I am an avid hiker and happen to live near a national park that I think it's best not to name. Me and my friends go hiking there often. Or I guess, did.
If you have ever be to a national park, you might have noticed certain areas were restricted for one reason or another. This one was no different, and the reason we were given was that the terrain was too dangerous. To me and my friends, this only made it sound more fun.
When you spend as much time in a park as I, you begin to catch on to the rangers' routines, soon you are able to avoid them with ease. And so, we made are way into the restricted area.
We were soon meant with disappointment, as the terrain was quite flat and boring. It may have been safer there than other parts of the park. My friends and I started speculating why they might want to keep people out of here, and then we started getting shot out.
We started running, I made the mistake of looking back. I didn't see the shooter and I didn't see the hole in front of me ether.
After falling a good ten feet, I began examining my legs to see if I had broken them. My eye caught something. Behind some rocks was an old and deteriorating satchel. Contained within it, was some shotgun shells and what appeared to be a journal.
Soon, my friends came back and helped me out of the hole. We all escaped without taking any bullets. One of my friends proposed the idea that they were simply trying to scare us away and may have only been using blanks. But that didn't make any sense, what could they be trying to hide? And why would they keep it in such a public area?
Now, I think I know the answer.
Once home, I began looking through the journal and found that many of the pages, (although frail), were still intake. The name Ellie Johnson is written on the front. The remaining pages read as follows:
10/6/1915
The trees are all beautiful this time a year, it's a shame the leaves don't last long. I'd rather they look this way all year.
I used some of the leaves to make beds for the sheep, I thought they could use them as it's getting colder. Dad says it will be even colder this year because our new land is up higher then the old. At first, that didn't make much sense to me, but now I can feel he's right.
**
10/8/1915
I've noticed my chores get done a fair bit faster now that there ain't much more than a cow and some sheep to feed. But this has left me with nothing much to do. My friends are all miles away now, and there ain't anybody out here but us. I try to help mom when I can, (especially since she's carrying my little sister, or brother), but most of the time she insists on doing things herself.
I never thought I'd want more chores.
**
10/9/1915
Nothing much happened today other than a sheep escaped for about half a minute before dad caught her. Ain't really sure why I opened this book.
**
10/12/1915
Dad's bringing a friend of his up here to go hunting. His name's Stan. Can't say I know him too well; I only meant him once at church.
I asked dad if I could come with them, he said someone had to stay back and help mom. He was right, I suppose, but that don't make me happy about it.
**
10/13/1915
I woke up this morning and found it snowed in the night; It's got to be at least 3 inches. I went to see what dad might have brought home, but he hasn't gotten back yet.
Mom's real worried, and so am I. Dad's usually only gone a few hours, never all night. He's never gone hunting in those woods before nether. I told mom I should go out and see if I can find him, but she didn't much care for that idea at all. Says I'll get lost too, says we should just wait.
So, I suppose that's what we're gonna do.
**
10/14/1915
Dads still gone.
I told mom that someone was gonna have to go looking for them, and since she's pregnant it was gonna have to be me. She began to cry saying she ain't gonna lose her entire family. Then she said if he wasn't back tomorrow, she'd send me into town to get help. I didn't want her anymore upset than she already was, so I agreed.
But I know he ain't gonna be back tomorrow, and if he's hurt, he's gonna need help quick. So, when mom went to bed, I grabbed the shotgun by the door and some shells. I took a lantern too.
If I find dad and Stan, I'll help them back home and mom will be happy and if I don't, I'll come home, and she'll never know.
**
10/16/1915
I think I'm lost.
I followed the footprints leading into the forest thinking I'll find them in no time. But that damned snow kept falling and the footprints began to fade 'till I couldn't see them anymore. At least not with my little lantern. But I wasn't gonna let this stop me, I kept walking where I figured they most've been going. This foolish idea went as well as one might suspect.
That lantern ain't worth dirt; I didn't know I was on a hill 'till I was rolling down it. I hit my head against a rock on the way down; everything went black.
I woke the next morning half buried in snow, but by the good grace of the Lord I didn't break any bones. I climbed back up the hill to find that the snow had erased my tracks just the same as the others. I thought if I just kept walking straight, I'd end up back home, but after a half hour I was still in the woods.
I kept on wandering in every direction without finding nothing but more trees and snow, like the damn thing goes on forever. Didn't see a signal animal either. Not one squirrel nor bird. Like these woods are dead.
I did find a small cave. I reckoned it'd be better than sleeping under a tree. But I didn't get any sleep.
Something strange started howling soon as I closed my eyes. It didn't sound like any wolf I know of, ain't really sure how to describe it. But it was close by, much closer than I would've liked. I thought I might've been trying to sleep in its home, so I kept the gun ready.
It didn't stop until the sun began to peak through the trees. Only then could I rest. I awoke about mid-day.
I wonder if mom is alright. Probably not too happy. I hope she don't come looking for me like a fool. like me. I hope she goes and gets help.
**
10/17/1915?
I think it's the next day, but I ain't sure. Ain't sure of anything.
I began another day of hopelessly trying to escape the woods. I don't think they ever end. I think home may be a thousand miles away, if even that close.
I came across some footprints. They were bigger than a bear and had inch long claws. Next to them seemed to be the marks from something being dragged along. I followed them. I know it wasn't smart, but it was something. Something in a forest of nothing.
As I followed, I'd find blood around the tracks every now and again. I kept walking 'till I came across a cave. This one was much larger than the one I used for a shelter. There was something inside.
It was a giant beast, hunched over, eating something. There was blood all around the mouth of the cave. I saw the bones of the creature's back poking through its gray skin.
I stood frozen and started to cry. I wasn't sure why at the time, but now I believe it was because I knew who it was eating. Before I could make too much noise, a hand went over my mouth, and I was dragged behind a nearby rock. It was Stan.
He gestured for me to be quiet and asked for the shotgun, I gave him it. I asked him what happened to his gun, he told me he dropped it while running away from that beast. Then I asked where dad was. He didn't answer.
I tried keeping my tears quiet, but I failed. In the blink of an eye that antlered monster had its jaws in my leg. I screamed in pain, before Stan shot it in the face. It released me and turned toward him. He then shot it in the chest. This didn't seem to do much good other than making it mad.
The gun was now empty, but the monster was enraged. Stan ran off into the never-ending forest with the abomination gaining behind him, leaving me alone.
It was going catch him, and kill him, and drag him back here. A then it was going do the same to me. I got up and began limping away. I kept my eyes closed until I was past the cave, I didn't want to see what was inside.
I didn't get far before falling through the earth. Now I'm stuck in a hole.
I don't think it's a work of nature, it's much too deep for that. It seems instead to be a trap, dug by a demon. I'm not sure how long it will be before it finds me. One of my legs are broken, and other has been badly wounded by that beast. I can't get out.
The skin around the bite wound is beginning to turn gray, and I feel sick as a dog.
Mom, if you find this, I love you. And also, run.
---
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