The Light In The Woods

I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. I glanced around, looking for a road sign advertising a rest stop. But there wasn’t one. In fact, there hadn’t been one for miles.

I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to go so bad it was beginning to hurt. There hadn’t been a place to stop in over an hour. I scolded myself for not going earlier.

I was clearly in the middle of a desolate area, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I glanced at my side mirrors. The road was just as deserted.

I unbuckled my seat belt and pulled over to the side of the road. I got out of my car and hurried over to the edge of the tree-line. While I relieved myself, I looked up into the night sky. The stars were out, though they weren’t very bright. The moon hung high in the sky, peering out over the trees. I lowered my gaze to the patch of woods in front of me. It was dark within the trees.

Dark enough to see the light.

It was a weird light. Not like the beam from a flashlight or lantern. This was almost like a glow from a firefly, except it never faltered. It was constant. Weirder still, it had a bluish tint to it.

Curious, I zipped up my pants and took a few steps into the trees. The light was almost mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but want to get closer.

I walked past each tree, moving further into the woods. I had to figure out where the light was coming from.

I entered an encirclement of trees and stopped. It was strange. I was sure this was where I’d seen the light. But it had disappeared. I glanced back, but I couldn’t see the road or my car anymore. I was completely engulfed by the woods.

I was about to turn back when I noticed something different about one of the trees. Its base was much darker than the others. It blended in well with the night. I took out my car keys which I kept a miniature flashlight on. I turned the light on and aimed it at the tree.

The tree was stained with something dark. Something with a reddish tint to it. Something that looked suspiciously like blood.

I suddenly felt dizzy. My vision blurred. My heart was thumped violently against my chest. A horrible feeling had risen up within me. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew one thing. I needed to get out of there. Fast.

Something moved in my peripheral vision. I didn’t stick around to find out what. I took off in the direction of my car. I couldn’t force myself to look back.

Something was behind me. I could hear it trampling through the woods after me. I increased my speed, stifling the urge to scream. I bounded over tree roots and plants. Up ahead, I could see my car through the trees.

After reaching the road, I climbed into my car, slamming the door shut after me. I turned on my car, threw it into drive and floored the gas. Looking in the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of something large moving back into the woods. Something that could’ve been a bear. Or something else.

Now the road was as deserted as it had been before. No cars. No people. No monsters.

The only thing I could see now was the tall, dark forms of trees and the moon lighting up the tops of their branches… And the winding road behind me.

And a strange light in the woods.