Page 22 of While They Watch

I press the arrow button, hoping to find more footage from the boy. There are several more short, indiscernible videos before a man appears with a big smile on his face. He is laughing as he turns the camera around toward a woman. She’s beautiful. Long, dark hair trails behind her as she dances and spins through the trees. She runs up to the camera, laughing then she grabs it from the man and places it on the ground before pulling him into view with her. She wraps her arms around him and whispers something in his ear and they laugh. They look happy. He spins her around, her dress flowing around her as they sway side to side. I can’t be sure, but as the camera was moving I thought I saw the cabin in the background.

Just as I’m about to hit the rewind button, the camera goes black. I push all the buttons, but it won’t turn back on. Frustrated, I throw the camera and hear it smash against the wall. I sit for a while, not moving, almost feeling like I’m in a trance. I’m numb, my mind is having a hard time processing the whiplash of emotions in the two videos.

An unwanted thought enters my mind. If their camera is here, it means they must be dead. Followed swiftly by, I’m going to die too. Just as I’m pushing the negative thought away, I hear a noise. Something makes a crunching sound from behind me but when I look back, all I can see is the same flickering light. The sound echoes past me, making it feel like whatever it is, it’s coming toward me. I’m on my feet with haste as I stare at the corner behind me. What if it’s Luke? Maybe he’s trying to follow me.

“Hello?” I call out in a shaky voice.

“Hello?” My own voice calls back to me. I tell myself it was only an echo.

“Who’s there?” I’m met with silence for a moment before something answers.

“Hello? Come here,” a different, garbled voice answers me. I’m frozen in place, not knowing what to do. I’m confident I can’t outrun the creature. I glance back toward the hole in the wall, dread filling my stomach as I throw myself inside. The smell of rot is so strong as it forces its way into my nose and down my throat. It takes everything in me to not choke on it. I crawl inside as far as I can, the broken bones scratching and cutting my hands as I pull myself through. I ignore the stinging and focus on digging myself down into the pile. As I struggle to bury myself, the backpack is adding weight and awkwardness that makes this task feel impossible.

My fear becomes hard to ignore as I feel myself taking too long. I don’t stop though until I’m almost completely covered and leaning backwards as far as I can. I’m hoping that if I can sink into the shadows, the creature won’t see me.

My eyes are looking down, straining to see the opening in the candlelight. I watch as the creature slowly walks in front of it and looks inside. Its shoulders are twitching, and its head is pivoting back and forth until it’s looking right at me with its bright eyes. I take a deep breath and hold it, not wanting any sound or slight movement to give me away. One of its arms stretches out, reaching inside. It's holding a kitchen knife. I can’t know for sure, but I wonder if it’s the one I used. I feel a strange sense of pride as I see what I hope is the creature's blood. As the knife drops onto the pile, it makes a light pinging noise, as it skitters down the bones, until it settles wherever it lands.

This must be where it keeps the things it collects, including what it kills. Like a horrible trophy room. Once again, I feel like I’m going to vomit. I close my eyes tight, focusing all my willpower on continuing to stay still. When I open them, the creature is still standing at the opening but with my next blink it’s gone. It moves so fast; I barely have time to see it turn back the way it came, back toward the cabin.

I wait a few minutes before carefully climbing out, bones falling out around me as I do. I don’t wait to see if they all tumble out after me, the second my feet hit the ground, I start running. My feet slam against the dirt, sending echoes bouncing off the tunnel walls. Just moments after, a shrill scream follows me. That horrible sound mixed with my thundering steps make it impossible to hear if it’s chasing me. I have to assume it is, so I don’t stop. I push myself harder, pumping my arms and legs as hard as I can.

Suddenly, I see a slim outline of light in the distance. It looks like a door ahead of me. Faintly, I hear another call for help. It’s so quiet, I wonder if it was ever chasing me at all. I don’t let that comfort me or stop me as I crash into what I really hope is a door. Pain shoots up my arm as I burst into the sunlight. I’m immediately disoriented as I’m blinded by the brightness of being outside. I look around, trying to get my bearings before coming to my senses. I turn around and slam the heavy door closed. There’s a big steel sliding lock across the middle and I cry out in surprise and luck as I lock it.

I slide down the door until I’m sitting on the ground, trying to catch my breath. A giggle escapes out of me, almost like a hiccup which makes me laugh and then, suddenly, I’m laughing so hard I have a hard time not falling over. I don’t know how long I’m like this before I get myself back under control.

Once I stop, I realize the creature hasn’t shown up. There’s been no banging on the door or screaming or asking for help. I haven’t heard anything. If the creature had been chasing me, wouldn’t it have gotten to the door by now? I turn my head, so my ear is almost touching the door but it’s silent. No noise except the birds in the trees and the breeze blowing through the leaves. It’s quiet enough that I wonder to myself if I should open the door. If this thing is in the tunnel, it means it’s inside the cabin and I don’t want to give it a reason to run into Luke.

