I remember the day vividly. It was a beautiful summer evening, the kind that makes you want to sit outside and watch the sunset. I was staying with my friend, Kate, at her family’s cabin in the woods. It was a remote location, surrounded by tall trees and thick bushes. As we sat on the porch, sipping iced tea and chatting, I had no idea what horrors were about to unfold.
We decided to take a walk through the woods, as we often did in the evenings. It was quiet, except for the sound of the leaves rustling beneath our feet. The sun had almost set, and the shadows were growing longer. We walked for what felt like hours until we stumbled upon an old abandoned house. It was hidden behind a thick patch of bushes, and I could barely make out its silhouette through the leaves.
The house was old, and it looked like it hadn’t been lived in for years. Its roof was caved in, and the windows were boarded up. Kate, being the adventurous type, was eager to explore it. I, on the other hand, was hesitant, but I followed her anyway.
As we entered the house, we were met with a musty smell that made me cough. The walls were covered in a thick layer of dust, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. It was dark, except for the beams of sunlight that streamed in through the holes in the roof. We walked through the old living room, and Kate noticed a staircase that led to the upper floor. She insisted we go up there, but I didn’t want to. Something felt off about the house, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Reluctantly, I followed her up the stairs. As we climbed the creaky old steps, the feeling of unease intensified. We finally reached the top floor, and I noticed that there was only one room. The door was partially open, and I could see a faint light coming from inside. Kate pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.
It was then that I saw her. A woman, sitting in a rocking chair by the window, looking out at the woods. She didn’t acknowledge us, and I couldn’t see her face clearly, but I could tell she was old. Kate walked towards her, but I grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
“Something’s not right here,” I whispered, feeling my heart racing in my chest.
Just then, the woman turned around, and I gasped. Her face was twisted in anger, her eyes cold and unfeeling. I could feel the fear rising in me as she stood up, staring directly at us. Kate didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong, and she walked towards her, her hand outstretched. But as soon as she got close, the woman lunged at her, revealing a long sharp knife hidden behind her back.
Kate screamed as the woman plunged the knife into her chest, and I was frozen in fear. I watched in horror as Kate fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. I tried to run, but the woman blocked the door, trapping me inside. She advanced towards me, the knife glinting in the dim light.
I was sure I was going to die, but then I woke up. It was all just a nightmare, or so I thought. I looked around, and I saw the same abandoned house outside my window. The same woman sitting in the rocking chair by the window. And Kate, lying next to me, her chest covered in blood.
I don’t know what happened that night, whether it was real or just a dream. But one thing is for sure, I’ll never forget the terror that I felt that day. And I’ll never forget the feeling of waking up to the same scene that had haunted me in my nightmares. It was like my mind had been projecting my fears into reality, or maybe I had stumbled upon something in those woods that I was not supposed to see.
I quickly called for help, but it was too late for Kate. The authorities came and investigated the area, but they never found any evidence of the woman or the abandoned house. It was as if they had vanished into thin air. The incident haunted me for a long time, and I struggled to come to terms with what had happened.
Years went by, and I tried to forget about the incident, but it always lingered in the back of my mind. It wasn’t until one day, when I was browsing through old photos, that I found a picture of Kate and me in front of the abandoned house. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked at the picture. The same woman was sitting in the rocking chair, looking out at the woods. It wasn’t just a nightmare. It had really happened.
That realization left me with a sense of unease that I couldn’t shake off. How had we missed seeing her in the picture? Was it a coincidence or something more sinister? It was a mystery that would never be solved.
Since that day, I’ve never gone back to those woods, and I’ve warned anyone who would listen to stay away from that area. The incident changed me in ways I couldn’t even explain. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know one thing for sure. Some mysteries are better left unsolved, and some places are better left unexplored.