The Shadows of the forest II

The Shadows of the Forest II

By Julian Totton



It had been a year since that chilling night. The night Matt faced being pursued by the ghostly shadows of the forest. It was the tall hooded man's ghost. Someone who killed 2 people 3 years ago. The victims, the innocent victim near the asylum and the peaceful homeowner whose house got burned down in the haunted forest.

   Matt got a new job a couple months after the events. He was working as a security guard for the local bank. He’s well known there, because one time he was able to stop a notorious bank robber named Xavier. The robber had opened fire, killing 3 people and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Back to the present time. Matt was planning a party for Saturday. He invited some of his friends, a couple bank workers named Eric and Peter, and Frank from the grocery store. Another guy, Charles was invited as well but didn’t show up.

The party was going pretty well, then the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it. It’s probably Charles, fashionably late” Peter said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He opened the door and was greeted by a scared, bloody stranger. The man’s clothes were ripped, and there were cut marks and blood all over his shirt. His mouth and arms were bloody, and then he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“He... He’s co... coming for me! He started to chase me in the woods and I... I.” The man passed out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Matt, call 911! And get an ambulance.” Peter said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Well, he says a tall man was after him. He was wearing a black hood and kept on coming after him. He had a knife and kept attacking him. He should be fine after a few weeks of recovery. We searched the forest and all we found was this.” Officer Mark Hoffman said, holding a piece of paper.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">    It said “Coming for you Matt.” Matt was terrified.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “That ghost, what does he want from me? He’s after me like before, that terrifying nightmarish night. What does he want?” Matt said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Eric and Peter calmed Matt down. A week passed and people started to disappear in that forest. “I have to go back there and find clues on the missing people.” Matt thought to himself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Are you crazy dude, you really want to go back there again, with us?” Eric said

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Yeah, this is something the police handles, not us.” Peter said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Come on guys, I have to. We might be able to find clues on these disappearances. We might save someone’s life. After what Xavier did, killing people that I could've saved... I don't want anyone else endangered by this ghost” Matt said to them, saddened.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“You’re right” Eric said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“By the way, where’s Charles?” Matt asked his boss, the manager.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I’d like to know myself. He’s been gone the past couple days. I’m guessing he’s sick or something. But I have important work to do” He said, and left.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   They all went with Matt. They decided to go in to the forest at daytime. Matt brought a pistol and Frank brought a bat with a nail. Eric brought a shotgun, and Peter brought a revolver. Unknown to them, the hooded ghost lurked at a tree, watching them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Prepare to be part of this haunted forest soon Matt, no one gets away from me and lives. Just like your friends will die very soon..." The hooded man said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   They split into 2 groups going in 2 directions. Frank was walking with Matt, a bit nervous. They were looking around for footsteps or any clues. They couldn’t find anything but kept going. Then they heard a noise.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The sound was coming from the bushes. Frank hesitantly looked to see what it was, slow like a ninja. Matt held his gun, like the guard he was. A squirrel jumped out of the bush which scared both of them. They sighed heavily after that.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Aww man we’ve been here forever! And we still haven’t found anything.” Peter said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Dude, we’ve only been here for 15 minutes.” Eric said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then they both heard something. Eric went to check it out, and Peter stayed back with his revolver and took out a camera. Then he felt a presence behind him, he turned around. There, the tall hooded man loomed over him. Before he could react, a powerful punch knocked him on the ground like a bull, which caused his camera to flash

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “Let me go, you coward ghost!” Said Peter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Silence!” The figure hissed, and knocked Peter out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Eric came back and saw Peter on the ground. He saw the man, he aimed his gun at him. The figure had Peter’s revolver and shot him. Eric fell to the ground, and fired his gun in the air. Matt and Frank panicked from the sound and went to try to look for them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“You sick, what do you want from us?” Eric said, clunching his shoulder in pain and anger.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I don’t care about you guys. I just have some unfinished business with Matt and by the way thanks for this shotgun. I think I’ll just borrow it for let’s see... Forever!” The figure said, and knocked Eric out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Matt and Frank searched for them. They finally got over there but didn’t see Peter or Eric or the figure. All they found was Peter’s camera. It had a picture of the mysterious hooded man.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“So it’s been an imposter this whole time.” Matt said