Now that I’ve confirmed that the tunnel does lead outside, I have to wonder if the creature has been coming and going. If it has, it hasn’t hurt either of us, so maybe it will continue to leave Luke alone. Maybe if he stays quiet enough, it won’t even realize he’s there. Even still, should I open this door back up? At least so Luke has an escape if he needs it? All I can do is listen to my gut. I press my ear against the door, hoping I’ll be able to hear something that’ll give me a hint on what to do but it’s still silent.

This is a day of risks, so I unlock the door and pry it back open. I don’t tempt fate any more than that as I turn and walk away. I don’t look back.

Chapter Nineteen

I look around for a moment before setting the backpack down. I’m relieved as I realize I can hear the river from where I am, even if I can’t see it yet. I take the map out of my pocket so I can figure out which way to go from here. The sun is halfway down the sky, time is ticking and I need to start walking. I want to make some progress while also leaving myself enough time to find a safe place to sleep if I can’t make it to the tower. I really doubt I’ll be able to sleep no matter what, but having some protection at night sounds like a good idea.

As I study the map more, I know the smart idea is to head straight for the fire tower but the tree that’s been marked on it looks really close. Close enough that I don’t want to regret not going to see what it is or what it potentially has to offer, because once I head for the tower there isn’t any turning around. My thoughts are fighting against each other. The metaphorical angel and demon waging a war with my senses. One telling me to think ahead, not be dumb and move on. The other though, louder, pushing my curiosity–telling me I’ll regret not knowing. There are only three things marked on this map and the tree is one of them. It must be important. There could be something helpful there even.

I do my best to use the tunnel and the sound of the river to orient myself as I take my first steps toward the tree. I hold the small map out in front of me, unsure of what I should be doing or if I’m using it right. I know I’m at a disadvantage with no compass, not that I know how to use one anyway. I’m tempted to take the time to once again empty the bag and hope one will fall out, but having already done so several times, I know one won’t.

I try to move forward with confidence, holding my head high. As the sun keeps getting lower though, it’s hard to keep positive. After what feels like longer than it should have taken based on the map, I feel like I recognize where I am. I spin in a slow circle, taking in my surroundings when in the slight distance I see the horrible stick figures hanging in a tree. My eyes keep darting around as I move hesitantly closer, until they land on the tree. I had a sneaking, scared worry that the tree on the map was going to be THE tree–the one from the hike gone wrong. Its gaping black hole stares back at me, dozens of the figures scattered at its base. The color red sticks out amongst the dull colors of the forest floor. My curiosity pulls me closer and as I bend down I’m able to see it’s a red ribbon. Could it be the same one that was waiting for us on our car? Did Luke bring it here? I pick it up gently, a shiver running down my spine causing me to drop it again.

A tickle in the back of my mind tells me to look up. As I got closer to the ribbon, I hadn’t noticed how close to the tree I had gotten. The darkness is so close to me now, it's almost touching me. This isn’t right. This isn’t where I want to be. ‘This place is bad.’ The thought echoes through my mind.

A noise. Something skittering inside the tree. It sounds like it's close to the opening, just out of reach. I listen closer and realize I can hear breathing. Quiet but heavy and rasping. Goosebumps break out all over my body as my own breathing starts to pick up.

Only a moment later, one of the creature's long, skeletal hands emerges from the black, sliding against the tree’s trunk. Its grey skin is almost translucent this close. From the opposite end of the opening, another hand slowly comes out, this time more human with skin and fingernails. Something is still off with it, but I can’t put my finger on what’s not right.

“Hey!” Someone yells from behind me. The voice startles me enough that it breaks whatever trance I was in. When I look behind me, I don’t see anyone. I scan quickly around but as far as I can tell, I’m alone.

I feel the air behind me shift, I’ve turned my back on the tree which now feels like a mistake. Scared, I close my eyes, sure something is about to grab me to pull me in. Instead of hands grabbing me, I feel a soft, hot breath against my ear. Followed by an earsplitting scream, so close to my ear that it pops and all I can hear out of it is a long, high pitched tone.

Without hesitation, I take off into the woods. The ringing in my ears makes me feel dizzy and I have a hard time staying oriented. All I focus on is moving forward. I don’t know where to look as I go back and forth paying attention to the ground so I don’t trip but also not wanting to run into anything ahead of me.

The ringing is slowly lessening but not enough yet that I can hear if anything is following me. I tell myself it is and not to stop until suddenly I’m falling. I tumble, the only thing stopping me from rolling is the heavy backpack. I’m coughing and gasping for air, the ground spinning around me before I force myself to sit up and look behind me. It all feels like it’s happening in slow motion, though in reality, I think it has been a few seconds.

The woods behind me are empty and still. The leaves in the trees aren’t even blowing. No wind, not even a breeze. It feels scarily still. I stay sitting for a few moments, looking around and trying to see where I ended up but nothing gives me any clue.

Slowly, I stand up, brushing the dirt off of myself before looking up toward the sky, hoping I will catch sight of the fire tower. The trees are too dense in this spot though and I can’t see anything. I stand completely still, giving myself a moment to really listen, but I can’t hear the river. My first mistake and it’s huge. I turn around, looking through the trees and taking a few steps forward as desperation starts to grip me. This can’t be happening. It’s only the beginning and I’m already lost.