← Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories
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So just for some background, Back when I lived in the uk I lived in a large house share for a while that had eight bedrooms. I lived with all guys, making me the only girl, but it didn't bother me. We'd have movie nights and drinks and I got along well with all of them. They all worked days and I worked nights. My bedroom was downstairs and looking back now, I do remember thinking I could hear noises upstairs when everyone else was out of the house during the day. When I had a friend over, we had both heard something. We went to go check it out, but we didn't see anyone. We started to joke that maybe it was a ghost. A few months later it was coming up to Christmas and apart from one housemaid and myself, everyone had either gone home or away for the holidays. I'd come back from a night shift at a club and had a couple of drinks after. When I came home, my roommate was asleep on the sofa. Just as I was about to fall asleep to a movie, I had heard noises upstairs yet again. Only this time I couldn't blame it on the house making noises. It was footsteps that turned into thudding like someone was running across the upstairs landing. Fueled with a bit of Dutch courage, I ran out to see and found the front door wide open and footprints in the snow. I tried to wake my roommate, but half asleep he just made the ghost joke, then went back to sleep. I locked the door and went to sleep. Not too long after, a few weeks had passed and everyone was back and started talking about if anyone knew what was in the attic. It turned out that no one had actually been up there, so I decided to go check it out for myself. Just out of curiosity. It even had one of those fold down ladders. I went up first and I was very surprised to see it fully carpeted and had a skylight. Then I noticed a sleeping bag and a pile of men's clothes. The other guy swore that it didn't belong to any of them, so I was convinced we had a squatter for at least six months. I mean, it's not as scary as some of the other stories out there. As far as I know, nobody's stuff ever went missing. What creeps me out is that he must have had his all timed will to come in and out of the attic without anyone ever noticing him in such a big house. And why did he decide to quite literally run out of the house in the snow and leave all of his stuff behind? This happened to me when I was about 14. It was in 2020 in the cold winter of Canada. At the time, the confinement was obligatory. Every two days we would have class at school, else it was online. So after my online class I had to practice for my acting part for my theater class. Since everyone was home, I didn't want to bother anyone with my loud voice and cries. So I decided to go into the woods. So you all gotta know that I live in the woods. I don't really have any neighbors and no one walks in the woods behind my house since it's a private property anyway. I had asked my sister if she wanted to accompany me. But when we got out, she said that she had a weird feeling and she didn't want to come along anymore and then ran back to the house. So instead I just grabbed my dog, which is a pug. And at the time he was three years old. An important thing to know is that my dog can't bark at all. And he still can to this day. He's very social and cuddly. He would even run away with a kidnapper. So I get down my property to enter the woods behind the trees there. And I get on the wood path. I know that wood path like I know the back of my hand. I've never been lost. So as I was walking forward with my dog, I recorded a video of myself to see what I need to improve on my acting. That's when I saw someone behind me. Of course I turn back and look at the person. To this day I don't know if it was a man or a woman, but. But that person was clothed head to toe with dirty blankets and dirty coats. They had a plastic bag, a black one that you use in restaurants for the trash. It was huge. I still remember to this day that vision of the person. I could only see their eyes. In the other hand, they had a sharp looking object that I couldn't identify. So out of instinct I had started walking faster. Because literally no one ever comes to these woods, especially in a minus 34 degrees Celsius winter. But my dog was not going forward. He was still and he wasn't moving an inch. He was staring at that person. And then he started barking. That's when I knew something was off. Cuz my dog doesn't ever bark and he likes everyone. But at that moment I could see the situation wasn't safe. So I whistle to him. And he walks, but head facing back. And the person starts laughing. As they were laughing, they said, I'm not even scared of dogs. In my head I was asking myself, why would someone even tell me this. So I walk faster telling my dog to follow me and I hear the snow making cracking sounds. The person is walking faster and starts following me. That was it for me. I picked up my dog and started running. I could hear the stranger running after me. Then I get to a dead end. There's three thoughts going through my mind. 1. Going straight forward between the trees until I find a path. 2. Jumping off the snow cliff that is at least 10ft high and 3 go back on my feet and