What Awaits in the Forest

By Anonymous, 12th Grade

Gripping the steering wheel, a young man slowly begins his journey back home through a dark secluded forest. Thunder and lightning were his only source of light and torrential rain banged against the car roof. He would see boney hands trail deformed fingers across his windows, but in reality, it would only be tree limbs. His mind continued to play tricks on him and the sound of the tires crushing rocks would make him jolt, sounds he registered as something quietly crawling below him.

As he continued on his track, everything suddenly went still. Haunting whispers of the wind traveled through the air and the forest was trapped in darkness. His breathing became heavy, and if he listened closely enough, he could hear his heart hammer against his chest, wanting to escape.

Out of nowhere, a glow of white flashes across the front of the car. The man whips his head to side, almost giving himself whiplash to see what it was, when something bumps the car trunk.

The mute forest is then filled with a chorus of sinister giggles and hollow cries.

The man quickly covers his ears and turns his head towards the ear splinting noise, only to be met with a myriad of intertwined slimy creatures with deep sunken eye sockets.

The creatures surround the car and roar wildly, sharp elongated teeth scrape the windows and their tongues slither out in a mocking manner. The creatures were so close, that the man could count each scale on their abnormal figures.

Without a second thought, the man slams his foot on the petal and makes a haste effort to flee and get home. It is a race against time, as he runs over dead tree branches and bypasses the forest elements, trying to get away from the terrifying nightmare.

However, his attempts are futile. As he nears the finish line, the creatures let out grotesque shrieks and terrify the man to the point of losing control of the car and causing it to spin haywire.

The man skids right through his wooden house, and it collapses to the ground. The malicious creatures chuckle in victory as they slip into the car and have a feast, for the snakes have won.