I’ve been running the Abbaduk Trail for sometime now. I’d say three years at least. It’s funny how time can fly by. Anyway, I love the outdoors and camping. I’m not claiming to be an expert or anything, but simply a person driven by internal passion. I know enough to get by and not look ridiculous. I don’t know why I’m writing this. Journals have always seemed silly to me. A waste of time even. But, having one now seems almost necessary after what happened to me. Perhaps one day I’ll share this experience with the local news or one of those podcast guys I follow. Here goes nothing.
Week 1
It was 8:00 pm and I was only three minutes into my routine run. Nothing odd, just normal. It wasn’t until I reached my fifteen minute checkpoint that I heard it. Screaming. Clearly the screams of a woman. The Abbaduk Trail is located in a family friendly public park. No gates or strict regulations thankfully. Never any crime to report. But, it would seem that this particular night would end that peaceful streak.
I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t call anyone. There was no cell service. Plus, I was typically the only person on the trail at this time of night. Again, I had no idea what to do. I was mixed with emotions. I either keep running forward and possibly help who or whatever was screaming or turn around and run back home. I chose to keep going forward for some stupid reason. I can still hear those terrible screams at this point. They just didn’t stop. They were ear piercing. The closer I got to where the screaming was coming from, the louder the screams got. Mind you, as I continued running, ten more minutes had passed by. The screaming continued. It never stopped. By this time, I knew I had made a terrible mistake.
It was almost 8:30 pm and I’m right on top of the screaming. It didn’t seem right. Was this a recording? A prank? Was there someone out in the woods being tortured? Did this person somehow remain conscious and allowed to scream throughout their torment? I didn’t know and I really didn’t want to find out anymore. As I came around a bend in the trail, the screaming seemed to be coming out of the thicket directly to my right. As I slowed my pace and came to a stop, so did the screaming. Instant silence. Instant fear. I felt like I was in a horror movie. Or like being in a shopping mall where every booth attendant is about to harass you to buy something. I couldn’t move and the sweat on the back of my neck went from hot to cold. It was torture, and now I, wanted to scream. But, I couldn’t.
What had to be no more than fifteen seconds felt like fifteen minutes. You could feel the foul energy in the air. Like standing next to an industrial electrical box with exposed wires. You just know something bad is about to happen if you don’t get away. As I stared into the pitch black thicket, I called out and said “Hello? Is there anyone out there? Do you need help?” Almost instantly, branches began to snap rapidly. It was as if something was running towards me with determination. The screaming returned too. By the grace of God, I somehow got my legs to work again and took off down the trail. I didn’t stop until I reached my home. Adrenaline is honestly a natural miracle drug. It’s truly underappreciated.
Once I got home, things seemed to be alright. No weird sounds, no nightmares, nothing out of the ordinary. Thankfully, no stalker or killer followed me home either. Not that I saw anyway. It wasn’t until the following morning when I noticed something strange. A large palm sized bruise across my lower right-side jaw. It was solid black. Oddly, it didn’t hurt, and by mid-afternoon it had completely healed away. I brushed it off as hitting myself in my sleep. Maybe I had a nightmare about a spider crawling on my face. Makes sense right?
Week 2
It is currently 9:34 am. It’s been at least six days since that terrible incident involving the screams. No more bruises or anything else weird. I’ve had a busy schedule lately and have been running in the early morning hours to keep my cardio goals met. You know, I’ve been thinking about that night a lot lately. What could that screaming have been coming from? Logically? Perhaps a mountain lion or a coyote? Some kind of nocturnal animal just doing its thing. That makes more sense than not. I mean, I am located in the southern regions of America afterall. A great spawn point for wildlife. One thing that really boggles my mind, is after three years of running this trail, why am I now just encountering this screaming phenomenon? Perhaps it was just being at the right place at the right time. Even though it almost resulted with me getting eaten possibly. At least it makes sense. Regardless, I recently bought some bear mace just in case. My schedule is getting back to normal. I think I’m going to hit the trail tonight and prove to myself that this incident was a one time thing and that there’s nothing to worry about. Wish me luck!
It was 8:00 pm when I started my run. Right on time. I hit my fifteen minute checkpoint. Nothing. No screaming this time. I was so relieved! I even saw another person on the trail. That made things so much better. Clearly a woman. She was wearing what seemed to be a hoodie of some sort, but also a gown. It was an odd combo, but who am I to judge? She waved to me as we passed one another. I couldn’t see her face, but the encounter seemed neutral enough. I waved back and said “Hello.” She didn’t reply, but no problem. It wasn’t like we were stopping to swap ghost stories or something. As I looked down at my watch, it was roughly 8:17 pm. I had only taken about twelve to fifteen steps since I passed that woman and then it started. The screaming. They were right on top of me. The same spot it had happened the first time. Blaring directly into my ears. I started to tear up and my legs went ice cold. I couldn’t move and my vision went blurry. My body is shattered with goosebumps at this point too! I have no idea why. I was in a bad situation, that much I knew.
