I Have to Tell You Something

I have to tell you something. Sorry, I NEED to tell you something. A secret. About a place near where I live, just around the corner actually. You do not have to believe me? I understand that it may sound crazy.

All I know is that I will never go there again. Not at night anyway. For I have experienced what lies within those endless trees.

I was 14. It has taken me 2 years for me to finally tell you this and hope that you believe me. I had heard rumours about the woods and my mother had told me to never go in there, not even in the daylight. My mother told me it was dangerous to go in there, whatever time of day.

I used to always defy my mother and so I went in there with a couple of friends one night. The walk there was fine, I was eager to go to these so called dangerous woods. Well, when reached our destination my heart already began to thump against my chest. The woods looked terrifying at night. I stood horrified amongst my friends, I no longer wanted to go inside. The trees towered over us, its branches were like open arms welcoming us into darkness. It was to dark to see what lied within them. Not even the moon could light up the shadows.

I had an uneasy feeling about the woods and I begged my friends that we should go home. Well as you could probably guess, it pissed them off. I had dragged them out here to go in there and now I was backing out. It's not like me to back out of things but I did not want to go into those woods.

We argued amongst us. My friends were all against me and thus the decision was decided that we go into the woods.

And so, we went in ...

The next morning news broke out that a group of 14 year old boys had been butchered to death in the woods.

I felt nothing for them. I told them I did not want to go into those woods. I told them I had an uneasy feeling about them place. I was scared.

I remember it so clearly...

The four of them had decided to tell ghost stories just to add to my fear. One told of a man who lived in the woods, who was a lover for children's flesh. He would take them from behind when they were wandering through the woods alone and would-

That's when my friends decided to run off. I chased after them, trying to follow their laughter. It wasn't long before my ears had guided me into another direction and silence surrounded me.

I was scared so much that I began to cry. Not something that a 14 year old boy should be doing. But I was fucking scared.

My eyes couldn't adjust to the light and I was left standing in what seemed like endless black fog. This is how I pictured hell. I couldn't stop thinking about that story. I had horrible thoughts of how it ended. I was convinced it was real.

Terrified, I started a slow jog through the woods. I know it sounds stupid but sprinting just makes it feel more scary. I had picked up a rather large branch that had obviously snapped off of one of the tree's - Not much of a weapon but I would have to do - and tried to find my way out.

It seemed like I had been running for ages, maybe I had been running in circles. I tried turning around and running in a different way.

Well after maybe hours of running I saw a light through the trees. A street light. I gave a sigh of relief and sprinted towards the light when something grabbed onto my shoulder ... My heart stopped. My I stopped breathing. My eyes were glued to the light. So close. I let out a tear.

It laughed. Then three other laughs followed. It was my friends. They continued to laugh and started to jeer.

Out of pure anger, fear and humiliation I gripped onto the broken tree branch and beat all four of them to death. I could not see their blood but I could smell it.

I smiled.

You don't have to believe me? I understand it may sound crazy.

Or maybe I'm crazy?