The Woman

Jess woke up cold, confused, and a little nervous. Why was she sleeping in the woods? She couldn't remember why she was out here. She remembered where she was though; she had come here with her family. They owned a mountain cabin in the Sierras, and every year they would celebrate Thanksgiving with their cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.

She just turned 16 and was mad at her parents for making her break up with Josh. They said he was no good, and refused her to see him anymore. There was a big fight about it of course, so she left the cabin and went for a walk to be by herself to scream and cry.

She remembered that much, but how and why did she fall asleep out here? She was nervous because there are bears and mountain lions out here, and it was getting dark! Surely her parents would be looking for her, but would they find her before something else did?

Getting worried she started walking down the skinny trail that she woke up on. She was hoping that she was going the right way, she didn't want to get lost, or worse, find a dangerous creature! She had nothing to protect herself. "Why the hell did I come out here?! Stupid, stupid!" Jess yelled at herself.

The woods looked eerie to her and she walked, menacing even. She kept looking around hoping to not see anything that could attack. Then she remembered! The woman! Oh the woman!

"Oh no, no, no! Please, please no!" She let out, and starting crying. She remembered what happened, and why she was sleeping in the woods. Only she wasn't sleeping, she had gotten so scared and was running to try to get away and tripped. She had happened to hit her head on a rock and knocked herself out.

Alarmed, she started running again, hoping again that she was headed in the right direction, and not run into the woman again. It was getting dark fast and she was almost in a panic, she was also crying and could barely see because of her tears. She had to calm down, the woman wasn't anywhere. And people in a panic tend to do stupid things. She thought about calling for help, but what if the woman heard her?

And that woman was no woman. It looked like a woman at first, but when she/it got closer, Jess knew it was no woman. Nothing about that thing was even human. Those eyes...

And she was wearing weird, torn clothes, if Jess hadn't at looked at her eyes, she would've asked if she was okay. But, those eyes...

What was that thing?!

"I can't think about that!!" She yelled at herself. And despite the possible danger, she called out, "Help!! Someone help me!! Mom?!! Dad! Somebody, HELP!!"

Nothing. Total silence. It's like her yelling made all the insects and other little creatures stop stirring. Very unnerved, she started walking again. She wanted to curl up into a ball somewhere, but decided against it. She had to get out of these woods!

Then she heard something. A crack, like someone, or something stepped on a stick. "Oh no no, go away!" She yelled out and ran.

For a long time she ran. It seemed like she was running for hours, it was dark now, but there was a full moon so she could see a little. But still not home yet! And the whole time, she felt like she was being watched. She kept looking behind her, but nothing was there. But she had noticed the trail was getting bigger, so she was getting her hopes up that she WAS going in the right direction. And wouldn't you know it? She was! She came across a very familiar sight! The little lake that her family hung out at during the summer.

"Oh thank you!" She blurted out.

Delighted, she started running faster, knowing she would be home in a few minutes!

She rounded a familiar corner and was met face to face with a huge black bear. Heart in her throat, she stopped in her tracks, and started to back up. Thought about playing dead, but she bumped into something. Thinking it was a tree, she turned around, and found out that instead of it being a tree, it was the woman who wasn't a woman!

She was hideous, with those black eyes, and white torn face. Her face was haggard like a very old woman, but pure white. For some reason the gashes on her face got bigger as Jess starred. And the "woman's" mouth opened in a long silent scream, just as black as her eyes. And those eyes turned from complete blackness to large empty eye sockets, but just as black if not blacker than the eyes were.

Jess wanted to run, but her legs couldn't move her. And she felt herself collapsing, fading away, the horrible vision of the "woman" was turning to blackness, as she heard faintly in the distance, her parents and cousins calling out for her. "Jessica! Jess! Where are you?!!"