

## Black Woods

© 2012 Laura Wright LaRoche All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

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Newly revised and edited, Second Edition

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For Andrew, my inspiration

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Mushrooms

Chapter 2 The Boys

Chapter 3 Volunteers

Chapter 4 The Trip

Chapter 5 Old Friend

Chapter 6 Library

Chapter 7 Arrived

Chapter 8 Friday

Chapter 9 Celebration

Chapter 10 The Hunt

Chapter 11 Dark

Chapter 12 Imaginary Line

Chapter 13 Rescue

Chapter 14 Enter

Chapter 15 Waiting

Chapter 16 The Hill

Chapter 17 The Lake

Chapter 18 Hospital
Epilogue

### Prologue

The animal in the densely wooded area is large, fierce, and dangerous. Its eyes glow a violent blue. It is vicious when it attacks, unmerciful with its kill. It watches and waits for the unsuspecting victims to cross its path. Then it quietly observes its prey and slowly stalks the victims.

Two young brothers were hunting, unaware of the danger that followed them. With guns in their hands, they listened to the sounds of the forest. They were inexperienced hunters, as they were still in their teen years.

Crack!

Something heavy stepped on the brittle forest floor. The boys were startled, but recovered quickly as they stood and waited for a possible deer. From the deeply wooded area, their predator appeared, and the young brothers' complexions paled. They found themselves staring into a frightening blue gaze. It released a deafening growl that made their blood run cold. They raised their guns to aim and squeezed the triggers with their sweaty fingers.

Bam!

Both bullets hit their mark, penetrating the animal's large frame. The creature twisted its grotesque body, and using its long hind legs, leaped back into the woods, blood pouring from the fresh wounds in its chest.

The boys stood still, temporarily frozen. They looked at each other. After a moment's hesitation, they ran. Their feet moved along the forest floor swiftly, tree limbs and briars scratching them along the way. They didn't notice, because their attention was riveted on the edge of the tree line in the distance. It looked like a doorway inviting them to safety. As they neared the wood's perimeter, they felt better. Just a few more feet. . .

Grrrowl!

They heard the sound again. The beast was close. Too close! Pure terror ran through their bodies as they tried to escape the animal. Their eyes were wide, their mouths drawn tight. Sweat rolled down their bodies in such abundance, they looked as if they'd been caught in a rainstorm.

When the older boy reached the clearing, he spun around to help his little brother. What he saw was horrific. A large paw slammed down, catching the panicked younger brother in the back. The landing of the paw was so hard, the sound of his lungs exploding could be heard several feet away. The older brother stood in the field and screamed.

He watched in horror as his brother was shredded by the large beast. Blood shot in the air like a geyser with each blow of the oversized paw. Repeatedly, it clawed at the younger boy, and then...it stopped.

The animal paused and glared at the terrified boy who stood in the field. The young man was focused only on his brother's lifeless body, as he couldn't look away from all that blood. He didn't notice those eerie blue eyes staring his way, its gaze intense.

The creature growled again and leaped straight toward the older brother. The sound alerted him, and he raised his head smoothly. He was frozen in his tracks, too frightened to move. The animal soared through the air fiercely, ready to land on the young man.

Thud!

The impact was loud as the animal hit an unseen force. The creature fell back to the hot dry earth, looking stunned. After a brief moment, it receded into the woods. The boy didn't have much time to think about what had happened to the animal, or why it suddenly ran. He had to get home with the horrible news.

He was crying, tripping, and stumbling on the recently plowed field as he ran. When he finally reached his home, his body covered in dirty sweat, he told his family the dreadful story.

Upon the tale's completion, his father grabbed his gun and ran from the old farm house. He then gathered up a few willing neighbors to help him retrieve his son's body from the woods.

They arrived to the area where the attack took place. A tortured scream emitted from the father as he gathered the remains of his son's body to his chest and carried him to the wagon. He carefully placed his youngest child down and covered him with a quilt. He refused to return home with the other men and he sent them on their way. He was intent on killing the creature responsible for his son's death.

After he had listened to his oldest child's description, he knew he must kill the beast to ensure their safety. He entered the thickness of the trees, heading toward an open area further in the forest. He ran as fast as he could, narrowing in on the place he had warned his children never to go near. He knew he must do what was right as he desperately hoped to make it there before the animal found him.

Suddenly in front of his eyes, he saw the spot he wanted. It was a large open pit; a sink hole almost two hundred feet deep. Only a few feet from the opening...

Grrrowl!

He turned around and confronted the animal that killed his child. He raised his rifle as the animal leaped.

"You will never kill again!" he yelled as they both disappeared into the vast, blackened hole.

### Chapter 1

### Mushrooms

We are so excited about the prospect of our day, starting out at dawn and staying out for hours. My sister is always tagging at my side, or maybe it's the other way around. It's been this way ever since we were kids.

It isn't a long walk from my car, but a rough one, crossing over storm-trodden trees, flooded lowlands, steep stripper hills, briar patches....

We get to the third valley and like a lightning bolt, my sister is gone, looking. The day has started out great and we are prepared. Our backpacks are filled with the items needed for a long hunt. Water bottles are hung at our sides along with some bags in which to put our main valuables. That's if we are lucky enough to find them, but of course, we always do.

The hours we spend in the woods looking and picking are the happiest and most exciting times. There is something fulfilling about reaching down and picking that spongy, yellow morel, knowing there will be more before the day is over. It's such a thrill; they are so golden and delicate, definitely a treat to find.

I stand, staring at the morel mushroom that I have just picked. I hear the wind begin to howl; its sound echoing like a pack of wild wolves. I put the mushroom in the bag hanging from my shoulder (it's a special bag my sister has sewn for me. It allows the mushroom spores to fall back to the earth). I pat it and wish for more time. It is too early to leave the woods.

We've only been out about an hour when this storm decides to show its ugly face. The sky darkens above my head as angry clouds are fighting for their place in the storm. Oh well, I think to myself, as I start looking for my sister.

"Julie. . . Julie. . ." I yell, even though I know she can't hear me over this fierce wind blowing.

Then, all of a sudden, I can't breathe. I'm paralyzed with fear as a pair of hands reaches around my head, and they try to cover my eyes from behind. After a split second, I get my feet moving and I run quickly, twisting my head back to look over my shoulder. My eyes are watering up with tears of fright. Everything is blurry, but I can see enough to know someone is there. I blink a few times to get them to focus, and I can see clearly again. My sister is standing there, laughing so hard she has tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I could just kill you!" I shout as I fall to the ground laughing at myself with her. We love playing little pranks on each other, but man, with that wind howling and the smell of rain in the air, I must be a bit jumpier than usual. She rarely gets the better of me.

My sister helps me to my feet and we head toward the car, both walking a little faster than we normally would. My heart is pounding hard as I still have some lingering adrenaline in my body. We talk about the weather, wishing we had a few more hours to hunt. We enter the main clearing, and I can see the car about two hundred feet away, when the sky decides to open up with force, pouring a waterfall on our heads. I fumble for the keys. . . .

Crack!

There are branches breaking off nearby trees. My head begins to pound as a strange headache comes on quickly. Must be the storm, I think as I watch Julie run as fast as her old legs can carry her. I am only a few steps behind. The rain stings my face and arms like needles at an acupuncturist's office.

"Man, that hurts on bare skin," I say, more to myself than to my sister.

We both climb into the car, slamming the doors behind us. Dripping wet now, we look at each other and burst into laughter, at the thought of Julie's prank and my spastic reaction only a few minutes ago.

"I think the weatherman was wrong today!" Julie says to me as she wipes some rain from her face.

I look through the windshield, wipers on full speed, and the rain is so thick it's like a wall sealing us off from the outside world. My headache is worse. I dig in the glove box for a bottle of aspirin.

"Guess we'll just wait this one out!" Julie says.

I glance in her direction.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"We wouldn't want to wind up in one of the lakes out here. We'd end up sliding off the road like B...B...Brick did!" she says.

We are laughing again before she finishes the last word. How anyone could forget the day when that truck sat face up in the lake with its lights still on is beyond me. It sat at the bottom like a sunken bathtub toy. Our nephew, Brick, was lucky he got out of the stupid old truck in time. It happened on this stretch of road, no more than half a mile away.

That was a long time ago. The road had been unnamed then. The county department put up a road sign a few years after that: "Truck Road." It was a great source of amusement for our family.

We wait the storm out, the car windows fogging up from our hot breaths. We decide to relax. Julie reclines her car seat, closes her eyes, and then peeks at me from under one lid. "Don't you dare try to scare me! Please..." she begs, acting all innocent.

"I should, but I won't."

"Do I have your word?"

I roll my eyes. "Okay, word."

She closes her eyes again and falls asleep quickly.

I start drifting in thought as memories assault me. We have spent so many years in these woods together, my sister and I. I look over at Julie sleeping soundly. She is snoring now, drool pooling on the corner of her mouth. She isn't just my sister, but also my best friend, a rare thing in most families. Oh, how we've aged! We are now in our early 60's with Julie just a few years older than I am.

Maybe we are getting too old for this crap? I think to myself as she shifts to get more comfortable. It is so much easier these days for us to take a nap, something we never thought we would do. It's something our parents did, not us, but here we are, resting. I think, Oh well, better to grow old than die young! It's a saying that will always remain true.

Julie's complexion is still lovely. She has golden-blonde hair, with a smile most of the time. Being a simple country girl, hiking around in the woods must be good for her. She doesn't look a day over fifty.

My children are grown, and so are hers. Now we are great-grandmas. Quietly, we wait out a spring storm on a late April day, as we have done so many times before.

I glance in the rearview mirror to look at my reflection. I am slightly overweight, but still blessed with all that thick curly brown hair. It's really a curse on a day like this; my hair's nothing but frizz.

Feeling slightly hungry, I reach in the back seat to retrieve my backpack. I find a beef stick, and it reminds me of the treats we give our dog. I bite down on the rubbery meat, wondering if our dog might like it as I swallow. I just can't sleep today. I am inquisitively thinking about the woods so close to us, those black woods. There are stories that go back for years about all the horrible deaths; all so brutal and some unexplainable.

There is a faint movement in the car and I divert my attention away from the woods. Looking in my sister's direction, my thoughts of the Black Woods are fading. She is waking up, wiping the drool from her chin. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hands and gets a drink of water. She rummages around in the console and locates her cell phone.

"Wow! I've been sleeping for over an hour. Did you sleep?"

"Sure did, but not as long as you. I guess I don't need as much sleep as you, Old Woman," I answer, smiling.

"Oh, whatever," she says, waving her hand as a child often does.

I don't know why I lied to her. Maybe I didn't want to voice I was thinking about those surrounding woods. I try to keep them quietly in my mind. I know she thinks about those woods. I can see it in her face every now and then, when we are out in our woods.

"Well, the rain has stopped. Want to hit the woods for some picking?" I ask, knowing good and well that she did.

We get our gear and wade through the flooded parking spot, heading back to the safety of our woods.

We spend another three hours gathering mushrooms, sliding and slipping on the wet rocks. The valleys are flooded, and we slosh around until we are soaked to our knees. We don't care, because this is everyday fun for us.

When it's time to go home, we look like a couple of hogs running wild from their pen. Carrying over five pounds of mushrooms, we walk carefully, but still wind up slipping and falling some more. The storm has made the area less than desirable for hiking, and it looks like we're the only ones in the woods.

On our way home, we laugh and joke about our day. The mud on our faces cracks as it dries.

"We look like fugitives from a fancy spa," I say.

Julie laughs, making the dry mud fall in small chunks.

"Okay, let's get control of ourselves. My sides can't take any more laughter." She has laughed until it hurts.

"My headache can't take it either. It's killing me now."

We slowly settle down the laughter and make the journey home.

"Well, we made it. See you tomorrow," she says.

She climbs from the car, just a little slower now because of the mud. It's a good thing I have leather seats, but it's still going to be heck to clean.

