Dare

A Story by stephthewriter2017

Avalon's brother dares her to spend one night in the local haunted forest.

As I parked my car in front of the entrance of the forest, I silently cursed myself. Why did I have to be so stupid? Why did I have to be so stubborn? All I had to do was tell Mikey no when he dared me to come here. All I had to do was refuse to participate in his stupid games. But of course, I couldn’t do that. My pride wouldn’t let me. So now I’m here, about to enter the most haunted place in my state.

I had always been a little bit of a risk taker and thrill seeker. Around town I had gotten a reputation for being a little reckless. Fearless is what I liked to call it. Looking back now I must say that the truth was that I was just too prideful to let anyone think I was weak. That’s how I ended up in the mess that I was in now.

Growing up my grandmother used to tell us stories about the evil things that roamed the rocky terrain and murky waters. Now I wish I had listened to her just a little bit more. At least then I’d know more about what I was potentially getting myself into.

My heart raced as I started to think about the words that she used to say. Fear slowly began to creep in as I sat in my car.

When my phone suddenly began to buzz loudly, I jumped in my seat, cursing as I hit my head on the roof.

“Remember to take pictures so I know you didn’t chicken out”, the message from Mikey read.

Jerk. Oh, well. Might as well get this over with.

Sighing, I slammed my car door shut and started making my way into my nightmares.

As I slowly made my way into the vegetation in front of me, all I could see was the black curtain of darkness. I slowly began walking through the invisible trees and bushes and all I could hear was the cracking of the twigs beneath me and the wind slowly speeding up. The absence of light became extremely more noticeable the deeper into the forest I went. Around me the nonexistent sounds of animals and bugs were suddenly noticed. All the silence had begun to unnerve me. It had recently rained so the mud had begun to stick to my boots, causing my steps to become sticky and slow. The moisture still lingering in the air caused the temperature to drop dramatically. At least that’s what I was telling myself.

Taking out my phone, I prepared to take a picture of the land around me. Before I could snap the photo however, a gut-wrenching shriek echoed around me.

Jumping, I dropped my phone onto the grassy floor below me.

Looking around I tried to figure out where the sound had come from. It sounded so close, almost as if whatever made it was right behind me.

It was probably just an animal, I thought as I bent over to pick my phone up. I’m just being silly, I scolded myself. There is nothing to be afraid of.

As I moved to take another step forward I heard a loud growl come from behind me.

Frozen in fear I immediately began to panic.

That growl did not come from an animal. It sounded so unnatural. It was the most horrifying sound I had ever heard. I could hear the violence in it echoing in my ears.

Standing still I listened for more noises around me. At first there was nothing. The silence had returned to the forest.

After a few moments of standing still, I decided it was time to leave. Mikey wasn’t worth this.

Before I could even move my legs, footsteps rang out around me. The harsh, heavy footsteps surrounded me as they came closer and closer as they closed in on me.

“Who’s there?” I shouted as I strained to see what exactly was around me.

“Poenam transgressoribus erit,”a guttural voice answered from directly behind me.

“Mikey, stop fooling around!” I shouted back, crossing my arms, and glaring into the darkness.

“Poenam transgressoribus erit,” the voice repeated, this time so close that I could feel it’s breath on my neck.

“Poenam transgressoribus erit,” other voices joined in with the first as they all began to chant around me.

“Stop it!!!” I screamed as I covered my ears, closed my eyes and sank to the ground crying.

“Hac enim una,” the first voice growled suddenly in front of me.

I squeezed my eyes even tighter shut, refusing to give in to the urge of looking around me.

“Fies sepultorum in tenebris.” The voice whispered, so close to my face that I could feel the moisture of it’s breath on my face.

“Please just leave me alone.” I cried, rocking on the cold, wet ground.

The voice said nothing this time. It just remained silent as it knelt in front of me.

Suddenly I felt skeleton thin hands gripping my shoulders, shaking me roughly. As the nails ripped away my skin I could feel a burning fire spreading through my blood, as if the monster had infected me somehow. It felt like I had swallowed the sun and it was now trying to escape from inside me.

Then it was gone.

The presence in front of me was no longer there. The pain had faded away and the silence had once again returned.

Slowly I opened my eyes and looked around me. Seeing nothing, I stood up unsteadily. I could feel the blood pouring out of my wounds like lava out of a volcano.

I needed to get out of here.

I hesitantly took a small step forward. I looked around to see if the beings would come out at my movement.

Seeing no one, I ran towards the exit of the forest.

As the trees cleared I could begin to see my car. The light blue paint shyly peeking out from behind the foliage.

Finally, I was steps away from freedom.

Then thousands of hands were suddenly all over me, violently pulling me back into the darkness, never letting me go.

Epilogue

That’s the night I died.

The beings in the forest punished me for disturbing their sacred and unholy peace.

They continue to punish me.

Every night for the rest of eternity I am chased. Hunted by the demons that butchered my body and trapped me here.

It is only now that I realize that I was never really going to leave this forest alive.