Don’t run

“The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.” I said in a low voice looking at my friends sitting around the fire. That’s when Jen shone the flashlight towards me with wide eyes. At that moment the hair in the back of my neck went straight up and felt a chill in my body.

We could hear an owl in the distance when Cori shone her light on me and said, “ ok you got my attention, your turn to tell the scary story.”

“Ok,” I said but you all may not like this one, “it’s a story my grandfather told me that really happened in these woods many years ago.”

She laughed and said, ”bring it on girl!”

All of my friends were all looking at me, then Stacey got up to get a beverage, Deanna and Renee put a blanket around their shoulders, and Bella put another log on the fire.

***

Many years ago in the woods of Northern Ontario at Quetico park the sky’s were dark, an owl flew by a bunch of campers and looked at them folded it’s wings and caught it’s prey just feet away from them. One of the campers got up out of their chair to scare the owl away to scare it to let go of it’s victim.

Never scare an owl, because it will chase you. The owl let go of it’s prey, screeched very loudly, turned its head and stared at the camper. It flapped its wings and headed straight for the camper. She started to scream, flung her arms frantically trying to ward off the huge owl. The owl swooped, took a sharp turn.

All she could hear was her friend scream at her “run!”

She looked back at her friends and started to run as fast as she could. She jumped over roots of the trees, ran through someone’s campsite, all she could see was the flicker of fire pits all around. She kept looking back but the owl was on her heals. All she could think of was to head for the thick bush to try to get away.

She could no longer hear peoples voices, or the flicker of light cascading from lights from campers or fires. She heard the screech of the owl. She tripped, and rolled down a hill. Her arm was throbbing in pain but she got up to keep running. Her heart was thuddering so loudly that she thought it would explode into pieces. Then she heard the screech again and ran. She didn’t know what to do but run. She could see the owls eyes staring at her and only blackness.

It was harder to navigate through the trees, but she kept going. The moon was bright that night, so the shadows were very scary. She thought she was running towards a bear but had no choice the owl was at her heals. She did not realize how agile owls are through the trees. She ran past an overturn root that she thought was a bear. She could see a clearing up ahead but heard a wolf in the direction so she turned to go deeper in the woods. Her sweat was now running down her face, her arm was very badly torn and blood was dripping from it. She new that her time was up soon as the blood trail would definitely be traced by some creature in the night.

Just when she thought she was going to give up she saw a faint flicker of light ahead. She focused on the flicker and with all of her might she kept going, now walking fast, looking behind her to see glowing eyes floating in the distance towards her. The screech would make her shake with fear and willed herself to get to the flicker of light.

She was feeling light headed from the loss of blood and then she saw it. A candle flickering in a window. The cabin was very small and blended in well with the trees. She ran around the house looking for a door. There was no door.

She was crying, and calling for help. The louder she yelled the louder the screech would be. She was now stumbling feeling the walls of the cabin. She new there had to be a door but where. She sat with her back against the wall, with her eyes glued to the eyes of the owl approaching her. She screamed for help, but knowone came. The owl landed in front of her trying to peck her, and reach for her leg with its talons. She started to kick, and move her arms frantically. The owl caught her shoe in its talons.

She looked up to the stars and pleaded for help, her screaming became hoarse and then just as the owl was getting closer to her, her foot throbbing from its puncture, then she fell into the cabin.

She stood up to look around, all she could see was the window with the candle. She heard the owl screeching outside scratching the walls trying to get in. She reached for the candle.

All she heard was, “do not touch the candle.”

She turned so fast to see were the voice came from. Her eyes wide, trying to focus. Then the beast man stood up, his head almost touching the ceiling. The flicker of the candle showed her that he had very hairy arms. Glowing eyes. She looked at him up and down. She could not move, now focusing in more as her eyes adjusted to the small light. His face was harry, his feet were huge full of hair.

She looked panicked, and started to scream. Searching for a door to escape. She found a latch on the wall moved it downwards and the door opened with a lot of force. She looked back, and all she heard was “don’t run.”

She screamed again, and ran as fast as she could deeper into the forest never to be seen again.

***

I took the flashlight, shined it under my chin and smiled at my friends. An owl shrieked in the distance. My friends looking around. There was total darkness now that the fire was out, and all the campers lights were out! An owl, flew right in front of us and caught its prey. Stacy went to get up to scare it away. And I looked at her and said, don’t run!”