''This has been the third missing person reported this month, and like the preceding two, was last seen before entering the forest on the side of Timberpine Road. As you know, this is a restricted zone due to the incident of 1974, when 24 children all vanished at once without leaving any trace of evidence. Now more recently, what started as a young troublemaker looking for fun has turned serious. We suggest you all stay well away from the forest until further investigation.''

Grace turned off the TV. She had heard enough. Sliding off the couch, she glanced at the clock. 11:45. She figured she might as well get in bed, even if she didn't feel very tired.

The house was eerily quiet as she tiptoed through the hall to her room. Her mom and dad were asleep upstairs, oblivious to the fact that she was still up. Then again, they might have known she was awake and didn't care. They didn't seem to care quite as much about anything since her brother Jake had gone missing.

He had done it as a dare, a simple thing to impress his friends. They had all joked about it before sending him into the forest, equipped with only a flashlight and a video camera. Grace had been worried about it at first, since two people had already disappeared, but figured he could handle himself.

He never came back.

The police questioned everyone that had seen him the day before, seeing if he had reason to run away. Grace knew he wouldn't have run away, her brother wasn't that kind of person. But she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt him. Sure, he got on people's nerves from time to time, but he never caused any harm. Plus, he was too smart to have gotten lost or carried away by some wild animal. Grace was running out of theories, perhaps all the rumors were true, and a crazed serial killer was doing this.

The day after the police left, Grace found something on her porch.

It was her brother's video camera.

She glanced around to see who could have left it so early in the morning, but the neighborhood was still. Picking up the mud covered device, she hid it in her room before her parents saw it. Grace thought about watching what was on it, but was too afraid of what she might see.

Tonight she decided she would finally look at it.

Once in her room, Grace locked the door and dimmed the lights. Her parents would make her give the camera to the police as evidence, but she felt someone had brought it to her for a reason.

Her hands trembled as she took the camera out of the box under her bed. She had a sickening feeling that this video might reveal who-or what- was behind the kidnappings.

When she pressed the play button the footage, everything appeared to be normal. Her brother went through the woods, making jokes about the creepy myth surrounding the forest and swearing when he would hear a twig snap.

Then, he came across a small clearing with a huge creepy tree in the center. Walking up to it, he noticed the piece of notebook paper stuck to it. Zooming the camera lens up to it, he read it out loud.

''Always watches...no eyes.'' Jake stayed silent for a moment, then started to laugh. ''Well, someone obviously is trying to freak me out, hey guys! I know you followed-''

But Jake got cut off by a sudden terrible, booming noise. It sounded like a drum, only it played the most malevolent rhythm, and continued to get louder.

''What the f...'' Jake trailed off, and started to walk faster. ''That's it, I'm out of here.''

When he arrived at the edge, a huge metal fence loomed over him.

''That wasn't here before.'' Jake said quietly. As he turned to go back, a loud crack came from somewhere in the distance, and the camera screen blurred with static.

''This isn't funny anymore guys!'' Jake yelled, running away from the noise. ''I give up, you win!'' Grace could hear the panic in his voice now. Her heart was beating furiously too, and she had the urge to turn away and never look back.

But she didn't. Jake soon crashed into the ground, tripping over something. The camera fell with him, but she could still hear his blood curdling scream as the video was overcome with static once more.

Only this time, a face appeared within the static. A face with no features whatsoever.

For some reason, Grace knew it could see her.

And with a sinking feeling, she realized she was next.