A trip to lock head woods was all my parents talked about for months before the summer break started. My dad told wonderous tales of his childhood adventures to my brother and me every chance he got, while my mother told us all the wonderful Girl Scout trips she took. It sounded just ever so magical to a teenager who would spend most of the time babysitting his little brother who had the survival instincts of a lemming.
Months came and went, and the school bell rang for the last time for some. On a warm July morning, dad loaded us into his failing Tahoe, bound for lock head woods. Urban claustrophobia gave way to the rural sparseness of the great national forest, and a Few hours later lock head woods came into view.
We spent an hour unpacking and setting up the campsite, for all my uncertainties it was pretty nice to be out of the city and breathing in the fresh air. Dad lead us on a nature hike that was more of a can you guess what bug is biting you and how badly it will hurt later tour that squashed my upbeat disposition fairly quickly. Our “hike” ended at a beautiful rock outcropping that looked over an impossibly blue pond surrounded by tall pines dad promised to bring us there the following day to swim if the weather cooperated.
The sun was going down as we made our way back to the campsite and we all set about getting a fire set up. We are our hot dogs and chips by the light of the fire while dad regaled us with all the classic ghost stories the machete-wielding killer hiding in the woods, the ghost that only comes out during a full moon in these exact woods, and of course the shapeshifter that mimics your loved ones. After the food and stories, we cleaned up and packed ourselves up for a good night’s rest my parents in one tent and me and my brother in the other.
A rustling sound from outside the tent stirred me from a fitful sleep, my brother going to the bathroom I assumed until a loud snore next to me caused me to sit upright. I opened up the tent just a crack to check and see what the sound was. My dad was standing next to the fire pit eyes blank, “dad.” I called to him to make sure he was okay, as soon as he heard me call out to him his head snapped towards me.
His eyes were milky white and blood was pouring from his nose. I screamed and backed away from the entrance trying to put as much distance between myself and him as I could. The scream woke my brother up and before he could even utter a syllable I had my hand clamped down on his mouth. He took the hint and kept quiet I strained my ears to hear any sounds outside but it was dead silent no insects or animals dared call out. I was ready to peek out again to see if maybe I was just imagining the whole thing when the light from the opening was blocked and that milky white eye peered in on us both.
“Boys…..”
His eyes lit up and a smile stretched his face into an unpleasant clown mask ringed with blood from his pouring nose.
“Boys, boys, boys won’t you join me I have some great stories to tell you! I told them to your mother already and she just about died of excitement..”
His voice had taken a higher pitch than normal and the way he enunciated died unnerved me. This was my dad’s body but it wasn’t my dad.
“Well if you won’t come to me I guess I’LL JUST COME TO YOU!”
I screamed as hard as I could and kicked blindly out at him, but his target wasn’t me it was my brother who sat stupified. Dad yanked him up and in a flash bit into his throat I watched the light fade out of his eyes and his head sag. Dad’s hands fell on my shoulders and as I felt the teeth tear through the flesh of my throat I felt something else.
I was shaken awake by my dad his face inches away from my own.
“Jesus kid you were screaming bloody murder no more scary stories for you before bed.”
I surveyed the campsite and saw my mom and brother sitting by the small fire eating breakfast. I shakingly got up and sat with them while dad gave me a plate.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, dad I’m fine just a bad dream.”
That day was just about as magical as you can get after seeing your dad turn into a psychopath in a dream where you felt his teeth rip out your own throat. We swam in the pond, fished when we were too tired from swimming, and ate the fish we caught for lunch. Dad took us on another nature walk this time thankfully the bug spray was effective and we could enjoy ourselves.
Dad skipped the stories that night worried it might cause another nightmare. The hot dogs were hot and the smores were the perfect amount of coma-inducing sugar overload you would need right before bed. I dreaded sleep but it enveloped me as soon as my eyes closed.
I woke up to another rustling sound this time in the tent with me instead.
“You’re awake! You’re awake! You’re awake!”
I spun around to the high-pitched childish voice and came face to face with my younger brother. His milk-white eyes stared into mine while a clown mask smile spread across his face. I screamed in shock And backpedaled towards the entrance of the tent.
“I’ve been waiting for you brother! You’re going to miss all the fun!!!”
A cold hand gripped my shoulder from behind and pulled me out of the tent. My dad was standing there grinning at me in the light of the moon.
“You must join us son I have so many stories to tell you.”
I tried to kick and squirm but his grip on me was too strong. My brother came out of the tent in a rictus walk and lurched his way towards us.
“Dad told me his stories and I know you will love them, brother please join us.”
His mouth stretched so wide I heard his jaw pop and he sank his teeth into my wrist before I could react. Pain flared throughout my body as he pulled away veins and muscle tissue my nerve endings screamed as they were exposed to the air for the first time. I screamed for my mother and her soft voice carried from the tent she shared with dad.
“You should listen to your father dear join us and listen.”
Two white eyes shone through the tent flap and I slipped away no longer able to bear the pain. I woke up slowly my body screaming at me with every movement. My head felt like splitting I couldn’t focus my eyes from the pain.
“We have a live one! I see movement in the back.”
My eyes slowly focused in but I couldn’t move my head the pain was too much and I felt unconsciousness trying to take over again. Two white eyes were staring at me in the seat next to me dried blood caked around the gaping wound on my brother’s forehead.
“Don’t move we are coming to get you!”
I couldn’t move even if I wanted to my eyes were locked on my brother’s face. I moved my eyes slightly and saw my mom and dad’s milky eyes staring up from the reflection of the rearview. My throbbing head finally came to terms with what was happening and I screamed.
“It’s okay! We are getting you out just stay calm!”
I screamed as hard as my dry throat would let me until I felt the cold calmness of unconsciousness creeping over me. Before I could pass out completely I heard a collective whisper.
“Join us”
I awoke two days later, besides a few bruised ribs and dehydration the only damage was in my head. My whole family had passed away in the accident the doctors tried to give it to me easily but I knew it before I had passed out. I went to live with some relatives out of state after the funerals and I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist to help me cope with the loss, but I can’t be honest with them.
My family visits me every night just as I’m fading into sleep their eyes always drilling into my own telling me to join them. I refuse them time after time but I just can’t keep this up I know why they want me to. It’s not because of some crappy survivor’s guilt if I had just told dad about the puddle of brake fluid under the truck that morning they would still be here. When they come tonight I’m going to ask dad to tell me a story I hope it’s a good one the pills I took are making it hard to stay awake.