You ever get that burning desire to share something? To just get it out of your head by any means possible? To just talk about it and fucking be over with it? Well this is my attempt to finally be able to bear what happened when I was a kid.
I used to live in a small town, in the middle of fucking nowhere. Whose fucking idea was it to build a fucking town in the middle of some fucking forest in the middle of fucking nowhere I have no fucking idea, but fuck that dude. Due to his GIANT BRAIN I’ve not been able to sleep properly for more than 12 years.
Pardon my French, were it not for cussing I don’t think I would’ve retained whatever small bits of sanity I have left.
But I digress… Ever since I was a kid there’s been one story I never understood nor shook off. It was common to scare us into following whatever rules our parents had.
“Eat your vegetables or the boogeyman will get you!”
“Behave or the old witch will steal you away and make soup of you!”
Stupid shit like that. That worked on you when you were 10. Maybe up to 13 or if you were really fucking stupid up to 15.
But there was one story. It wasn’t a story to scare us. It wasn’t your usual fear tactic. The story itself wasn’t even scary at all. It was a cautionary tale.
It is the story of the spindly pale man in the woods.
My mother told it to me once I started playing out until late in the forest with the other kids.
“Listen sweetie,” – One day she called me and sat me down. – “I need you to promise to come home before the sun sets and not to play in the woods when it’s dark or else the spindly man will get you and take you away.”
“The what with the what?” – My immature, witty – or so I used to think at the time – 16-year-old ass retorted without so much as a second thought… or a first for that matter…
“This town is built on top of the home of the spindly man. He lived here long before any of us. Long before this town was even built. But one-day people just destroyed his home and banished him into the woods. Abandon and long forgotten he bears unspeakable hatred for us. For the people who live in this town. And he would use any chance he gets to hurt us. In the worst ways imaginable. So I need you to promise me that you will not be outside after the sun has set. Not in the woods at least.”
Like I said the story itself isn’t anything much. But the look on my mother’s face when she spoke. I didn’t give a shit about an old creep in the woods. I just didn’t want to cause any trouble for my mother so I agreed.
Now you cannot blame me – my at the time stupid self – for being frustrated and stubborn that I cannot play in the woods in the most thrilling hours of the day, but I can. Oh I alone can blame myself like no one else can. I can blame myself for not being more than the sum total of my urges and hormones…
As I got to leave she continued speaking.
“Sweetie before you go I need you to imagine the spindly man so I know that if you happen to see him you’ll run away.” – She was talking as she was looking for something. – “I need you to imagine a tall and pale man. A very old, weak and withered old man.”
She found what she was looking for. Pencil and an A4 list of paper.
“Draw him for me please.”
“Uhh… Sure.”
And I did. I drew the most half assed slender man I could think of. But she wouldn’t have it. I drew it over and over again, until finally I drew an old withered man. Weak and tired and fragile. And old so old he’d collapse under his own weight at any moment.
“Perfect.” – the worried look my mother had was now gone. She hung the drawing on the fridge and I hurried to the door to go outside to play when I heard it.
An otherworldly shriek that came from deep in the woods. It was as if the thing that made the sound was deep in agony and misery. But even more the resentment was evident.
Time passed quietly and peacefully. But as it is with every other fucking thing this one too was temporary.
When I was 16 and hanging out with my usual group, that consisted of about 12 other morons my age, one of those dipshits had the brightest idea.
“Why don’t we drive the old creep away?” – Billy thought out loud.
Everyone looked at him simultaneously, as if rehearsed. Not to bask in his bravery or to compliment the size of his brain, but because it was such a simple idea. And no one knew why we hadn’t done it earlier. Needless to say everyone was on board.
This is where shit gets really bad, fuck my hands are shaking just trying to remember the events… But I need to get it out of me. It’s been eating me from the inside for too long now.
All the promises we had made to our parents were broken. We made a plan. Get a weapon and meet back at sunset at the exact same spot.
And that we did, well most of us anyway. About 8 of us showed up. But we thought it enough, after we made notes of who didn’t show up – to insult their cowardice on the next day – we set off in the forest.
