The Deadly Forest

Windhaven, Oregon, was a quiet small town until three weeks ago. That’s when they started disappearing. According to the 6:00 o’clock news, the total count had risen to twelve, and police investigations to date had provided no clues or suspects. Many of the older residents thought they were runaways since they were all teenagers. Others believed cult activity was responsible since it was approaching Halloween. 

Michael turned off the tv.

“I was watching that, you little shit!” Kassandra jerked the remote away from her brother and turned the news back on. “This is happening right in our stupid, uptight neighborhood. Don’t you want to know what’s going on?”

Michael didn’t look up from his textbook. “No, not really. I’m trying to study for a test tomorrow and I don’t really want to think about some serial killer or kidnapper that’s out there.” 

Kassandra plopped down beside her brother on the sofa. “Well, you better hurry because we are going out tonight, remember?” 

He cut his eyes towards her, not moving his head. “Unfortunately, yes.” 

Kassandra devised a plan to go investigate the wooded area at the end of their neighborhood. It was the same vicinity the missing teens lived, and she suspected the kidnapper was taking them through the woods. Michael didn’t share Kassandra’s hunger for adventure, so she had to beg him to go along with her. He agreed, but not without ample hesitation. 

Kassandra and Michael were your typical ten-fingered and ten-toed sixteen-year-olds. Both excelled in school and worked part time. Although twins, they had no similarities other than charcoal hair and dark emerald eyes. Kassandra was very outgoing and appreciated a good thrill; whereas Michael was more reserved and preferred to be alone, either deep in his studies or reading fiction. Their parents were both night shift doctors at the local hospital, so Kassandra and Michael were accustomed to being home alone most evenings. 

They agreed not to tell anyone about their outing in order to prevent any friends from spooking them during their search. Both wore all black attire to blend in with the forest’s dark canopy. Kassandra and Michael grabbed a couple of flashlights, along with their cell phones, and left for their search.

The woods were dark and eerie. A dense layer of fog blanketed the ground and cloaked the trees, minimizing the moonlight. As they made their way through the forest, they tried making as little sound as possible. This proved difficult with the crunching of leaves and twigs beneath their feet. The silence was unnerving, except for the squeaky contorting of tall trees by the haunting winds. 

Michael tugged on his sister’s sleeve. “Kass, this is stupid. Can we please just go back home? If the police found nothing, I doubt we will. Plus, I have a terrible feeling about this. If mom and dad find out we’re out here, they’re gonna be pissed!” 

Kassandra let out a short laugh. “Quit being such a pansy! We used to play in these woods when we were little. Nothing bad is going to happen. We’ll be home before you know it.” 

Michael stood still for a moment while his sister continued before running up to join her and they pushed forward through the dismal, damp forest. 

After several more minutes of walking, they came upon an old wooden cabin tucked behind a gigantic pile of dead tree limbs and debris. The front door was missing, and someone had broken the glass out of the windows. As soon as they stepped inside, Michael felt a sense of overwhelming dread. 

The room was empty except for an old rocking chair and a pile of old soda bottles. The stench of something rotting caused Michael to gag. He stood at the doorway, afraid to go farther inside. 

Kassandra tiptoed in and shined her flashlight around, looking for any sign of clues. As she walked towards the staircase, she motioned for Michael to follow her, but Michael stood frozen, shining his flashlight onto the wall. Kassandra walked over to the wall and saw what had frightened her brother. There, written in blood, were the words “LEAVE NOW OR DIE.” 

“Kassandra, we need to go home!” Michael’s eyes started filling with tears. “This place is really freaking me out!” 

“Oh, Michael, I’m sure someone put that there to scare people. It was probably just a bunch of kids”.  

“Well, it’s working.” Michael said. “Let’s go home. We can call the police anonymously and tell them about this place. Let them check it out.”

Kassandra released a deep, frustrated sigh “Fine, I’ll be quick. You wait here and I’ll go look around. I’ll be back in a few minutes, then we’ll go.” 

Kassandra ascended the creaky staircase while Michael waited at the front doorway. Michael started shining his flashlight in every direction. The longer he stood there, the more frightened he became. He could hear his sister’s footsteps above him, and he tried to remain calm, knowing she would come back down soon. 

The footsteps above him started moving faster. Kassandra released a high-pitched scream from upstairs, causing the hair to stand up on the back of Michael’s neck. He considered leaving her and running home to get help, but he knew he had to go help her. He jotted up the stairs.

“Kassandra! KASSANDRA! Are you ok?” There was no response, no footsteps. The only sound was the creaking of the wooden steps beneath each step he took.

At the top of the staircase was a door, slightly cracked open. Michael pushed the door open and entered the room, shining his flashlight around. The smell that made him gag earlier was much stronger, and he covered his mouth and nose with his free hand. On the far wall were several photographs taped in place. He walked closer, his heart pounding. He recognized every one of them. They were pictures of the missing teens. Each picture had a thick, red X marked through them, except for the last one. It was a picture of him. 

Michael’s heart raced, his breathing deep and rapid. He shined his flashlight around the room. The floor boards were stained red with drops and streaks of blood.

“Kassandra! KASSANDRA, we have to go NOW!!” he screamed as he searched the room for her. 

Kassandra slowly entered the room. “I’m right here.” She walked over and put her arm around her brother. Michael pointed his flashlight at the pictures on the wall, his hand shaking. Kassandra pulled him in tighter.

Michael gasped in fear as his sister quickly pulled a knife from her coat pocket and jabbed it into his throat. Blood spilled out of his neck like a waterfall as he fell to the floor. He looked up at his beloved twin, trying to understand what was happening. 

Kassandra smiled down at him, turned around and started humming an eerie tune as she drew a red X on her brother’s picture.