Entry 1. The trip up to the cabin was beautiful. Shimmering light danced among the towering pines as our vehicle sped down through a blur of forest and distorted roadside billboards. I distinctly remember extending my arm out the passenger window. Watching my closed fingertips dip and raise above the invisible streaks of howling wind. The trip wasn’t long, perhaps 4 miles from the rest stop adjacent to the icy Red Wood river. Usually I hated trips into the countryside, being born into a world of skyscrapers and busy passersby, but this adventure was an exception. Amanda from Summer camp was going. Yes, the Amanda I mentioned earlier, the one with golden hair and mystical eyes. The Amanda that I can’t stop thinking about. I really don’t mind that my friends pity me, as I tend to stay in my apartment playing Nintendo and drawing my own cartoons, and feel the need to set me up with this girl by inviting her. I really don’t care that they purposefully planned to place us in the back seat, so that we would be forced to form awkward conversation or just look out the window at the speeding hills. When we did start talking I broke out into the most embarrassing sweat episode. I was sweating so much that I could have sworn my shorts would be soaked by the end of the drive. The shorts were fine though and so was Amanda's gorgeous eyes. When ever she spoke all I could do was watch her perfect pursed lips. I caught her blushing at me when she thought I was sleeping. My friends constantly snickered the entire ride, but I don’t care. I think I’m in love. Anyways, like I said, the trip to the cabin was beautiful. Happy to get away from my cramped apartment and out into the fresh air. Can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy. Perhaps early childhood? Well, good night journal. Honestly, I feel weird saying this, but I think I have a true shot at a relationship - in your face Mom. Here’s to an even better tomorrow!
Entry 2. Wow, what a day! The cabin is very authentic and well kept. There were none of those stereotypical drooping spiderwebs and dusty bookshelves that you see in the movies. My friend’s Dad regularly visited the place with his crowd, so the place seemed lively and awake. There is a main room complete with a working TV, dinner table, four wooden chairs, a fireplace, and a working refrigerator. Two windows look out onto the porch and at my friend’s white Ford pickup. There is a carpet with a disturbing mosaic of a man being decapitated by an angry bear. I pointed this out to Amanda and tried to joke around a little, although I’ll admit the detail of gore caught me off guard. In addition to the main room, there are two smaller rooms. One of them has a bunk and one of them has a masterbed. Jokingly, my friends quickly took up the bunk, and offered Amanda and I the bed. I swear my cheeks were on fire when Amanda asked me if I was sure I wanted to use my sleeping bag. She readily laughed out loud after a moment of painful silence and I joined her, very awkwardly. I am often awkward. I have accepted this, but maybe I can still pull a move on this girl sometime this week. A two mile hike down a surreal riverside will go on my list as one of the best outdoor experiences I’ve ever done - OK that’s not a long list, but still... The river was a clear stream with stones that glistened at the murky bottom. Leaves crunched beneath our feet, the wind rose and fell between our giggles, as we scaled a large cliffside about 12 meters up from the river. I eagerly breathed in Amanda’s perfume while explaining to her my dream of creating comics for a living. Somewhere behind, my friends trailed and most likely investigatively analyzed what I guess was my first actual date ever. The day was awesome, and Amanda says I can really make her laugh. Yet again another victory for the record books! Let’s make tomorrow even better! Good night journal!
Entry 3: Today was fine. Unfortunately, Amanda came down with a nasty flu and was unable to go for another day of fast-paced hiking. My friends still embarked on their route into the woods, which left me to tend to the girl. Normally, I would be ecstatic at this prospect. I at first imagined holding her in my arms and soothing her while we watched some of the old VHS horror flicks my friend’s Dad has on standby. Perhaps we would exchange another blissful lock of eyes. However, my imagination did not match reality. Turns out watching over a sick person is absolutely bleak, even if that person is your crush. Most of the day she has been in the bathroom puking her brains out. Whenever I knock on the door to check on her she always says that she “needs a minute.” She has had her face in that toilet for hours. No way I’m touching those lips. I feel guilty for not being able to offer her more than a knock on the door and some words of encouragement, but there is really nothing more to be done. She has a virus. A stomach-lurching, awful, putrid virus. I passed the hours drawing comics while listening to loud gurgles, burps, and waterfalls of barf. If she keeps this up we may have to get her back home to a doctor or something. Damn, and I thought this trip would be my chance. Can’t help but feel incredibly guilty for this whole thing, even though I understand it’s not my fault. Looks like this journey is going to end early. Let’s hope Amanda gets better. Gotta go clean up some more odorus throw up. Peace.
Entry 4: Chad and Ben haven’t returned yet and I’m starting to worry. They left early morning yesterday, which is 24 hours from now. Where could they be? To be honest I’m freaking out. There is no cell reception in these woods. Seriously? Why did I not think about cell reception and at how immensely unsafe it is to be unable to communicate with the folks back home. If this is some sort of prank where they leave me alone to “connect” with Amanda I’m going to kill them. Did they even bring sleeping bags? Were they camping in some other cabin maybe? Having a good laugh over s'mores by an open fire. Or perhaps they were attacked by a bear. Or maybe they went up that 12 meter high cliff and fell. They could be seriously injured. If this was a prank, tho I swear I’ll kill them. Amanda is no longer barfing, but I’m positive she has a fever. If they don’t get back by midnight, I plan to equip myself with a flashlight and set out for them, I don’t care how dark or cold it is. If my friends are in danger, it’s my responsibility to act fast. This is insane! Why is there no cell reception?
