It was only about a year ago in late September, early October that an acquaintance and soon to be good friend of mine began talking about the band shirt I was wearing that day. We conversed through class and carried our conversation on outside. Right as we were about to depart my friend brought up what would seem like a strange topic, and to anyone that is not familiar with the paranormal it would indeed seem strange.
He mentioned the woods behind his house and the strange happenings at and around them. He mentioned noises sounding like an elephant's trumpet, screeches like those of freight train, odd feelings like one is being watched, orbs, shadows, and much more. It sounded much too good to be true so I, not knowing my new friend that much yet, asked if he drank excessively or did drugs. He told me he did not drink and has never done drugs in his life. Upon further investigating of the site and getting to know him a little better, both his assertions of his haunted woods and his drug and drink free lifestyle were indeed true. But with the haunted woods I got a little bit more than I could bargain for.
We set a day that we could stop by and investigate the woods further together, and on that day I still was apprehensive of all of what he had told me was going on. When I arrived the house was a small two story, kind of seemed old like from maybe back in the 50's with shutters and a painted a faded blue against the aging vinyl siding. The front yard had all sorts of Halloween decor with the obligatory Jack-O-Lantern, black cats, and stereotypical witches. It seemed sorta quaint in an eerie sort of way. One could barely see the woods behind the house, except for one GIGANTIC oak tree, the likes of which would dwarf any house short of a mansion.
I entered the house and we goofed off until darkness set in. I went downstairs for a drink and a smoke and was informed the fridge with the drinks was in the garage, which was convenient enough for me because the side door was strategically place next to the fridge. I grabbed my drink and stepped outside into a small chain linked area surrounding the side door. The chain linked area was small maybe 5x5 area and was contained in his already fenced yard. I believe it was something the previous owners installed to deter thieves. Regardless, I was standing in the middle and proceeded to light up. I took a few drags of the cigarette and out of no where I heard a tap-tap on the vinyl siding coming from around the corner towards the back of the house. I dismissed this as nothing but the wind or even his dogs even though the tapping seemed to come from about my height, 6 foot 2 inches.
I continued smoking, but then heard another tap-tap this time a little closer to the edge of the house. Again dismissed this as the wind or animal. I then heard another tap-tap this time closer to the edge of the house. I stopped smoking now and my eyes fixed on that corner. I then heard a SLAP-SLAP coming from RIGHT around the corner. I immediately ran in to see where everyone was to possibly catch my friend trying to play up his stories he had told earlier, only to find him sitting down upstairs on his computer. I told him the story and he explained to me of the spirit that wanders into his yard and plays tricks like that. Now, with this fresh in my mind, I had to know what else was out there.
We went outside and around his house to his back woods as we got closer and closer to the forest's edge there was just a feeling of something staring back at you from the woods and there was a strange force, akin to "this is a bad idea" feeling, that surrounded the perimeter of the forest. I dared not go any further into the woods and I expressed my concern to my friend where he proceeded to say we would definitely not go into the woods that it was dangerous at night (a story for another time if this one meets a good reception). We both simply walked the perimeter and suddenly something caught my mind's eye. I felt an odd sort of energy emanating from one of the trees. I told him something is different about that tree, he told me that is where he saw the little dead girl he told me about in his stories. Another odd happening, but easily rationalized away, just like earlier with the tapping. I looked away from the tree and focused down our path where I noticed a pile of wood sitting at the end of the road past a fence. I got a very odd feeling from that area when I stared at it like someone was standing there looking back as I stared into an inanimate pile of wood. This time, I kept my feeling to myself.
We ventured around further and came across a field with a low fog and he explained to me how he believes the fog is how the forest breathes. Coming from my Druid background I agreed whole-heartedly. He warned though that when the forest breathes it can also be a warning to stay away and he has noticed activity increases when there is a fog present (On a side-note the fog seems to retreat if you stare at it too long, I swear it is the weirdest thing like the forest is self-conscious).
After a chat about the fog he told me the tale of Elemental that rose from the ground and chased him and his friend back across the field. He also told of the immense speed this "shadow" possessed, it literally cleared a football field in a matter of seconds by zig-zagging back and forth and running on knuckles in his story. This could be an exaggeration but the detail it was told with gives me a different impression. Either way I was about to find out what he meant.
We came to the other side of the field, not by cutting across like he did in his story but coming in from the other side. There was an ominous street light adjacent to a dirt road that lead back and followed the edge of the field. As soon as we approached the dirt road the street light went out. He told me that this light has a short and is known to do this frequently. I agreed with the rationalization and we continued down the path. The farther we pushed in the more I felt the air getting dense and heavy. Then all of the sudden I froze. I believe I hit the second barrier, the first I passed by when we entered the road that "this isn't a good idea" feeling barrier I spoke of before. The second barrier felt like an actual wall for me. I couldn't move. I called my friend over and told him I will not move another INCH. He agreed to head back out with me. We reached the entrance again and as soon as we neared the light went out... again.
The light came back on after a few seconds, I was facing the light with my back to the entrance while my friend stood in front of me while he talked about miscellaneous stuff and I smoked. When from behind me I heard a loud POP. The only way I can describe it is either like a small item falling from a VERY large distance like the top of a tree and slamming into a bunch of twigs or a large branch snapping. I figured it was the first and asked "What kind of trees are these?" thinking they were pine. He replied "Magnolia..." I slowly stuttered "...Magnolia's don't flower in October do they?" and just then my friend's eyes darted up. He looked at me with the most serious expression I have ever seen. He said "We have to leave, now..." I was now puzzled and frightened. What happened behind my back to scare him so badly? I wanted to know but he refused to tell me.
We slowly backed away from the entrance very calmly and we took a different route back to his house. On the way back, he told me what he saw. That branch snapping was the elemental kicking off to jump, and what he saw, and I wish I could have seen too, was the elemental jumping across the street from tree to tree to get a better view of us.
We arrived back at the house fine and I have told this story many times to people familiar with these things and I was given many different responses, but one response stood out among all of the others and it had to do with the history of the woods and previous events there that I was not present for. I am willing to share all of my stories I have of these woods that I have experienced and all of the stories that I know of the woods from my close friend. I will leave with this, that the night I was there only scratched the surface of what is out there...
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