Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-26705150-20150818002954

I was a journalist and I wanted to do a story on the legends of Feather's Mill. The legends originated from the accounts of several people who stayed there. These people said that they had been having strange dreams during their stay, which portrayed various tragedies from the modern age all the way past to the 19th century. They said the dreams ranged from anything to car accidents, people’s death, to battles of muskets between different armies.

I wanted to know more about the dreams and what may have been causing them. So I decided to have my own stay in the town.

I stayed at a motel and I went to the nearest library when I arrived. I asked for information on the town's history. The town originated in the mid-late 18th century and it started off as a Native American settlement. But European colonists took over it by force and a bloody battle ensued, on what is now known as Feather’s Mill.

Apparently, some of the colonists had witnessed the tribe doing rituals of some kind. It was only later after capturing a few of the tribesmen, and through much translation, that the colonists knew the full extent of such rituals. This tribe was particularly fond of dreams and visions because they believed that it would help them in some supernatural way.

That’s when I began reading further and then I noticed that the town had a strong history with the occult. Various residents and groups had been seen partaking in rituals and attempting to bring about visions, either through hallucinations or through dreams.

Even further than that, I noticed something else about the occult practices that were even stranger. Some of the residents and visitors of the town had asked a few of these people about what they’re trying to accomplish, considering the bizarre behavior.

They all said that they essentially wanted to see visions of some force or entity, and that it would be coming soon. Albeit very strange I was intrigued and I finished my reading in the library, feeling satisfied.

That night I went to sleep for the first time in the motel and the first couple of dreams, matched the previous descriptions perfectly. Only they felt so intense and so surreal. But then I had my last dream, just before I woke up.

In the dream, I was in my bed in the motel but I could see a man on top of me. His weight was heavy and he had his hands wrapped around my throat. I couldn’t breathe and I tried desperately to get some air. Just as I did so, I woke up and I scrambled out of bed in a panic, while choking. Of course I realized it was nothing more than a dream and there was nobody there. I just assumed that I somehow had choked myself in my sleep. So I just went into the bathroom to freshen up and get dressed.

Just as I splashed some water on my face, I looked into the mirror and noticed two very well defined, red handprints around my throat.

That was the day that I left that town and I finished the story as quickly as I could.

The town had apparently existed since the Civil War and it was originally a Native American camp. The tribe, who originally stayed there, had been forced out of their homes by white settlers. These settlers wanted to establish a new town in that location. But the tribe lived there so they had to find a way to work out a deal. But the settlers had no success in negotiating anything with the tribe and so the last resort was used. They forced the tribe out of their homes and the settlers officially took over the location. Interestingly, there were reports of the settlers witnessing strange ritualistic practices of the tribe before they were forced out. I wondered if this had something to do with the legends.

I later slept in the motel that night and I too had similar dreams. I dreamed of tragedies occurring, such as car accidents, people dying, etc. They were just as the earlier accounts had described and I knew I was heading in the right direction with this story.

I awoke the next morning and I started working on my research again. This time I decided to go around and ask about the town and the legends. Most people were not willing to speak on such matters but I did gather some important information.

There were apparently rumors of a cult that was active in the vicinity of the town. What that cult was and where they were I didn't know, but I was told that they were active in the practices of Wicca. That helped me some but I still didn't know much else. I decided to head back to the library to gather some more information.

I learned a little bit more about the occult history of the town. But something about it in particular struck me as unusual. There were many talks of people and groups trying to bring about some harbinger of dark power. All of it originating from this very town, from the basis of the Native tribe that once lived here.

I left the library shortly thereafter, feeling satisfied with the discovery. But I was unable to get anything more from the people of the town about this harbinger. I went back to the motel that night and I got some sleep.

Yet again I had those dreams of bad things happening and then I saw something else. I saw a battle from a long time ago, in green fields around a large village. Much blood was shed and various bodies, from both sides, filled the land. It was a battle between the natives and the settlers I assumed, judging by the looks of things.

Then I just remember a vague transition between that and some man staring at me from afar for quite some time. Then he made several gestures of threats towards my direction and then the dream faded.

I awoke some time later and I did my best to continue onward with the investigation. But I couldn't help the feeling that I was being watched or followed in some way. Fear and weariness grew that very day at the thoughts and the memory of that dream. There were even times where I would catch people looking at me and for several moments I wondered if they were watching me, plotting against me. Yet in just another swift moment they'd look away as if nothing was off and I'd silently curse at myself for being so paranoid. But even still I couldn't shake that same feeling of being watched and followed.

This continued for several days and I swore I kept seeing someone out of the corner of my eye. Every time I'd notice and look directly at them, they would never be there. It looked to be a man, similar to the one I saw in my dreams.

Still the investigation continued but I had a brick wall in my search and I was just as paranoid as ever. I figured I'd leave soon and the investigation would end right after that. I went to sleep with that notion one night in the motel and I had yet another very disturbing dream.

It was of the same man, staring at me, and making threats. This time he put his hands around his throat as a choking gesture. The dream faded once again and I awoke shortly thereafter. I got out of bed, grabbed some of my things, and went into the bathroom to prepare for the day.

It was then that I looked in the mirror and saw my throat. There were distinct hand prints around it.

That was the final straw. I hurried through the routine and I packed my bags to leave the motel and the town for good. The investigation was over and there was no way I would ever return. 