"You bet! It should be a good day after all that rain. It really brings up the mushrooms. And if the weatherman can be believed, it should be a nice day," I tell her.

"True," she answers before shutting the door behind her.

Julie walks across her perfectly manicured lawn, holding up her hand to wave as she reaches her porch. She loves gardening and yard work, and it shows. It's something I've never been good at.

I laugh as I watch her sitting on the step, trying to get her muddy boots off. I wave, press on the gas pedal, and turn in the direction of home.

"Well, how many did you find today?" Dale asks.

There is never any need to look for him. I know exactly where he is, sitting on the couch watching some sci-fi show on our big plasma T.V. There's always blood and guts shining on that screen. He doesn't get out much after he retired ten years ago. He served four years in the army then went straight to work for the next thirty-eight years for our city, cutting down trees and repairing power lines. He was a loyal, hard worker, and he deserves his rest now. He's still good looking for a man in his seventies, a little overweight but it suits him well.

"Oh, the usual," I answer casually.

Smiling, I hold up the bag for him to see. He shakes his head and looks back at his bloody TV.

"I suppose I have to clean those?" he asks, not turning around since he doesn't really expect an answer.

I never could do that duty, as I don't have the stomach for it. If a centipede or a slug crawled from one, I'd be sick for the rest of the day.

"Either you can or my boyfriend. It's up to you," I tease.

I love him dearly, and he knows it. Both of us understand we are in a strong marriage of almost forty years.

"Do you really think your boyfriend would mind doing it this time? I'm tired."

Dale has a mischievous grin as he waits for my answer.

"Oh, get your butt off that couch and get the mushrooms cleaned!" I say as I place them on the table, then drag the trash container closer so he won't have to reach far.

As of now, we are in pretty good health, but we've had our bouts with diseases and other health issues. Knock on wood. Our meals now consist of the usual foods we've always loved followed by a small handful of pills.

"I'm getting these muddy clothes off and taking a shower. You have the mushrooms cleaned up, and I'll make your supper. DEAL?"

"DEAL."

As I get in the shower, my mind wanders and I think about Mother Nature's destructiveness. Oh, yeah, I've seen it with my own eyes. No one wants to piss off the forces at work in those woods. A few have, but most of them are no longer here to tell about it.

I shake my head, trying to trade the thoughts in for something more pleasant. Think about the kids, I tell myself, they will be here this weekend. We haven't seen them all together for over a year. The excitement distracts me enough to change my mind. Now all I can think of is this weekend.

We will be celebrating our fortieth wedding anniversary. Everyone is coming to celebrate. In our family, we have four children, two boys and two girls, with fourteen grandchildren between them, and three great-grandchildren. The house will be filled with love. I don't think about the Black Woods again for the rest of the evening.

After our delicious supper of fried mushrooms and hamburgers, we straighten up the kitchen. Dale and I make the plans for our party, writing a long list of supplies, including everything from plastic dishes to the main entree. We turn in early as the day has been long, and I am tired.

### Chapter 2

### The Boys

The "boys," as they are often referred to, are ready to go hunting. Their friendship started in grade school and has continued into young adulthood. Two are in college and two have no real future right now. It's a Thursday, and they want to get out of this place, to be anywhere but here.

Bob is the self appointed-leader and a third year college student; twenty-one and cocky, black hair, and average build. He is ready for anything as long as Mom and Dad are paying.

Greg is the enforcer and controller of the group; twenty, a second year college student with soft brown hair and muscles that ripple with each step.

Erick is a follower and the joker of the pack; twenty-one, blond-haired, and plain looking. He is unemployed with no desire to change.

Skinner, whose given name is Biff (he's always hated his parents for that one) is twenty-two and walks around with a chip on his shoulder, ready to pick a fight. Since he is short of stature and overweight with greasy brown hair, he is an easy target for the pick'n.

They are not really bad boys, as they have no trouble with the law. However, they are young, and they are still trying to prove to the world that they belong. Everything in life is no more serious than a joke, an attitude they all share.

"Where are we going today?" Erick asks Bob.

Everyone is at Bob's house. It's their main headquarters. They have spent many days sitting in this living room; joking, laughing, watching television. Just by glancing around the room, it's obvious a bunch of boys hang out there. There are gun racks on the wall, now empty of the guns that are loaded in the vehicle, and clothing slung on chairs and tables. Pop cans, some half-full, are scattered about this and that spot. There are chip bags, candy wrappers, and pizza boxes.

"Not sure yet, I was hoping someone might have a new area for us," Bob says.

He looks around the room to make sure Greg and Skinner have gotten all the bags while picking up this piece of trash or a pillow. Bob doesn't see any lying around and decides they've gotten them.

"Stuff's all packed and ready to go," Skinner announces as he and Greg enter the room. "Where are we headed?"

"I'm hoping you or Greg might know of a new place. I'm tired of the same old hunting spots around here," Bob says as he puts out his cigarette.

"Not really," Greg answers. He turns and looks at Skinner for a reply.

"No, nothing here." Skinner shrugs his shoulders.

"Damn it, boys! Do I always have to do the thinking?" Bob asks. He likes to exaggerate his importance in the group. He sits down on an overstuffed chair, and throws a dirty shirt at Skinner.

"This thing smells like Greg's last girlfriend," Skinner says. He's holding the shirt Bob threw at him, and he tosses it in Greg's direction.

Greg puts the shirt to his nose, sniffs, and lets out a deep breath.

"The smell of love!" he giggles.

"Oh, knock it off, boys! I want to get out of here. Now think!" Bob demands.

The room full of boys suddenly quiets as each considers a forgotten hunting location. Bob lights up another cigarette. Skinner is looking for something to eat. Greg studies the shirt Skinner threw at him, and Erick seems to be the only one truly searching his brain for a location.

"Oh wait! I do know a place!" Erick announces proudly as he rarely gets to speak up. "It's only about two hours from here and the hunting is good, at least that's what I heard."

The other three boys look at him in disbelief, knowing that Erick is full of shit most of the time.

"Probably another one of his jokes. You ask where and he'll say, 'at this bar in...,'" Skinner says.

They start laughing, because they know him too well.

"No, it's not a joke!"

"Where?" Bob speaks up, breaking the laughter.

"A little place with a great forest," he answers, now sounding important. He rarely gets any real attention from the group, and he's enjoying it.

"My uncle and a friend of his went there, deer hunting winter before last. He said it was great, that he would be going back when he could." He holds his chest out. He has all the attention on him and he is living it up.

"Sit back down, you cocky piece of crap, and call your uncle for directions." Greg says, before pointing at the phone by the couch.

Greg doesn't care for the way Erick's acting, like he's something. Erick scribbles on a scrap piece of paper while speaking to someone on the phone.

The boys are talking about girls as they wait for Erick to finish.

"Did you see that chick last night loving up to Greg?" Skinner asks Bob. He has a big smile, the kind that lets you know something funny is going on.

"That's right. She was loving on me. Not the other way around," Greg answers.

"Oh, so you admit you like that ugly thing, huh?" Bob asks.

"No, I didn't!" Greg found the girl repulsive. She hung around him the whole time he was at that party last night. He thought she was about the ugliest thing he'd ever met. He didn't have the heart to run her off.

"She looked more like something Skinner would date," Greg retorts.

"Wait right there! I've got better taste than that!" Skinner objects.

"Right," Greg and Bob say in unison.

Erick finishes the phone call and hands the piece of paper to Bob. He still feels important.

The boys head out the door, excited to go on their new hunting adventure. They slap free-handed high fives to each other as they get into Bob's SUV, another perk from his parents.

Greg is still annoyed that the idea came from Erick, as he climbs into the front seat. Piece of crap, he thinks. Not that he dislikes Erick; he just didn't like him getting all cocky.

"My uncle told me that he only hunted in one area, got his deer, and couldn't hunt for more so he came home. It's a pretty big place, according to him," Erick says. He is still loving "being the man," and wants to keep it that way, but he knows it won't last long.

"Well, we'll see," Bob states. He puts the vehicle in gear, and they head to their new adventure.

Sure enough, Skinner starts listening to music on his mp3 player so loud no one can hear anything else.

Shit, Erick thinks, the only reason Skinner and Greg are acting this way is because I came up with the idea. He will make sure they remember that too.

### Chapter 3

### Volunteers

Buzz... Buzz... Buzz... The alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m.

I reach and fumble for the clock button with a half-numb arm. It's time to get up for another day of mushrooms. Only about two more weeks until the season is over. Morel hunting is pretty good in the area for most of April and about a week or so into May. We faithfully go every day that our agendas allow. By the end of a season, our freezer is packed full of mushrooms to enjoy later in the year. There's nothing like a big mushroom fry for the fourth of July.

Dale rolls over and puts his arm around me.

"Don't worry, not much longer and I'll be home 24/7 for the next 10 months," I whisper softly as I arise from the bed.

Getting out of bed takes a little longer as these old muscles must warm up a bit before I can easily walk. After I get dressed, I journey to the kitchen for a bite to eat. I decide on toast dipped in honey butter.

With a hot cup of coffee in hand, I'm reading the morning news online, ready to head to the woods. The phone starts ringing, but I know who it is before I even answer.

"Hello. Yes, I'm ready. I'll watch for you out the window. Okay, bye." After hanging up, I pull on my boots and stroll to the window to wait for Julie.

When we arrive in the woods it's around seven o'clock, and the morning air is fresh and clean from yesterday's rain.

"Let's check for tracks today. After all that rain, it'll be muddy. I think we should find some," I giggle.

A few years ago, a mountain lion was spotted in the area and it was confirmed by the local conservation officers that the animal was making a comeback here. Ever since the confirmation, we've been determined to find some tracks. Last year, we really thought we had the real thing. We took some pictures with our camera and headed to our niece Melissa's house for her to make prints. She lives in the forest, and it was closer than going back to our homes. Next, we went to the forestry office with the printed proof. It turned out they were dog prints, not cat tracks. So much for our knowledge of mountain lions.

"I bet they won't believe us, even if we do find them now," Julie smiles.

"Probably not, but we can still look," I reply.

Today, we are carrying our big walking sticks to help keep our balance. We know from experience, including yesterday, that it will be slick after that much rain. Sometimes we run into a few people out hunting in these conditions with useless tennis shoes on. They will be sliding down every hill so badly they can't stand back up. Most of the time, they lose a shoe in the mud. We know we will slide today even with our hiking boots, but we'll mostly stay upright. We walk around, climbing up and down hills until we get to our special spot.

Only ten minutes into the woods, and we find some mushrooms. They are up good today, and we know what that means; lots of picking to be done. I love finding the later variety of morels as they are the biggest and most prized. Three can fill a bag on a good day. Now we are finding all sizes of mushrooms and that's wonderful.

A robin's egg shell is lying on the ground next to a mushroom, and I pick up both and study the shell. It looks as if it had hatched and not been broken from the storm last night. Good thing. It's heartbreaking to find them the other way.

"How are you doing?" I ask Julie.

"My bag's almost full. Are you ready to quit and have lunch?"

She is standing on a small hill we like to call Turkey Hill. One year we found a turkey's nest full of eggs on the hill, and after that, the name was born. We have names for almost every spot in these woods. It helps us keep track of where we are and what areas we've hunted. Our favorite place to hunt is named "Shit Ravine." Now, bear with me on this one, and I'll explain why we named it that. One day, while hunting, we came to this small section and noticed a big pile of crap in the middle of the ravine. A brown smudgy smear streaked the white sock lying on top. We laughed hard at the thought of someone desperate enough to use their sock as a wipe. So, the name stuck, just like that old sock.

"Yes, I'm hungry." My stomach had been growling for maybe an hour, but I get so caught up in hunting, I don't want to stop.

We sit down on a log under a tree and dig in our packs. We have potted meat and a roll of crackers. Sounds yummy! Well, not so much true, but convenient when hiking.

"Did you bring anything sweet?" I ask. I notice my pack is fresh out of goodies and I just have to have my sweets.