Entry 5: Lost my voice from calling out for Chad and Ben. Damn them. It was their stupid idea to come out here in the first place. I depended on them to be the responsible ones. I tried to follow a fresh set of tennis shoe tracks that seemed to be theirs, but suddenly the track went cold at the place where the river descends into what appears to be an underwater cave. The tracks lead into the water. That couldn’t be right. The river was far too cold for swimming. And there was no evidence of their packs anywhere. Perhaps they scaled the cliffside? Maybe they turned around? I’m terrible at tracking. I just want to go home. As soon as I find those guys, I’m beating them to a pulp and demanding that they drive me home. Can you believe I checked Chad’s Ford and his keys are not in the ignition? His keys are not with his gear. He must have taken them on his stupid early morning trip with Ben. This prank, if it is one, is incredibly stressful and I find myself spacing out in fear. What am I going to do if Amanda needs a hospital? Where are my friends? What if they are dead in a ditch somewhere? Why won’t my cellphone get a proper connection? Why, god damnit, why did the car alarm suddenly go off in the middle of the night and why was the front windshield smashed? Why won’t this fucking cell phone work!?
Entry 6: This is fucked. I thought this was an elaborate prank, but no longer. I went in to check up on Amanda this morning and she was gone. Just gone. The mountain of blankets that were covering her are now scattered on the floor. Her window was smashed. How did this not wake me? In fact, I was up for most of the night, and not once did I hear anything that resembled a window breaking. Could I have been in such a deep sleep that I wouldn’t be able to hear a window breaking and most likely the shrilling screams of a terrified 20 year old? There are nail marks on the window sill. Nail marks filled with spots of blood and dead skin. I swear to god I heard nothing. Just rees swaying in the wind. Last night, I fell asleep, but I swear I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t hear anything. This is all my fault. I should have slept in her room with her. I should have cared for her. Now she is out there somewhere in the woods with a fever of 110 and held in captivity or something worse. There’s no way this can be happening. There has to be someone out in the woods. Someone that broke that window. I can’t ignore this staggering possibility. The possibility that whoever is watching could be looking for me as I write this. Why did they only take Amanda and not me? Did they also take Chad and Ben? The cabin is not safe. The woods are not safe. A small shelter I’ve found after a mile or so sprint down the river, has so far proven to be hospitable. However, I’m still shivering - mostly from fear and partially from the cold. There is no possibility of sleeping tonight.
Entry 7: Woke up this morning to find that this is not a nightmare. This is actually happening. My stupid hands can’t stop trembling as I write this. Going to get some firewood to fight against the cold. Cell phone is out of batteries. I can only hope they don’t stumble on my shelter. Often, I get these urges to call out for Amanda, Chad or ben. Scream their names at the top of my lungs. But there is something in my gut that advises against this. Something tells me I’ll hear a reply. And that thought alone terrifies me.
Entry 8: I’ve been watching the cabin from afar all day. Turns out the front two windows are smashed. The front door is broken in half - the lower portion completely missing. From what I can see on the inside, the dinner table is flipped over and so are the chairs. In addition, it looks like someone has been through the pantry, as I can make out what appears to be potato chips and cheetos scattered across the wooden floor. While I had been in the shelter, that someone came back to the cabin to finish me off. Damnit, I can barely catch my breath just thinking about the horrors my friends are going through. If they lay a hand on Amanda I will not hesitate. As soon as I hear screams or cries for help I’ll go running for them. For once I will be the hero. Before occupying this camouflaged outpost, I made sure to grab the .32 that was stashed in Chad’s glove department. It’s got one bullet from that time we stupidly played Russian Roulette. One bullet will have to do. One bullet. I’m going to get some shut eye for the day. Then at night I’ll keep an eye on the cabin, and take a potshot at the psycho that took Amanda. Mom, Dad if you find this journal just know that I love you more than anything in the world, and that I cherish the boundless good times we had together. That’s all for now. Wish me luck.
Entry 9: I have to keep running. I have to keep running, but I’ll rest here for now, because my heart will explode if I don’t. I think I’ve gone crazy. I hope I’ve gone crazy. What I saw in the woods no one will ever believe. I can’t describe the woman - if it even was a woman. I have to keep running. What if she is chasing me? I have to keep running. What was that thing? There was a woman that crawled on her back legs. Yes. She crawled on her back legs. This I remember vividly. Almost like a spider. Her black hair swung left and right as she crawled - no - inched her way into the front porch window. Her legs were hairy. Or was it black skin? She was looking for me in the cabin. Before I blanked out. I could see the monster searching, turning over the sofa, crawling up the walls, rifling through the cabinets, and at times waiting - listening - in the shadows. Also I stumbled upon Amanda when I finally woke. She was dangling from a tree. I have to keep running. I freed her with a bullet to the head. That was all I could do for her. I have to keep running. Who knows how fast that thing moves. Those legs. That hair. Was it a woman? Why was it alive? Why was it here? I have to keep running. Too tired. Must rest on the pavement. An open highway to the sky lays before me while that luminous monster waits for me - somewhere in the trees. Don’t want to end up like Amanda. Must keep moving. Have to rest tho. So tired. Can’t move. Somewhere in the night I just heard glass shatter. This is all too real. I need help. I need help. If I get back home, first thing I’ll do is post this on the internet. The world needs to know what happened here. I’m so sorry Amanda, but you were in so much pain. Now I run.
Submitted January 29, 2016 at 10:20AM by MiskatonicTales http://ift.tt/1Kegy1s nosleep
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