10 miles to woodmont

Fog and mist from Lake Morna obscure a long and winding two-lane road. Even with the high beams blaring from her old dark blue Honda Civic, Darcy could barely see twenty feet in front of her. A loud ringing came from the phone she had set on the passenger seat.Without taking her eyes off the road, she reached over and picked it up. A picture of Mark, her brother, popped up on screen. Darcy rolled her eyes, she told him it would take an hour or so to get to the cabin. Woodmont cabins are a little way out, but worth the drive.

“Where are you?” a loud voice made Darcy jerk the phone away from her ear. ‘Great, they’re already drunk." She thought.

“I’m on my way, and you don't have to yell, it’s just me in the car.” Darcy pasused, and then asked, “Is Vince there?”

Her brother laughed and then slurred out, “Hey Vince, are you here? Darce wance to know?”

Panicked, Darcy started to stammer, “ M..Ma.. Mark!!”

“Relax Darcy, he isn’t here yet.” Mark snorted.

Darcy let out a sigh of relief, “But he is coming?”

“Yes, yes. He is coming.”

Darcy smiled at the thought of Vince. They weren’t officially together, but they were flirtatious.

“Alright, I should be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, well hurry if you can, we have been drinking for the last hour.” Mark said slyly.

Darcy pushed the red end call button and continued on her way.

The fog around her seemed to be denser than before. Rain poured around her, which didn’t help her being able to see.

Darcy was driving slower than the posted forty miles, only driving around thirty. A sharp turn made her press her brakes. Darcy didn’t notice the dark figure with their hands waving until she was almost on them. A figure with long, scraggly hair. Darcy let out a shriek of fear and turned the wheel to avoid the collision. Her heart was pounding as the car’s back tires slid out from behind it. A loud bang and suddenly Darcy saw as the world went upside as her car flipped. The blood curdling scream that came from Darcy’s open mouth was cut short as the tiny car slammed against a large tree and everything around her went dark.

Darcy woke sometime later dangling upside down by her seatbelt. Looking around her, it was still dark. Pushing the release button on the side, the seatbelt unbuckled and she tumbled out of her seat. Broken glass from a shattered window lay across the car and road. Crawling through the broken window, Darcy noticed that the rain had slowed, and the fog itself had let up a little. Looking down at Lake Morna, she let out a grateful sigh that she hadn’t gone into it.

Focusing her attention back at her car, Darcy let out a small sob. Her car was destroyed. The driver's side had been punctured by a large branch, all airbags deployed. Walking around to the passenger side, Darcy looks inside to find her phone. After a few minutes of searching, she let out a frustrated sigh.

‘Maybe it flew out of the car when it rolled.’

Slowly making her way up the slippery mud, she found the road dark and deserted.

‘Mark will be coming to look for me.’ Darcy told herself, ‘but I can’t just wait here.’

Resigning herself to a long walk, Darcy started her trek down the road. While the rain had let up, small droplets and mist started sinking its way into her clothes. It was pointless keeping her jacket on, so she peeled it off and put it around her waist leaving her in just her jeans and black t-shirt.

The fog around her lit up as a flash of lighting crossed the sky. Darcy turned to face the road behind her, and to her amazement, the shadow of a human-like figure was in the distance.

“Hello? Are you okay?” Darcy’s concern was clear in her voice. Thinking of the person she had almost hit, Darcy started walking faster toward where the figure had been. A low rumbling of thunder and soon after another flash of light. The figure had started to move, but the way it moved made Darcy freeze in her tracks. It limped like its legs had been broken in multiple places. It’s hair was stringy and seemed to be soaking wet.

“Are you okay?” A flash of fear, had she hit them? She could have sworn she swerved fast enough.

Darcy stepped forward but as she did, the figure mirrored her step. She stopped and so did the figure.

“Hello.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Heeelllllooo.” A voice answered back, but the sound was cracked and distorted.

Panic filled Darcy. Something wasn’t right with this. The way it moved wasn’t human. Darcy took a step back, and the figure limped forward. Another step, another limp.

Turning on her feet, she sprinted down the road, not looking back to see if the creature had followed. The low and cracked voice spoke, but the only one word made it to Darcy’s ear, “Run”.

She did, ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t know how long she had been running before a sign drew her attention: Woodmont-10 Miles.

Turning around quickly, she looked into the distance to see if it had followed. No one could be seen, but Darcy was not convinced.

‘10 miles. That’s about a three hour hike. I’m sure Mark will come looking for me.’

Thirty minutes of quick paced walking, Darcy had started to think she had made the whole encounter in her head. Afterall, she was scared from the wreck. “I could have hit my head.” Her own voice shook as she spoke. “Or it could have just been an animal.” Talking to herself helped calm the blind panic.