As a group the newly introduced, due to puberty, testosterone made us feel invincible. Have you ever been in a group with a lot of other guys and felt how the most primal part of you was begging to be let out? In today’s age it’s mostly behaving like a couple of deranged monkeys, screaming and jumping, bumping around. But thousand years ago that fueled the march of armies. When men gathered an army was made.
We had our little army.
Sadly, none of us were even remotely close to being called men and I mean men in the moral sense of the word. A brave and well composed individual capable of keeping his cool under the worst of situations. No were just a bunch of spoiled kids that had never struggled for anything. Our town was rarely if ever visited and everyone knew everybody so crime was little to none. Our illusion of being invincible and strong and brace would soon be shattered into a million pieces.
It’s just as this old saying goes.
‘Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.’
We were the weak little men, who marched into the forest. Unaware of the horror about to be unleashed upon us.
Our advance was accompanied by the chirping of birds, the sounds of bugs buzzing about, occasionally a bat would fly by, we even spotted few foxes and couple rabbits on our descent into the depths of the woods.
We kept going deeper and deeper. The lights from the city growing smaller and fainter with each step we took. Every now and then someone would walk into a spider web and scream in fear and get laughed at. Or someone trip on a branch and fall in the mud. Our flashlights were of help, but not that much.
Before long Timmy, a not so tall and skinny fat nerd with a bowl cut and green eyes, said something that sent cold chills down my spine.
“Guys stop.” – He said in a shaky voice.
“What are you chickening out already?” – Blake exclaimed, getting a few chuckles from others near him.
“No, you dipshit. Shut up and listen.”
That we did.
“To what. The sound of silence?”
“Yeah dude. There’s nothing. What’re you scared of?”
“Exactly.” – Said Timmy in an even more trembling voice. – “When we entered the forest there was a barrage of sounds and life around us. What about now?”
He was right. There were no sounds coming from the forest. And that normally means only one thing. That there’s a predator nearby.
“It’s like everything went to hide somewhere.”
“I think we should head back, we’ve seen nothing and we’ve been walking for quite a while. If we keep going we’re bound to get lost. I say we call it a day and head back while we can still see some of the lights and know in which direction home is.” – No one interjected so I continued. – “In the end it was just another creepy story to keep us in check.”
Everyone agreed with me and we started to march back. In the direction of the town lights. They looked so small in the distance, like fireflies frozen in space.
“Guys, where’s Jake?” – Jimmy, Jake’s little brother, asked while looking around. – “I swear he was right beside moments ago.”
“Stop fucking around and trying to scare us, it’s not going to work you guys.” – Jessica said, the only girl that came with us on our stupid endeavor to catch an old creep.
We started calling for Jake and shining our flash lights in every direction. When a loud crunch about 30ft from us was heard. In the eerie silence that crunching of branches was like a bomb being dropped.
Simultaneously we all shone our lights in the direction of the noise. Only to freeze in place after doing so.
The was an unnaturally large pale head sticking out of the side of one the trees.
The tale that my mother told me couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was impossibly tall. Withered by time with long bony arms that ended in sharp knife-like fingers, long and spindly legs. But it’s head was the worst. It’s eyes 2 gaping black holes hungrily devouring all light.
It started to murmur something whilst showing us it’s grotesque toothy grin. When it opened its mouth to speak something fell out of it. When the object came to a halt it turned out to be Jake’s head.
[It has been so long since I’ve devoured one of your kind.]
“It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real.” – Jessica kept repeating.
Several kids took off running. I was frozen in place, Billy who had a crush on Jessica was doing his best to deny his urge to take off as well. Jimmy was still there as well. In shock of seeing his brother’s head roll near his feet. He was crying and screaming hysterically calling for his mom. While I couldn’t move.
Fight or flight? Freeze it was. I couldn’t move an inch.
“It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real.” – Jessica was still screaming, head in her knees, eyes shut tight and ears covered she wouldn’t stop repeating that same sentence over and over – “It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real. It can’t be real. It’s not real.”
