Hey all, my name is Shin.
I am writing this as I have had something on my mind since I was a child.
When I was younger, my brothers and I were put into child, youth, and family. For those who do not know, it is the New Zealand version of foster care. This meant we ended up going to different houses with other children that were in the same boat as us or had nowhere else to go.
My family dynamic is as follows: we are a household of three boys and a mother, of which I am the middle child. My older brother and I are only a year apart in age. So, he and my youngest brother were put in the same house, while I was put in one of my own.
We went through several homes over the course of several years. I remember, at one point, being placed in a home with another kid, a girl about one or two years older than me. For this story, I will just call her Melissa. She and I got along quite well. We even used to go to the park and play. It was quite fun.
On one particular day, she and I had finished playing and started heading home. On the way up the road to the house, we noticed a giant bush that you could climb on and, once at the top, you could rest without having to worry about falling through.
We found this out, of course, by climbing on it. *laughs* Once we reached the top, we saw that on the other side there was a forest with a giant tree in the middle poking through the top. We would climb this bush every weekend, building our curiosity each and every time.
Three weeks had passed, and over that time we had started to notice a hole forming that seemed to be leading through the bush to the other side. So, when the hole was big enough and after a quick (and I mean quick) discussion, we both decided to climb through to the other side and check it out. I mean, why the fuck not, right?
We made our way through and, once on the other side, we started following a small trail. The trail took us across a tiny stream and led us to the centre, where we stood in front of the large tree. It was huge, so tall that it looked as if it was stretching to the heavens.
After resting a while, we decided it would be an amazing place to play a game of hide and seek. So, off we went. In the first game, I was “it,” so of course I had to find her first. After about half an hour of playing, we had another break under the big tree. *laugh* I spent my whole time trying to think of a great hiding spot for the next game.
But before we could start our next game, something strange made us stop. In front of us, near the large tree, was this young girl who looked about five or six. She was wearing a white dress best described as an old-fashioned nightgown, which reminded me of something you would see in an old movie. I remember noticing the old white shoes she wore. You know, the ones that have a strap and buckle that you use to tighten them.
Her hair was a dark brown; the poor thing had it cut in what could only be described as a bowl cut but trimmed shorter over her eyes, probably so she could see properly; her skin was as pale as a porcelain doll. I wish I had paid more attention to her eyes. They are the only things about her that I can’t fully remember. I keep finding myself wanting to say they were a dark shade. Maybe sunken?
She slowly approached us and, with a quiet voice, asked, “What are you doing?” When we were young, we only thought she was a little odd, but now that I’m thinking back on it, I’m left with more and more questions.
We both replied, “We’re playing hide and seek.” I remember the look of awe crossing her face and, with a slight perk to her voice, replying, “Wow, really?” Can I play too? “ Melissa and I looked at each other and, with a shrug of our shoulders, we both said, “Why not?” But you should ask your parents first, so they know where you are. “
She smiled, “Okay!” she continued, “I live up here.” So, we followed behind her. Making our way through the thicker parts of the forest, I remember we started to wonder why she lived so deep in the forest. But, after walking for what felt like 12 hours, we arrive near her house. She looks at us and says, “I’ll be right back. I will just go talk to dad.”
We waited for what would have been 10-15 minutes and started wondering what was taking so long. We started getting impatient, as kids do. So, we decided to walk up the path to where she said her house was, and the surprise we got when seeing the house was something I haven’t forgotten.
It looked run down with the windows covered in dust from the inside. We walked closer and peeked through a spot that didn’t seem to have any dust. It looked almost like someone wiped it away to look out.
Looking inside, all I could see was an old wooden table with four chairs that had looked as if someone had set it up for dinner. However, instead of food being found on the dinner plates, there was only a thick grey coating of dust along with decayed flowers in a vase with the petals still on the table. There was a white cloth in the corner of the house next to the old fireplace, which looked like it hadn’t been used in years. The amount of dust was baffling.
I suddenly got goosebumps. I looked over at Melissa. Her face had gone pale. I ask her, “What’s wrong?” She looked back at me with a face full of fear and replied, “We have to leave now.” After seeing her reaction, my fight or flight instincts kicked in and we both ran away from there with all our might, making sure to not look back, weaving through tree branches.
We finally made it to the little stream and started traversing the trail. My heart was pounding faster as if someone was behind us. As soon as Melissa made it through the bush, I ran as fast as I could and, shit you not, jumped into the bush and speed crawled my way through to the other side. I just knew if I stayed, or slowed down, something would happen to me, and maybe I’d be the one asking to play a game with some unknown kids.
I’m 29 now and still remember it clearly as hell to this very day. A part of me really wants to drive out there and see if I can find the house again. Who knows, maybe that girl will appear again, but this time we can play that game of hide and seek.
You might not believe this, but that’s fine. I know what my eyes have seen and that’s all that matters.
Thank you for reading my story!
Be safe when you play games in the woods.