run for my life. All this knowing I had to have my dog in my arms at the same time. I couldn't think long enough. Then I heard the stranger's footsteps in the snow and decided to jump off the cliff with the dog in my arms. I was being swallowed by the soft snow. Here in Canada the snow can be up to 3ft tall on the ground. I didn't have my snowsuit. I was freezing and ice was forming all around my legs and hands. I thought I was going to die, but my dog is digging me out. I pick him up again and run towards the second cliff in front of me. I look back and there I see that stranger for the last time. They had their left hand on their forehead looking left and right at the horizon, looking for me. They spotted me and started walking towards me. I ran as fast as I could, following the path that I knew would lead me to the street in front of my house. I ran for minutes with my dog in my arms and the ice on my legs in the freezing cold. I got back to my house and decided to act like nothing had happened. I just went back to my room and just stared at the wall. I don't know what that person's intentions were, but I hope I never encounter them or someone like that ever again. It's okay not to be perfect with finances. Experian is your big financial friend and here to help. Did you know you can get matched with credit cards on the app? Some cards are labeled no Ding Decline, which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit scores. Download the Experian app for free today. Applying for no Ding Decline cards won't hurt your credit scores if you aren't initially approved. Initial approval will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit scores. Experian the holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online, and more personal info in more places that could expose you more to identity theft. But LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, our US based restoration specialists will fix it guaranteed or your money back. Don't face drained accounts, fraudulent loans or financial losses alone. Get more holiday fun and less Holiday worry with LifeLock. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com podcast Terms apply I'm a 22 year old female. This happened to me last night, literally less than 24 hours ago, and I still feel uneasy walking past my own front window. I live in a small town in the north of the uk. It's the kind of place where everyone more or less knows each other's faces and after about 8pm the streets are just basically dead. I'd gone to the local shop just before closing to grab some milk. The air was very cold, that damn chill you get when the fog starts to roll in. Anyways, when I came out of the shop I noticed a man standing by the cash machine. He wasn't using it, just standing there with his hood up. I'm five' one and from what I remember he was a lot taller than me. I'd say around six foot maybe. I didn't pay much attention to him and just started walking home. A few minutes later I realized he was walking behind me. At first I didn't feel like anything. Same direction. Maybe he lived nearby. But I crossed the road at the roundabout and I felt the hairs on my neck go up immediately as I turned back around and noticed he crossed too. Something felt strange, like he was deliberately mirroring my steps. I slowed down near a bus stop and pretended to check my phone. I expected him to pass me. He didn't. He slowed down as well, keeping the same distance between us. No footsteps overtaking, no change in pace. By the time I turned onto my street, I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. I didn't want to make it obvious that I was scared, so I just kept walking as normal. But my hands were shaking so badly I could barely unlock my phone. My streets are quite short, lined with terraced houses and the streetlights don't reach all the way to the end. My house is in one of the darker spots. When I reached my door I just wanted to get straight in. I didn't even look back. The second the log clicked, I slipped inside and went straight to the window beside the door. He was there, standing at the corner, not moving, just facing my direction. It's like he was trying to see which house I went into. I stood frozen behind the curtain. He didn't take out a phone, didn't smoke, didn't even look around. He just stared. After maybe 30 seconds he turned and walked off Slowly back the way he'd come. I didn't see his face properly. The hood shadowed most of his face, but I could see the lower half. Clean shaven, possibly late 30s or early 40s. I just remember his darn coat and the sound of his shoes echoing on the pavement. I didn't call the police because I kept thinking maybe I was overreacting. But all day today I've had this feeling like someone's been outside or is watching me. Maybe it's paranoia, but I've never felt this kind of fear before. I don't know what to do now. Has anyone ever had something like this happen to them? What did you do after? Should I inform the police? So it's probably nothing, but this morning I noticed fresh footprints right outside my door. Like someone had been standing there facing it. I should also mention that it was raining off and on all day yesterday, so they must have been recent. I didn't hear anyone knock or anything. A few people have suggested that I