It stared at Jessica with raw and obscene desperation. It screamed and charged at her, but couldn’t reach her and as it anger reached its peak, it let out the loudest shriek I have ever head.
Billy had no chance of getting her to stand up and run. It let out another shriek and charged with ungodly speed towards Billy.
It dismembered him almost instantly. One moment Billy is there pipe in hand, the next Billy is in 4 different places at the same time.
That was what broke me out of my trance. Billy didn’t even get to scream. My legs started moving on their own as I started gaining speed. I kept running without stopping or looking back.
Jessica’s voice rapidly fainting. I heard Timmy scream which was quickly cut off. That made me run even faster.
My legs burned. Like someone had poured gasoline and lit them on fire, but I dared not slow down.
‘FASTER. FASTER.’
I screamed in my mind.
I ran so fast everything blurred together. Luck however was on my side as I didn’t smash my head against any trees or break either of my ankles if I were to trip or anything. I ran and ran and then ran some more until I reached my house. Went shoulder first into the front door and ran straight into my room where I collapsed on the floor.
Next thing I remember I woke up in a hospital.
Doctor’s telling me I slept for 2 days and I’ll need a week rest until I can walk properly again. Turns out the sudden full sprint was enough to almost tear a muscle, but I was extremely lucky again.
The police questioned me. Many times. Turns out that me and only 2 other kids made it out. We were 8. One of them was Jessica. They had found in her in the woods still repeating her sentences.
And anytime I mentioned the spindly man everyone said the same.
“it’s not real. You need to tell me what really happened to your friends.”
“Monsters don’t exist.”
No one believed me. And I had nothing else to tell them, but repeat the tragic events that transpired over and over again. To get the same answers. Over and over. Like a broken record repeating itself.
There were search parties in the woods. Only during the day. Trying to find the others. I told them it’s pointless. They couldn’t recover anything even barely recognizable to bury. Only parts. Limbs and torn clothes, guts…
Time passed. Wounds were never healed and everyone always gave me the side eye. I lost all my friends and my family barely talked to me anymore. I had lost everyone’s trust.
Then one day something strange happened. There was a newcomer in town. Some guy had heard about the incident and came to investigate. He wasn’t from the government, but he did seem quite well financially and dressed the part as well.
Rumors spread quickly and the whole town quickly started to hate him.
One day I was coming home from school, I was detained for something I didn’t do, but the resentment they bore for me had still not worn out. So I waited it out and was going home just before sunset, when I saw that the new guy was unloading stuff from his car near the edge of the woods. It piqued my interest and since I had nothing else to do anyway I decided to follow him.
At this point I thought that the spindly monster would be the better way to go than to endure this banishment and solitary treatment from everyone around me. So I kept my distance and followed behind the mysterious man.
He was built like a unit. From a distance I’d guess he was about 6’5. He wore tactical equipment and a huge bag over his shoulder.
He walked for not more than few minutes when he came to a stop and I also noticed something else. It was like a barrier. The life in the forest stayed near the edge. If you were to dive deep into the woods all sound disappeared. So I stayed as far back as possible. I was still able to hear things near me which reassured me of my safety.
I watched as the man unpacked what looked to be a machine gun and a sword.
‘A monster hunter.’
I thought.
He didn’t need to look for long though, the spindly man had already noticed him. I was again extremely lucky and I was able to observe everything from my safe heaven, near some forest life – so I knew if the animals and bugs were feeling safe so was I.
“Show yourself. There’s no need to hide. I know you are there. Whatever you are.” – The mysterious man said in a deep and confident voice.
[Why have you come human?] – The same ancient voice filled with malice filled my ears.
“To ask you on a date.”
The creature remained silent observing the man.
[Was that some attempt at what your kind calls humor?]
“I guess time really did eat you away.” – He sighed and continued in a serious tone. – “I’m here for answers. I’ve been looking for one of your kind for a long time, but you’re the first I ever get to see with my own eyes. The rest of your brethren has faded too much for me to be able to see.”
The creature growled.
“Do not mistake me with the infantile bunch of kids you took out. I am not your average man.”
[That I can see, it is not often that one marches to his own painful death.]
