The Woods in Bent Creek

I had just started my car when my phone beeped with a new text message. I opened it as I turned on the car’s heater.

Are you off work yet? We’re heading out now, it read from my friend, Felix.

I texted back. Just leaving work. I’ll meet you guys there. If I’m late, I’ll catch up!

I secured my phone on the dash cradle and entered the nearest address to my destination. My friends and I have been wanting to explore a supposedly abandoned and haunted farm so far out into the woods that it didn’t seem to have an address, but everyone knew it as the Bilmor Farm. Made up of a house, a barn, a rusted beyond recognition tractor, and a pile of burned rubble that used to be a silo, Bilmor Farm has been my small town’s ghost story for almost as long as the town has been around. No one knew much about the place, but my friends and I were determined to be the brave group of ghost hunters to find this information and finally put Bent Creek on the map.

Daylight was fading, but I still had time to make it to Bilmor Farm before it was completely dark and harder to find my friends. Slowly, the signs of my town were left behind me and there was only the aging road and forestry around my little old brown Camry. Radio stations were scarce in town, and it was only worse the further out, so I rode in silence. I eventually found a faint shoulder that gave a wide berth for cars to pull over. Autumn leaves littered the earth in burnt orange and crimson and specs of yellow. I can hear the leaves crunch under my tires as I came to a stop and shut off my car. I was alone out here, which was odd, since my friends left before I did.

They may have stopped for snacks, I thought, like I should have.

Hoping I wasn’t too late, I sent Felix another text and asked him to save me some snacks since I’m the one waiting on everyone else. Felix, Pete, Donovan, and I had rules as a ghost hunting group. First, if you’re going to bring food, bring enough to share. Second, don’t go ghost hunting alone. I decided to check my gear since I had some time to kill. In my trunk was my ghost hunting bag. Yeah, yeah, judge all you want, but serious ghost hunters are prepared. Nothing like being stranded out in the middle of nowhere, injured and freaked out by spirits that may or may not just be a woodland creature investigating strangers in their home territory. I knew I had just restocked my first aid kit, but I checked it again just in case. My flashlights were fully charged, same as my camera and cell phone.

I heard my name called out from the woods. I immediately froze in place because I wasn’t sure. I was out in the middle of nowhere and no other cars have passed by since I pulled over. The voice sounded distant, from the woods, but familiar.

“Spencer!” my friend, Pete, called out again. Pete? Are the guys already here? I checked my phone. No new texts. “Yo, are you coming or not?” the voice echoed from the woods again.

That was Pete alright, impatient as usual. I slung my survival pack on my back and fastened the straps. I tucked my phone in my inside chest pocket of my jacket and armed myself with my excessively heavy and bright flashlight. The guys used to poke fun at me until they realized it could double as a defense weapon because it’s basically a metal bat with a light at the end. I secured my car and walked to the tree line in the direction of Pete’s voice.

The moment I passed the threshold of the tree line, the woods grew darker, as if the sun couldn’t reach it. The forest floor was still covered with Autumn leaves, but they gradually faded further into the woods. Eventually, it was just dirt and grass again. The trees seemed bigger the further I walked. It was also colder, but I figured this was because little sunlight could penetrate through the trees. I wanted to shiver at the thought of these woods completely dark at night, but I pushed it out of my head. Nothing has happened to us in these woods all our lives, so there’s no reason to start getting scared of it now.

I didn’t know where the guys were, and I hadn’t heard any activity since I entered the woods, so I almost leapt out of my skin when Felix’s voice broke through the silence ahead of me. “We’re almost there. Catch up!” I searched my peripheral but found no one. Nothing but dark trees and leaves swaying on branches with little direction. I must have been further out than I thought. I hurried to catch up. I made a point to step lightly but quickly; I wasn’t entirely sure what wildlife was nearby or if they were territorial about it.

I eventually began to see a clearing and quickened my pace. How far into the woods have I even gone? I had not been paying attention since the guys seemed to be in a hurry. Nearby the clearing, I saw three dark, but familiar shapes shrouded in shadows waiting for me. My phone vibrated in my chest pocket and I nearly leapt out of my skin for a second time. I stopped to activate my phone screen and saw that I had a new text from Felix. My breath caught in my throat as I read his message.

Minor fender bender by the gas station. We have to wait for the cops for a police report. Come back to town. Sorry, man.

My heart felt as though it wanted to drop out of my rib cage when I heard Pete’s voice call out from a distance again, “Spencer, you coming or what?” I immediately ducked and backtracked my path. I don’t know who has been calling my name, but it wasn’t my friends. Who were those three shapes at the clearing? Doesn’t matter right now. Get out, get out, get out!

I stepped lightly but doubled my pace back to my car. The trees seemed to loom over me, as if threatening to crash onto me if I reversed direction. But I suddenly felt watched. My instincts pushed me forward. Every step felt like someone else was getting closer to me. I finally broke into a sprint, knowing that it would create more sound.

“Spencer,” whispered Donovan’s voice behind me. I didn’t turn around. I flew through the forest, not caring about the branches and leaves that hit me as I ran by. I can worry about injuries later, I thought. Survival instincts pushed me further. I felt as though I was covering leaps and bounds with my feet. Every stride seemed to go farther than expected. I finally started seeing colorful Autumn leaves near the forests’ entrance, but I couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. My heart pounded in my chest, my legs ached for respite, but I promised myself I’ll rest later if I can just get out of the woods right this second.

“Spencer! Where you going, buddy?” I heard Pete say. That’s not Pete. I reminded myself. That’s not Pete. It can’t be Pete. He doesn’t even talk like that. Who the hell are these guys?

I burst through the tree line and continued to sprint to my car. I fumbled to get inside, but I slammed myself into my car, pack still on my back, and started the engine. I quickly slammed my Camry in drive and made a sharp turn back the direction I came. I drove as fast as my old car would go. I struggled out of my backpack and put on my seatbelt. In my rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of three familiar shadows at the tree line. They stood as if patiently waiting for my return. They didn’t fade away; they stayed there until a bend in the road took them out of sight.

I didn’t stop driving. I jumped when my phone vibrated again in my chest pocket. Felix was calling. “Hey man,” said Felix on the other end, sounding annoyed, “we’re done with the police report. Want to just meet at my house? We’ll order some pizza.”

“Y-y-eah,” I stuttered. I couldn’t help it, but I tried to control my nerves. “Yeah, man. I’ll head there.”

“What’s up?” Felix asked with a growing concern in his voice. I explained what happened in the woods. What Felix said next is why I’ll never go ghost hunting ever again.

“That’s seriously messed up, Spence. Look, this isn’t going to make you feel any better, but Deputy Taylor said he had to hurry with the crash report because the sheriff needed all the available police in the area for a manhunt, which is why he doesn’t want us going on into the woods any time soon. Some naked girl ran out from the woods and ran to the Thompson's farm, hysterical and crying about demons in the woods. She was injured and they took her to the hospital. They don’t know if she’s crazy or not, but she has some serious injuries so it could have been people she was talking about. The cops have been searching the woods for hours. They found tortured animals strung up in trees in the woods too. I’m really glad you’re safe, man. Just really glad.”