Into The Forest

Don’t turn around. If you hear static, he’s right behind you, so don’t turn around. If you see the notes on the trees, leave them. Do not look at him. If he appears in front of you, look away. And what ever you do, DO NOT RUN.

The thoughts float in my head right as I’m about to enter into the forest. I curse myself for it. It’s just a stupid game everyone used to play. It has no purpose being in my head right as I’m about to entire into the forest alone at night. I look at the trees before me and try not to think of a bunch of arms hidden within the trees. But it’s hard not to see it when your staring in the dark. The way each limb from the tree seems to loom out, as if it’s going to grab you. And the more I look at the outline of the trees the more the moon seems to disappear behind the clouds.

The shiver travels up my back, forcing me to hunch into my shoulders. It raises goose bumps on my skin and I pull the sleeves of my hoodie down. It isn’t really that cold. I pull my hood up over my hair and take a deep breath. I have a flashlight on my phone if I need it.

I exhale. I have to go through the forest to get home. It’s the same forest I’ve been in for years. I have walked in the dark before. There isn’t some creepy monster lurking in the shadows. A human maybe. But I have a can of mace in my bag and I am a lot stronger then I look.

I breathe in and shake my head, “Come on Tess. You like the woods.” I try and laugh at myself. And I want to scream. Of course my brain had to think of the rules, the game. I haven’t even played it for years. Why now was it suddenly in my head. I do a few little jumps to pep myself up and force myself to move into the woods.

It’s a 20-minute walk at most, and I can run if I have to. Though running in the forest at night is likely a stupid idea. I could trip and break my leg on a root. Especially since there isn’t a path. Just a serious of worn down patches where others have walked over and over again on. And even with the foot traffic, the trees do not care if they aren’t supposed to grow somewhere. I swear half the trees in this forest grown in the worst spots on purpose. Like they have some vendetta against anyone who dares walk by them. Or perhaps they are rebelling against us humans. We haven’t been the kindest to them.

I find myself smiling at the thought. Of the trees posing a battle against humans in the most passive way possible. It’s a nice thought. Certainly better than thinking about Slenderman… Damn it.

I shake my head as I frown and try to keep walking and thinking about the trees. But my brain must be making things up now because I swear I see a note on one of the trees on my left.

I should keep walking. But my feet seem to have a mind of their own as they divert and deliver me directly in front of the tree. And sure enough there’s a note. The white paper looks like a beacon against the tree now that I’m standing in front of it. DON’T RUN. Is written in spiky lettering.

My heart starts pounding in my ears and I feel like I’m going to pass out if I look at it for much longer. It has to be a joke. Someone put it here to be funny. Probably some kids that found the game and decided to play it. I reach out and tear the note from the tree. They shouldn’t have left it here.

The air feels colder and I pull my sweater against my body. I almost wish I had taken a coat with me. But it’s midsummer and I’ve never needed one before. It’s unseasonable cold. Which is why I’m feeling so scared. It’s dark, I’m cold and I read way too many horror stories. It’s as simple as that.

And I start walking again. There’s another note a few trees up. And I feel more frustrated than scared at this point. Whom ever left these notes on the tree should have taken them down. I rip it off without even reading it and keep walking. At least if I take them now, the wind won’t take them. And some other scared cat with an over active imagination won’t get scared.

My heart is still beating heavy in my ears. And I know I’m walking a lot faster then when I started. My own anger is bubbling up inside me. I am not a child. I have no reason to be afraid of an online story and a game that started because of it.

There’s one sure way to end this craziness. I’m turning around before I can even rationalize how silly it is to even need to check. To prove to myself that nothing is there.

I scan the trees and huff out a laugh as they come up empty. There is nothing behind me.

I turn around to keep walking home.

The blank empty face is unmistakable. I see it before I see the long limbs dragging out beside the man like form and freeze. I can’t blink. But it can’t be there either. It’s my brain. It’s not there. It’s just looks like it is. I force myself to blink. It slow and painful.

But when my eyes open again it’s gone. I start walking faster. There’s no way I saw that. I’m imagining it. Maybe there are some kids in the forest playing a game and thought they’d pull a prank on me for pulling down their notes.

My strides are longer and faster.

CRACK. The sound is behind me and I whip my head around to see the blank face slithering behind a tree. And my heart speeds up again. It’s twisted. How did a kid get behind me so fast without making a sound? “Go away!

This isn’t funny.” I shout into the darkness as I keep walking forward and tell myself not to engage. My foot catches on a root. I stumble forward and catch myself before I can face plant into the ground.

I pause for a moment to catch my breath. My breath fogs out in front of me in little wisp of white mist. They curl into the air around me. And my heart starts drumming in my ears louder. It cannot be this cold in the summer. It doesn’t feel like it’s freezing.

My hand brush against something on the tree. I pull at it by accident.

But my hand pulls down another white piece of paper.

A low pitch hits my eardrums and I am filled with a sense of dread. And it ebbs closer.

I straighten my spine and can see the same figure in the corner of my eyes. Closer to me then before. And there’s no way it’s a kid. Not unless one’s standing on the others shoulders. Not even an adult can be that tall.

“Don’t run Tess.” I whisper to myself as I start walking. Whatever bit of sanity is still inside of me begs me to run. But an even smaller part of me tells me not to run. I have to be close to the other edge of the forest. I just have to get out of the forest and I will be fine. This will be a funny story I tell my best friend tomorrow.

The sounds hits my ears again and I keep moving forward. I have to ignore it and keep moving. But I can’t run. My breath is still coming out in little clouds and I’m panting as if I’ve run a marathon. My heart hadn’t slowed down and my chest feels like someone’s tied a weight around it.

I keep bumping into trees.

I feel a small sting on my check as I walk through a few low hanging branches.

This doesn’t seem like the way home. The path is clear. Or at least it was.

The moon hovers in the air and I see what I think is the edge of the forest. I’m almost there. I place each step in front of the other. Moving slowly.

But my feet have a mind of their own.

I can’t help it.

My heart feels like it’s going to burst.

Something is watching me.

And it’s cold and dark.

I’m running. And I can see the poach light of the back deck. Home is only a few more moments away.

But my eardrums start to sting as the static fills my head.