An hour later, I was slinging on my messenger bag, empty save for a Polaroid camera, a flashlight and my brother's obsidian knife. I shrugged on my faux leather long vest and straightened out my short sleeve white collared button down shirt. I tied my hair up, exposing the shaved sides and back of my hair. I carefully readjusted my earrings and suicide bar and tightened my shin high platform boots. I kissed the silver pendant with an engraved pentagram, surrounded by arcane lettering that I had received from my late mother. She told me that it was a protective charm, that no harm, evil, or ill will, would ever touch me. I sighed as we all got into Korri's van and took the ten minute drive to the state park. We pulled up into the parking section and I hopped out of the back of the van. We walked up the worn dirt path, everyone joking and chattering loudly. I kept silent, a dark feeling brewing in the pit of my stomach. This was just a gag… wasn't it? I only moved here four years ago… and I never went through any type of initiation when I joined the band. Maybe this was just that moment.
"We're here Ana!" Korri said smugly, his flashlight shining on a rusted "Restricted: Do Not Enter" sign with the "O" scratched over and "X"-ed out.
"This is the rumored entry point into the cursed woods. You enter and exit in here. If you find any pages, make sure not to touch them." Said Z, his voice full of concern.
"I'll throw in an extra two hundred if you find one and bring it back" Korri laughed. Z scowled.
"Anarchy, if you do find a page, make sure to get all eight before you leave the forest, or else you'll go insane… like my uncle Rodger." He frowned. I nodded and tightened the bag across my chest.
"Are you going to be okay in those shoes Ana?" Dee asked, biting her nails in worry. I looked down at my platforms. They silver buckles were tightened perfectly and the flat platform were comfortable on my feet, making my five-foot-three height go up about four inches. I sighed and stomped my foot on the ground.
"These are my most comfortable shoes, and I can run like a track star in these. Don't worry. Besides, I'm so used to wearing boots and platforms, if I wore anything else, I'd bust my ass." I kissed Dee softly and patted her head. Dee and I have a strange relationship. We're both straight females, but we were so close and secure in ourselves that we didn't even flinch at our sorta homosexual act when the douchebag jocks accused us of being Lesbos. Oh well, we ran with it just to bug them. It's become a habit.
I started to climb up the fence, and jumped down on the other side. I pulled out the flash light and clicked it on. LED and bright. I smiled as I looked back at the guys, only to meet with fence and empty forest, dark and endless.
"Oh very funny guys!" I shouted into the darkness. I turned around in a huff and started to walk down the dirt path. It was incredibly dark, even more so than it should be. I kept my flashlight level and smoothed out my black mini skirt, the chain embellishments jingling softly. It was so silent that it creeped me the fuck out. There weren't even any crickets chirping, which was super odd. It was stifling, only the sound of the crunching dirt and gravel and the chains I was wearing could be heard.
I wandered the path for some time not really seeing anything extraordinary or strange. I came to a branching path going off towards my left. I shrugged and followed the path, only to end up standing in front of an old rusted tin silo. I walked around it to see if there were any other paths. I turned, not seeing any, when my light shined on a slightly shiny piece of paper that was pinned onto the silo. I got closer; it was some kind of old parchment, crumpled and slightly torn. There were some scribbles on it in what seems like ink: "Don't Look… Or IT Takes You". Fan-fucking-tastic. I reached my hand out hesitantly. I don't know whether or not to take it…. but then again… Five hundred bones. I grabbed the sheet and tore it from the silo.
A feeling of heaviness and someone staring at me instantly hit me. I looked around, slashing my flashlight to see if anyone was watching me. I saw nothing… but my heart started to beat faster. I shook it off and walked back to the main path. I started back down the main path, looking out for any other kind of oddities or landmarks that may stick out. Might be worth exploring. After a while I came up to what looked like a kind of building, like a locker room or rest room. I wandered around inside, looking at the various empty rooms with broken toilets and shower stalls. A couple of rooms were empty. In one of the empty rooms an over turned chair sat in a corner, along with another one of those slightly shiny parchment pages pinned onto the wall above it. "Help Me" it said. I grabbed the page and stuffed it into my messenger along with the other one. A shiver ran down my spine, and I suddenly felt cold. I swallowed, a feeling of trepidation creeping within me.
I rushed out of the locker room, overwhelmed with the feeling of claustrophobia. I took a deep breath as I wandered back onto the path. I shivered again as I felt the feeling of eyes burning onto my back again. I turned around and saw nothing… but I didn't like the feeling I was getting. I felt like I was wearing a damp, cold blanket on my back, heavy and uncomfortable. I tried to shake it off, but it was like it was glued to my back. I walked back onto the path, my steps a little more brisk. I was feeling nervous. I moved through the trees trying to avoid the low branches, some of them scratching my arms. I shuffled along the path, my heart beating hard now. What did I get myself into?
