Ever since I found out about Wendigos I’ve been obsessed with them. They’re mythical creatures that are rooted in the Algonquin-based Native American folklore. They have heightened senses, they’re extremely fast, unnaturally large, and strong these are all advantages that help them stalk their prey. I’m so intrigued by them because no one knows if they actually exist. I’ve spent hours researching about them I know pretty much everything about them.
The wendigo is pretty much the embodiment of gluttony, always consuming yet never satisfied they’re always at the point of starvation. I’ve read about so many Skinwalker and Wendigo encounters but no one actually knows if the stories are true, so neither do I. That’s why Rose, Charles, and I made a group for hunting mythical creatures. We go out into the forest sometimes to look for the creatures, we haven’t had any luck yet.
I love to talk to my grandpa about them and hearing his stories about them are always the best. Every time he tells me a story at the end of it he says don’t go near the Northern forests of the Atlantic Coast and Great lakes region of the United States and Canada. The thing about this is that I am too curious and I live near the forest he talks about, it’s 25 minutes away walking distance. I know my way around the forest because of my map and it’s so close to my house. I’ve been there before with my friends but we’ve never been that deep into it.
The doorbell rings as I get a message, I open my phone. The message says, “I’m here.” I walk downstairs to the front so I can open the door, as I look through and open the door I see Rose and Charles.
“Hiii,” said Rose eagerly.
Charles groans, “Hey are you ready yet?”
“We just walked here to make sure that you were ready,” Rose added.
“Yeah come inside really quick I have some stuff I need to grab,” I insisted.
Rose exclaimed, “I got a new tracker this weekend!”
“Is it actually a good one this time,” Charles murmured.
Rose states sarcastically, “Umm yes I would totally buy a broken tracker.”
“I’m messing around with you jeez,” Charles snickered.
We all head out of the house and in the direction of the forest. About 30 minutes later we make it to the edge of the forest. I take a deep breath looking into the slight fog and menacing atmosphere of the Veridian tinted forest. Minutes passed until I broke my eyes free before entering the forest, this time the atmosphere was different, it was so thick, eerie, and it felt alive. I’ve never actually believed that I would encounter a Wendigo. We just enjoy going exploring and pretending that we’ll run into it. We walked through the forest for what felt like hours, I knew it was the deepest we’ve ever gone in and I had lost where we were on the map…
Rose flustered with concern, “Hey we’ve been walking for hours, are you sure you know where we’re going or how to get back?”
“Yeah don’t worry Rose I have my map and compass with me. We came into the forest from the West and we’re heading North toward the caves,” I reinsured.
“Grrr everything looks the same around here,” Rose scolded.
“I mean they are all just trees and bushes,” Charles smirked.
We walk deeper into the forest as dusk falls upon us, the golden pink horizon illuminated over the forest’ leaves and shrubs creating beautiful shadows. We walked for a little while until we stumble upon what looks like a slaughtered animal. All we see is red, b-blood red. Th… The cedar trunks of the trees…The mossy green ground… The evergreen shrubs… Those colors were no longer vibrant greens only objects dowsed in blood, I-I can’t believe my eyes there was no words just silence. I couldn’t tear my eyes from this gruesome mutilated mess of whatever it was. Could an animal really do something like this? I questioned if we were alone in these woods…
Minutes pass with terror in our bones, dead silence, no animals in sight, not a single sound carried through the forest as the sun falls behind the horizon. Until I hear a few branches breaking from in front of the blood bath. I look ahead of the mess into the darkness only to see two bright frosty colored eyes peering into my soul from within the obsidian shaded forest. More branches break through the forest ahead of us approaching closer slowly stalking us in the darkness. As I look closer at this horrendous monsters outline as it approaches I see something hanging from its mouth. I-I think that it’s a hunk of flesh but I can’t make it out.
I fix my gaze towards its hand an I’m instantly filled with terror. I knew what this was, I see a hunk of flesh in its mouth, its unnaturally long and boney fingers are gripping onto a HUMAN HEAD! It was the thing I’ve been looking for. I-I can’t believe it I never thought I would actually run across one of them. That face, the abnormally large body with skin stretched across all of its bones. I knew right then and there I had to run, I had to run for my life it was now or never.
“AHHH!!” Rose Squealed as she realized what was in the forest with us.
I turned around as fast as I could, my friends and I started running for are lives, shortly after I could hear it intently chasing after us. Branches snapping behind us as we run with no direction the Wendigo lets out an inhumanly screech. My heart is pounding as we all hide hoping the creature doesn’t find us. We’re all so exhausted and out of breath yet trying not to move or make a sound. We listen closely as we hear cracking of twigs inching closer to are vicinity. That’s when I heard the most eerie sound in my life, not too far into the woods I heard a soft voice of a little girl asking for help.
“HEELP- PLEASEE, SOMEONE COME HELP ME!” pleaded the small girl.
It can mimic voices?! What is this, I mean there can’t be a little girl out here this deep in the forest all by herself right? Without hesitation Rose jumps out of her hiding spot and goes to try and help the small girl.
“Hey! Little gir-, “ Rose murmured.
Within second of her speaking I hear her vocals cut out and I heard nothing else but the horrific sounds of something I couldn’t even imagine… I look out from my hiding spot to see Rose completely mangled and her blood all over the soil. I couldn’t believe it. Why did she do that, she knew it was after us… I can’t help but stare m-my friend is just gone like that and I couldn’t even help her. I…I’m so sorry Rose, we should have never come here, I brought you here and I never should have done that.
“Hey guys, you can come out now it’s safe the monster ran away,” Rose reinsured.
Oh my… Rose… How could it do this to us, it stole her voice and now it’s trying to lure us out. These things are sick, I heard what that thing did to her she can’t be alive, there’s no way I could let it trick me like this. I look hastily at the creature from my hiding spot as I wait for my opportunity to run out of this place for good. It felt like I must have been waiting there for hours waiting for this thing to leave because it knew we were hiding somewhere there.
Through the dark ominous forest there was stray beams of light and laughter approaching. The creature heard the laughter and branches and decided that it was done here. It went to go after whoever was over there so that’s when we took our chance to run West and get the hell out of that forest. I ran until my feet blistered, at the sight of lights I sighed in relief then collapsed to the ground as I’m panting, choking on the fresh air bawling my eyes out with Charles. I feel sorry for those people but I barely made it out alive myself. Rose wasn’t as lucky as we were… I collected myself after crying and shaking on the ground for what felt like ages, I got up, gave the forest my last goodbye and went on my way through the dark night illuminated by only stars in the sky and the empty street lights. Never again have Charles or me mentioned this to each other or anyone again, it’s buried as deep in our memories as far as they could go.