A loud crack of thunder made her jump and whirl around to check for that thing. Nothing but trees and pavement met her, heart beating like it was determined to beat a lifetime's worth. Breathing heavy, she turned back to the road in front of her. A sign in front of her in bold letters made her stumble forward. Catching herself on the post, she looked up to the sign again.

Woodmont- 10 miles.

‘What?” Darcy’s confusion was growing, “That’s impossible! I’ve been walking forever. There’s no way.” Her confusion slowly turned to fear and she walked away from the sign muttering to herself, “ I couldn’t have gotten turned around. Right? Could I have?” Watching her feet take her further back towards where she came, her thoughts whirled like a tornado. She knew she hadn't got turned around. Her legs stopped and Darcy put her face in her hands, tears poured out of her eyes with pure frustration.

“Heeellllllooo” A quiet but cracked and raspy voice rings into the night.

Whipping her head up, Darcy looked into the lessening fog and moonlit darkness. The road before her was clear. Turning on her feet, she faced back to the sign that stood about 20 yards away. Standing between the two posts holding the sign was a dark figure. Darcy could see it better now, a figure around her size with long soggy hair. It’s clothes were torn in places, drenched and dirty. It’s skin was greying and a large hole on it’s left side exposed several ribs. It’s face, if you could call it that, was fleshless and exposed. It was obvious when it started walking that it’s legs were broken and twisted.

Darcy wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth to let out the cry of terror all that came out was a wisp of air. The creature stared at her like it too was confused. Without warning, it started to run towards her, it’s broken legs cracked and crunched as it rushed at her.

‘RUN!’ Her own voice screamed at Darcy in her mind, but her feet didn’t obey. The creature movement was unsteady and ridgid, every step looked painful.

“COME ON! RUN!” A horse scream from Darcy’s throat made her feet come alive. Putting all of her effort on escaping this hellish nightmare, feet pounded the road as she ran,

A sign slowly came into frame as she continued to run: Woodmont- 10 miles.

Tears came freely as terror and a sense of turmoil filled her. Darcy ignored the pain shooting through her legs and forced herself forward. She threw her head back to see the creature following her still, but it seemed to slow to a brisk walk.

Crying uncontrollably now, her tears seemed to burn as the cold air hit her face.

The sign seemed to appear out of nowhere: Woodmont-10 Miles.

Running had run it’s toll, Darcy’s legs gave out from the cold and pain. ‘Get up.’ Her body could only ache.

“I’m sorry Mark. I love you.”

The broken figure approached out of the darkness heading straight towards Darcy. Another rumble of thunder made the creature turn around and face the direction in which they both came from. When it turned back towards her, she noticed its eyes were not on her, but rather the sign. ‘What the hell was going on here?’ Darcy continued to watch the creature. It slowly turned around and walked away from her. It walked for a few minutes then seemed to stop, and the sound of crying echoed across the road.

“Hello?” Darcy heard the words leave her mouth. Realizing her mistake immediately, she pulled herself up. The creature turned to face her. Refusing to be taken out without a fight, Darcy took a few steps forward.

The creature didn’t move, but continued to stare. Knowing this was her chance, she used the last of her will power to force herself forward.

“Commmme onn! RUNNNNNN!” The creature shrieked a croaky cry, turned and took off, it’s broken body limping and jerking as it ran.

Darcy stood in the road watching as it retreated from her.

“What is happening?”

Bright lights down the road made her stomach jump. Help was here. Mark was the first person who came to mind. Even if it wasn’t him, it was help.

Waving her hands up and down to make herself seen, the lights from the car drew ever closer. The tears had returned to her eyes, not from fear but from relief. The car hadn’t slown down, but she was confident that once they saw her, she would be saved.

The lights of the car fell directly on her and a loud screeching from tires as the car turned to avoid hitting her. The small car hit the side of the road, the front tires turned causing the car to flip by the lake. Crunching and a loud crashing noise caused Darcy to put her hands over her ears. Silence.

Darcy rushed to the car, an old Honda Civic she was all too familiar with. Glass shattered everywhere and a large branch protruded out of the driver's door. It felt like a dream as she approached the car slowly. The car was hot and steam rolled off it. She lowered her head to see in the window. Darcy fell in the mud in a state of shock. Her tears of joy had turned to that of horror. In the driver's seat sat Darcy dead. Her face had been sliced and torn by broken glass and her legs crushed. The branch that had penetrated the door dug deeply into her skin exposing blood and bone.

Darcy shut her eyes, “No. No, no, no ,no.” Her whimpers slowly turned to incoherent sobs. The world faded away.

Darcy could barely see twenty feet in front of her when a ringing came from her phone on the passenger seat. A picture of Mark popped up on screen.