get a ring camera, so I've ordered one for a bit of peace of mind. Hopefully it helps. Some of the names and locations may have been altered. The story took place in late 2020, in the months of the COVID lockdown in the UK. It occurred in the town of Renfrew, near Glasgow Airport. On this cold, frosty evening. My friend Karen, who was in her late 20s, was on her way to work in her family's Indian restaurant, which was one of the staples of the Renfrew area prior to the pandemic. Everyone in the area knew the restaurant and it was something her family were extremely proud of. Kieran would work evenings there with her brother and sister during this time. Road closures meant the restaurant could only be accessed from her house via a quieter back road. Her neighbor was a man in his 50s and began renting the next door house to Karen's family the year before. They didn't really know anything about the neighbor, however, recently, for the last week or so, it seemed as though he had a house guest. Kieran had noticed this houseguest would stare at her in an inappropriate manner when she would be leaving or entering her family's house. He made her feel uneasy and she always felt anxious when she knew he was outside. On this occasion, while she exited the house, he for the first time actually spoke directly to her. And what he said made her skin crawl. Hey, my name is Alex. I just want to say you look amazing in those leather trousers you're wearing. Karen wore these because she felt they kept her warm in the frosty weather, the fact he said this and the way he delivered this was inappropriate beyond words. And when she glanced at him, she told me he was looking her up and down like she was a piece of meat. She didn't respond as she was in shock. And this was the first time he had spoken to her and this is what he said. How the hell can this be the first thing you ever say to someone? She thought she jumped into her car and she felt like she was going to throw up as he was still glaring at her with a blank expression. And she said it was as though he was incapable of blinking. This felt as though it lasted forever. And it got even worse when she realized she had to defrost the car windshield and windows. Her parents and siblings were already working at the restaurant, so she had nobody in her house she could turn to or make her feel safe. She then came to an even worse realization. She didn't have her phone. She sat in her car debating with herself whether to get it or to leave as she would need it later in the night at the restaurant, she decided that she would quickly run in and go get it. Kieran jumped quickly out of the car and ran inside and she realized Alex was not standing there anymore. This of course filled her with relief as it meant she wouldn't have to hear another inappropriate comment or see another inappropriate look from him. She then unlocked the house and went inside. She was there for about 30 seconds, picked up her keys and went to leave again until she heard a noise near the front door. The house was fairly dark, so of course this filled her with dread. It didn't seem as though anything was there, so she put this down to nerves. After her incident with Alex, Kieran locked up the house and got back in her car. She then began to drive to her restaurant. As mentioned, this was out in a quiet area due to road closures, so there weren't many cars around and people weren't out as much due to the pandemic. After driving for about two minutes out of the residential area, she realized her car had started struggling. She stopped the car, got out and realized her back left tire was flat. But to her horror, it wasn't just flat, it had been slashed. She had her mobile phone in her hand. A car then, seemingly from out of nowhere, then came up behind her with its lights on full beam. Kieran was practically blinded by this and she had to turn away from the bright lights. After a few seconds, she had heard the other car's door slam and all of a sudden a Strong gloved hand suddenly clamped tightly over her mouth. Kieran said tears began to fill her eyes. The panicked breath coming from her nose was visible in the evening frost. Her lips began to quiver behind the gloved hand, but she was too shocked to even attempt to scream or bite the hand. What happened next was the most terrifying moment of her life. She heard a familiar voice then say, right hands behind the back. It was Alex. She was so confused, but in her state of shock and fear. Kieran put her hands behind her back and the gloved hand was removed from her mouth and was replaced with a rag. Kieran then heard the familiar sound of parcel tape being pulled and her hands were taped behind her back. Alex then turned Kieran around to face him. She was backed up against the boot of her car. Her eyes were filled with tears as she was forced to look into his eyes. He took the rag out of her mouth and put a long strip of parcel tape across Karen's mouth. Kieran began mumbling and pleading against the tape that was gagging her. Alec then leaned down and taped her feet together. As the brown parcel tape was covering Kieran's mouth. The breath from her nose looked like steam from a kettle on this snow freezing night. Alec then walked round to the front of her car and switched the engine off. While he