"I got something special!" She digs in her backpack and pulls out a plastic container, the kind that is white with blue lids.

"Journey Cakes," Julie expresses proudly.

"Now that is yummy! I want two, please."

Julie hands me the treats and we both smile.

"Who made those this time?" I ask.

"Addy," she replies.

"Oh, they will be good then."

Addy is Julie's oldest granddaughter. She is twenty-two years old and a college student.

The term, Journey Cakes, came from a children's book that Julie's daughter, Jerika, loved when she was a little girl. Her grandchildren also loved the book. We have been eating those cakes, really just sugar cookies with icing, for almost forty-five years. I guess we will be eating them 'til the day we die.

Some little birds flew down to visit while we were eating our cookies, and we toss a few crumbs their way.

The temperature is 70 degrees and lovely today. It's a good day for these woods, and by the time we finish, we have two full bags of mushrooms. We look like a couple of Santas on Christmas Eve hauling packages for the kiddies.

When we get to the truck, we toss the bags in the back and put our supplies away.

"Will you be able to hunt tomorrow?" Julie asks.

"No, I got a lot to do before Saturday. I'm going to have to miss the next day or so."

"Okay, I'll rub it in tomorrow when Chris and I find twenty pounds," she says.

Chris is Julie's husband and a few years younger than she is. He still gets around good and hunts with us when he can. He's still working and has a few more years before his retirement.

My husband also loved hunting mushrooms when he was slightly younger. Dale is now too weak to walk the forest, but sometimes he will fish while we are out.

"You know the forest has been kind to most folks for a few years now. I hope it's a few more before we're needed," she says as she starts the truck.

"Agreed," I softly reply.

As our children grew and no longer needed us, we found ourselves volunteering with the forest department's search and rescue team. After they heard we had traveled almost every inch of this forest, they were glad to have our help.

Our first call for help was maybe three months after we had volunteered. It was for a missing child, a little girl aged four, with curly blonde hair, who was last seen on a swing set in the campgrounds. Her parents had searched the camping area and had not found her. The last sighting was an hour before our call.

"We will be right there," I said before hanging up.

"Get ready. We got a call for the forest!" I told Julie on the phone as I was going out the door.

"What was the call?" she asked as she put on her seat belt.

I filled her in on the conversation while driving a bit too fast for the old country lanes.

We could see the officers' vehicles as we approached the area. Their lights were on, and they were blocking the roads. After we told them our story, one officer radioed the campground to verify it and they let us pass.

"Hello, I'm Laura and this is Julie," I told an officer, "we are here to help."

After receiving our instructions, we began to search. It wasn't long before we got the news that one of the officers had found the child safe, playing on a creek bed.

This was maybe ten years ago, and we have been helping ever since. Not all of our volunteer work has had a good ending, but with God willing, most have.

As I sit here in her truck, traveling down these old roads, it reminds me of our work, and of how grateful we were to be needed. When you age, sometimes the only thing left is to be needed.

### Chapter 4

### The Trip

"You still seein' that fat chick, Skinner?" Bob asks.

The boys erupt in laughter. They've only been in the SUV a few minutes when Bob makes Skinner turn down his music so he can tease him some more.

"Oh shut up! All of you!" Skinner's face flushes with anger.

"If you must know, she dumped me a few days ago. Hell with that bitch! I'm a free man now." Skinner is trying to make himself feel better, and not to mention, look tough for the boys.

"I bet them two look like a couple of dough boys rolling in the sheets." Erick laughs at the mental picture he just painted.

"I bet she likes his pig in a blanket!" Bob says.

"Hey, Greg, maybe your ugly chick from last night might want Skinner? Seeing how he's all single and stuff," Erick offers.

Laughter is now louder as they're all poking fun at Skinner. It fills the air like poisonous gas.

Skinner pops open a beer and he downs it in a few seconds, and then he grabs a second one.

"Does anyone want one?" Skinner hopes to change the subject.

"Hell, no, and you better not drink another!" Bob says, and looks at Skinner through the rearview mirror. "I'm not stopping for you to piss either."

Erick sees the opportunity to start boasting again about his idea for the trip.

"I'm sure glad I remembered my uncle talking about this place."

"I'm sure glad I remembered my uncle talking about this place..." Greg mocks Erick as if he's three years old.

"Oh, I bet you do. It's probably the only thing you've remembered in a while." Skinner teases. He sees his chance to poke fun at someone else, and he takes it.

"You're a shit with a fat chick who couldn't even get her to suck your d..." Greg says.

"Asshole!" Skinner interrupts Greg mid-sentence. "She left me 'cause she couldn't stand hanging with the bunch of your asses," he says, trying to keep face with his friends.

"No one asked her to!" Bob chimes in. "If she ain't good enough for us, then why would you want her?" Bob knows it isn't the reason, and he decides to say so. "Maybe if you would get a job and have some of your own money you might find a decent girl."

"Don't go there, man, look who's living off mommy and daddy." Skinner squirms in his seat. While he's squirming he thinks, damn I shouldn't had that second beer.

"Shit! Stop! I gotta pee real bad!" Skinner shouts.

"Bob told you not to have that beer, and he wasn't stopping," Erick says. He grins at his friend's discomfort as he enjoys watching him squirm.

"That's what I said, and I meant it," Bob answers.

"Think of something else." Greg says. He turns around in the front seat to look at Skinner squirm.

"Maybe a gentle rain or taking a cold shower..."

More laughter erupts from his friends. There's nothing more amusing to a bunch of boys than watching one of them squirm.

"How long are we staying down there?" Skinner asks. He doesn't ask anyone in particular. He just wants to forget the need to pee.

Everyone quiets down. They hadn't thought about it. The boys just jump in and take off. That's how they do things.

"Oh, you dumb turds," Bob says while driving.

"We have a week's break. Let's enjoy it!" He's actually only speaking about Greg and himself, as the other idiots don't even have a job.

"Sounds good to me. What about you fellers?" Greg asks the two in the back seat. He's still watching Skinner squirm.

"I think we should change your nickname to 'Squirmer,'" he says.

"Hey, Squirmer, is that your name or your thing?" Erick asks.

This really gets the boys laughing and poking fun at Skinner again.

Man, if he don't stop soon I'm going to piss my pants, Skinner thinks when he asks, "Are we there yet?"

The laughter is so hard and loud now, even Skinner is laughing. He realizes he has asked the age old question of a little kid. Shit, use your brain next time before opening your trap, he tells himself.

### Chapter 5

### Old Friend

We pull into my driveway and begin unloading our gear when a white pick-up truck pulls in behind us. A man in his eighties, with thinning red hair, steps out from behind the wheel, along with his companion. Slower than her master, the dog drops to the ground with her nose down, sniffing her way slowly to us.

"How you doing, old girl?" we say to his dog, Sugar, as we love on her.

"Did you leave any mushrooms in the woods for an old man to find?" Dick asks.

"Now you know we didn't," I giggle.

The thought of him in the woods is unimaginable. He hasn't made it out there for several years. His old legs are too wobbly. He has hunted those woods for more years than he cares to remember.

Julie gets our bags of golden sponges, holding them up as if they are prize trophies.

"Woo Wee! I never could keep up with you girls!" he says proudly.

"Oh, Dick, you know you gave us a run for our money for many years in those old woods," Julie says, as she's looking for an extra bag in which to put some mushrooms.

"How you been?" I ask him.

We walk slowly to the patio to rest our bones a bit, as we wait for Julie to get done.

"Pretty good now. I had a little trouble with the leg." He points at his left knee, "All this rain lately got her acting up."

"It's sure good to see you today. It's been a little while. When was it? Around Christmas we last saw you?" I say.

We were both watching Julie walk to us with a bag full of mushrooms.

"I believe that's right." He reaches up and takes the bag, "Thank you so much!" He puts the bag on the ground next to him.

"You know we always got extra for you," Julie says, and then she sits next to us.

"Now you enjoy those!" I say.

"You know I will, Laura," Dick smiles.

There's a pause in the conversation as we watch his old border collie drink from a mud puddle in the yard. She must be twenty years old by now, and it's amazing that she's still here. Dick had trained that dog to go mushroom hunting with him when she was just a pup. Now that really was a sight to see: a dog sniffing out mushrooms like a pig on a truffle hunt. The poor dog has cataracts so bad now, the only thing left for moving about is her nose.

Somehow sensing we are thinking about her, the old gal comes over to her master and relaxes next to his feet. Dick reaches down to pat her on the head.

"Would anyone like a drink?" I ask, and rise to my feet.

"Sure, a sweet tea for me if you have it?" he says as he is still patting his dog's head.

"Diet Coke here." Julie always needs her caffeine after a long day.

"Be right back," I answer over my shoulder while I walk into the house.

Dale is lying down taking a nap, so I quietly get the drinks. As I'm stirring the ice in the sweet tea glass, I begin to think about how long we've known Dick. It's been probably thirty years now. We met him for the first time in the woods. Our woods.

Upon meeting him, we didn't know what to think. He wasn't from around here and had driven down from the north to hunt. The nerve of an outsider picking our mushrooms! But, over the years, we got to know him in those woods, and he really is a good man. He loves nature as much as we do. Dick purchased a piece of property out in that forest and placed a camper on the land. A getaway, is what he called it, but some time ago he started calling it home.

It's crazy how this place can get to people in a way. It's a gorgeous area with many lakes made by old stripped-mined land. The woods are thick with wild animals, and of course, mushrooms. This used to be the largest coal producing spot in the state of Indiana. Now there are only a few coal mines left. If it weren't for the coal mines, we wouldn't have a forest.

Sitting outside, sipping our drinks, we are comfortable as we remember and visit with old friends. We discuss all the times we've been out hunting mushrooms, and we contemplate how many pounds we may have found.

"I sure miss picking mushrooms with you girls, but there is a time and place for everything, and I'm grateful for mine," Dick says as he sentimentally looks to his friends.

We know what he means, as we are grateful for our friendship as well, so we nod our heads in agreement.

"Well, I better be going. C'mon Sugar," Dick says, and pats her leg to wake the dog from her dreams. "I got these bad boys to fry up soon!" He holds up the bag of mushrooms as he walks away.

Dick gets in the truck, and waves a farewell out the window as he reverses from the driveway, bearing in the direction of home.

"I better be going. Got some yard work to do before dark," Julie says.

"You always got yard work to do. That's why it looks like you have a full time gardener," I giggle.

Oh boy! How she loves her gardens and herbs!

"You could too if you just put more effort into it," Julie says, and grins.

She knows I've tried, and it just doesn't work out for me. She has a special touch when it comes to gardening, like magic in her fingertips.

"Ah, if I did, your yard would look pale compared to mine. I couldn't do that to you."

Both of us laugh, because no one's yard could ever look like hers.

"What time are we meeting on Saturday?" Julie asks, then gets in her truck and shuts the door.

"I figured around four o'clock, and tell Chris to have his apron on. The grill will be waiting for him."

"You know him, always ready to flip a burger!" She waves farewell as she leaves my home.

I go inside to change clothes and to make some dinner.

"Ah, how sweet." I say. I kiss Dale on the forehead since he is setting the table.

"I saw you out there visiting, so figured I could cook for a change," he says.

I didn't realize we had been sitting out there so long. It must have been over an hour. Dale had time to fry potatoes and put some ham in the oven.

I head to the bedroom, and then I return from changing my clothes. He has the table set and everything prepared.

"I love you." I give my husband a big hug. Sometimes, it's the little things that make me happy.

Dinner was delicious, especially since I didn't have to make it. I retire for the evening, and crawl into the bed for some essential rest. I begin to dream after falling asleep.

We had run straight home after that first encounter in those woods. We told everyone who would listen to us. Nuts! What kind of mushroom did you pick out there, was the common response we got from people. After that, we decided to share the stories only with our family. It's not that most people didn't believe horrible things happened in those woods. They just didn't want to believe some strange animal was running around in those woods. It's odd that people can accept the idea that those woods could be haunted or cursed, but could not entertain the thought of a fierce creature living among the trees.