I was able to turn around to get a sense of my surroundings. To my absolute shock, the woman I had just passed no more than thirty seconds ago, was gone. I had the moon to brighten the lightless path. She was just gone. Perhaps she jumped into the woods for whatever insane reason. Was it her screaming? It couldn’t be, because the screams were too close in range to have been coming from her that far back. I really didn’t care, because I was dealing with the blood curdling screams directly in my ears. It hurt terribly! At this point, I was certain that the screaming was not coming from an animal. Or anything logical, unfortunately. One of my greatest fears seemed to have come to life in seconds. In that very moment, I don’t want to say it, but I will. I seemed to have encountered a ghost. A demon? A haunting? I don’t know. What happened to that woman? Was she even real?
The unknown terrifies me. That much I do know. I don’t believe in that stuff. Not really. I mean, I love the creepy and scary stuff. All things from movies to the haunted house attractions during Halloween. Its fun to get scared when it’s fake and safe. But, lets be real for a moment. Real life does not have such things. It can’t. These things are Hollywood produced. Or a simple story-time tool used by parents as a solution for naughty or restless children. Right? Anyway, as the screams were intensifying and seemed to began spinning around me, I started to pray. Instinctively. To God. It’s all that I knew to do. I was being harassed by something invisible. I even smacked and punched at the air around me, to make sure that no one was actually there. There wasn’t. So, I prayed for protection and that I was not losing my mind.
The screaming didn’t stop, but it did shoot back down the path towards where that woman disappeared. What was odd about the constant screaming was that it seemingly drifted away. Like it was moving in real time. It didn’t just teleport to a new location. It actually “sprinted” away from me as I prayed. The screaming continued, but from a distance now. At this point, I stopped praying, and just started running. I ran as fast as I could. As I ran, I could hear the screaming still. But, it didn’t stop and it wasn’t fading away. It was following me! Following me from a distance, but it was for sure following me. I couldn’t believe it. The type of terror this experience introduced me to. I never knew that it could be so bad. Maybe, it wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t alone. Maybe, I should have just stayed home.
It was now 8:45 pm. A very long & torturous run. I finally made it back to the park entrance. But, so did the screams. Tears were still burning my eyes and goosebumps were still rippling through my entire body. I was exhausted, physically and mentally. The terror would not leave my body. The screaming was still at a fair distance away, but clearly followed me. This thing was alive & intelligent. I hated knowing that, so much. The possibility, no, the realization that such a thing existed. I somehow built up the courage and strength to shout “Shut the hell up and leave me alone!” And just like that, the screaming stopped. But, in its place came a loud crashing sound. Like a freight train had derailed and smacked into the nearby trees. Just for the record, there are no train tracks nearby. The sound was somehow worse than the screams. I can’t possibly describe what it was or how it was made. I didn’t stick around to find out either. After that terrifying crashing sound, I uncontrollably whispered, “Oh my God.” I turned, and ran out of the park, towards my local town.
I didn’t go straight home this time. I stopped by a local diner. I needed to be around people. I needed normal life. I needed breakfast for dinner. So, that’s what I did. That same night at the diner, I would meet some of the best people in my entire life. Three guys I’ve seen around town and are around my age. I never spoke with them before. I had no reason not to, I just never made time for new friends. They had a reputation about them. They proudly believed in the creepy & unknown stuff. They always attended local cryptid conventions and ghost tour events.
What were the chances that they would just so happen to be at this very diner? This very night? After me being attacked by, dare I say, a freaking ghost. Or something of the like. I’m still logical. I believe in coincidence. I’ll stick with that for now. I just got lucky to find them here. I walked over and introduced myself to them. I told them what had happened to me no more than twenty-five minutes ago, and they believed me, without hesitation. I mean, they don’t even know me. We talked for hours & exchanged contact info before we all left the diner. Little did I know just how important they would mean to me. But, I would learn that eventually, later down the road.
I got home and did my nightly routines. Got into bed and started to doze off. It couldn’t have been anymore than thirty seconds, things started to get bad. This time, in my home. My safe place! My bed started to shake and rattle. Like a freaking cheap carnival ride! This was stupid and just not real! But, it was real. Very real. As my bed started to violently shake, that same high pitch scream returned and filled my bedroom. It was that thing! It had followed me home! I jumped out of my bed, almost falling on my face. I flicked the light on quickly. Then everything stopped. Perfectly timed with me turning on the light. Then, about ten seconds pass, and several decorations on my computer desk began to be hurled at me. By absolutely nothing. Living freaking air I guess! Missing me by mere inches.
That was enough for me to lose my mind! I started to scream aloud from pure terror and fled my home. I did manage to lock the door behind me. But, I was still in my nighttime attire when I jumped into my car and sped off. I called one of my newly found friends from the diner. Shaking, stuttering, and begging him to let me crash at his place. After hearing my recent event, he happily opened his home to me. By the grace of God, he was ok allowing someone he had just met to stay at his home. Somehow, after taking some strong sleeping aids, I was able to get a peaceful night’s sleep. I just wanted peace and closure. I didn’t want to return to that trail, that park, or even my own home for the matter. But, I discovered something new in me that night. A hunger, or much rather, a need. A need for answers and a way to stop this thing.