Beware The Witch's Woods

(WARNING: graphic violence, death, strong language)

There are some things in this life that you just shouldn't do. No matter how forbidden something is though there is always someone who will try. I guess that's where this story starts. I was that someone stupid enough to try and prove that things like that couldn't be real. I wanted to be the exception to the rule. I'm not sure you will even believe me. I even doubt the validity of it at times.

I had taken a few days off from work so a group of friends and I could go camping in New Mexico. It was something we had done a few times before. Turns out that desert state had a few cool locations to see. One of which is a dense pine forest a few hours outside of Albuquerque. I won't say exactly where it is. You must understand that I'm only trying to protect you from what happened to me.

We had met up early on Thursday. It wasn't a very large group. Just my best friend, his current girlfriend (the man switched women once a week I swear), my cousin, and her boyfriend. Mind you, I would have invited a love interest less I had one at the time. I've always been the loner type. I don't much like the idea of being tied down. It's just easier to live on your own, you know? Hm? I'm sorry, I'm getting off topic. Let's resume the story.

We had all agreed to meet up at my best friend’s house before hand. I was running a little late because I wanted to make sure to bring a camera and some batteries. I don't know if you know this but I post videos on YouTube. I thought it would be a great chance to get some vlogging footage. Well, when I got there everyone was pretty much ready to go.

Emily, my best friend’s current girl, was sitting on the hood of his truck looking pretty pissed off as I parked. Not to be rude but the girl was a total ditz. I'm pretty sure her bra size was higher than her IQ. Normally I'm not so critical but the girl just said the typical cliché things you only see in movies.

"'Bout time. You know we were supposed to leave an hour ago right?" She huffed as she hopped off the hood of the car. I had to restrain myself form saying something snarky as I walked towards the house. I try to keep the peace for the sake of my friend’s sanity. Once inside I was surprised to see everyone was just waiting on me.

Miguel, my best friend, popped up off the couch before I got more than two feet in."I'm gunna start resetting your clock if you keep showing up late." He joked with me lightly as he grabbed the last few bags sitting on the floor. Miguel was the kind of person that was always at the center of attention. He wasn't obnoxious about it. He was just very sociable.

"Well if you didn't want to leave at six in the morning I wouldn't be late." I countered as he headed out the door.

Addy, my cousin, smiled as she grabbed a backpack she used as a purse. Addy was a very kind and soft spoken person. I was an only child and I had always wanted a little brother or sister. Well, when she was born I sorta took on the big brother roll. Since then she had been my second closest friend.

"Well let's get on with it." Her boyfriend, Sam, was as different as you could get. He was an edgy looking kid from somewhere in England. They met during class and since then they had been attached at the hip. I actually didn't mind him so much. He was a pretty relaxed guy if a little odd. That and he wasn't a fan of Miguel's girlfriends either.

I was close on their heels as we all walked out of the house. Miguel took a moment to lock up and soon the five of us were off. We needed two cars to get all the gear to fit with us comfortably. I had Miguel and Emily in my car and Sam drove with Addy in Miguel's truck. I can't tell you how long that drive seemed. It wasn't far outside of the city but it felt like hours. My God I didn't know any one person could talk that much without needing to breathe! She just went on and on. I can't tell you how happy I was to finally pull the car to a stop inside the small lot for campers.

I was out of it and pulling gear down like a mad man. I was looking forward to some quite hiking. Sam shot me a sympathetic smile as he got out of the truck. Miguel was quick after me and didn't even bother to help her out of the car. I think he was pretty much at his wits end with her even though he brought her with us. I think he was hoping it would go better than this. That or he was hoping she would say no.

Once we had split up the gear and got some bug spray on we started into the woods. Sam had the map since he had been out this way before. Miguel and Sam had lived in NM a while so they pretty much knew their way around. We hiked for a while until we had come to what looked like a good place to set camp. We had wanted to go in a little further to a spot just off the stream but Emily was pretty much done already.

