My village holds a legend of a witch. An urban legend to for misbehaved children.
It tells of a witch that resides inside of a large elm tree.
It is said that she lures small children into the woods around her elm and they are never seen again.
It’s a pretty basic urban legend and as the growth of technology and social media began taking over, most found the legend to be be nothing more than just that.
It was only a handful of years ago that I had heard of it myself and it quickly piqued my interest.
I was 8 at the time and ghost stories my father use to share with me fascinated me.
I wasted no time speaking to elders in our village, pleading for any scrap of information to do with The Briar Slit Witch.
I finally snagged my first lead when someone shared a story of a teenage couple venturing out into the woods in the 1960’s.
They entered the woods before dusk and showed up in the village hours later, shaken up, the girl pale and freezing.
Not long after this, the girls family left the village, but the boy resided until his death.
I couldn’t do much to track down the girl who would have probably been in her late 60’s at this point.
However, I did find an article about a woman in her late teens that took her own life not long after.
She had moved from a small, remote village to the city and in a note she left, explained she couldn’t live with a choice she made.
Nevertheless, I was back at square one.
In my research, I was surprised to find such a large number of disappearances not only of children, but adults as well.
As recent as 2005 a couple and their 5 year old son went missing as well.
Most locals attributed it to the couples struggling financial debt. Assuming they had just moved away without giving any notice.
I continued pushing people in the village until I found the spot the teens were last spotted before disappearing.
I gathered some supplies and prepared to be out the rest of the day.
After a few hours of searching, it finally dawned on me that this could all just be a spooky story.
Something I was dumb enough to waste all this time and effort on.
The thought alone drove me further into my search. If this really was just a story, it had to have some form of truth to it.
Eventually the sun began setting and I realized I would have to start my search again in the morning.
The night quickly approaching made finding my way back, that much more difficult.
I had to be quick or else I might be stuck here for the night.
Suddenly, I hit a dip in the landscape and my ankle buckled.
As I landed, I could hear twigs and branches breaking in the distance. I paused for a moment to listen.
It was at this point, I realized how quiet the forest had gotten. It was ominous and unsettling.
As I attempted to pick myself up, I could hear the branches continue to break. It wasn’t long before I realized that they weren’t heading away from me, nor towards me.
It was as though the noises were circling themselves.
I looked up to find the foliage so thick, it blocked out the night sky.
The movement continued, only stopping with me as the forest became blanketed with an unnerving silence.
It felt as though it was mocking or taunting me.
I almost expected a cackling to follow, but I was met with silence, followed by more footsteps.
I picked myself up and regained my footing before fumbling through my supplies for a flashlight.
No good, I must have forgotten to pack it.
I began feeling my way around while hoping my eyes would adjust to the darkness.
As I pushed forward, I realized the sounds of snapping twigs and leaves never waned. They were always the same distance away, no matter how much further down the path I went.
Eventually my eyes adjusted slightly and I could make out the silhouettes of trees directly in front of me.
The footsteps grew in number and volume. As though many feet were marching just behind me, mocking any attempt I made to escape.
Trembling with fear and terror, I began picking up my pace as I made it to a small clearing in the forest. Dim lit stars gave me reprieve from the sounds behind me.
My heart sunk as my eyes began to focus on figure floating several meters above me.
My eyes continued adjusting as I noticed another.
Their silhouettes, gaunt and elongated
Just above me, 2 bodies hung lifelessly in the trees on either side of me.
Beyond them, lie a massive elm, twisted and tortured. A massive hole in the center opened into complete darkness.
Attempting to get a better look, I began to approach it.
Noticing the footsteps now circling the clearing around me, I hesitated to move forward but I wasn’t in control anymore.
I began panicking, knowing I couldn’t stop myself as I approached hole.
I attempted to close my eyes, but whispers in my ears begged me not to.
My eyes began adjusting to the darkness as I began to distinguish eye lids and a nose, eventually lips as my face twisted in horror.
Less than a meter from my face, hung the dried out skin of a child. Perfectly cut from the body and hanging on display in front of me.
I began to hyperventilate as the hole expanded from within. The mouth of the hole decorated in children’s flesh like trophy’s. I felt my stomach churning.
Between the grotesque collection, was a dark figure.
A torso protruding from the elm as though she and it were one. It’s disgustedly mangled figure hanging lifelessly between its victims.
I paused as a soft voice in my ear told me a story. It was only when it was done, that I gasped, causing the witch to stir back to life.
I stumbled back, finally in control of my body again and ran.
I never found my way home that night, but the next morning, a few men from the village found me instead.
It’s been a while since I’ve been back, but I don’t think I can ever return.
I just keep thinking about something that little voice whispered.
“They offer us up, she just collects”