walked out of the car, Kieran noticed he hadn't taped her feet together as well as her hands and mouth, so she managed to kick her legs hard enough to break free. As Alex returned to the back of the car not knowing Kieran had freed her legs. He was stunned when a swift kick from Kieran as well as a loud mumbled grunt connected with his groin area. He screamed and bent over and then Kieran kicked him as hard as she could in his face, knocking him completely to the ground. Kieran then rubbed the tape from her mouth against her shoulder until it peeled off. She then leaned against her car boot and managed to step backwards so her taped hands now were in front of her and she chewed at the parcel tape until they were free. Karen took a few seconds now that her mouth was completely free, to catch her breath bag properly. She then grabbed her phone which had fallen to the ground when Ella grabbed her. She phoned the police immediately and then her family at the restaurant. Alex was arrested and taken away. He was charged and found guilty of attempted kidnapping and physical assault. It also emerged that Alex was staying in the neighbor's house without his knowledge. Kieran's neighbor had been staying with family because of the pandemic, so Alex had actually been illegally staying there. As you'd probably guess, Alec wasn't his real name. He knew Kieran's name because he'd been looking at their deliveries while they were sitting outside. Kieran began taking martial arts lessons a few months before this incident, and she believes this may be what saved her. She's moved on from this traumatic experience with a lot of counseling and therapy. Her family's restaurant unfortunately was sold during the pandemic. However, the main thing for them is that Kieran is safe and well, which I think we can all agree. The story happened when I was 22. It was the year 2024. For context, I'm an autistic woman, but for the sake of the story I'll refer to myself as Mina. I'm a talented artist and I sometimes post my art on social media. I was surrounded by wonderful people who supported me. Sometimes I ask people if they'd like me to draw them and usually they say yes. Other times people request art from me. Last year, though, I was suffering from a lot of stress and anxiety. I cried sometimes because the pain and pressure were just too much, but some of my friends comforted me and supported me. At the time of the story, I was no longer suffering as badly, but the girl I'm going to tell you about took an already stressful situation and turned it into absolute chaos. There was this girl I had only spoken once to on YouTube. Her name was Cara. She commented rudely on one of my male friend's YouTube posts. I calmly told her, hey, you don't need to be so hostile towards my friend. He's just being funny, that's all. Don't take it so seriously, okay? She then apologized and said, oh sorry, I'm a bit of a hothead and get mad sometimes. I told her it was fine, just don't do it again. At first I thought she was nice. We became friends and I didn't know that she also liked the Otomie game. Disney Twisted Wonderland now just so you know, I really love Twisted Wonderland and Disney villains. I first heard about it when I was 18 and I became totally obsessed. Anyways, back to the story. She came to one of the social media apps we all used and we welcomed her with open arms. She developed a crush on one of my former male friends, Cody. They started talking and kind of dating even though it was just online. Cody is a big flirt and almost every girl in my friend group fell for him. I liked him too, but I wasn't really interested in a romantic relationship. Everything was fine until one Day, my former friend Daisy went on a trip near where Kody lived. Cara reacted with an ugh. We all questioned why she said that, but she just brushed it off. When we called her out, the drama started. I tried reasoning with her. Cara, don't let your emotions get the better of you. Just calm down. But she didn't listen. I could tell she was jealous and her emotions were way out of control. The chaos lasted all day. Cody didn't defend himself or say anything because he's basically a weak little puppy. Eventually, Kara got banned from the group, but that's when the harassment really began. She ranted that she was done and she started blaming us. I was upset and I felt like I failed her. One of my friends told me it wasn't my fault she did this to herself. Then one of my male friends, who we'll call B, came in to see what happened. Another person told him to comfort me, but instead he ranted at me, asking why I got involved and why I yelled at her. I had nothing else to say. He was upset with me and said, I'm sorry, but you need to think about what you did. It felt like a slap to the face. I was heartbroken. I took a break from online because I was overwhelmed. I cried the whole day. Later on, B apologized. He regretted hurting me. Soon after, Cara's YouTube channel was deleted. Terminated. I felt relief thinking I would never have to see her talk to her again. I was wrong. Fast forward to 2025. I'm now 23, about to turn 24 next month. Everything was peaceful until Cody showed his true colors. He told me, wow, I can't believe I wasted my time making friends like you. That really broke me. Then he deleted