Nature Trail

ROUND TWENTY-NINE: 21st November to 28th November 2010 (17:00 (5pm) - WdC-time)

Write a horror story in the "SUPERNATURAL" sub-genre - in the "SOFT - QUIET" style - for the prompt "A couple of kids spot something strange while hiking through the woods."

SUPERNATURAL – these are the monster tales. Vampyres, Werewolves, Mummies, Daemons, Ghosts, Ghouls, and Zombies; as well as countless smaller baddies such as local mythological characters such as Incubus and Succubus, The Sirens, Bigfoot etc.

QUIET “SOFT” HORROR – The kind of story that gets under your skin and gives you a sense of unease as it is more about feeling of eeriness than about gore.

CLOSING DATE: 28th November 2010 at 17:00 (5pm) (WdC-time)

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Nature Trail

By Indelibleink

"C'mon...What's the big deal, anyway? It's a nature trail, Carrie - Not an invitation to stick your head in a wood chipper."

"Yeah, but it'll be dark soon, Ricky. And those trees look pretty dense."

"Carrie! We're teenagers, not pre-schoolers, for God's sake! Should we go get your Mommie to walk with us?" Ricky Wells had had it with the 'helpless little baby' nonsense that his girlfriend always fell back on whenever she felt even remotely uncomfortable. "You're going to be in college a year from now, Carrie. Jeez, we've been through here a hundred times before without any problems, why do you think a lack of sunshine will change anything?"

"But...I'm supposed to be home in a little while. Mom's going out..." Carrie Spencer came to a full stop just outside the park entrance, reluctant to look up and make eye contact with her potentially soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. "Please, Ricky. Mom told me to stay out of these woods after dark."

Ricky began to back away from his girlfriend. "Okay, Carrie. You win. Or should I say, your Mom wins? Newsflash, Carrie: You won't get pregnant just from walking with me after dark! Really."

Even Carrie had to laugh at the last remark. "Okay, okay, you're right. I'm a big girl now, and I need to make my own decisions. Let's go..."

Just moments into their walk, Ricky paused and looked off to his right. "Well, if that isn't the strangest thing..."

Carrie had noticed it as well. "Yeah, there's like a new path that branches off. That's weird, but let's go!"

It seemed that the farther the pair walked, the darker it became - a uneasy darkness that felt like more than just the dusk factor at play - and the wind had also picked up considerably. The two hikers held each other's hands tighter and drew closer since the temperature seemed to be in a free-fall.

"I don't care what you say, Ricky, I'm scared. I'm going back. Someone is watching or following us; I can feel it."

"Yeah...I feel it, too. Let's go back." The beads of sweat that had formed on Ricky's forehead belied the chill that had engulfed the area. Truth was, if Carrie hadn't been there, Ricky would have taken off running long ago.

When the two turned, they were stunned to find that the path they had followed - as well as the entire forest behind them - had been covered with a thick layer of leaves which made backtracking impossible. That just doesn't happen in July. The quarter-mile park now seemed to stretch infinitely, no matter which direction they looked.

"Let's make a run for it..." Ricky took off like a shot down the path, with a terrified Carrie close behind. That, however, didn't last long as Ricky was a cross country runner and soon he could no longer hear Carrie's pleading cries for Ricky to wait.

He was still in full stride when he saw the figure of a woman approaching from the opposite direction - a woman that he soon recognized as Carrie's mother.

"Thank God it's you, Mrs. Spencer! Come quickly...We must get Carrie!"

Mrs. Spencer never changed the pace or direction of her walk, heading straight at Ricky. When she finally opened her mouth to speak - or so Ricky presumed - she revealed the largest set of canines he had ever - or would ever, as it turned out - see.

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Carrie was both startled and relieved to see her mother coming down the path, who appeared to be wiping something from around her mouth.

"Mother! Ricky's out here with me. I don't know how you didn't run into him, but we must find him!"

Mrs. Spencer grabbed her daughter's arm, and spun her around in the direction from which Carrie and Ricky had entered the forest. The leaves were gone, and the path was now visible once again.

"What did I tell you about staying out of these woods after dark?"

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Words: 666