“Yet you did.”
The creature was taken aback by the retort.
“Only if you refuse to answer me though. I will make you a deal.”
“I will give you your former existence if you help me.”
[You dare speak to me with such insolence you worm.] – the creature bellowed as it charged at the man with the same otherworldly speed, but this time the outcome was completely different.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fearing the scene about to be unfolded, but when I opened them it was something else entirely. The creature’s arm had been cleanly severed near it’s elbow.
“I told you once already. Do not make me repeat myself demon.” – The man continued. Anger now seeping into his voice like hot venom. – “You’re just a shell of what you’ve once been so do not try this again or it will be you who dies a painful death.”
Its face grew paler than it was. Which was almost impossible. It was afraid of the man standing before it. Good, I thought. I wanted it to feel fear, to feel the pain it caused others.
But it only stared at its arm not even flinching.
[Is today the day this shame finally comes to an end. Will you grant me the release I have so wished for, human?]
“Answer my questions foul creature. The first one: Are any ancient ones still roaming the Earth?”
It eyed him for a moment before speaking.
[Yes.]
“Where? Tell me the location of the most weakened one.”
Again it stared at him before continuing with that voice that filled your head.
[It is near *****. The land that your kind calls ***********]
[How is it that you know of the ancient ones, human?]
“So there are still some left of the ancient ones… Good. As you know it well yourself the veil grows weaker and weaker with each passing day and there are things only the ancient ones know, forgotten and forbidden truths that will help me prepare for the upcoming war.”
[Seeing as how I’ve answered your questions. It is time you held up your end of the bargain.]
“The power of denial.”
At those words the monster flinched.
“The idea that humans can deny the existence of the beings that exist in the realm beyond our own. The astral world. Not the idea rather the illusion. I still fail to comprehend how being of unimaginable knowledge, abilities and power would succumb to such ludicrous and foolish concept. It is not ‘human denial’ is your own power used against you. Because of the powers your kind possess the only way to defeat you is to use you against you. In other words, it is you that denies your own existence. It is you that makes you fade away.”
“Now you foul shell I need you to remember what you used to be. Your former glory and shake off any belief that human denial has any power over you. Remember and believe that you are your former self.”
“Then know it.”
Why was this bastard helping the demon? Does he not know of the heinous acts it has done?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
The change wasn’t noticeable at first, but the being started to gain in size. It’s hands no longer resembled bones, now there was some muscle around them.
“Now I need you to know that the manmade weapon cannot harm you.”
Why was he helping it?
“Either know it or make it so or you will die.” – He said as he lifted his sword above his head and swung.
A metallic clank echoed as the blade of the sword broke and fell several feet away from them.
[Why are you doing this human? You know I could just decide to kill you and you know of the acts I have done against your kind so why are you helping me regain my power? Knowing that I will take vengeance on the people of this town who’ve tortured me for centuries.]
“See I like to believe that I am not human, maybe I wear human skin in this life. But I would like to know that I am more than a biological puppet trapped in a limited vessel.”
It let out a hoarse laugh.
[Then I shall know it as well.]
“Good.”
[I will grant you a day to flee this town before I enact my vengeance. If you are here by the end of tomorrow, you will die as the rest of them.]
“Farewell.”
He said as he turned his back. That was my clue to run back. I ran back and tried his car.
It was unlocked, so I hid in the trunk. There was no way I would convince anyone that what I saw was true. And the size and form this thing took was much more sinister than I could ever describe.
Luck was by my side again and he didn’t notice me. I managed to run off at the first gas station he stopped after few towns.
I’m writing this 12-years later. I’m 28 now and I’ve been tracking this man for a long time. Something big is coming and I believe he knows what.
As for my hometown… The creature leveled it to the ground. All over the news it said massive earthquake did it. I don’t even know if anyone actually believes that shit, but it doesn’t matter if anyone believes anymore. They can believe in themselves and the veil has grown extremely thin.
I am surprised I managed to let this much out, my hands are still shaking uncontrollably. Maybe I will try to write what transpired after I ran away after I’ve taken my pills and had some rest.