Pigman's Forest

A family vacation goes very wrong when a 14-year old girl named Aubrey meets a man of nightmares, Pigman. The infamous urban legend comes alive in my first short story.

Chapter One: The Vacation

It was a dark and stormy night, literally. My family and I are heading to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park to camp. I don’t know why Dad decided to drive here now, it's extremely dark, and if I haven’t already mentioned this but it's stormy. Very, very stormy. “It’s raining cats and dogs out there Bob! Why did you have to choose to drive here so late?” asked Mom. “You know I had to work overtime at work today so I could have an extra day off for our family vacation”. Dad replied. “Plus we will be staying in a cabin so it's not like we have to set up a tent or anything in this weather”. 

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know my family is getting out of the car. “What’s going on?” I ask tiredly. My little brother Sam accidentally kicks me and says “We are here!” My older sister is at a complete standstill and stares at the cabin for a little bit. “The cabin looks small, are you sure there’s enough room for all of us?” asked Sophia, my big sister. “There are two rooms with full-sized beds, Me and your mother get one of them, You and Aubrey will share a bed, and Sam will sleep on the couch” Dad replied. “What? I’m seventeen Dad, I don’t need to share a bed with Aubrey!” I quickly responded saying “I’m fourteen its not like I’m a baby”. She shoots me a death glare. “Let’s just get inside and get settled, we are drenched.” says Mom.

Before I knew it I was passed out on the bed along with Sophia. I smell coffee as I open my eyes, it must be morning. “It’s morning already?” I asked while walking out of the room barely awake. “Hey, sleeping beauty, how was your sleep?” says Mom “ I made pancakes”. I look around and see no sign of Dad, Sophia, or Sam. “Where’s everyone else?” I asked curiously. Mom replies nodding outside “ They are meeting our cabin neighbors”. I look outside and sure enough, I see a couple and their little girl. After eating I walk out and around the cabin when all of a sudden a figure jumps out from a tree. 

“Ahh!” I scream out in fear. Then I hear laughing “I got you!” says Sam. “That’s not funny Sam!” I yell at him. I walk towards Dad and see him talking to the couple, they look to be in their late twenties. I walk up to the little girl and say “ Hey there I’m Aubrey, what’s your name?”. “My name is Olivia and I am five” the little girl replies. “Nice to meet you Olivia” I smile at her and walk towards the lake where I see Sophia taking selfies. “Ugh, so many mosquitos” Sophia complains “But the sunlight makes my skin glow so that's a plus”. Sophia is always trying to get the perfect selfie since she is the pretty one after all. I decided to go explore the woods “ Hey Dad I’m gonna go adventure” I yell at him while walking there. “Please be safe honey!” he said. I roll my eyes 

I decided that since I have my phone on me the heavily forested area around the lake. Which isn’t a very far walk since the whole cabin is surrounded by woods. Two squirrels jump out of nowhere scaring me so much I almost yelped. Why am I so jumpy this morning? I thought to myself. I guess I’m just a chicken, better not say that in front of Sam. I can imagine him running around the cabin making clucking sounds. I chuckle, I look at my phone, geez time flies by fast, I have been walking for five minutes already. I turn around to see how far I went, I could barely see the cabin I should be fine though. 

I notice something on the ground, as I bend over to pick it up, I hear a voice behind me “Sup, my name is Hunter”. “Eeek!” I jump in surprise. “Woah I’m sorry if I scared you! I mean no harm!”. I turn around to greet him “It’s alright I’m kind of a scaredy-cat. My name is Aubrey”.  He smiles at me and I blush in return. “What are you doing this deep in the woods?” he asked. Laughing I say “I should ask you the same thing”. He looks around, a look on his face as if he’s frightened. “My parents work at the park so I kinda explore anywhere I can since I’m here most of the time”. I stare at him “Shouldn’t you be afraid of wild animals?” I ask. “My great grandparents and my grandparents worked here. So I have been prepped on what to do in that kind of situation. Also, squirrels don’t really bother me” he winks. I laugh out of embarrassment and think to myself, has he been following me? “I know what your thinking.” he says “I’m not stalking you, it’s just dangerous in these woods and you should have someone with you just in case”.

Hunter walks over to the thing I was gonna pick up "Cool! an old hatchet. I better get this to my parents, they want me to bring any knives and tools that I find on my walks. You know, to avoid a kid finding one and hurting themselves or anyone else”. We walk back together to my cabin, he smiles at me “Can I get your number?”. I blush “Sure” I replied. After we exchange phone numbers he turns around and walks off “Bye have a nice afternoon” he says.

Chapter Two: (Hunter)

As I turned away from the pretty girl, I frown. Oh no, I think to myself this is not good. I open and slam the door to the cabin we live in. “Hunter! Don’t slam doors!” my Mom says. “Where’s Great-Grandpa?” I ask “ It’s important”. She looks around thinking “Upstairs in his chair watching football”. “Thanks” I reply while running up the stairs. “No running in the house either!” she yells at me. I open the door to Great-Grandpa’s room, “Hey buckaroo” he says. I pull out the hatchet from my winter hunting jacket “He’s back, found it about five to ten minutes from the guest cabins”. He grabs the hatchet and stares at the thing for what seemed like an eternity. “I feared this would happen” he sighs. “Is it his? The Pigman you are always telling stories about?”. He looks at me with sad eyes “Perhaps dear boy”. 