his discord, his social media and his YouTube like the coward he is. Not just a coward though. He's a heartbreakingly selfish jerk. Months later, I was minding my own business, excited that Twisted Wonderland was becoming an anime. Then out of nowhere, I see Korra again. She made a new YouTube account and said her parents had banned her from the Internet. I just ignored her completely. But then September came. One of my good friends, Josh, did something really bad. I had no idea he was such a horrible person. Everything had changed. He and Daisy became awful and dragged another girl, Snowy, into the mess. Together they started a full on drama campaign, harassing people, especially my friends. I hated seeing my friends get hurt. I stayed out of it though, because I didn't want to be involved. But then Kara went completely insane. She started harassing all of my friends, messaging them NonStop. This was two months ago. I was worried. Not stressed or anxious, just scared of her. I tried focusing on the upcoming Twisted Wonderland anime, but that's when the stalking escalated. Kara admitted she would like to keep stalking and harassing people. Listen, you guys, if you don't stop and leave us alone, we will keep stalking you. And we will keep harassing you. I was terrified. I'd had enough. It wasn't my fault or my friend's fault. It was theirs. They brought this on themselves. They're destroying their own mental health and dragging everyone else down with them. Right now, I really don't know what to do. I just wanted to write this to Kara, Daisy, Snowy, and all those blind people. You need to stop harassing my friends. Stop the drama campaign. And Josh. I don't even know what to say. You broke my heart and everyone else's. And Kara, your parents were right to ban you from the Internet. I regret ever meeting you. You're a psycho. I will never speak to you again after what you've done. Harassing my friends and stalking them. You admitted it yourself. My name is Alex, and the story takes place when I was just 16. Autumn had always held a special place in my heart. I adored watching the last crimson leaves cling to the skeletal branches of trees. The sky was often painted in shades reminiscent of blood, loomed over a perpetually overcast backdrop, typical of late autumn. It was a season filled with beauty and melancholia, and for someone like me, restless and incredibly bored in my small town life, there was nothing better than soaking in the scenery. My friends Jake and Maya, however, had grown weary of my restlessness. They insisted that I needed an adrenaline rush to shake things up. I responded with an exaggerated eye roll, but that did little to sway their determination. Alex, you know that old Miller's place? The shack that's practically falling apart? It's only a few miles into Blackwood Forest. Sure, it sounds spooky, but it's not haunted. Just old. Jake suggested one day, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Blackwood Forest was more than just old. It was legendary in our town. Whispers clung to it like ancient moss on trees, filled with tales of strange disappearances and unsettling sounds that loomed over anyone brave enough to venture inside. The Old Miller's Place was a logging cabin abandoned over 50 years ago, rumored to harbor a dark soul trapped within its walls. Now, normally, I'd scoff at ghost stories, but the thought of being alone in that eerie place, surrounded by the forest whispers sparked something deep inside me. It wasn't a dare from Jake or Maya, but rather a challenge I set for myself, something to fend off the creeping boredom that felt like it was suffocating me. So on a brisk Tuesday afternoon, as the autumn wind howled through the neighborhood like a wolf's cry, I grabbed a small hiking bag and filled it with essentials. A flashlight, a compass, a bottle of water, and my dad's old hunting knife from the garage. As I stood by the front door, double checking my gear for this adventure that I was about to embark on, I called out, hey, dad, I'm just going for a long walk, okay? I slipped on my sturdy hiking shoes, hearing my dad grunt from the living room, clearly engrossed in his football game. He didn't seem worried. After all, I had a knack for enjoying long walks during the autumn season. The crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet signaled that I had stepped into the unfamiliar and well trodden paths of Blackwood Forest, a stretch I often referred to as the initial leg of my journey. As I inhaled deeply, the crisp scent of pine trees mingled with the damp earth, filling my lungs with a refreshing exhilaration that made me grateful to be out in the nature. However, as I pushed deeper into the barely visible hiking trails, which were said to lead to the Miller place, the atmosphere began to shift. The woods grew denser and the sunlight dimmed, with the vibrant oranges of the outer edges giving way to stark browns and grays that felt almost foreboding. Before long, it seemed as though the trees were closing in around me, their branches intertwining overhead to form a skeletal canopy that obscured the sky, making it feel like I was stepping into another realm in this new world. The air turned colder and the silence thickened, reminiscent of something out of a horror film. Yet I refused to