Julie and I were scared to go back near those woods after the encounter. Our husbands went back with us one day, and it helped us to face our fear. We knew that as long as we didn't go into that one particular area we would be fine, as fine as anyone could be in Mother Nature.

Those woods, those black woods, fill my dreams.

### Chapter 6

### Library

Taking care of Mother Nature isn't enough for us. We love her as well. Letting her know we care is the most important thing to us. That's how Julie and I interpret the land.

Did we ever love nature! We are always stopping to look at this creature or that plant, helping insects that are stuck in spider webs, putting a baby bird in its nest, removing fishing line from a beaver dam, and any little thing to help. We don't think about what we do. We see what needs to be done and we do it.

Our whole family is this way--husbands, children, grandchildren, etc. It's a trait that is passed on, the way some might hand down a family heirloom.

The only other person we have met outside the family who loves nature the way we do is Dick. We have seen him trimming back a vine as it was choking a sapling from growing, and picking up a small fish stuck in the shallow waters, returning it to the deeper end. These little things told us that he truly loved nature, and that he was comfortable here. A few kind acts is all Mother Nature needs or ever wants from us. This belief is why we understand the animal in the Black Woods is not the work of Mother Nature or God. Nothing as evil as that could ever been born of this earth.

One year, we decided to try to figure out what could have happened to this area in the forest. People talk, and word gets around in a small town like this. With all the stuff that has happened, the locals have dubbed the forest the "Black Woods." The name suits it well.

This one small area is the only place I know to be affected. It is no more than forty acres at best; really a small spot of woods in a large forest with the largest lake in the area.

With over 7900 acres of land now and a hundred plus lakes and ponds, this is truly a lovely area, and the claim to fame for our county.

Julie and I headed to the local library to do research on the area. We tried to make sense of what happened in those woods. We scanned every newspaper article for information.

Weeks of searching produced a mountain of evidence to sort, and what we found was stunning, even terrifying. We made copies of the articles, sorted them in order by date. Most were front page news. We took the copied articles home and begin reading. We wanted to understand it all.

"36 men and 1 woman DEAD at the BEST FUEL mine."

The headline was bold and dramatic. It was dated 1923.

The Best Fuel mine, located near the western part of the county, looks as if the coal shaft running east to west opened up, collapsing the entire site, according to local officers. This small mine site had a horrible accident today. The employees were having their weekly meeting in the main building when the shaft opened. Search and Rescue personnel state they have located most of the victims. Three bodies remain unrecovered and it's doubtful they will be found under all the debris. The families have been notified. About 25 acres of the site is now gone, leaving a large hole in the area. We are asking everyone to stay clear of the place until the site is deemed safe....

"Wow, what that must have been like to have your loved ones die like that." Julie shook her head. The thought was unsettling.

"I couldn't imagine anything like that happening. It's so horrible," I replied.

We were in our early twenties when we discovered the articles, and old enough to understand the impact of this accident.

There was a map included with the article showing the location, warning everyone to stay away from the area. Our eyes went wide as we looked over the site map. It was the woods, the Black Woods.

Local authorities are trying to figure out what went wrong... the article stated.

"Do you realize the large lake at that site is...?" I couldn't finish my sentence. I was too afraid to say it out loud.

"Stop!" Julie said.

Our families weren't originally from around here. I was a young girl of thirteen when we came to live in this town. The accident with the mine would have been forty years before our arrival. Over time, people stopped talking about the mine, and what had happened.

We had looked for articles before this date, but had seen nothing of relevance to the area. Just the usual news--land transfers, new mine sites, campsites opened, etc. The oldest article we could find was from 1901, the year the newspaper office arrived in town.

It appears the mine accident was the beginning of the Black Woods, and the start to our local forest. Several other mines started shutting down, most likely out of fear, and by the 1930's, almost all of the coal mines were shut down. Following this, the mine companies began donating over 4,000 acres to the Department of Conservation, which was later on expanded into the Department of Natural Resources. The first land donated was the 65 acres from the Best Fuel Company. The company had closed all working mines in Indiana and was now out of business.

The forest is now over 7,900 acres of stripped-mined land, luring in over more than 120,000 visitors a year. Unsuspecting visitors.

Several "so-called" accidents or incidents have been recorded by the newspaper after that day in 1923.

1925: A man went by the old accident site, was attacked by a black bear, and died at the scene. Another man hunting in the woods died from multiple snake bites.

1927: A woman mushroom hunting in the accident site was found dead the next day from unknown causes.

1928: Two men were working an alcohol still in the woods when the still blew up, killing them both.

1930: A local miner, taking a lunch break by the old site, was clawed to death by a mountain lion.

1931: Two boys were hunting in the area. Later, bodies were discovered. Their heads were missing.

Numerous other accidents have been reported over the years with a total of over one hundred deaths in those woods alone, a very high number for such a small area. Sure, there is gossip about all the deaths here or there, talk about the woods. "Stay away so you don't have to deal with it," is the most common saying. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away, but knowing doesn't change it either. The woods will do what they want. There's no changing that.

Of course, bad things happened over the rest of the forest, but these were normal accidents--shootings, lost child, hit and runs, dog bites....And the accidents weren't as numerous.

### Chapter 7

### Arrived

The guys never really have to worry about anything when they are with Bob. He will pay the bills and make the decisions. It's a good thing his parents haven't cut him off. The only reason Bob's parents haven't is because he has a 3.8 GPA, leading them to believe he has a bright future.

"Man, I got to pee!" Skinner complains while squirming in the back seat. "If you don't stop I'm going to whiz on your seats!"

"You dumb shit," Erick says with a laugh, "we've only been on the road an hour."

"I know, but it hurts!"

Skinner's almost in tears from the pressure in his bladder.

Bob slows down the SUV to the side of the road. "I'm stopping here. You get out and find a damn bush to piss on."

Making an unnecessary stop aggravates Bob. Skinner jumps out, undoing his pants as he runs. Bob revs up the engine while Skinner is relieving himself.

"Stop that shit! I'm hurrying!" Skinner yells.

He distracts himself by looking around the road's shoulder as the pain leaves his body. Finishing up, he shakes and zips. "I told you it wouldn't take lon..." His words are cut off as he hears the vehicle's engine rev again. The gravel crunches under the weight of the SUV as the tires move forward. He lets loose with a string of curses while running. "Damn it, guys!" he screams.

The brake lights go red as the SUV stops. Bob revs the engine once again to warn Skinner the vehicle can leave at any moment. Skinner reaches for the door and grabs the handle. The SUV leaps forward. Laughter rolls out the now open windows like a bomb exploding.

Skinner gets the door open and then jumps in. "Damn you, fools! Now I'm outta breath," he says, panting. He slides onto the seat then slams the door.

"We thought you might like the exercise." Bob adjusts the mirror to peek at Skinner.

"Nothing like seeing all that bouncing fat!" Greg jokes.

"I think you ought to get a bra," Erick adds.

Laughter is now bouncing around the vehicle like a super ball that's out of control.

"I bet y'all are hard from watching them!" Skinner squeezes his chest, pushing his nipples up acting all girly. "Who wants a suckie?" he asks.

Everyone is laughing, even Skinner. When the boys get on a roll, the laughter is contagious. They laugh until they can barely breathe.

Eventually the laughter calms and the music gets louder. Country music blasts from the speakers, there are guns in the racks, and the four country boys are having a good time. Each boy is now occupied by his own thoughts.

Skinner hasn't had many girlfriends, with the exception of a few in high school. He can count all of them on one hand. He's thinking about that fat chick. He really likes her, but she broke his heart. To him, she is lovely, the kind of girl he could settle down with. He didn't see her as fat. He thought of it as having more to love. Maybe when we are home, I'll beg her to take me back. He smiles to himself, genuinely happy about the last thought.

Greg is wondering about the trip. What kind of forest will it be? He hopes it's the rugged kind. He hates the fancy woods, the kind they clean out manually, with little walk ways and resting spots. Yuck! Those aren't real woods. They are basically large parks for tourists. Erick's uncle didn't mention any lakes, but Greg knows there will be some. All forests have at least a few. In anticipation, he packed some poles in hopes of getting them wet. He loves to fish; the silence of the lake is calming while in the distance the deep sounds of the water frogs echo.

Erick's thoughts are scattered. He hopes to shoot a turkey, so he can boast about it. He also wants to rub in that he remembered the place. He really should get a job. Maybe go to college? Sooner or later, he needs to grow up. His brain is a tad bit slower than most people's are, making it harder on him in life. Hunting is different. It comes naturally. He would like to have a girlfriend. Last girl he dated was over three months ago. There are no immediate prospects in the future either. Damn my luck, he thinks.

Bob is staring at the road, watching it go by. This better be a damn good place after a two hour drive, he thinks. He knows the guys believe he lives off his parents, and he lets them believe it too. Actually, he does work for his money, most of the time. He earns what he gets by keeping his grades high, working around the house, and helping at his dad's store. His parents do overpay him, but hey, he didn't ask them to. Bob notices a sign for the forest, two miles ahead. He is ready to have a great time with his buddies. He hopes that it is a hunting trip that they won't forget.

"Well, we're here, let's find a good camping spot," Bob says as they pull into the campgrounds.

Driving around a small loop to the end, they stop at a site right next to a creek.

"This looks good," Greg says from the passenger seat.

Bob shuts down the engine and exits the truck. The rest of the passengers get out of the vehicle and stretch their legs. They are ready to have the time of their lives. Inhaling the fresh air, they know they have arrived.

"Get everything out and start setting up!" Bob orders before going to find the pay station.

Greg grabs the extra large tent from the storage area. "Who wants to help with this thing?" he asks.

"I will," Skinner says.

After stretching and pulling the tent into shape, they are ready for the poles. Greg looks around and can't seem to locate them.

"Hey, has anyone seen the poles?" Greg asks.

"No," Skinner answers.

"What the hell. . ."

Greg feels something poking him in his rump. He spins around to find Erick holding the tent poles in one hand. He's grinning like a mischievous child while chasing Greg's butt with the poles.

Greg struggles with Erick, but eventually he gets the poles. "I should stick this up your ass, but I'm afraid we would lose them."

"Funny," Erick says.

Skinner and Greg go back to finishing the tent, sliding the poles through the little tabs. Poof! They have shelter. Now the stakes go into the ground.

Erick unloads all of the bedding, cooking utensils, and other supplies they need for a week of camping.

Skinner puts the bedding in the tent, and zips up the tent door tight. It helps to keep the bugs out.

The camp site is all set, and the boys are ready to explore.

"It looks good around here. Let's go get some supplies. Must be a store near by," Bob says.

"Maybe we need to put Skinner on the hood of the truck. He can track down food just like an old hound," Erick jokes.

"Shut up, Erick!" Skinner shouts.

The laughter is rolling again.

They jump into the vehicle, and check out the countryside as they travel. They head straight to the closest grocery store for supplies. It takes about fifteen minutes to locate one.

"Wait a second, guys," Greg says.

The group of young men is crawling from Bob's SUV.

"Look around here!" Greg gestures with his arms wide open, slightly turning his body in a circular motion as if he was being saved at a revival.

"What the hell's wrong with you, man? I don't see anything," Skinner complains as only Skinner can.

"All the wildlife we need to hunt is walking around this parking lot." Greg bends over with laughter.

"You're as dumb as a box of rocks, Greg!" Erick doesn't seem to get Greg's comment. "All I see is an old woman and an ugly chick helping her into the store."

They all laugh now as Erick looks around again, his laughter joining theirs when he realizes it's a joke.

Inside the store is a different matter. Bob notices a good looking chick behind the deli counter. She's in her early twenties with soft brown hair, and she has a smile that stretches from ear to ear.

"Looks like I need to buy some meat," Bob says with a wink to the boys.

They whistle at him as he walks to the counter.

"How's the salami around here?" he asks, grinning.

"Oh, meat's definitely better here than anything from out of town," the girl says. Her cutting remark is obvious, and it burns Bob's ego.

