Gather around the fire with me! Gather around all who wish to hear a story both wonderful and terrifying! A story of old that is as true as myself.
This story is true I tell you; for it happened to me when I was just a lad, maybe twenty eight or so at the time. I took a trip here with a couple friends to this very cove.
Why do you look so frightened? The tale has only just begun. You will be safe as long as there is a fire. As long as there is light.
It was a cool and clear day; not much different than this one. My friends Jacob, Aundre and I had decided to take a camping trip to Crystal Cove as before the start of our second semester. Excitedly, we loaded our bags into the back of my acid green Ford and hit the road. Half an hour later we pulled into a camp clearing. We chatted and teased Jacob about his newest relationship to a girl he had been crushing hard over Laci, as we carelessly tossed our bags, gear, and tent out from the back of the truck bed one by one next to the back tire before pitching our tent and prepping the area for a fire. It was late noon before we actually went for that hike to the waterfall like we had when we were younger and every year since. we had planned for. The leaves rustled restlessly around my two friends and I. It was quiet out there. All we could hear was the sound of the crunch of leaves and twigs under the soles of our boots.
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
And suddenly SNAP
All three of us froze on the spot. Nervously looking around for something that could have made that noise. Anything. Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes to my right. I whipped around terrified as to what I might see. With none of us daring to breath, a tiny white figure started out of the bush stopping in front of us.
"A rabbit? We got scared by a rabbit?" Aundre said in disbelief.
"Speak for yourself." I saved with a scoff and a laugh
"Do you need a clean pair of boxers?" Jacob asked, giving Aundre a small shove.
"Shut up, let's keep going." Aundre said and started walking forward. The white rabbit watched us briefly before darting off. Jacob and I followed behind laughing and joking.
As we followed deeper and deeper into the woods our laughter began to die off until all of us were suddenly quiet. We hadn't realized that as we trudged along the broken path how much darker and colder it began to get and how much more silent the woods were. Almost as though the very trees knew to hold their breath.
"Guys it's getting late I think we should head back." I said nervously.
"Let's just keep going to the waterfalls. We should be there soon."said Aundre
"Yeah, don't be such a big baby." taunted Jacob even though he sounded just as nervous as I was.
As we nervously shuffled forward the path began to fade and this silence became stifling. I could hear my heartbeat inside my ears. My eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings looking for any movement, the hair on my arms standing on end waiting knowing something dreadful was about to come. A large white shadow figure flashed through the trees.
"Guys something just isn't right about this." I said my voice quivering.
Right then and there a horrible scream pierced through the air. So high pitched as though it were a woman being torn to pieces. Aundre and Jacob screamed but I ran. Out of instinct I bolted and ran as fast as I could. I didn't think I just moved as far as I could from the screams of pain and terror. My feet barely touched the ground as I weaved and dodged through the trees. My heart was working at full capacity screaming their own pleas for rest. Until suddenly I wasn't.
My foot had caught on a thick tree root poking out of the ground and left me sprawling across the forest floor. I attempted to stand and keep moving only to be greeted by the ground again. My left foot which was once perfectly normal was now twisted in a peculiar way. Pain raced through my leg begging me to stay put. I rested my back against a nearby tree, gritting my teeth against the stabbing pain. As my eyes adjusted to the near negligible moon light I watched my breath rise into the air in smoky puffs. The former chill had become a biting cold.
And so, I slowly shuffled onto my knees and began clearing the debris from the ground thinking of only a small fire for warmth, for safety, for the hope that I might live for just another day. As I worked to arrange the leaves and small twigs into a pile I began to once again hear rustling on the bushes next to me. With shaking hands and my pulse pounding in my ears I frantically fumbled in my pockets for my lighter until I retrieved it letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The creature had gotten closer.
Shit shit shit shit shit
I pulled out the neon yellow device repeatedly hitting the little striker but failing to produce more than a few weak sparks. The rancid scent of rot began to waft through the air. Out of the corner of my eye a large and lanky creature stood in the shadows of the trees slowly approaching. Not a single hair could be seen on its deathly pale body. Its large oversized wolfish mouth was a gape dripping with what I can only assume was a mixture of blood and spit. Its elongated nose moved with each deep snorting sniff, searching for its prey. Above it set an unusually small and beady set of black eyes. It's almost human like claws began to move toward me. A paralyzing fear took hold for a split second before I frantically resumed trying for a fire again. My heart began to race again impossiblely fast.
An animal. It has got to be an animal.
A diseased mountain lion perhaps.
And finally almost as though the heavens were smiling down upon me a flame appeared. I brought it to the pile of leaves and twigs and watched the bright light bring life into the darkness with a sense of relief. The creature's mouth opened releasing another ear splitting scream as it hurriedly backed away from the dancing flame.
"Lucky." The creature said. voice dry and raspy as the leaves under its clawed hands.
The black spots that flitted at the corner of my vision soon grew bigger and bigger with each passing second. Darkness soon claimed my consciousness and I passed out.
I was found by a rescue team two days later cold, dirty and starved. My left ankle was completely shattered and was beyond repair. But my fire; I never let my fire go out. My friends were less fortunate as you might have guessed. They were torn to shreds. Scattered throughout the forest. They claim it was an animal attack but I don't believe that for a second.
It all happened here by the way right under this very tree. Just ignore the screams and the cold. Just remember you will be safe. Just don't let the fire go out. Just stay where there is light.