight.” 

  “Good luck with that, it’s bear season.” Nate pitched in, struggling to straighten his tent out. 

  “Okay then pal, enjoy the safety of your clothe tent.” I returned sardonically. 

  “I’ll have plenty of time to get away while the bear is busy mauling you. If not you, then Richard.” Nate said laughing. 

  “Why me?!” Richard exclaimed. 

“They’ll smell your cheese puffs from miles away.” Nate responded with a firm smack to Richards stomach. With a breathless huff, Richard hunched over, arms holding his midsection. 

  “Alright gentlemen, go ahead and grab a handful and pass it around. Blast off is in forty-five.” I said tossing the bag backwards towards Nate. He caught it and popped two stems in his mouth.

He chewed hard for a few moments till his face scrunched in disgust. “Those taste like shit!” He bursted out, struggling not to spit them on the ground. “What do you think they’re grown in?” I asked after Richard and Julian’s howling laughter. 

  Nate looked at me with pure repulsion, but he somehow managed to swallow them down. He attempted to pass the bag to Richard but he held up his hand in denial. 

  “Hell no, I told Katie I wouldn’t do any drugs.” Nate continued to wave the baggie in front of his face. “It’s not a drug, it’s a plant!” He insisted, but Richard shook his head, “tried that one with coke, she didn’t go for it.” We all chuckled, knowing his wife all too well. “In fact… she’s probably out there right now…. watching… waiting.”

As he said this he made a show of scanning his eyesight along the trees. I knew he was joking but even I couldn’t help glancing around too, his wife Katie is one intimidating lady. 

  Although by the time I looked back up Richard had already taken a handful and shoved them into his mouth. With a mouthful of shrooms he turned to the forest line and yelled, “I love you Katie, but tonight is for the boys!!!!” His yell echoed into the trees around us, followed by our raucous laughter. So by the time the sun began to droop we were all well into our trip. 

  Nate decided just before sundown that it would be a nice time for a walk. So with no thought or planning we set off into the darkening forest. 

  It was pitch dark by the time we had discovered that we were lost.

I followed behind Nate as he tore through the thick weeds and underbrush. The only light coming from his phone that was due to die any moment now. At this point Nate was nearly frantic, “you don’t understand bro, I’ve got to go to the bathroom bad.” This wasn’t the first time he said this, in which every time I would respond, “just go right here.” And then he would say “it’s not that kind of bathroom break!” 

  I meanwhile, was calm and relaxed but slightly bewildered at the fact that I could feel my own heart pumping in my chest, which was a very odd sensation. 

  Finally Nate gave up and stormed into the tree line, murmuring “stay here,” as he and the phone light disappeared. Leaving me drenched in complete darkness.

I wouldn’t be able to see my hand waving two inches in front of my face. Then I burst into laughter at the realization that I was in fact, waving my hand in front of my face. I flopped on the ground and laid back flat, my arms sprawled out. 

  That’s when I noticed the stars for the first time tonight. They were mesmerizing the way their glittering lights seemed to dance among the never-ending sky.

I have looked into the night sky countless of times in my life, although never have I felt so utterly small.

I’m not sure how long I laid there before something broke me out of my daze.

I sat up on my elbows for a moment listening and when I was met with silence I laid back down, returning my gaze to the stars. 

  Then I heard it again. It sounded like something heavy walking around behind me. “Nate?” I hollered out, confused, I had sworn he had went the opposite direction. 

  When I yelled out his name though, whatever it was abruptly stopped moving again. Something felt wrong. I listened intently but I didn’t hear anything, not even a single cricket.. I jumped to my feet fast. 

  I listened and could faintly hear the crunch of leaves creeping in my direction. Immediately, the sinking feeling I felt deep in my gut worsened. My arms covered in good bumps and the hairs on the back of my neck began to rise. 

  Every instinct down to my bones was screaming to run… “Nate?” I called out again, unable to leave my friend.

  “Benji.” I recognized Nate’s voice but something about it didn’t seem right, chills rushed down my spine.. 

  “Benji come here quick, I have to show you something.”

His voice rang out loud and clear and I realized that I must be tripping harder than I’d originally thought. I attempted to shake off the lingering feeling and began walking towards Nate’s voice when I felt a pair of hand grip my arm hard and yank me back in the opposite direction. 

  I twisted to find Nate, an expression pure terror painting his face. He was desperately trying to turn me around. Shoving me in the opposite direction that the voice came in. 

  Without another thought, we both took off sprinting. We ran for a long time until we couldn’t run any more, finally we were forced to slow and catch our breaths.

I listened intently behind us for any sign that something was still following but there was nothing, only silence. 

  “What the fuck was that?” Nate was close to hysteria. 

  “Let’s keep moving,” I said in between panting breaths. 

  We walked for awhile further praying to anything and everything out there that we were walking in the right direction. 

 And by some miracle, we were. I saw a flicker of our campfire from beyond the trees. 

  Our pace quickened drastically. However the moment it did something snapped in the air around us. It felt like static dancing across my skin. Causing my goosebumps and hair to rise again. 

  I’m not sure if Nate felt it too but without a word we both broke into another sprint.

  Moments before reaching the site, I heard Nate fall hard and let out an agonized grunt. I stopped and began turning back for him but I halted when I saw what was standing behind him. 

  The creature stood lanky, at least nine feet tall. It blended into the trees except for its gray tinted skin that seemed to reflect in the moonlight. I could only stand there frozen staring up at it while it just stood inches over Nate who was desperately rushing to get to his feet. 

  The details on the creature were hard to make out in the darkness, however I just knew… even without knowing, that it was smiling down at him. 

Whatever it was, was playing with us like a cat would play with a mouse in a hunt. This realization was enough to paralyze me with fear.

The terror I felt was something I have never imagined possible, seeping like ice into my bones, until I couldn’t move. 

  Finally Nate crashed into me and threw me backwards towards the campsite. And stumbling together we sprinted through the clearing. Flooding us in the light of the campfire.

Richard and Julian leapt up from where they were sitting by the fire, clearly baffled at the sight of us. 

“Where were you two?” Julian yelled clearly irritated.

  However Nate and I didn’t acknowledge him, our eyes were locked on the tree line, waiting for the creature to emerge from the shadows.

However it never did. 

  I realized then that whatever the hell was out there must still just playing with us, I sank to my knees.

  “What the hell is wrong with you .” Julian exclaimed. 

  “We’re not alone!” Nate was breathless and clearly petrified as he yelled this. “Something is chasing us- something is out there.” When he said this laughter came echoing out of the forest.

Although it wasn’t just coming from the spot that we had just emerged from… Instead it came from all around us. Surrounding us with their animal taunting laughs that rattled through my skull. 

-BDS