"Wow, you got some spunk." He looks down at her name tag. "Addy."

"Well, when you're as good looking as I am, you learn it quick!" she says.

She smiles again. She enjoys teasing the guys. Flirting is something that comes easily to her. Not that she's easy. She just loves the teasing. As Bob and Addy talk for a little while longer, the other three go shopping for supplies.

Skinner starts loading up on beer, Greg grabs chips and cookies, and Erick's arms are filled with packs of hot dogs and buns.

"You boys ready to get out of here?" Bob asks the gang.

Back in the truck, the boys want to hear all the details about the girl behind the deli counter.

"Oh, you see, she was hot for me the instant I walked up and asked her about the salami."

Again, nothing but laughter comes from the SUV. That's all the boys really know how to do--be young and have fun. They decide to go back to the campgrounds for the rest of the day. They'll look for a good area to hunt turkey tomorrow. .

At the campgrounds, Bob and Greg go for a walk to check out the area.

"How are you doing in school?" Bob asks.

"Pretty good. 3.3 GPA, but I'm working to raise it," Greg replies. "What about you?

"Good. I can't wait for summer break though. I need a rest from the books."

"I know what you mean, but man, we'll have a good future once we graduate," Greg says.

"I know. Let's walk around that small lake over there." Bob points to a small lake about a hundred yards away.

"Sure," Greg says.

Skinner is still eating on a hot dog while relaxing in a camp chair he has carried to the creek. He watches some little minnows swimming aimlessly around the small stream.

"You still eating?" Erick asks. He carries a chair to join his friend by the creek. "No wonder you look like the poppin' fresh dough boy."

"You're just jealous of my great body," Skinner says.

Both boys laugh.

"I'm ready to go hunting." Skinner adds. He reaches down to a cooler next to his chair in the sand. "Want a beer?" he asks, handing a cold one to Erick.

"Sure," Erick answers as he takes the beer. "I'm ready to hunt too. It looks like good woods around this part."

Erick wants to boast about the trip again.

"They do look good. Well, you did it, buddy. Remembering about this place, I mean. I think we'll do good here," Skinner tells him.

Erick has an authentic smile on his face. He is glad his friend gave him credit for the find. The two young men sit idly and chat for some time. They watch as minnows swim and dragonflies land on the water. They swat at themselves as they suffer a few bites from the mosquitoes.

Suddenly, Erick and Skinner fly from their chairs and hit the water with a loud smack. They bolt upright instantly in the cold, shallow stream before looking around in confusion. Bob and Greg are standing on the bank laughing their asses off. The chairs are still in their hands.

"Damn you, idiots! This water is cold!" Skinner complains.

"You needed a bath anyways," Bob tells him.

The boys walk the short distance to the tent. Skinner and Erick break away to go to the restroom and change their clothing. The boys then begin drinking for the evening.

### Chapter 8

### Friday

It's Friday. No woods today. There's too much work to be done before tomorrow.

"Wake up, Dale." I slap him gently on the back, but there is only moaning and groaning from him. "We have lots to do around here."

"I know. Just a little longer," Dale pleads. He pulls the covers over his head, acting like a little kid in an old man's body.

"Alright, but only a little longer, then I'll wop you over the head with a frying pan," I say with a smile.

"Make sure there's eggs in it first. I could go for breakfast in bed," he jokes.

"You think you're funny," I say as I walk to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

While I am cleaning up the breakfast mess in the kitchen, Dale sneaks up behind me.

"Boo!"

I spin around, startled.

"Stop that! Do you want to kill me before our anniversary?"

We hug and he goes out the door to finish the yard work.

I get the list from the refrigerator and double check it for all the items needed for the party. I hurry out the door, and then look around to locate Dale on the riding mower. I wave at him as I climb into the car. The grass is just starting to come back to life after the rough winter we'd suffered. It was a winter full of record snow and ice. The most we'd seen in thirty years.

While I drive to our local grocer, I think about my forty years of marriage. It amazes me that it's been that long. I remember standing at the altar saying yes to Dale like it was yesterday. Now, forty years later, I'm still driving to the same store. This town hasn't changed much. We've gotten a few new lights on Main Street, a couple of new bars, and a restaurant here and there.

"Hello, babe," I say to Addy, my great-niece, as I enter the store. "Is there anything on sale today?"

Addy looks up and smiles.

"Of course. The sugar-cured ham and the smoked turkey are both on sale," Addy replies.

"Give me two pounds of each."

I look at her and suddenly realize how much she looks like her mother.

"How's your mom? I haven't seen her in a few days."

"Doing good. We'll be at your house tomorrow," she says cheerfully.

"Oh, it's going to be great to have all the family together," I say. I truly mean it. I'm as happy as any old woman can be."Well, I got a lot to do. Tell your sister I said 'hi.'"

"Will do. Love you," she says.

"Love you more," I holler at her as I leave to finish my shopping.

By the time I'm ready to leave the store, I need a backhoe to haul it all to the car. Luckily, the store has a strong young man to help.

I get all the groceries put away, so I decide to rest a spell and check my e-mails. I head to the computer that my kind brother bought me last Christmas, with a cup of coffee in one hand. The way us two are addicted to electronics, we really need to go to a geek meeting, I think and giggle to myself.

No real e-mails today just the basic spam. You can enlarge this or that with these, your PC is infected click here, we owe you money, shipment delays... so on and so on. I have better things to do. I go to my Facebook page to check on all my friends and family. I already have a lot of anniversary congratulations posted, so I reply to them all. A couple of friends have birthdays, so I wish them well. Then I have to play a little Farmville game; it's really such a simple game, which can take up hours of your day, but it's so fun. I post the last total count of mushrooms I've found. I love to keep them up to date on this, or maybe I'm rubbing it in! Only I know that answer, "giggles, wink."

The phone rings.

"Hello," I answer.

"I told you I would call." Julie is speaking on the other end.

"Okay, let's have it." I lean back in the chair to listen.

"Well, we only hunted for two hours, but got three pounds, not bad is it, not bad at all."

"Definitely not, and great for you. Now are you ready to help me?" I sarcastically tease.

"Sure, I can be there in about an hour," she replies.

I can hear her shuffling around the house putting her hiking gear away and Chris is saying something in the background.

"Great! Oh! By the way, I saw Addy today. I swear that granddaughter of yours looks more and more like her mommy."

"Doesn't she, though," Julie replies.

We mumble about a few other things before we hang up.

I pry myself away from the computer; it gets addicting at times. I look for Dale and don't have to go far. He's done with the mowing; now he's doing his usual thing.

"Don't you ever get tired of those shows?" I ask.

"Well, sometimes, you know that. Then I watch a game," he answers, with no actual feeling, since he looks tired.

"Go take a nap. I need you to help me later," I tell him, then I stroll to the kitchen to get a bite to eat.

"Did you have lunch yet?" I ask.

"Yes, had some mushrooms and a bologna sandwich," he replies as he rises from the couch.

"I guess I am tired. Wake me in a few hours." Dale heads to the bedroom.

I'm standing at the refrigerator, door open, staring. This is something I would yell at the kids for. Oh well, they're not here to see me. What do I want? I think to myself. I hear a car pull up in the drive, and I know it is Julie, arriving to help.

"Hey, girl, help has arrived," Julie says and sets down a beautiful bouquet of hand-picked flowers she selected from her yard.

I shut the refrigerator door.

"Good. Maybe you can help me find some lunch." Some days it's hard to think of something good to eat.

We dig around in the cabinets as we look for food and there's so much food, but nothing sounds tempting. Finally, I grab a can of soup, deciding that will do. We do some talking as I eat my lunch. Then we go to work on the chores.

* * *

After staying up all night drinking and telling ghost stories, the boys sleep almost 'til noon.

"Damn." Bob is really pissed they have slept so late. He figures they can't really find a turkey at this hour.

"Get your lazy asses up!" he yells, loud enough for the entire campgrounds to hear. Not that it matters that much, only three other campsites are occupied. It's still a little chilly at night for most people.

"What, no way," Skinner mumbles, still half asleep. He rolls back over, his head pounding from all the beer.

More moaning sounds come from the other two men.

"If you wanted to drink all night and sleep all day, we could have stayed home," Bob tells them.

This gets their attention and they begin to wake. They are moving slowly, their heads spinning from the beer, and eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

"Man, what a night! I had a blast!" Skinner says.

"You always have a blast as long as you're drinking, Skinner, or should I say 'Squirmer'?" Greg laughs before anyone else does; they're still tired and their heads are hurting.

Close to an hour passes before they go scouting for an area to hunt. Now they're driving down the old roads. They look out the windows for signs of a good spot. The boys notice an area that looks pretty good. Just one truck parked along the road, they pull over to check it out.

The boys jump from the vehicle, landing on the gravel road, looking like a military unit on maneuvers. All dressed in camouflage clothing from head to toe, with small spots here and there of bright orange coloring. Typical attire for the hunter. With guns slung over their shoulders, they're eagerly ready.

"Let's get 'er done!" Erick shouts, probably scaring every turkey away.

"Shit, Erick!" Greg and Bob both complain about the shout.

"Do you want to get a turkey or not?" Bob asks.

"Sorry, just ready, I guess," he replies, feeling stupid as he realizes what he did.

They enter the forest, ready for a kill.

Skinner searches for a perfect spot to plant his ass. He likes to lean against a tree and wait for his prey. He locates his perfect spot, now he waits. He's feeling a little uncomfortable, but is not sure why; something in the air is all, a vibration.

Erick's in a nice area with a good view of the forest floor and he knows Skinner is close by. He settles in for the wait; he has high hopes he will get a turkey.

Walking carefully to avoid making too much noise, gun in hand, Bob is scouting out his location; he's in his own zone.

Plopping his butt down just anywhere, Greg is ready.

Time slowly goes by; no one is hearing a gun fire.

Still feeling uneasy for no reason, Skinner searches around the thick forest. He studies the trees surrounding him.

Crack!

In the far distance of the forest, something moves. The sound spooks him. He doesn't know why he is having issues with the damn place. It's just a forest, like any other forest, he tells himself. He gets up and looks for Erick, and then he sees him. Skinner walks steadily to his friend, listening to the forest. Must have been all those ghost stories last night, Skinner tries to convince himself.

"Whatcha doing over here?" Erick asks.

"Just checking on you. Have you seen any birds?"

"No, I think this spot's been over hunted today. I saw where others have been in here." Erick rises and stands with Skinner.

"Let's walk a bit, we've been out a while now," Skinner says.

They stroll along at an easy pace, softly speaking to each other, as they keep an eye on the forest for a bird.

"We should get back at the other two for dumping us in the creek last night," Erick says.

"Yeah, let's think of a really good idea to get back. Hey, what about catching a snake and putting it in their bedding?" Skinner asks.

"Hell no! You know I'm deathly scared of 'em," Erick replies.

"Oh, sorry I forgot. We'll come up with something, I know we will."

Greg relaxes against a tree, stretches out his legs. He gets comfortable for a rest. He didn't have enough sleep last night, so he closes his eyes. The sounds of nature are ringing in his ears, and he lightly sleeps.

Bob sits on the cold ground. He's getting discouraged about this hunting trip; he hasn't seen a turkey yet. What's the deal, I should have seen something by now, he thinks. Instantly, Bob stiffens when he thinks he hears something growling. He concentrates on listening. A few minutes go by. All is quiet, except the normal sounds in a forest. Shit, what startled me? Must not have been anything, he thinks as he goes looking for Greg.

Crunch, crunch....

The noise is heading toward Greg and his eyes open quickly to find the source. He sees Bob trudging toward him, so he sits up, trying to look awake, and he composes himself.

"Damn it," Greg complains, "we've been out for three hours and I haven't seen any sign of a turkey." He is speaking to Bob.

"I hope Erick or Skinner is having better luck." Bob sits down on a stump to take a cigarette break. "I doubt it though, I haven't heard a gun shot," he adds.

