Harrow’s Woods

Arthur,

I have only but an hour left to live. I am writing my last words for you so that’ll you know what happened to me, for you will not be able to find a trace of me. Not a hair or drop of blood.

Yesterday evening I ventured out into Harrow’s Woods to hunt for the first time, and sadly my last. You know my passion for coyote hunting. I went town before I went on the hunt to get some rounds for my rifle. I asked people if there were any coyotes in Harrow’s Woods. Most people said they had no idea for they never went into those woods. Finally a man grabbed my shoulder from behind and answered in a raspy cold voice.

“Yes, there are coyotes in Harrow’s woods, but there are also things much worse.”

I chuckled and turned to face him saying, “Something much worse than coyotes? Coyotes are so cowardly by them…”

I froze when I saw what I was talking to. Half of the man’s face was gone. Like something had cut half his face off and healed over. The man grabbed my arm when I tried to move away.

“Don’t go into those woods! If you value your life, don’t go!”

“What? What’s out there? Mountain lions? Wolves?”

“Things! Things that look human, but not. They run in packs, and when they catch you, they tear you apart! They’ll eat your eyes, brains, your bones!”

“Are you telling me that there are zombies out in those woods?” I said sarcastically.

“No!” he rasped. “These things are around us everyday! Watching. Waiting. Waiting for our kind to be alone.” His grip tightened and began to hurt.

“Let go of me you crazy old fool!” And I threw him off. He limped away down the dimly lit street, looking back at me.

“You’re the fool! You’re going to die!!!” At that point kids came running out of a back alley giggling and ran about the strange man. “No! Get away!” he screamed in terror as he limped away. I snorted and walked back to my truck and climbed in.

“There’s one in every town,” I muttered to myself when cranked my truck up and drove off. At the edge of town I was stopped by a red light and a man and child crossed in front of me. They were about midway when they stopped. They turned to look at me. They stood there looking at me eerily for a full minute until the green light clicked on the traffic light. I motioned them to pass and they did, but without taking their eyes off me. “Must be a full moon,” I chuckled.

After an hour, I reached Harrow’s Woods. The place looked very forbidding but I shrugged it off. I turned my truck off, slipped my orange hat on, grabbed my rifle and quietly exited the truck. I quickly felt in my pocket to make sure my hunting license was there. The last thing I want is to get fined for hunting without a license. After confirming I had it, I set forth into the woods.

The tree shrouded over me with their shadows and branches, underbrush cracked and shook with my movements. I looked about for a tree that I could climb up into and I finally came across a decent sized oak. It took me a bit but I managed to get into a comfortable position. The sky was red now, and the sun was disappearing beneath the horizon. Thirty minutes later the sun had gone down an it was night. Stars twinkled above me and the moon was rising.

I nearly dozed off when I heard a cracking noise. I carefully looked about to see if I could see what was making the noise. The moon was half full and provided me with enough light. It was a deer. Deer season was not in, so I let it go. I watched it a bit. It was a yearling grazing, looking about cautiously. I turned my head for a moment and then I heard it. A growl followed by a squeal of some sort. The noise made me jump and I looked around. I laid eyes on where the yearling was and saw dark blob on the ground. I strained my eyes to make out what it was and choked. It was a man. He had tackled the yearling to the ground and was ripping it to pieces. Blood and entrails filled his mouth as he devoured the poor creature. It stopped eating and began sniffing about. Suddenly it jerked its head toward me and growled. It opened its mouth to reveal several yellow, sharp, pointed teeth. I did not hesitate to raise my rifle and shoot. The thing squealed, flew back and landed on its face. My hearted pounded and my blood ran cold. I watched for any movement but the thing did not budge. I decided to climb down to make sure it was dead. I walked up to it and rolled it over. A shot to the face. There was no way it would recover from that. I gasped when I realized something. This thing was the man who was with the girl at the stoplight.

“That crazy man was right.” I then heard cracking noises around me. I looked about and sure enough, from all directions people or things that looked like people encircled me. Men, women, children. There had to be at least 20 of them. They just stood and stared. Then a loud shriek filled the air and all their mouths opened to reveal their teeth and then they charged with their hands outstretched. I used my rifle like a club and battered myself a hole out of the ring. I ran, oh how fast I ran. My sprint was interrupted when I tripped over something. It was the body of a man half eaten. I began the feel sick when I saw this. Then I heard something bounce toward me on the forest floor. It rolled up to me and I screamed. It was a head! It was the head of the man I thought was crazy. I heard noises behind me and I got back up and ran. Their horrifying shrieks filled the air around me

I reached the edge of the woods and found my truck. As I jumped in my leg was caught by one of those fiends I gave it a good sock in the face and it pulled away tearing my pants leg. I cranked my truck up and floored it. I got to the main road and there were two of those things blocking the road. I drove through them. My truck jumped up and down briefly and regained stability.

I did not stop until I reached home. I got inside as quick I could and bolted the doors and windows and sat at the kitchen table.

“Where did they come from?” I asked myself. “How long have they been with us? What are they?” Man does not know everything about creation nor will he ever. These things could be in our cities, streets, stores  our government. They’re like a copycat. Kind of like mushrooms, some mushrooms look the same. One is edible, the other is poisonous.

I stuck my hands in my pocket and stared at the wall. Then to my horror I realized my license was gone.

It must have fallen out when that creature tore my pants. Arthur, they know where I live now. I can hear them surrounding the house now. The breaking in!

I can’t…

Arthur laid the paper down on the table and look about at the ransacked house. Sheriff’s Deputies roamed about the places collecting items that they claimed to be evidence. Sheriff bridges looked over Arthur’s shoulder at the paper on the table.

“Hmpf, the rambles of a mad man.”

“Sheriff, I knew Harold very well. We went to school and college together, he never acted strange, nor did he have a wild imagination. I believe we need to search Harrow’s Woods. I believe our answer is there.” Sheriff Bridges took his hat of and scratched his head.

“Well I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a look. Hell, he made have hidden out in those woods. After all there isn’t a body. Tell you what, it’s a bit late now so we’ll start out early tomorrow morning and look. Have a place to stay the night?”

“I guess I’ll be staying here tonight. I seriously don’t feel like getting an apartment tonight.”

“Oh I’m afraid you can’t do that. This place may be a scene of a crime, we can’t have you disrupting evidence. Tell you what, you can stay at me and my wife’s house. She’s cooking a pot roast and we would certainly love to have you over for dinner.”

Das Ende.

  • Tristan Seaburg-Sweat

    2nd part? Pls