“Now go boy, and fetch your Father and Grandpa.” He says. I walk down the stairs “Dad, Gramps, Great-Gramps needs you!” As the men walk into the room and close the door, I go to my room to listen through the vent. “What is it?” both Dad and Gramps ask. “Tommy is back, this time closer to the cabins. We can not let him reach the campers.” Great-Gramps says with worry on his face. “Now Grandpa, are you sure your old pal, hasn’t moved to another forest to haunt?” my dad asked. Great-Gramps pulls out the hatchet and points to the dried blood on it. In awe, Dad looks at Grandpa, “Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asks him. “Because it’s true, your grandpa, my dad, had the newspaper clippings of Tommy on his wall and would talk about him as soon as I was old enough to know.” he sighs “13-year old boy linked with Tennessee Massacre, Sheriff says the young boy was last seen with a pig head as a mask.” he quotes. Dad looks away thinking deeply, not knowing what to say. “Tommy killed many people, my sister happened to be one of his victims. Poor Tommy was sick and had no one to help him but an abusive mom and an alcoholic father” Great-Gramps said. 

I sit on my bed awe-struck, I thought it was a story he made up to trick and scare me. Pigman was real and was a friend of Great-Gramps. I look at my bow and quiver on the wall, I will take out that murdering old man I think to myself. “Hey, Hunter sweetie it’s time for lunch I made stew.” My mom says while knocking on the door. “Coming” I reply, I guess I’ll have to wait as I look back at the bow.

Chapter Three: Time Passes

“Aubrey! Who was that handsome guy?” Sophia asks running up to me. “His name is Hunter, I met him on my walk”. I reply while smiling. “Did you get his digits?” she asks as soon as I finish talking. “Yes!” I say while jumping up in joy with her. “What’s this about a boy I hear?” says Mom while sticking her head out the door. “Oh, Mom!” I sarcastically groan. “Head inside I made some grilled cheeses for you girls” she says. “Where’s Dad and Sam?” I ask not seeing them. “Fishing” she points to a kayak on the lake. “Cool” I reply. 

I guess I fell asleep again because the next thing I know it I wake up from the sound of talking. "Dinner time!" Dad says once he noticed me waking up. "What are we having?" I asked scratching my head. "Catfish!" yelled Sam. "Yep, your brother helped me catch dinner for tonight" Dad says while patting his back. My mouth waters as I look at the slabs of barbequed catfish on the plate. "Looks yummy" I say while licking my lips.

It's been about a couple of hours since dinner and I lay restless in bed. Sophia was passed out, I on the other hand couldn't sleep because of my strangely long nap. I pick up my phone and turn it on, I have absolutely no messages. I text Hunter asking "Are you awake??". He must have been wanting to ask the same thing because he replies not more than thirty seconds later. "Yes" it said. "Wanna sneak out?" I ask, not caring I would be in a dark forest. Ten minutes later he replies saying "Sure let me drive over there". Little did I know what he was planning.

Chapter Four: (Hunter)

It was 10:30 when I received the text message asking if I wanted to sneak out. I only replied yes because deep down I knew she wouldn’t survive the night. The Pigman is out there, and when I see him I will kill him. I quickly put on my Green Arrow costume I got off of Amazon, then I grab my bow and 3 quivers. I put the bow up in the driver’s seat with me for quick access, I then put my quiver on my seat so I could reach over and grab an arrow, also for quick access. I put the other two quivers in the back of my Jeep, then I remembered. My night-vision goggles! I almost forgot about them. I grab them from my closet and ran as quietly as possible back to my car. “Well, here goes nothing” I say to myself as I drive off.

Since I live near the visitors center it took me no more than ten minutes to reach Aubrey's cabin. She was waiting on the steps when I arrived. "Hey" she says as she gets in and closes the door. I smile and she asks "What's up with the Robin Hood costume" and giggles. "It's for fun" I replied and then I notice her looking at the bow and the quiver. She must have known I noticed her because she said "What are those for?" and I said with a fake smile "Just in case we get attacked by a bear".

We drove around the Old Stables and Horse Trail, I was constantly keeping an eye out. It wasn't until we were on the other side of the lake when she says "Let's get out here". I tried to protest but she had nothing to do with it saying "Come on, I have a flashlight". She flicks it on and steps outside. "You might want to use this instead" I say while handing her a flashlight much brighter than the one she was using. "Wow that's bright!" she looks at me "What are you wearing?". "Military-grade night vision goggles" I reply and she gives me a confused look "I got them as a present from my great-grandpa. 

I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach as I am walking around the dark forest with Aubrey. That's when  I heard it, the loud boom of a gunshot coming from one of the picnic shelters. Aubrey gasps, I yell at her "Get in the car!". I jumped in and sped towards the location of the gunshot. "Stay here and lock your door" I say as I get out of the old Jeep with my bow in my hand and quiver on my back. I walked about 10 yards when I saw him, the corpse of one of our night rangers, all chopped up. I was too late. "We gotta go now!" I yell. I jump into the car and speed towards the cabins fearing I was too late.

Chapter Five:Old Friends 

I am having a nervous breakdown as Hunter jumps into his car and speeds off. "What's happening?" I ask him almost on the verge of crying. He doesn't reply but instead, he takes out his phone and calls an unknown person. "He's at the cabins. He killed Joe, I repeat he is at the cabins" Hunter says to the person then hangs up. "Someone got murdered?" I yell, now crying. "I have this under control" He says looking into my eyes.

Chapter Six: Old Friends, Part 2