"Those two are so dumb, they probably don't remember what a turkey looks like," Greg teases.

They laugh at their friends.

Greg sits down on a fallen log as he waits for Bob to get moving again.

"I think we should hit the theater after we're done here. I noticed one by that little store we were at yesterday," Bob says, while he flips ashes from his cigarette.

"Hope there's something good playing. A little town like this probably only plays PG movies," Greg says.

He watches his friend smoke that nasty thing. It's something he never understood. But he never complains when someone does, to each his own.

Bob puts the cigarette out and places the butt in his pocket.

"Are you ready? Let's go see if we can find the other idiots," Bob laughs.

"I'm with you fellers," Greg quotes a line from O Brother, Where Art Thou, his favorite movie. He stands up and stretches.

It only takes them about fifteen minutes to find Erick and Skinner. They see their friends bending over while picking something from the ground.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Greg asks, and Skinner turns around holding up something he couldn't quite see at this distance.

"We've found maybe a pound of mushrooms!" Erick yells to his friends.

"No way," Bob's disbelieving, but he's excited over the prospect of having a mushroom fry. "I want to see them for myself." He begins walking toward his friend.

When they get closer to their buddies, Greg spots some mushroom by his feet.

"Shit! Look, Bob, they are finding them."

Bob looks down at what Greg is pointing to and sure enough, there are mushrooms.

They pick for another hour before calling it a day. They have more than enough for a good mushroom fry.

When they get to the campsite, they discuss going to the movies and immediately they decide to stay to fry up the mushrooms.

"Boy this is living it up!" Erick says, as he takes a big bite of the golden prizes.

* * *

"If we get everything done today, I might be able to hit the woods for a few hours in the morning," I tell Julie as I mop the floor.

She's cleaning the counter tops, making them so shiny.

"That would be great, what else do we need to finish?" Julie asks. She's smiling as she works.

"I guess not too much more, just wanted to make the salads up today and get the deserts ready. That will probably do it," I say, grateful that will be it because I'm getting tired now myself.

"Oh, I got to wake Dale, be right back." I suddenly realize how long it's been. He's already stirring when I reach the room, so I wave at him and go back to my work.

I reach in the cabinet to get the items for the desserts, then I put everything on the kitchen table, ready to start.

Julie has the makings for the salads sitting on the counter, cutting boards with knives lying in wait.

"Do you want to start on the salad or desserts first?" she asks.

"Doesn't matter to me," I answer.

"Let's start on the salad then, we have to stand to make it. When our backs get tired, we can rest while we work on the desserts. How's that sound?" she asks.

"Fine with me; let's get started. Do you want a drink, before we start? I have Diet Coke."

"Sounds good, a little caffeine to keep me going," she replies.

We have everything done in the next two hours; it's now close to dinner time. Julie needs to get home and make some food (and probably to do yard work even though she never said it).

"Thanks for the help. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Lay around in your own filth," she replies and giggles.

We smile at each other and say our goodbyes.

I finish up a few odds and ends that need tending. I make a simple dinner of mac n' cheese with hot dogs on the side, and then sneak a few tastes of tomorrow's desserts. Yummy!

I sit down on the chair across from Dale in the living room. My line of sight is not with the television from this angle. I pick up my yarn and start crocheting a few little critters for the children. They seem to get a big kick out of those animals I crochet. I've crocheted over two hundred different kinds, colors, and sizes. They are simple little things that bring joy to the small ones. So, I make them with love. The squirrels, snails, monkeys, and turtles are my favorites. I listen to the torture screams from the television, and when the screaming stops, the room glows red. I'm crocheting a pony to the sounds of murder.

"I better put the mower away, before it gets too dark outside," Dale says. He gets to his feet and puts on a light jacket, then looks my way.

"Don't change that channel, I'll be right back." He travels out the door to do his work.

I grab the remote and change the television to the weather channel.

"Tomorrow's forecast is coming up next, but first a few messages from our sponsors," the weather person announces.

I want to see what the weather will be like in the morning. We'll hunt for a few hours if it's not raining.

"High of seventy-five degrees, clear skies, and sunny. Enjoy this lovely spring day."

I return the television to Dale's channel, then gather up the yarn to put it away for another day.

"It's still nice out there," Dale says, upon returning.

"I know, I just watched the weather. It's going to be nice for a few days now."

"You going hunting in the morning?" he asks.

"Yes, I got everything done. We'll only be gone a few hours, then be back in plenty of time for the party," I reply.

"You and your sister are nuts! Take a rest every now and then."

I give him a kiss and smile, then head to bed.

### Chapter 9

### Celebration

After a good night's rest, I get up early to sneak in a little mushroom hunting before the guests arrive. Julie and I spend a few hours out in the beautiful morning air, doing what we do best.

"It's a little chilly this morning," Julie says.

"Not for long. It's going to be a warm and sunny," I tell her.

"I can't believe you and Dale have been married for forty years now, it seems like yesterday," Julie says.

"I know, but here we are, still doing the same thing we have for years. I guess time can change things and make us grow old, but we'll never be too old for mushroom hunting," I smile.

"I also know that Addy and Izzy are excited about tomorrow. Can you believe Addy is in Med. school now?" Julie boasts about her granddaughter.

"Our first doctor in the family!" I say just as proudly. "How's that Izzy doing in school?"

"Oh, great, and she's graduating in two weeks from high school. That will be another celebration."

Julie loves conversations about her granddaughters. She has one more granddaughter named Sophie. She's only thirteen and lives a good distance away from here, but we see her on holidays and special events.

We are now going home with our golden prizes to have a celebration in honor of forty years of dealing with the same loved one (he he, only kidding.)

* * *

It's early Saturday morning, and the boys are ready to hunt. Slacking off with the beer, but over eating on mushrooms, they got a good night's rest. They are ready to kill a turkey.

"What's for breakfast?" Erick asks.

Skinner starts laughing as he thinks about last night.

"That wasn't funny, what you did last night," Greg says, pissed.

"Yeah, you almost made me puke," Bob adds.

"Well, you shouldn't have thrown us in that creek." Skinner says, still laughing.

"You two looked so funny after you bit down on that sandwich," Erick expresses.

"Well, from now on we make our own food. Got it!" Bob tells them.

"Awe, come on Bob, we was just joking," Erick says, grinning so wide his face might split.

"Let's just drop it," Greg says, "I want to get going."

"I think we need to scout in a different spot today." Bob is directing the group, the way he has done many times. "Let's get going before the sun makes us sweat."

After loading up with all the supplies they need, they get in the vehicle to look for a good location. They are a group of boys in camouflage, hanging out the windows, having a good time. They spot a nice small area, but notice one car there, so they travel down maybe a half a mile away from the other people. Since it is a car, they figure the owners are probably mushroom hunters and the boys don't want to hunt around them. The boys are now on the hunt.

* * *

We get in our car and notice a new big SUV parked about a half a mile away and we are hoping they stay where they are, because they are too close to the Black Woods. As we drive by, we notice the gun racks: turkey hunters. We look at each other with the same dreadful feeling we get anytime we see someone close to here. We just shake our heads.

We arrive at Julie's house and she steps from the car.

"I'll be down about an hour early to help get the mushrooms ready to fry. See you then!" She waves to me as she walks away.

"See you, and thanks," I holler, and wave.

We have permanent smiles, as we are so proud of our morning hunt.

I steer my car toward home with excitement pumping through my veins. All the children will be here soon.

When I arrive home, I put the mushrooms on the counter, then head to the shower. The water is refreshing, along with the smell of green apple soap. I'm ready for our guests.

"Did you get the weed-eater working?" I ask Dale.

"No, I'll have Billy look at it today when he's here," he replies.

"Okay. You need to wash up before the guests arrive."

"I look good enough, don't smell too bad either," he says, then grins as he sniffs his armpits.

"Oh well, they're used to you. Are you excited about today?" I ask.

"Yep, now I want to watch my T.V." He sits back down for his daily routine.

"You're going to turn off that bloody T.V. when they get here."

It's time for the party and everyone will be here soon. The first guest to show is our son Andrew; he is the youngest of the four children. He is married to a loving woman and they have one child, a beautiful little girl. He is carrying a large cake with an old wedding photo of Dale and me, printed on the top. My eyes tear up and he smiles at me as he walks through the door.

I have to say all of our children turned out well with kind and loving spouses. Each and everyone loves to eat mushrooms, just like their mom and dad do.

I stand by the door to give each guest a big hug as they arrive. It is so great to see them all together. The house is packed; every room is filled with talk and laughter. I know it's going to be the best day in a very long time.

Chris is outside cooking on the grill while Julie and I are frying mushrooms. Addy and Izzy are working on the rest of the food. The aroma in the kitchen is impressive and will probably linger for hours.

"I love you, Mom," Andrew walks up from behind to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Can I help with anything?"

"Yes, go entertain your father and try to change the T.V. channel. I swear your dad will never change." I smile at my son and give him a hug.

We have a feast displayed and I'm glad we do. There are so many guests here to enjoy the meal. After we eat, almost everyone is moaning and groaning with overstuffed bellies.

Some of us decide to play some games.

"Stop that cheating!" I say teasingly to one of my grandchildren.

"I'm not, Grandma. That's how you play 'Goldfish,'" she replies, looking puzzled from my insinuation.

"I know, baby, I just don't like to lose." I reach over to pat her on the head and mess up her hair.

"Okay, who wants to play again?" another grandchild asks.

We all say we do and the game continues.

Our son Bill and his wife Kelli are heading up a game of Twister. Bill is bending over his sister Patty, while she is stretching over Kelli. Some of the grandchildren watch and laugh, hoping they'll fall.

Our daughter Kelly is rounding up the little ones for story time. She loves to read to them while acting out the characters as she goes.

A few older grandsons have taken the 4-wheelers on a run over the old track we had built for our children. About six granddaughters are sitting formed in a circle, talking and giggling about boys. A normal family get-together when everyone's having a good time.

I get up from playing Goldfish with a few of the children and look around the scene. I enjoy the moment and know I will always cherish this day. All my babies are grown; most of their babies are too. Time does fly as you grow older and if you get on the right plane, it can be the best flight of your life. As I am standing here, I know I'm on the right plane. I've always felt that you may not be able to control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you respond. This is something I've accomplished through my children. Without them, I never would have been on this flight. I love you all, I whisper to myself as the evening is ending. When each person leaves, I give them a hug, sadly watching them go.

It's nine at night, and the last guest has left. We are excited as much as tired. The evening is now quiet. Most of the cleaning up has been done by this person or that person. I will do the rest in the morning. Right now, I'm sitting on the couch with Dale. As I look at him, I know this has been the best anniversary.

"I love you." I speak softly as I give him a kiss. I lay my head on his shoulder and watch some bloody T.V.

### Chapter 10

### The Hunt

Hunting in these woods looks more promising to the boys. They spot a big tom running as they enter.

"You and Erick go that way." Bob points south for Skinner and Erick, whispering as he speaks. "Me and Greg will go that way." He now points to the north.

The boys agree with a nod of their heads, they're not going to scare the turkey away this time.

Bam!

The noise startles Greg and it makes him jump slightly. He sees Bob fifty yards away, with his gun to his shoulder. He's still looking down the sights with light smoke rising from the barrel. He slowly looks at Greg, shakes his head from side to side to indicate that he missed.

Erick and Skinner hear the gun fire in the distance. Skinner is tucked away behind a thick group of bushes while his friend is some seventy-five yards away, sitting against a tree.

Each boy is in their own world with their own thoughts as they wait for an unsuspecting turkey to strut by.

Bob moves from his spot, because he needs to relocate after firing his gun. He hides by another tree base. As he settles in to wait, he listens to the forest. A few birds are chirping close by, tree frogs making their unmistakable sound, shuffling of small animals... All to do now is wait, he thinks as he listens. He hopes he doesn't get spooked like yesterday. What is it about these woods? he wonders.