let fear make me feel like a timid mouse, so I pressed on, determined to confront whatever lay ahead. By the time I reached the Miller place, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the western sky in shades of bruised purples and fiery reds. The cabin appeared just as people had described it, yet somehow even worse than I had imagined. It wasn't merely old or decayed it bore the scars of time and neglect. The front porch sagged precariously, overtaken by invasive vines that seemed to be reclaiming the structure for nature. The windows resembled gaping, empty eye sockets, and the roof had collapsed in several areas, exposing dark rafters like broken ribs. A chill ran down my spine, and I sensed that this uneasiness had little to do with the autumn air. Something felt profoundly wrong, but I couldn't back down from the deer that had brought me here, I realized that the hunting knife tucked away in my hiking backpack would likely be useless against whatever I might encounter inside the cabin. Yet the whisper of challenge in my mind urged me to move forward. With a deep breath to steady myself, I approached the Miller place and pushed open the flimsy, rotting door. It groaned in protest before crashing to the ground with a startling thud. A thick cloud of ancient dust billowed up, catching the feeble rays of sunlight that managed to penetrate the gloom. The interior revealed a large room strewn with debris. There was a broken table, a rusty chair, and what appeared to be the remnants of a cot, all coated in a fuzzing layer of grime. I called out a hesitant hello, but my voice was swallowed by the oppressive silence, sounding thin, almost childish, and completely out of place. There was no reply, just the wind whistling mournfully through the gaps in the walls. I reached into my hiking backpack and pulled out the flashlight, its beam a feeble spear against the encroaching darkness. As I swept it around the room, something caught my eye in the corner, glinting faintly. I made my way over to a pile of rotting newspapers, using my free hand to shift them aside while the flashlight illuminated my path. That's when I spotted it, an old tarnished locket half buried beneath the debris. I picked it up, its weight surprising me. The locket felt cold to the touch, and as I directed the beam of light onto it, I noticed its golden hue. When I pried it open with my free hand, I was met with a faded, blurry photograph of the little girl. She couldn't have been older than seven, her hair neatly pulled back with a ribbon. There was something unsettling about her solemn gaze, even in the blurry image, and I felt an inexplicable urge to keep it, quickly shoving the locket into my jacket pocket. Before long, the sunset surrendered to full darkness, and the temperature inside the Miller place dropped significantly. I tried to convince myself that it was just the open roof or the drafty walls, but a prickling sensation crawled across my skin, making me uneasy. Suddenly I felt the unsettling impression of being watched. Every creak and rustle of the leaves outside sent a jolt through me, making me jump at the thought of something sinister lurking nearby. Realizing it was time to leave, I turned toward the entrance. But then a loud thump echoed from the back of the room, near the crumpling fireplace. My heart raced in my chest as I spun around, flicking my flashlight beam wildly, but all I could see were dusty Shadows dancing under the wavering light. I tried to call out a hesitant hello, but my voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. That's when I heard it. A faint, almost imperceptible sound, like the giggle of a child. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, and the playful sound sent goosebumps racing across my skin. This couldn't be a child. Or my friends. I was all alone in this desolate area. Panic began to set in. This place was no longer just an old logging cabin. There was something or someone here with me. I tried to rationalize it. Maybe it was the wind, or a wild animal. Or perhaps my imagination was just running wild. But then I heard the giggling again, this time much closer. A rhythmic tapping sound echoed from directly above me, seemingly emanating from the collapsed ceiling. My breath hitched in my throat and in a surge of instinct, I bolted. Bursting out of the Miller place, I plunged into the dense darkness of the Blackwood forest. The moon was just a sliver in the sky, barely illuminating the skeletal branches overhead. I swung my flashlight around, but it barely helped. The trees, once majestic, now loomed like grasping claws, their branches reaching out to snag my clothes as I stumbled through the ground, which felt like a soft carpet of leaves earlier transformed into a treacherous, crunching trap. Each footfall echoed loudly in the eerie silence, announcing my presence to whatever was lurking in the shadows. Now I wasn't just running from an old cabin. I was fleeing from a horrifying sound. The giggling seemed to follow me, sometimes distant, sometimes alarmingly close, weaving through the trees. But it was now mingling with another sound. A heavy, dragging noise. It sounded as though something heavy was being pulled across the forest ground. The rustle of leaves around me wasn't matching my frantic