"Well this will do until tomorrow." Miguel sighed as he shrugged off the heavy pack. We were all pretty tired after that little walk so I guess it was a good thing we stopped. That and the river wasn't too far off so we could go and get water and all. It didn't really take us too long to get set up. It had taken us so long to get out there though that by the time we had settled in it was already dark out.

"Hey, you guys wanna tell ghost stories?" Sam asked as we all sat by the fire. I smiled at him but Addy and Emily seemed to share the same 'not so sure' look. You see I'm a huge horror buff and so was Sam. Miguel was usually pretty indifferent and the girls HATED it. So, being the good guy I am I jumped right on that bandwagon.

"Hell yeah. I even brought scary story supplies." I joked lightly as I grabbed my pack to pull out a small stick doll. It was just like the ones you see in The Blair Witch Project. You haven't seen that? Damn, I'm dating myself again. Ah well.

"I don't know if it's a good idea." Emily tried to act tough as I tossed the doll to Sam. We just grinned at each other.

"Well I just though you would want to know why we usually go past this spot to the river. You know, since these words are haunted and all." Sam had a deviant grin carefully held in place. I couldn't help feeling a little on edge. It's a good thing for me though.

"Oh not that old story. Everyone knows it." Miguel said with a roll of the eyes. I was actually a little surprised that I didn't have a damn clue as to what they were talking about. Then again I hadn't lived in that area nearly as long as they had.

"I don't know it and come on guys. Let's be real here. Horror stories are usually just about moralistic values played out in a way that the audience feels they need to respond by doing the opposite of the story." I had thought about this a lot. All good urban legends are just works of fiction that started with 'I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy's uncle'. I could tell already that I had confused Emily a little with my analysis of it.

"Wow...you need to ease up on the books." Sam joked with a little grin. I was always the smart one in our group as things went. I just shrugged and motioned for him to get on with it. Looking back at everything now though...I really wished I hadn't.

"Story is that these woods are haunted by an old medicine woman. That's how come you don't ever see any locals out this way. From what a friend told me it all went down like this.

Back in the days when the United States wasn't more than a few tribes and early settlers there was an old Isleta medicine woman who used to live in these woods. No others from the tribe would because the spirits here were to be honored. The old healer was the only person who knew how to commune with them." Sam is the type to tell stories well. His voice had a natural charm and when he dropped it down so low it was creepy as hell.

I like horror stuff so when he started to talk about Native American spirits I honestly felt a little uneasy. The woods around us had finally settled to an inky black. The fire was our only light except for a little bit of moonlight that had to battle its way through a dense overhead.

"Well when the settlers came out this way they tried to force the Natives here to take on their God. The tribe was outraged and a war broke out between the two. Bows and arrows can only carry a man so far against a musket unfortunately. The settlers had killed all the members of the tribe except for one. The old healer that lived in these woods. They left her be thinking she couldn't bring them any trouble. After that they established a small settlement on the outskirts of this forest.

The old healer was furious at the disrespect these people had for the land, spirits, and at the slaughter of her brothers and sisters. She put a curse on this land with the help of the spirits. Soon the children in the village started to disappear. The settlers were outraged and headed into the woods to find them. Story has it that none of them ever returned and the settlers abandoned the site." I couldn't help being entranced by Sam's story. It was something far more fleshed out than I thought it would be. This story thrived off of facts verses the stories I had told in the past. His voice was so soft at this point that we all had to lean in a little to hear him.

"To this day, people who come out here to camp either go missing or insane. The ones that do come back can only utter one short phrase, 'the children'." Sam let the last syllables of the sentence linger for a long time. All of us quietly listening and were now hyper aware of the woods around us. Sam met our gazes with a serious expression before his eyes shifted to look at something behind me. Color seemed to drain from his face as his eyes grew to the size of saucers. I suddenly felt that itch like someone was going to reach out and touch me. With that all four of us screamed and scrambled away from my spot. Sam nearly fell over because he was laughing so hard.