Greg is maybe now two hundred yards away from Bob, and he watches as his friend repositions. Greg also changes areas a little more south, hiding behind some damn briars. This location seems to have a lot more of those sticky things than most woods. He truly isn't much of a hunting fan like his friends are. Oh, he always tags along pretending to enjoy it, all the while wishing he was someplace else. How much can someone take of just sitting and waiting? Not him.

Bam!

The noise doesn't startle Greg this time; it is farther away. Hope Erick just shot Skinner or the other way around. Doesn't matter to me, he thinks. He has a crafty grin on his face.

The last "bam" did scare Skinner. He stands up to look for Erick. When he locates him, he sees his friend is on the move. Must have gotten one, Skinner thinks as he sits back down. Now he really wants to shoot a turkey. Damn, my luck. I will be the only one who doesn't. He is always short in the luck department. With a determined look on his chubby face, he watches, waits, and listens. All ready to hear that crack he heard yesterday. What was that thought for?

"You dumb ass," Erick mumbles under his breath, as he takes off after the turkey he just missed. He knows he didn't shoot it, missed it, plain as can be. He doesn't want his friends to know, because he's had it with the teasing for now. So he takes off after nothing. Walk around, look like you're on a chase, his mind tells him as he steps. Finally, he feels like he's walked enough, so he sits back down. If I just waited a few more seconds, I would have hit the damn bird. Shaking his head in disgust, he begins waiting and listening. A cold chill runs down his spine.

"What the hell?" Erick whispers.

The wind picks up slightly just before noon and Greg texts his friends to tell them to meet him at the SUV. His stomach is growling loudly enough to scare away any turkey. He walks along and thinks, it's going to be a nice day. It feels around 68 or 69 degrees already. I wish I had gotten my shot. Oh well. He can see the vehicle sitting there looking so lonely, sunlight bouncing off the chrome. He strolls over to the truck and stands leaning against it as he waits for his friends. He scans the scene around him. He's enjoying this time with his group. But he's still having an uneasy feeling about the woods and he can't figure it out. He decides he's just hungry; his mind playing tricks on him, that's all.

Slowly each friend emerges from the woods like lost soldiers looking for survivors, their heads held down, each one empty-handed.

After they put the guns in place, they strip away some extra clothing layers. Each takes his normal seating arrangement in the vehicle. They are ready for lunch as they drive away.

"Where we headed?" Skinner asks Bob.

"Going back to camp to get a bite to eat, and then head back out," he says, as he lights a cigarette. "I think we ought to come back here."

"You're right," Erick answers. "I shot me one, but the damn thing got the slip on me." Lying to his friends is easy as long as it makes him look better. Just because Bob can admit missing his mark, doesn't mean I have to, he thinks as he sits with his buddies.

They arrive at the campsite, each making his own food. After last night, they won't trust each other again.

"Want a yummy sandwich, Bob?" Skinner asks him.

"Don't you come near my food."

"Mine either, I had enough of your cooking last night," Greg says.

"I got some more grasshoppers in the cooler," Erick adds.

Skinner and Erick laugh, but the other two are mad. Really, they are almost sick thinking about the fried grasshoppers on their food.

The four boys are hanging around the camp. One stretches out on the ground, one is sitting at the picnic table, another sits in a camp chair, and yet another is leaning against Bob's SUV. Just good old boys hanging around shooting the shit, with high hopes and great expectations for the return trip to the woods.

"Do we have any mushrooms left?" Greg asks.

"No, we ate those all last night," Bob answers, as he's chewing on a lunch meat sandwich.

"I've got a good feeling about this hunt. I know we're going to get a turkey today," Skinner says.

"I don't know about your feelings, they're usually gas," Erick jokes.

"Followed by shit!" Greg smiles.

Laughter is in the air again. It never takes these young men long to make a joke. All four are laughing and getting along, fried grasshoppers all but forgotten.

It's time to head back to the woods.

"Are you ready?" Bob asks. He gets up and stretches his legs, then he waits on the others to do the same.

Greg isn't sure he wants to go back out for the hunt, because it's a nice day. Actually, it's an exceptional day: warm and sunny.

"Hey, I think I would rather fish when we go back," he says to the other three. "I think that nice big lake on the other side might be worth checking out. We can get some fresh fish for dinner." He looks at Bob now, as he waits for his reply.

"Really sounds good to me. What do you guys think?" Bob looks to the other two. He knows they will agree with whatever he says.

"Sure, sounds fine," Erick says.

Skinner just shrugs his shoulders. He doesn't give a shit what Greg does. He just wants to shoot a damn bird.

They load up with more determination this time. They plan to get a turkey one way or another. They drive down the old gravel roads, watching the trees go by. The woods look unnaturally dark today. The sun is out, fully sparkling light everywhere, but the shadows in the forest seem looming.

This time they park by the lake. They exit the vehicle in the military style they do so well, as if the troops have arrived.

Greg scans the area, taking in the size of the lake.

"Now that's a big lake," he says, with the excitement of a true fisherman. He strolls over to the dock and checks out the area as the others get their hunting gear ready.

"Here you go," Bob says, tossing the keys to Greg. "Don't go hot roddin' her." He places his finger to his neck, sliding it from one side to the other, as if cutting his throat.

"You take the fun out of everything!' Greg whines like a kid, then kicks and screams; he's acting the part well.

"Hey, the woods here look dandy. What to check them out?" Skinner asks, he's just itching to get on the hunt.

Bob glances around, also scanning the scene.

"They do look inviting, let's try them out," he says.

"Worse comes to worse, there's probably mushrooms out there if nothing else. We saw that car parked close to here this morning," says Erick. He's excited when he realizes he's had another idea. Wow, two in two days, working on a record! he boasts to himself.

"Fish and mushrooms, YUMMY!" Greg says, as he gets out his fishing gear. His facial expression is sly. "If nothing else, you know I will catch a fish."

"With that note, let's hit the woods," Bob tells the boys.

After entering these rugged woods, all three decide to split up. Erick will travel south, Bob's to go north, and Skinner will head west. Each one is very much ready for his kill.

Bob scans the plot of ground he has chosen to hunt, looking for signs of his prey. He trudges across a small marshy area, slowly disappearing into the forest.

Skinner looks around, and then straight ahead. Traveling alone, he begins to travel his path. He wonders if he'll even get a chance to fire his gun.

Erick is eagerly ready to find his bird of choice. He changes his course in the direction of his area; he walks on.

* * *

Greg takes to his fishing as the woods swallow up his friends. He's enjoying his day already; second throw out he has a nice trout, a keeper.

"Now that's some good eating," he says out loud to no one. He would rather fish any day of the week, than go in those old woods. He looks over to the edge where his friends went in. He squints to get a better look. He thinks he sees something large crawling. After he studies the tree line closer, he doesn't see a thing. Oh well, he thinks to himself as he goes back to his fishing. He picks up his pole and casts it a good distance in the lake. It makes a light "plunk" as it breaks the surface. He forgets all about the dark figure he had seen in the woods.

* * *

"What the HELL!" Skinner yells to himself. He doesn't care if he scares off all the wildlife. He's been in the damn woods over two hours and now he's being attacked. Crawling over his entire body are small, no tiny, ticks. Turkey Ticks is what the hunter calls them. Very tiny black dots that will bury themselves in your skin, then suck your blood. This is a new one on Skinner, he's never seen so many, ever. There they are covering him, crawling everywhere. Their little legs feel like barbed wire digging into his flesh. They're also biting him here and there, pain like salt in a wound. Have to get them off, is all he can think. He strips free of most of his clothing, smacking and slapping himself, trying to be rid of the tiny crawling pests. He grabs his cell phone, types a message, hits the send button, and he's leaving these woods.

* * *

Bob is resting against a tree when he decides to move on. With his gun on his shoulder, he travels deeper in the forest. He has seen a few turkey, but nothing in range of his sights. These woods are full of hills giving way to large valleys. He senses something in the atmosphere here that is different from any woods he's been in. Not quite placing this emotion, he takes one step, stops, and then listens.

Crack!

He can hear the sound of a step, not far behind him. He steps again.

Crunch!

He hears this time.

"Shit!" he mumbles to himself. What in the heck is tracking, no, stalking me? he thinks as he's frozen with fear, can't move, don't let it know you're here. He's been hunting since he was hold enough to carry a gun, and he's never seen or heard anything like it. If it is a wild canine, it should be growling or snarling by now. Deer, turkey, and anything else, these thoughts go through his mind, would run, not stalk. Minutes pass, standing there so still, afraid. Turn around and face it! He couldn't listen to his mind, because his body's frozen. He begins to understand that dreadful feeling he had earlier.

* * *

Erick is becoming discouraged with hunting in this area. He wanders around in a valley to search for a better location. From time to time, he hears a low growl, dismissing it as a bobcat lurking around. He knows there's not much danger in one attacking, especially in the daylight. Erick walks up a rocky ravine. He wants to see how the top of the hill looks. There is lots of hiding up there for a nest or two. He has hopes of spotting a turkey, although he's about to give up on seeing one after this long. Maybe I'll head back to the clearing and wait for my buddies, he thinks as he climbs the hill. His left foot steps down in some rocks and he hears a sound.

Hisssss!

And he knows he's in trouble. His foot settled in the middle of some rocks, he's scared to look down, but he can't stop his eyes. Oh hell! is all he can think. A large ball of squirming snakes, not just any snakes, but copperheads. They're maybe an inch from his boot. Terror floods his soul. He's deathly scared of snakes, a true phobia. One of his worst fears is staring him in the face. He slowly reaches to get his cell phone.

* * *

Greg has caught more than enough fish for them to eat, small mouth bass, trout, and a few nice redear. For the last hour, he's been stretched out on the dock, with his shirt off to tan his muscles. He's enjoying the relaxation.

Might as well get my gear put away, he thinks as he stands up and rubs his own abs, feeling the muscles under his fingertips. He knows he looks good and he works hard to keep it that way. He's almost done putting the gear away when he gets a text message from Skinner.

Covered in ticks, on my way, shit. The message reads.

You're a dumb ass! Greg replies to Skinner by typing, then presses the send button. He grins at the thought of his friend whining about some ticks. As he throws the last of his gear in the SUV, he sees a half-naked man stumbling from the woods. He's dropping clothing as he goes, including his gun on the ground. Nothing but fat bubbling like a pot on the stove, he knows it's Skinner.

"Damn boy, run around like that you're asking for something to bite you!" he yells at his friend.

Skinner doesn't pay any attention to his comment; he's running straight to the lake. The water rose several feet with a splash as the young man jumped in and went under.

Greg walks fast to his friend. Looking at the water, he can see the lake turning black on the surface. So much black, moving around and crawling, as the ticks struggle to find solid ground.

Skinner emerges about ten feet away from the black mess. He gasps for breath as the cold water stops the air from entering into his lungs. Running now to save his friend, Greg jumps in beside Skinner, and pulls him to the shore. He can see his friend still has ticks on his body. Both boys are now freezing, but Greg still has enough adrenaline running, so he doesn't much notice. Greg tugs at Skinner to get him to his feet. The two walk together as if they are lovers, Skinner under Greg's arm as Greg holds him up. Slowly they move to the truck, and then Skinner opens the door to rest on the seat.

Greg goes to the spot where Skinner had dropped his items. He picks them up and looks at the woods, as a sense of unease washes over him. He spins around in the direction of Skinner and jogs back to the vehicle.

"I got your stuff, but the clothes are covered with ticks."

"Just get my cell phone from the pants and put the gun away. Leave those ticks out there, I've had enough," Skinner tells him.

Greg receives another message. He tilts his eyes down at the screen, and the word "Erick."

Snakes, help, the text states. What's happening in those woods? Greg wonders as he stares at the words. Think, he tells his brain. He knows Erick is deathly scared of snakes. This isn't a laughing matter, not after what just happened with Skinner. He's trying to think of something to help his friend. He remembers an article he had read about snakes that might help Skinner. Noise, no movement.

