I’ve lived near these woods all my life and I would always hear tales about this house deep in the woods. These were just tales, but my mom always warned my siblings and I to avoid the woods. I can understand the more logical reason for this, there are countless animals in the woods, but my mother would always warn us to beware of the house in the woods.
Naturally, my siblings and I didn’t really heed her warnings, in fact, we wanted to find this supposed house. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn’t find it so we eventually gave up on it.
A few months ago, I went to visit my parents who still live in the same house my siblings and I grew up in. By this point, I had completely forgotten about the tales of the house in the woods.
Three days into my visit and my parents’ dog, Charlie, went missing. It’s normal for Charlie to wander around in the woods, but he would always come back home an hour or two before sunset. When he didn’t arrive home an hour after he normally would, my parents began worrying. I assured them that he’ll probably show up within the next hour.
Another hour flew by and no sign of Charlie. By this point, my parents were worried sick. They’ve had Charlie for a long time and loved him to death. I was also concerned for him, but I knew it was dangerous to go looking for him at night. I told my parents I’d search for him first thing tomorrow morning which helped calm them down.
We had all been fast asleep when the sound of barking woke me. Realizing the barking sounded like Charlie, I rushed out the house with a baseball bat and my phone. I shined my phone light into the woods and saw a glimpse of white fur.
“Charlie! Come here boy!” I called out.
Instead of running to me, he ran farther into the woods. I hesitated only a second before running after him. It was a miracle I was able to just barely see him with the flashlight. I ran for what felt like hours before I noticed a clearing up ahead. Charlie disappeared right before my eyes as he entered the clearing.
“What the fuck?” I said, shocked.
It was then that I noticed something much stranger. In the clearing, stood a two-story Victorian style house. The tales of the house in the woods rung throughout my head. How did I find it? No, how is it still in good condition?
The house was clearly old and there wasn’t a single sign of human life, but it looked pristine. There was no moss growing on it, nor was the paint bleached. Not even the porch had dirt on it. I marveled at the sight, taking it in slowly. The house looked completely fine, but there was this weird, eerie feeling in the air.
It sent shivers down my spine, but I decided to investigate the house. After all, this was the house of those tales; the same house my siblings and I spent most of our childhood trying to find. I hurriedly walked onto the porch and to the door. I knocked on it despite the fact that there was clearly no one here other than me. I held my breath for a second in fear that someone might actually respond.
After getting no response, I carefully opened the door. Like I expected, the inside was in pristine condition as well. I placed the bat I had brought with me down beside the door before searching the first floor. I soon realized that the house appeared as if someone still lived in it.
I instinctively pulled my phone out and began taking pictures of the different rooms on the first floor. After I got a sufficient amount of pictures of the first floor, I moved up to the second floor. This floor had many bedrooms, each room looking as if someone lived in them. I took multiple pictures of these rooms as well. One bedroom still had messed up bed covers as if someone had just gotten out of them. The bedroom drew my attention the most. I looked around at the different paintings, photographs, and jewelry.
“May I help you?” a voice said behind me.
I jumped out of fright and turned around. I was met with a woman, dressed in a Victorian style dress. I calmed my racing heart before responding,
“I’m sorry, I thought no one lived here.”
She laughed, “I’m not surprised. I do live out in the middle of nowhere. It’s late, but are you hungry?”
As soon as she asked, my stomach growled in response. She chuckled, “Follow me.”
“Uh, so do you live here by yourself?” I asked as I followed behind her.
“No, my husband and I live here together. He is off in town tonight, he’ll be back in the morning,” she answered.
I eyed her suspiciously. No logical explanation could explain why she was living in a house in the middle of the woods. A house that is in perfect condition, and not to mention she looks like she walked straight out of one of the portraits I saw. As we walked down the stairs, the smell of food hit me. It made my stomach growl louder in response, but I couldn’t help the unease I felt.
I had only been in the house for at most fifteen minutes, how could food already be prepared? I had been on the first floor for a good nine minutes, and besides I didn’t smell food when I first opened the door. I shook my head, maybe I was just being paranoid. We made it to the dining room where the table was already set for two.
The food looked as delicious as it smelled and I could hardly wait to dig in. We took a moment of silence to pray before we ate. I quickly dug into the food, I hadn’t realized I was so hungry.
“This is delicious Mrs.- uh, what’s your name?” I said.
“Mrs. Preston, please call me Mrs. Preston. I’m flattered you find my food so delicious,” she replied with a smile.
Her smile sent chills down my spine despite it looking so nice. I mentally shook my head, it’s just my nerves.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked, pointing to her food.
She chuckled, “I will, let me go get something first.”
As soon as she left, I realized I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. In fact, I felt nauseous. I set my utensils down and stood up. I walked around the dining room for a bit before stopping short in front of a portrait. In the portrait was Mrs. Preston, and the frame had the words, ‘In Loving Memory of Alise Preston, 1826-1850’, carved in it.
I froze immediately as my stomach turned sickeningly. S-she’s dead?!
“What are you doing?” Her voice sounded behind me.
I quickly turned around, “A-ah, I was just walking around a bit to make more room for the food. It’s really delicious, it’d be a shame to waste it.”
“Oh, wonderful!” she said cheerfully.
I breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at the clock on the wall, “O-oh, would you look at the time, I’d better head home. Thank you for the food.”