"Another one?!" I panted, standing in front of what looked like an empty oil tanker. There were a several rows of them; huge, rusted and abandoned. This was the sixth one, and I was panicking. These stupid fucking pages! I wish I never took this stupid bet! These feeling have gotten worse, and I've been seeing shadows following me ever since the third page. My head has started to hurt, feeling fuzzy and I've been hearing a faint static sound in my ears, like a ringing that won't go away. I took the page, and then threw up. A wave of fear and nausea had hit me like a ton of bricks. I wiped my lip and started to maneuver through the tankers. Suddenly, I felt something collide into my back, effectively knocking me down.
"Ugh! The fuck?!" I got back up quickly and looked around. I didn't see anything, I turned around to look behind me and instantly felt a sharp pain in my head, along with the sound of static. I grabbed my head and shook it. I shined my light off into the distant and saw a figure in the distance. It was tall and black clad and it looked like it was lumbering towards me. I gasped as I noticed it didn't have a face. "Oh my god…." I gulped and turned, starting off on a sprint. I can't believe it! Z and Korri were right, this place was cursed!
"Gotta run! Have to- ugh!" I felt something collide with my ribs. I fell to the ground, rolling. I looked up to see a guy, somewhere around my age, wearing a dingy bronze windbreaker, worn jeans and a white mask with the eyes and lips painted black. I pushed myself back up and started to run away. I heard the sound of running steps behind me, the sound of static in my ears. I ran through the trees, dodging the branches that seem to move. I looked back to see the figures following me, then turned, almost colliding with another figure. He wore a similar colored hoodie like the other one, but his face was so shadowed that even though I shined my light on him, I couldn't see it. I skidded and turned, running the opposite direction. I felt pain in my chest as I ran as fast as I could. How do I get myself into these types of situations? Oh yeah, that's right, I was high, drunk and stupid. I was back on the path again, and I came up to an empty field, only large wooden pillars all placed in a row. I saw another page and instantly grabbed it. "Can't Run". Fuck that shit I'm running like all holy hell! I felt something sharp as I began to run. I saw a shine of a knife as the masked kid swung it at me. He cut my arm as I ran.
I had seven pages. I only needed to find the last one before I was able to leave here. I didn't know where I was running, but somehow I was able to see despite my dying flashlight. I saw some kind of blackness in my peripheral I looked to see it was some kind of tentacle. I screamed as it shot towards me. I ducked and rolled away, dodging it. I ran blindly through the woods, keeping my hands out in front of me so that I could avoid running into a tree. The static and buzzing in my ears was unbearable, along with the sharp headache and nausea, I just wanted it to end. But I didn't want to die. I somehow made it to a lone tree in what I'm assuming is the center of the forest. It was a creepy tree, the branches twisted and gnarled and nary a leaf adorning it. But what did adorn it was a page; the last one. It said "Leave Me Alone". Damn right! I grabbed it and tore it from the tree.
All of a sudden, everything stopped. The static, the headache, the nausea; it was all gone. I panted and swallowed, a feeling of hope bubbling in my stomach. I sighed. Now I just had to get out of here. All I have to do is run straight down the path and I'm home free. I turned and stopped dead. I came face to face with the dark figure that was following me. I stared wide eyed and held my breath as he stood face to face with me. He was tall, unbelievably so, wearing a dark suit with a white collared shirt and black tie. His skin was white and his was completely faceless. I gulped and stepped back. The second I did, a disgusting ripping sound sounded from his face as a large horrifying mouth ripped into his features, its sharp teeth dripping with drool and venom. Thick black tentacles sprouted from his back. I took in a deep breath and swallowed.
"Hi…" I breathed. It tilted its head in a confused manner. I nodded, not taking my eyes off of it.
"I'm just gonna…." I murmured as I scooted and then turned and broke out into a dead sprint. I heard the sounds what sounded like a deep roar mixed with static filling my ears as I sprinted down the path. It was following me, along with the other figures that had attacked me earlier. I breathed hard as the fence I came over came into view. Home free!
I felt something wrap around my ankle, effectively tripping me. I looked down to see a tentacle wrapped around my ankle. The figure was coming closer along with his lackeys. I quickly pulled out my brother's knife and sliced at the tentacle. A foul, deep voice in my head screamed in pain as it unwrapped itself from my ankle. I staggered back up and ran like hell. I was right there! I made it! I grabbed at the fence and started to pull myself up. The static in my ears began to fade as I swung a leg over the fence. I panted as I sat on the rail, looking back. They were just a few feet away from me, frozen where they stood. I brushed my hair out of my face, the ribbon in my hair long gone by now, as I pulled out my Polaroid. I snapped a few pictures of the guys; they flinched as the flash went off.
I blew on the pictures as the tall figure came into view. I gulped as I snapped a picture of it. Its horrid mouth had disappeared and it was facing me, looking as though it was staring at me. I snapped another picture, then lowered my camera. Though it had no face, it still have some kind of facial features… and they were contorted in such a way, that if I didn't know better, looked kind of… sad. Forlorn almost…. I gulped as I placed the camera and pictures back into my bag. I took one last look at the three of them, then hesitantly waved. I then jumped back over the fence. I looked back to see them gone.
