The shadows of the forest

“Shadows of the Forest”

Chapter 1: Footsteps in the dark

I just got home from the grocery store with eggs, milk, waffles and other things. A couple of hours later, I ate dinner and that was around the time I realized I lost my credit card. I must have left it at the grocery store. I was thinking of calling Frank, my friend who works there. He’s working late to get more money, unloading things onto the shelves. I don’t want to bother him, so I figure I might as well walk there.

             I live in a small town and the grocery store is near a forest next to my house. I usually drive over there, but I could use the exercise right now. I locked my front door and took one of my keys with me, and started walking towards the forest. A couple of minutes later, I got the strange sense that someone was watching me and I could hear footsteps around me. I turned my flashlight on and saw nothing.

             “It’s just your imagination, Mathew. Don’t let creepy pasta stories on the web scare you.” I told myself. But I was really creeped out, and I heard footsteps again, crunching of twigs and grass. I turned my flashlight on and I saw a tall figure looming over the dark. He was all black like a shadow, I couldn’t see his face. Then I saw that he was holding something, a blade.

When I saw that, I froze for a few seconds, turning my flashlight off. That was scary, and really gut wrenching. I had to get out of there. Whatever mysterious plans this guy had for me, I didn’t want to be subjected to them.

             I decided to call Frank to tell him to give it to me in the morning. I reached into my pocket to get my phone. It was not inside my pocket! I must have left it by the couch after dinner.

             I could sort of see the shadow. I tiptoed slowly and then I stepped on a twig. I saw it turn around, facing me. Once I saw that, I ran as fast as I could. I ran behind a tree and I stayed there, watching the shadow. I saw him turn on a light and look around. I was too scared to even swallow, I didn’t want him to hear me. I could sort of see what he looked like. He was wearing a black hood, jeans and was tall, of course.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">             I thought if I turned my flashlight on and off, it would distract him if aimed at his eyes. That would give me enough time to escape. Seemed like a good plan, so I did that, but then I wish I hadn’t done that. The moment I turned my flashlight on, and saw his face… That horrible face, part of my sanity started to drain.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Chapter II: The face of the shadow

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">             His face was horrible, there were burn marks all over. His face didn’t look human at all. He was holding a flashlight and then started running towards me. I screamed and ran as fast as I could. I kept on turning my flashlight on and off to try to distract him. It didn’t work, I kept it off and ran, hoping he wouldn’t see me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Well I didn’t get very far running away. I got knocked out about 10 seconds later when I ran into a tree. I regained my consciousness a short while later. I realized that I was slightly closer to the grocery store, which was odd. I turned my flashlight on and I looked around and then saw a shadow. He was a lot shorter than the other man. He was wearing a t-shirt and soft pants. Like the other guy, he had burn marks all over his scared face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">             I ran away, and he wasn’t coming after me. I didn’t care, I just wanted to get out as fast as I could. I finally got to the grocery store and saw Frank.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Oh my God, Frank! You’re not gonna believe this! I was chased by this guy in the woods. His face was burnt.” I told him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Once I told him that, he was shocked. I asked him if he was behind me. To which he replied no and then told me of why I saw all that in the woods.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I gotta to tell you a story of a fire that took place in those woods. It happened two years ago, an asylum patient escaped and broke into a house. He had a fight with the homeowner, which knocked over a candle, burning the house down. There was an innocent victim who got beat over the head and died a few blocks away from the asylum. Some of his friends said he was wearing a hood and had a flashlight, which was taken by the insane man. Their souls haunt the forest. And according to rumor, the more the patient’s ghost comes to you, the closer the homeowner’s ghost follows you.” Frank said to me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">             It was a terrible, tragic story. I’m never going in to those woods again at night. When I used to go there, I felt like I was being watched, by the shadows of the forest.

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