We had been planning this camping trip for weeks, but I was skeptical when Chris told us about the secluded spot in the woods. We were just three friends - Chris, Mike, and me - looking for a little adventure, but the way Chris described the place gave me chills.
Chris had heard about the spot from a local drunk who was talking about a legend of a creature stalking these very woods. I tried to brush it off as superstition, but as we hiked deeper into the woods, I started to feel uneasy. The trees loomed over us like giants, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets. It was like we had entered another world, one where we didn’t belong.
Chris, who was always the adventurous one, led us further and further off the beaten path. I started to worry that we were lost, but Chris assured us that he had a map and knew exactly where we were going.
As the sun began to set, we finally reached the clearing where we were going to set up camp. Chris built the fire while Mike and I unpacked our gear. We sat around the flames, roasting hot dogs and laughing at each other’s jokes. It was fun, and for a while, I forgot about the unease I had felt earlier. But as the night wore on, that feeling came back. The woods were eerily quiet, as if the animals had all gone into hiding. The fire crackled and popped, sending sparks dancing into the darkness. And then we heard it, a twig snapping somewhere in the distance.
We all froze, listening intently. There it was again, another snap, closer this time. We looked around, trying to see through the shadows. But there was nothing there.
Chris stood up, holding a flashlight in his hand. “I’m going to take a look,” he said, trying to sound brave. “You guys stay here.” Mike and I watched as he disappeared into the darkness, the beam of his flashlight bobbing up and down as he walked. I wanted to call out to him, to tell him to come back, but my voice was caught in my throat.
Minutes passed, and Chris didn’t come back. Mike and I were getting worried, and we were about to go after him when we heard it. A scream, piercing and full of terror. It was Chris.
We ran towards the sound, our hearts pounding in our chests. And then we saw it, the creature. It was tall and slender, just like in the stories, with pale skin and big black eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.
It stood over Chris, who was lying on the ground, unmoving. Mike and I froze, not knowing what to do. And then the creature looked at us, its eyes piercing into our souls. It let out a low growl, warning us to stay back. We knew we had to get out of there, to leave Chris behind. We ran as fast as we could, our minds filled with terror and regret.
When we finally made it back to civilization, we told the police what had happened. But they didn’t believe us. They said it was just a bear attack, but we knew the truth.
The creature was real, and it was out there, waiting for its next victim. I’ll never forget that night, and I’ll never set foot in those woods again.