"That wasn't funny, Sam!" Addy scolded as she punched him hard in the arm. I couldn't help but laugh too. Damn he had nearly scared me half to death. That and Miguel had tried to use Emily as a shield when he darted away from me. She was so pissed. He got a good firm punch in the arm for that one too.

"I can't believe they fell for it!" Miguel tried to play it off like he hadn't been shaking like a leaf too. Sam just rolled his eyes as he rubbed his arm.

"Come on guys. It's just an old legend and don't pretend you didn't scream like a bitch either, Miggy." Sam had to dodge a marshmallow that Miguel had thrown. I was finally starting to get my nerves back under control.

"Where do you find this stuff at?" I couldn't help the smile I had on my face as he tossed the doll back to me. I had never heard of that story before. Then again, I didn't know much about anything in New Mexico.

"Locals. They love trying to freak you out if they can. There was only one other part to the story. I guess you should be able to call the witch out by leaving candy for the children. She owns their souls." He made a goofy sounding ghost noise as he cracked another grin. Addy proceeded to punch him again.

"Cut it out, Sam." Emily huffed as she cuddled into Miguel. I guess she was done being mad at him.

"Oh come on, Em. It's no big. These stories are just ways to keep people away from the woods." I got a deviant little smile as I turned something over in my head. You know those moments when you are just too fucking brilliant for your, or anyone else's, good? Yeah, that would be me. I took out a small piece of candy and tossed it out into the tree line. I hated wasting a good Jolly Rancher but the opportunity was just too perfect. "we aren't afraid of any witch!" I hollered confidently as I puffed my chest.

"You are such a jerk!" Emily got up and stormed off into her tent. Zipping it shut in a way that would have resembling slamming a door with much less emphasis. Addy even gave me a gentle glare.

"Ok ok. I'm sorry. Let’s all get to bed anyway. We have a long day ahead of us still." I at least tried to act apologetic. I doused the fire before heading into my tent. I was so tired that as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

Now, I guess this is where the story gets weird. I woke up a few hours later. Mind you I'm not an easily spooked guy. I did a lot of camping in my time so I know what the woods should sound like late at night. Usually there is some light noise from nocturnal animals or something of that nature. It took me a long moment to figure out why I was so uneasy all of a sudden. The woods were completely silent.

I mean dead silent. There weren’t any sounds of night time animals, no wind, and I couldn't even hear the others in their tents. You never notice how quite the world can be until you are alone. As I was laying there that damn story came flooding back to me. It was starting to get chill out so I didn't exactly want to climb out of my sleeping bag. That and I was really starting to freak myself out. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't hear anything. It felt like the world around me was completely empty.

I strained for what felt like an hour just laying there, imagining the horrors that wait just outside the tent. Finally there was a sound. I felt some relief as the world suddenly didn't seem completely void of living things. Until I really listened to it.

At first I thought it was a small animal but as it got louder and louder I realized it wasn't the sound of four legs rooting around at night. It sounded like...like someone was walking around. More specifically it sounded like a child. I felt my heart start to race as the soft crunch of leaves under tiny feet made my stomach turn. Oh God this couldn't be happening.

I didn't dare move as the noise stopped at my tent door. I couldn't even find it in myself to even take a breath. I couldn't scream even though I wanted to. All I could do was watch from my frozen position in sheer horror as a small hand pressed into the tent. Very tiny fingers raked down the fabric in a slow clawing motion. I was suddenly very aware that I should have locked the zipper to the tent. I stared at it in utter terror as the small hand drew away. I could hear more footsteps starting to move from the woods to the camp site. I trembled violently as more small hands pressed into the sides of my tent. Each set of fingers prodding as if to sew who was in the tent. I listened in silent horror as the soft sobs of an infant carried on a sudden light breeze. What the fuck was this?! It couldn't be fucking happening!

