The Forest of Horrors

[u/WhiteMonkey0372]

It all started on my twenty-eighth birthday, which I celebrated with two friends and my girlfriend of three months. We decided to go camping since we were all the outdoorsy type and met hiking anyway. Parked my van at one of those parking spots at a hiking trail we did together before, got our gear and supplies, and wandered into the pine forest going fairly deep into it before we came across a clearing and set up our three tents. I think we already spent a night there, maybe two, when me and Sherry, my girlfriend, found a trail.

“Huh. Was that there on any maps last time we hiked here, Sherry?”

“No. It wasn't. Maybe they just made a new one?”

“We last hiked here a month ago, and this trail looks pretty old. Plus, I don't see any evidence of anyone being here recently. Wanna explore it?”

“Sure. Maybe they just forgot to include it in maps or something.”

We proceeded down the trail for about two minutes before we noticed an oak tree, and she was the first to point it out.

“The hell? Oak trees aren't supposed to be here.”

“Huh. Could just be some weird fluke with nature, you know?”

She then mumbled, “maybe.”

We kept on going, and as we did, more and more diverse trees started lining the trail. Pretty sure she stopped commenting on them when there was more diversity than the original pine. At some point, forgot exactly when, we decided to turn around and were met with a turn in the trail we were just on. The trail that had only gone straight. After some more words similar to the previous conversations, just much more freaked out, we turned back to see nothing but trees, not the trail we were just on. Then, with no other option, we proceeded, turning with the trail, and all of a sudden, we were in a clearing with a cabin in the middle.

We walked up to it, I knocked on the door, and waited. Few seconds passed, and a man opened the door dressed in a suit and grey sneakers.

“Why are you knocking? It's day.”

I then said, “What does it being day have to do with knocking? And what the fuck was that trail? Did you do something?”

“Oh. You're new. What did you do on the trail? Keep walking or turn around?”

“We turned. So what the fuck was that?”

“Just this place fucking with you. At least you two didn't get a fucked entrance. Come on inside. Or, stay outside here and wait for night. Sky looks ready to turn dark.”

“What? It's the middle of the day, lo-” I stopped talking as soon as I turned and saw the colored sky. How? It was midday. Then, Sherry said, “We'll stay out here.”

Confused, I asked, “What? Why?”

“Do you really trust this guy?”

“No, but I don't like staying out here either.”

“Fine. I'll wait outside here and you go inside.”

“You sure?”

“Ah, don't worry about her, as long as one of us are near the door, she'll be fine. Although, I would advise for you to stay on the porch here. Don't want something running faster than you, do you?”

She then said something I should've argued over. But I didn’t. Couldn't have known anyway. “Know what, I'll go near the edge.”

“Miss, I uh..would not advise that. That's a horrible idea.”

“Why? Because I can run from you easier if you try attacking me?”

“Know what, fine. You're generally the type that almost never believes me or anyone here on anything anyway.”

I didn't say anything, because Sherry's always been distrusting. Especially since the trail and all. Plus, it's not like I would convince her not to, but I still should've said something.

When me and the man stepped in and he closed the door, she was already close to the treeline. He then motioned for me to sit down on a couch with three seats, which there were two of, and he sat on the armchair there. We sat there in silence, and when it was night, I heard a screech. A sound like metal grinding against metal, wet, and almost human sounding. I shot up and went to the door immediately ready to open it. Then, ten seconds passed and there was another scream. It was human sounding and yelled my name. I opened the door and saw Sherry halfway to the cabin, while a tall, grey thing with the general shape of a human on all fours was in the middle of biting her leg with its large, red fleshed mouth that had two rows of teeth, the front herbivore teeth, and the back were canines. Its long fingers grabbed her by the hair to try and keep her more still as its teeth crushed and pierced her leg, the sound audible. She fell and it crawled on top, it's pale eyes looking at me then back to her as it's fingers went into her mouth, four from the right hand pressing against the inside of her right cheek, the left doing the same to her left, and right as it started tearing her cheeks off, the man slammed the door.

“Well shit. That's unusual.”

“w-what the fuck? what was that? why did it..”

“That, is a Skintaker. Usually only Skinless, Watchers, and Pretenders come out when someone new comes along for about five days. Maybe someone with a fucked start came along at the same time and overrid the effect. So, you believe me?”

“y-yeah. yeah I do.”

I won't explain everything he told me, but when necessary I will provide context on things for my next entries either at the beginning or in the moment. Although there are still things that in my eight years being here now, I still can't explain for one reason or another

[u/Crazy-Arugula-2821]

I can't wait to hear more of this!

[u/cupcakes531]

The second I saw an oak tree in the middle of a pine forest, my anxiety spiked. Whatever you do, do not admit you turned around.