Her face fell as the room became much colder. The room quickly went from pristine condition to a very poor state. I looked at the worn down table, and the plates of food. My eyes widened as bile raised in my throat. I hunched over and threw up the contents in my stomach.
It was horrible, the food was decomposed and there were maggots and other insects on it. I continuously threw up, even when my stomach was empty. Her shrill laughter echoed throughout the room.
“Oh, it’s been so long since I last had a decent meal. A young man like you would be the perfect appetizer!”
I raised my head and saw her grotesque form. She was a dark grayish color, her hair was but a few strands, she was decomposed in many areas. In some places I could see her bones and other places consisted of insects. The sight made me dry heave.
“What’s wrong darling? Don’t like what you see? No matter, you’ll soon be in bliss,” she continued as she lunged for me.
I fell backwards, just barely escaping her clutches. One of her fingernails, however, sliced me and it cut deep into my skin. It burned like a knife and continuously bled. I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the door. I felt the floorboard giveaway and my leg fell through. I shouted in pain as a piece of the broken floorboard penetrated my thigh.
I struggled to get my leg out but it was no use. Alise was already in front of me. She said nothing as she grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up before tossing me across the room. I slammed against the wall and nearly blacked out from the collision. I struggled up and ran for the door once more.
“Do you seriously think you can escape me?!” she laughed sinisterly.
She was on me in an instant and had me face down on the floor. She dug her decayed claws into my back. I yelled in pain once more as tears fell from my eyes. I felt her lean down, her mouth against my neck,
“I’ll be sure to enjoy you thoroughly.”
I closed my eyes as I tried to struggle against her, but it was no use. I felt her teeth on my neck and in a boost of adrenaline I was able to shake her off. I crawled to the front door and grasped at my bat I had left there. She grabbed my leg and pulled me back towards her.
I turned over and swung the bat hard. It knocked her down and she shrieked,
“HOW DARE YOU DO THAT?!”
I struggled up and didn’t hesitate. I swung the bat down continuously, pulverizing her decomposed flesh. A dark substance splattered onto me, but I paid no mind and continued hitting her. I didn’t stop until she had stopped moving. I was breathing heavily and leaned against the bat for support. I caught my breath and then made my way out of the house.
I turned around to get one last glimpse at the house. It now looked like a typical rundown house; it didn’t look anything like it did previously. I looked to the sky and noticed it was getting light again. I had been there the whole night, but it only felt like a few minutes.
I walked slowly, each step filled with pain. My vision continuously dimmed as the forest around me began to come to life with the sun. Finally, I made it out and stumbled to my parents house. I tried calling out to them, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. I reached the door and fell against it heavily.
I tried to catch my breath with no luck. I heard the sound of footsteps and then the shouts of my parents as my vision went completely black. I later woke up in the hospital, hooked up to IVs. My blurry vision just barely made out my parents’ relieved faces. I slightly smiled before the events that happened flash through my head.
It made my stomach churn as I leaned over the bed and dry heaved in the trash can. After that, I was visited by doctors who continuously observed my condition. I tried to tell them what happened, but they all agreed that the stress from the situation caused my brain to misremember it. It didn’t help when I tried to show them pictures of the house, but an error showed instead.
They did however have multiple questions for the puncture wounds I had gotten from Alise’s claws. Naturally, I explained to them what happened, but they found it hard to believe. Even though it was difficult to believe, the gouges in my back were proof I got attacked by a person. They held me in the hospital while they treated the infection that the wounds had caused.
This information was given over to the police who had begun searching the woods for the house. It wasn’t long after this that I was discharged from the hospital with medicine to take for my injuries. After some searching, the police still hadn’t found the house in the clearing. It was then that I offered to show them where it was since I wanted to prove to everyone it really existed. After much hesitation, they agreed.
And so, we entered the forest, Despite not really remembering the path I had taken when I followed what I believed to be Charlie; I instinctively knew where to go. It was like something was drawing me back to the house. Some time later, I spotted an all too familiar clearing up ahead.
“This should be it up ahead,” I called out.
We reached the clearing and there stood the house, in pristine condition once more.
“See?! That’s the house with the lady in it!” I said.
The officers looked at me strangely before one spoke up, “Son, all we see is a very rundown and fallen apart home.”
I looked from them to the house in shock. How could they not see it?! It’s very clearly in good condition. Why was I the only one who could see the house in pristine condition?
“Look, we will inspect the place if you want, but you most likely fell through the second floor. There wouldn’t be anybody living here,” he continued.
I nodded and watched as all but one entered the house. After a few minutes they came out. Their faces told me all I needed to know; there wasn’t anything there. I reluctantly conceded and we headed back. I left the clearing before a chill ran down my spine. I stopped and turned around. On the porch, waving at me, was Alise.
Her sinister smile sent shivers down my spine and made me sick to my stomach. I quickly turned away and followed after the officers.. After this, I bid farewell to my parents and quickly went back to my home. I wanted to be as far away from that place as possible. Despite what everyone has told me, I know that what happened to me is real. The events of that night have been seared into my mind to the point I can’t comfortably sleep at night.
I’ve been having nightmares of what happened ever since. It’s because of this that I have come here to search for answers. Does anyone know what happened to me? What is Alise? How come I was the only one who could see the house in pristine condition? Why were the pictures I had taken of it gone? If anyone has any clues, please let me know. Also, a word of advice to everyone, don’t mindlessly enter a house in the woods, you might get more than what you bargained for.