I guess that subtle noise woke up Miguel because I heard a slight shifting in his and Emily's tent. As if on cue the small hands drew back from my tent and everything was silent again for a few agonizing moments.

"Addy? Is that you?" His voice called into the night softly as his tent door zipped open. I didn't dare make a sound or move. I felt sick with fear as he got out of his tent. Suddenly a flash of light flickered on outside of my tent. I could see that Miguel was looking around just by how the light shifted.

I...I'm sorry. Give me a minute.

I can never forget what I heard next. The woods around us had now dropped in temperature. I could see my breath in small shallow plumes of wispy white. My eyes stayed pinned on the door to my tent as that eerie silence filled the night air again. I couldn't do anything. I need you to know that I couldn't do anything. It's not my fault.

As I lay there listening and watching wide eyed a noise started to rise up out of the darkness. It...it was laughter. Wild childlike laughter echoed from all directions of the woods around us. Then the screaming started. Miguel...was screaming in agonizing pain just outside of my tent. I couldn't move or say anything.

Just as these creatures had done with my tent I could hear them pushing on the other two. They were all screaming. I...I couldn't have helped them. I tried my best but I couldn't help them! I would have died! Don't give me such a disgusted look. It's only survival instincts! If I had called out to them or warned them they would have killed me too! I was just trying to stay alive!

The screaming. It seemed to echo through the dense woods. My best friends ragged hollering turned into a wet sound as I heard a soft crunching noise. I couldn't have stopped it. It was too late. Then Emily's voice was the next to fall into silence. Her horrified screams suddenly just stopped as the sickening sound of something hard being slammed into flesh covered bone met me. I could hear a child laughing wildly as a continuing squishing sound filled the cold dry air.

Dear God the way Addy screamed! She had managed to get out of her tent only to get stopped by those maniacal creatures. She kept calling out to me over and over again. I...I could hear the soft snapping of bones as those fucking things tore her apart. Her screams faded into black nothingness as I heard flesh tearing....

Sam was the last. He had made it out of their tent and into the woods a little distance. I could hear small feet running after him. His hoarse cries pleading to wake up from a nightmare. I could only imagine what they did with him as his screaming turned into howling for God to save him. His voice slowly faded into the trees as I trembled in my sleeping bag.

I was next.... I was the only one left. As if the very woods themselves heard me I could hear a slight chanting. It was rhythmic and hollow. Each word in a tongue I had never heard before. I felt as if my heart was going to explode as it slammed into my ribcage painfully. I felt a wet warmth spread from the crotch of my pants as those small footsteps entered the camp again. I couldn't even fucking scream and I was going to die!

I managed to pull my eyes away from the door of my tent only to be met with the silhouette of someone’s head sitting between the flash light and the only fabric hiding me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw up and I just wanted this torture to end. I waited paralyzed out of sheer and absolute terror.

I...I still can't explain it all without feeling sick. I had stayed there in my own piss until day break. They had just lightly stroked my tent as they passed by before disappearing into the woods. That horrid silence and the memory of screams left me so numb that not even the sun brought me any comfort. I made my way out of my tent only to trip on the mess that was my cousin. Her head had been the silhouette I had been staring at. The blood from both her and Miguel had made the soil a thick pasty mud. I finally wretched and emptied my stomach, to my horror, into the gaping hole that used to be Miguel’s chest.

After that...I don't remember much. I got to the road only to pass out. Then I woke up in the hospital two days later. Turns out I had been found by a couple of hunters heading up that way. I vaguely remember talking to the police about what happened. They had ruled me out of being the killer. I wouldn't have been able to kill all three of them alone. From the damage that had been done they thought it was a pack of wolves. The only thing having saved me that night was my terror and silence.

Now I'm sitting here talking to you.... I'm tired. Can we continue this session tomorrow, doc? The meds have really been helping out but I still have some nightmares. I think the best thing they could have done is brought me to this nuthouse. Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, hospital.