escape As I stumbled, I went headfirst into a pile of damp leaves, feeling my flashlight slip from my grasp and vanish into the all consuming darkness around me. My heart raced, a tight knot forming in my chest as I frantically searched for the flashlight. My hands brushed against the cold earth, sharp twigs and jagged rocks, desperation fueling my movements. Fortunately, the flashlight had rolled beneath a thick bush, and since it was a heavy duty tactical model, the beam persisted, illuminating a small patch of ground. That's when I noticed it. A single muddy boot print. It was way too small to belong to an adult, and of course, animals didn't wear boots. A chill ran through my veins. Then I heard it. The dragging sound, now alarmingly close, just beyond the bush, accompanied by those childlike giggles that no longer sounded innocent. They were Ragged and strained, almost resembling sobs, I quickly snatched up the flashlight, my hand shaking violently as I pointed the beam forward. My breath caught in my throat when I spotted a figure standing about 20ft away, partially obscured by the trunks of two towering pine trees. It was a girl, small and slender, almost ghostly pale in the flashlight's glow. She wore a tattered old white dress, her head tilted slightly, and though I couldn't make out many features, there was an unsettling stillness about her, a profound sense that something was terribly wrong. As she began to raise her head, as if preparing to do something, a scream built in my throat. I didn't want to see what came next. Adrenaline surged through me, pure and potent, propelling me to my feet despite the sharp pain radiating from the twisted ankle I had gotten from my fall. I had no intention of dying in the middle of the forest, so I ran. Ignoring the searing pain. I pushed myself harder than I had ever before, tearing through the skeletal branches that clawed at my clothes and skin. The Blackwood forest morphed into a blur of dark shapes and terrifying sounds. I had no idea where I was headed. I just needed to escape. The loud dragging and giggling noises continued to echo behind me, sometimes distant, sometimes alarmingly close, and I felt a cold breath at the nape of my neck as I sprinted with the flashlight beam aimed ahead, I noticed its lights seemed to diminish, struggling to fend off the encroaching horrors that surrounded me. Then, through the trees, I spotted a faint, distant glow. It was the lights of my town. A rush of hope surged through my chest, igniting my weary lungs and aching muscles. I pushed past the last of the skeletal branches and stumbled out of the Blackwood forest onto a gravel road that will lead me to the main road of the town. I didn't really pay much attention as I sprinted through the vast expanse of the forest, pushing myself until I finally saw the comforting glow of the street lights. It was only then that my legs buckled beneath me and I collapsed onto the asphalt, gasping for breath. Nerves coursed through me, making me shake uncontrollably. The air was still crisp, carrying the earthy scent of damp leaves, but in town, autumn felt like a warm embrace. The shadows danced around me, yet they were familiar, benign figures cast by lamp posts and houses, nothing like the terrifying entities lurking in the depths of Blackwood Forest. The details of my walk back home were a blur, but the overwhelming joy that washed over me as I spotted my house, its warm lights glowing invitingly, that is something I'll never forget. As I stepped onto the front porch. I slipped inside, and to my surprise, my dad was still glued to the tv. I locked the door behind me and sank against it, feeling my body tremble. When I looked at my hands, they were marred with bloody scratches, and I noticed the dirt and torn fabric of my clothes. The locket with the picture of the little girl I had taken from the Miller place was still tucked away in my jacket pocket. I never really shared the whole story with my dad or my friends. I skated over the details, mumbling about tripping, twisting my ankle, and getting lost, conveniently blaming my compass for my disorientation. They all just shook their heads, probably chalking it up to my usual clumsiness. I told them it was just one of those things. I couldn't help, though. Deep down I knew I probably could have if my foolish brain had cooperated. But I was acutely aware of what truly transpired. My skepticism had been shattered in the terrifying depths of Blackwood Forest, replaced by a chilling certainty that some things are just best left undisturbed. It's been two years since my last adventure at the Miller place, yet that locket remains tucked away in a drawer beneath some socks, a haunting reminder of that fateful night in the forest which revealed its true, chilling nature. I still wander through Blackwood Forest, but I never venture deep enough to catch sight of the Miller place again. Sometimes, when the wind howls just right, I can swear I hear a faint, childlike giggle lingering at the edge of my hearing, a sound that has become a permanent resident in the back of my mind. I'm safe, I tell myself. I made it out. Yet a part of me, the part that clings to that locket, knows I left a piece of myself behind in those dark autumn woods. I'll never truly be the same again. Sa. It.