Sleep walking, and dreams don’t always mix well together especially when your dreams take you to places you’ve never been. Ruby thought that the stories she read about weird things happening to people who slept walk always seemed too farfetched. So when she settled down for the night Ruby knew she would always wake up in bed safe, and sound.
Until tonight…
The sound of the wind and leaves rustling made Ruby sit upright on a bench she found herself sitting on finding it odd. Who would put a bench in the middle of the woods?
“Where in the world am I?”
She stood up, taking a moment to look around now facing the bench she had awoken on. Patting her hoodie pocket, she found a small flashlight tucked inside.
“Where did this come from? Wait where is my cellphone?!”
Going through her pockets she was unsuccessful in her search. “So not only am I in the middle of woods. I do not have my cellphone” taking a step back she turned the flashlight on pointing it at the bench.
Nothing was particular about it but that the wood seemed odd? The frame is pitch black and did not seem to be made of metal. The seat looked like worn leather that had been stretched too many times.
“Wait is that… skin and bones?!” Ruby gasped
She stumbled backwards stepping on a twig the brittle thing snapped under her foot. She moved her flashlight upwards slowly shining it on the tree behind the bench. Tangled in the branches were tattered pieces of old rust-colored clothes, and dangling shoes tied together by their laces.
What exactly has been happening here?
Ruby moved her light to the ground to look for a trail out of here. Surely, there had to be one, right? An extra set of footsteps slowly began to approach, and humming accompanied it. The tune they hummed was out of place and creeped her out.
Hiding behind one of the trees she turned out the flashlight. The footsteps stopped along with the haunting tune. A voice spoke out to her.
“Where did you go? It has been such a long time since someone last came here…Oh! Are we playing hide and seek?” they giggled “Oh where oh where could you be?”.
The steps seemed as if the person they belonged to was skipping coming close to her hiding spot behind the tree. Ruby clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming, she closed her eyes hoping this person did not see or hear her.
The footsteps stopped right next to Ruby causing her to shiver.
They tapped their chin looking over at her “You should find a better hiding spot than that”.
Ruby opened her eyes looking at the person across from her. They were missing skin on their hand along with half of their face. All that was there was just skeletal remains.
“It isn’t nice to stare” they turned to face Ruby taking a step forward closing the distance between them “Now be a good girl and come with me” they extended their skeletal hand to her.
Ruby took a step away making them furrow their brow “I won’t ask you again. COME WITH ME” they growled showing a pair of fangs. Ruby began to run through the forest turning on the flashlight she still held in her hand hoping she would reach the end if she kept going in one direction.
Unfortunately, no matter how far and how long she ran there did not seem to be an exit in sight.
Coming to a stop she saw a stone wall with something written on it in blood.
To whomever reads this…there is something strange about the forest. Along with a mysterious bench that seemed to have been made of human remains is an individual who hunts down people who are brought here. I have tried looking for an exit, but there does not seem to be one. If you make it out, please tell my family…
The rest seems to have been smeared out by someone. The crunching of leaves startled her as she turned her flashlight shining in the direction of the noise. A boney hand placed itself upon her shoulder making her freeze in place.
“Caught you” they whispered close to her ear.
Ruby crumbled to the ground fainting.
The sound of crunching leaves moved around her along with someone talking. A hand touched her shoulder shaking her. Slowly, she opened her eyes looking around her. It was early morning, and raining a man with an umbrella was knelt next to her.
“Oh, thanks the gods” he exclaimed feeling relieved upon seeing Ruby open her eyes then asked, “What are you doing out here all alone?”
She sat up looking around. There was no stone wall or no talking undead. Wait! What about the bench, and the tree? Ruby looked at the man “The b-bench”. He looked at her confused “Should I call an ambulance for you?”
Ruby shook her head, and stood “No, t-that’s okay” she walked with the man out of the forest and made a call at the ranger station just outside the trail for her mother to pick her up. On the drive home her mother asked her when she had snuck out of the house last night, but Ruby did not know herself and said she must have sleepwalked.
When she really did not know how she got there in the first place herself. Looking over in the car side mirror she paled seeing a figure with a skeleton hand waving goodbye and mouthing ‘I’ll see you soon.’