The trees surrounded me. Towering over me, the forest felt like it stared into me. I had lost my way while traveling on a hike. Darkness had started to overcome the orange sky of the sunset. I hadn’t brought anything for prolonged stays in the forest except for a compass and flashlight as a precaution. I was set on walking north because a road lined the northern edge of the forest I hiked in. As night fully set in, I realized the forest’s eerie silence. There was no wind blowing through the trees, no owls hooting, and not even a single cricket chirp. Only my footsteps through the grass could be heard.
I had been walking for around half an hour when a branch snapped behind me. I jumped and quickly turned; there was not a sign of a creature besides the branch.
“Hello? Is anyone there? Please come out, this is not funny.” I called.
A response came in the form of a crunch. First from my left, then to my right. I desperately tried to find what was there. Suddenly, snapping of branches circled me. Despite the loud and constant snapping, I saw no sign of a living presence. The crunching spiraled toward me. Without any other choice, I looked at the direction of my compass and dashed into a full-on sprint to the north. The snapping of branches followed me and began to catch. Fear and adrenaline set in, I sped up. My heart pounded and a patch in the trees was becoming visible. The crunching caught up to me and it was on my right. Despite doubting to see anything, I turned my head to look. Bright eyes erupted from the dark woods. It was an indescribable color and my head suddenly exploded into pain. A hollow and metallic barking erupted from the direction of the eyes. I ran faster and faster, desperate for an escape. The crunching of the branches and barking disappeared and I could no longer see the eyes. Relieved, I began to slow. Then, a sudden loud sound pierced the air. It was a horn blarring. I quickly turned and saw an oncoming vehicle. I couldn’t react and the sick crunching sound of a corpse echoed across the road.
Thomas sat at his desk, fiddling with a pencil. Boredom crept upon him, as per usual. His late night shift was always slow. As hours drew longer and longer, Thomas began to fall asleep. The caffeine he tried to pump his body full of hadn’t been effective. As sleep embraced him, the phone rang, quickly snapping Thomas out of his tired state. He quickly picked it up.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“O-oh god, I-I accidentally hit someone with my car. H-Help. Please help!”
“Calm down ma’am, where are you located?”
“I-I’m on the Bear Lane Road located next to the Skinwalker Woods.”
A single icy metallic bark came from the forest. Mary’s mangled corpse laid in the ditch, cold and lifeless, deprived of the energy she once had.