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   “What do you mean by that?” Frank said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The Hooded man’s ghost chased me at night last year. That’s when people say they heard things in those woods. He’s wearing gloves, I remember the ghost with his bare hands, clenching that cold deadly knife. And that burned crispy overdone face.” Matt said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Oh great now I’m hungry.” Frank said, trying to lighten the mood.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They continued on their path and saw the figure. He was carrying Eric and Peter’s unconscious bodies, into the dark remains of something. They hid behind a bush so he wouldn’t see them. They got a closer look at the remains.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The hooded man dragged the two inside, and tied them up to chairs. They were next to the people the evil man kidnapped, the same ones who dissapeared earlier in the week. Eric gained consciousness again and saw the man.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"You..." He said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Yes, me!" He hissed, and knocked Eric out with a punch.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Matt and Frank slowly walked towards the place, cautious. Frank then realized what it was.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Wait a minute, that’s the house that was burned down 3 years ago.” Frank said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Oh yeah, this is freaky.” Matt said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After a few minutes they slowly went inside the burned house. They checked around slowly and then found two people tied to chairs. Eric and Peter were tied up too. Those two were the disappearing people.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Help us, please” one of them said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I just wanted to go to the grocery” another one said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Don’t worry, we’ll let you go” Frank said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The hooded man, did you see his face, what did he look like?” Matt asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Uhh… he’s right behind you.” One of them said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mathew and Frank turned around and saw the tall man. He hit Frank with Eric’s gun. Mathew fired his gun at the figure, he fell down. Matthew attempted to see under the man’s hood, but he whipped out a blade and stabbed Matt in the leg.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Matt struggled to get up from the painful wound. He finally did, and picked up Frank’s bat and swung at the man, hitting him. He started throwing punches at the figure. In return, the tall man kicked Matt’s chest. He picked Matt up and slammed him against the wall.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“What do you want from me?” Matt said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"I've been waiting a long time for this" The man said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The figure slowly removed his hood. Matt was in disbelief when he saw his face. The hooded figure revealed himself to be Xavier, Matt's old enemy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Xavier? It was you this whole time?” Matt said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Yes. I had a good time planning revenge against you for getting me locked up. And now you’ll burn in this house!” Xavier said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Xavier punched Matt against a table, breaking it. Matt picked up a burned chair and threw it at Xavier, hitting him. Matt fought Xavier for the gun, firing shots around the room. Matt hit him in the head with the end of the shotgun. Xavier got back up, dazed and pushed Matt to the ground. He fired the gun accidently, the bullet hit a jar of gasoline, knocking it onto a candle a few feet away. The room was in flames once again, like 3 years ago.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Xavier punched Matt and then he picked up the shotgun.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I'm impressed, no one’s gotten the best of me like that. It almost makes it a shame to put these bullets through your eyes. Almost” Xavier said coldly, with an evil laugh.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Xavier pointed his gun at Matt, but Frank was able to get up, and had Matt’s pistol. Xavier gasped and Frank pulled the trigger two times. Xavier fell down on the floor, and spat out blood.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"You think 2 bullets are gonna take me down?! Ha Ha! If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" He shouted, and shot at Frank, causing the pistol to drop out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Xavier pulled Matt up and slammed him on the ground, and kicked his face on the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"You're weak, just like those pathetic lives I took from the bank. The 3 lives you failed to help, or should I say 8 now? Prepare to join them, prepare to burn!" Xavier said, pointing the gun at him for the last time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Matt had rage in his eyes and kicked Xavier away from him. At that moment above, a big sharp piece of wood fell from the ceiling due to the fire. Xavier yelled and then was impaled, and laid on the floor, motionless.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">   The room was a cooked omelet now. Matt and Frank freed the hostages, and they helped carry Peter and Eric safely out before the remains burned down again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Firemen put out the fire quickly. They were all in the hospital. Eric recovered from his gunshot wound after a while. Matt, Frank and Peter slowly recovered from the experience in a couple weeks. Matt was honored as a hero in the newspaper. As for Xavier, the police couldn't find his body. But people say that two hooded men walk the forest late at night now