Real slowly, turn on a LOUD ring tone, drop phone fast at snakes and run. Hope this works!! He employs the send button. If his friend does what he's instructing him to do, they will lose cell phone contact with Erick, but it's the only thing he can think of.

Well, I wonder what's happening to Bob? Greg thinks as the cold water is now seeping into his bones. As if on cue, he has another message, Bob, the phone screen reads. Greg opens the message.

HELP!

Oh shit, he knows what he must do. Skinner's resting in the SUV and Greg turns to him.

"Bob and Erick are both in trouble out there, but right now I got to get to Bob. Which way did he travel?" he asks.

As Skinner explains the directions, Greg puts on a long sleeved shirt. He has no time to change the wet pants. He grabs his gun, spins on his heels, and flees in the direction of his friends. His heart is pounding so fast over worry for Bob and Erick. He sloshes through the marshy area to rescue a friend, and then disappears in the woods.

* * *

Erick waits for a reply from Greg, as it seems to be taking an eternity. He hears his cell phone make that sound, that a text message has arrived. He presses the open to read button and stands there staring at the text message his friend has sent. What the hell will that do, make them crazy, or even bite me? He thinks this at the same time he is scanning for his ring tones, clicking on the first one. He turns up the volume, slowly dangles the phone over the snakes, he then drops the phone, withdraws his leg, and runs fast. He couldn't believe what he saw, reflecting now as he slows down his speed to catch his breath. The snakes struck at the phone before it hit the ground, hissing loudly while lashing out; they looked like a gnarled punk group head banging at a rock concert. Crazy shit, he thinks, but it worked. Phoneless and not to mention half scared out of his wits, Erick begins his journey out of there. He's heading to the safety of the lake. He jumps when he hears any noise that sounds like a snake.

* * *

Greg sends a message to Bob, on my way, then puts the phone in his shirt pocket, remembering the pants are too wet.

Greg may not like hunting, but he's excellent in the woods. He can track a rabbit for a mile, his dad always told people, and he knew it as the truth. He's always had this gift, and he loves to use it. At the edge of the marsh, he steps in the woods and begins following his friend's prints, hoping he'll find him soon. So many hills back in this section of the forest; it's making it rough to move quickly. He watches for signs of a snapped twig, disturbance of the earth, or a good old plain footprint. Tracking is nothing more then noticing an unnatural disturbance, something uncommon for an animal to have done.

Bob hears his cell phone and he knows it's a text from Greg. Fear is keeping him from looking at his message. It took all of his courage to send the first and only message. He can't look. He knows Greg is on the way, that's what matters.

Greg and he are like brothers, always together, at either school or anything else they can find to do. Most of the time, they talk about girlfriends. Sure all four are friends, but Greg shares a bond more like a kinship. The only way to really explain is, a friendship you would die for, strong. I will stand here until Greg arrives.

* * *

Erick is wandering through the woods, which are now slightly darkened from the evening moving in. It is maybe six or seven o'clock, he didn't have his phone to check. Not too dark if out in the open air, but in a forest thick with trees, not much sunlight can get in. His nerves are on the end of their rope after that scare with the snakes. In his run of fright, he has gotten himself turned around. Not real bad, he thinks, just a little. How does one get lost just a little? He never thinks of that. He keeps telling himself he will get on track soon. This is a big forest and he knows how bad it can be to lose yourself. It can take days to find him. He knows the rule of being lost, stop and hug a tree. Okay, that might sound dumb, but it holds true. If you stop and hug a tree, someone will come along and find you. If you stay on the move, more likely you will always stay a step ahead. That is not what you want when you're lost. He takes a deep breath, holds his gun to his chest, and moves on with hope he'll get on the right trail soon. He wants out of here, like yesterday.

* * *

Skinner rests in the vehicle, still freezing from the cold lake water. He looks at the steering column and sees the keys dangling. Thank God, he thinks, feeling relief as he starts the engine and feels the heater come on. He searches the truck, looking for something warm to put on his body. He locates a few clothing items that will work. Struggling to dress in the SUV, he finally gets it accomplished. He's tired now from the ordeal he went through, so he relaxes while waiting for his friends to emerge from the darkened woods. His body still hurts from the remaining ticks holding on to his flesh. He picks a few off that he can reach, but most are on his back. His eyelids ease shut and he begins to sleep.

* * *

Greg is tracking and still following Bob's prints, up a hill, down a hill, through a valley. The tracks are getting fresher again, so he knows that means he is getting closer to Bob. He'll surely be stumbling across him soon. He thinks about hollering to him, but he's afraid it will spook Bob. He didn't want to do that to a man with a gun. It looks as if Bob stayed on a small deer trail, as Greg watches for prints. He wonders what has happened to Bob out there, because his friend's a strong minded person, and not easily frightened. This is definitely out of the norm of his character; he's never asked Greg for help. I'm on my way!

Bob is standing so still, he looks as if he's taken root, now growing and becoming a part of the forest. Blood is rushing to his head so hard, the sounds of the ocean are in his brain, slapping around making him off balance. Turn and shoot, he keeps telling himself, but his body won't listen. If you keep standing here sooner or later it will attack, then what? I don't know. Slowly he reaches for his gun hanging from his shoulder and gently slides it away, he now has it in both hands. TURN! His body finally listens this time, letting him spin. Bob aims straight ahead and pulls the trigger. He hears something running in the woods, some scared animal. He stares straight ahead at the space he released his bullet, watching in horror as someone is falling.

"GREG!" he yells.

His feet take to running, stumbling on everything underfoot trying to get to his friend.

* * *

Skinner wakes up with this awful notion of his whole body on fire. He shakes his head to remove the fogginess from sleep. He remembers where he is, and why his skin is so sore. Through the windows, he can see the moon shinning. Dark, so dark; it is too late for the boys still to be out. He grabs his phone to make a call, but he glances at the screen and sees a text message and three missed calls. He decides to open the text first. It's from Bob.

Get help Greg's been shot! The text message reads. Holy Shit, Skinner thinks wildly as he reads the message. The three missed calls are also from Bob, the last one maybe an hour earlier. He tries calling but only gets the voice mail. Next, he tries Erick, with the same result. Last is Greg's phone, he dials his friend's number, still no answer. Now he dials 911, he's trying to tell the operator where he is and what happened to his friends. The person on the other end says they got a call for that location earlier in the night from a man claiming he had shot his friend. Officers came by only to find a drunken man asleep in his truck. What the hell is this person saying, a drunk who called? And then Skinner understands. He tells the operator the drunk man is him, and his friends are really out there lost and hurt.

"Officers are on the way, stay there..." The operator tries to keep him calm, using the voice she was trained to use.

The only words that matter to him are, help is on the way. So sorry, I'm really sorry, he thinks as he hangs up the phone. I never should have gone to sleep. What kind of friend am I? Skinner looks at his phone and turns up the volume. He had turned off the volume when he was out on the hunt.

The first officers arrive in fifteen minutes, but it felt like an hour to Skinner.

"Who are you, young man?" one of the two officers asks as he walks to the SUV.

"Skinner, I mean Biff, Biff Johnson," he speaks to the officer too fast. He wants to tell him to get in the woods. "My friends are out there, please go find them."

"We will, Mr. Johnson, please give us just a minute," he tells Skinner.

One more police car pulls in, carrying two more officers. They walk over to Skinner and the other officers.

Skinner fills them in on all the information he has. He explains he wasn't drunk, showing them his bites, pointing to the ticks still on him. Within fifteen minutes, the officers are on the move and ready to go in the woods.

Now he's missing his friends, Skinner dials Bob's number repeatedly. He hopes he'll soon get an answer from the other end. He remembers all the stuff, good or bad it didn't matter, that his friends and him have done during their friendship. Anything to keep his mind busy.

One officer will be stationed to stay at the lake to watch and wait for signs of the boys. The other officers will enter the forest to search. An officer walks over to the SUV, chats small talk, and gives Skinner updates. Skinner can care less what the officer is saying; he just wants to know when his friends are found. He wants them here with him and he has been ordered to stay put in the vehicle.

"Don't want to add one more to the missing," one of the officers tells him.

Skinner's stomach growls and he feels guilty for being safe and hungry. Help is on the way; hold on buddies! He digs around the interior of the truck, looking for something to eat. He needs to fill the void in his stomach. Crackers with cheese in a nifty little tray, are resting on the backseat, he knows they're Erick's. His stomach is overpowering his emotions, he opens up the small container, and the smell of cheese hits his nose. He eats the snack and then gets a beer from the cooler.

### Chapter 11

### Dark

"Greg, Greg, wake up man, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there!" Bob screams at his friend.

He's more scared now than when he was being stalked. How in the hell did he shoot his friend, his true friend?

"Please man, please be alright!" Bob tries to steady his voice as his lips tremble.

He bends down next to his buddy to search for the bullet wound, knowing he must apply pressure. Blood is oozing from his friend's left shoulder. He tears the shirt away from the area. Close inspection lets him know he hadn't hit anything vital. His friend will be okay if he can get him help soon. Bob takes the pieces of shirt in his hands and begins applying pressure. He gets out his cell phone with his free hand and shakily dials 911. Next, he tries Erick's phone; the voice mail service answers so he hangs up. He then tries Skinner and still gets no answer. Bob doesn't want to relieve the pressure on his friend's shoulder so he puts the phone in his pocket. He must wait for help.

He listens to the dark world and hopes he'll never hear that awful "crunch" sound again. It is an unusual sound for this kind of forestry; a sound which scares him.

Bob can feel Greg stir around with some groaning sounds as he tries to wake.

"Come on Greg, wake up." Bob pats him on the face as he is pleads for him to recover.

Greg's eyes slowly open for a second then shut tight again.

He's going to be okay, I know he will, he thinks. Bob sits next to Greg and holds one hand on the wound while softly patting his friend's face with the other.

Half an hour goes by before he opens his eyes again.

"What happened? Where am I?" Greg almost whispers. He's still lying on the ground with his friend next to him, his skin as pale as his body is weak.

Bob can hear the quivering voice and it's noticeable, by the look of relief so plain on his face.

"You're okay, it's going to be okay," Bob replies. He cradles his buddy's head against his legs.

Gently, Greg's eyes shut, but not fully as his mind tries to interact with this world. He opens them again. His pain is clearly showing deep into the glassy orbs.

"My shoulder hurts like hell," Greg quietly speaks, but with a little more strength to his voice. His lips are no longer quivering.

"Here," Bob says as he puts a bottle of water to his friend's mouth. "Drink this."

Greg gags slightly when he receives a few sips down his dry throat. The cool water in his mouth improves his wakefulness and makes him feel slightly more alive. He takes a few more sips and the cool water hits in the bottom of his stomach. A wave of nausea comes over him, but passes just as fast as it came.

"That's enough," he says to Bob.

* * *

Erick is still wandering listlessly around the forest, lost with confusion. Damn, how could I let this happen? he thinks to himself. He knows he should sit down and wait. Earlier he heard a gun fire and he hoped one of his buddies got his prey.

He knows they are looking for him, they had to be, his friends will get help. Oh well, at least I found some mushrooms walking around this forest. He tries to keep his mind busy. The pockets of his hunting jacket are stuffed full and he pats them to verify the mushrooms are still there.

What is that? He hears something that put chills down his spine. Don't move, just listen. His brain now kicks into overdrive. Erick stands still like a statue in a fountain, which way did that come from? he thinks again. Dark is now falling in on him with barely enough light to see in the woods, shit this is the last thing I need! His thoughts are not reassuring.

Crack!

He hears behind him and he spins around to see what it might be, nothing. He can't see more than ten feet away, damn the dark, this last thought chills him. Erick still holds his gun to his chest, and he now slowly raises it to take aim. Although he's not hearing any sounds from the noise maker, he knows something is peering through the thickness of the trees. He decides to stay on guard. He feels something's profoundly wrong in his soul.

Swoosh!

The sound fills Erick's hearing followed by air flowing forcefully around him like a fan blowing on high. Then he hears a....

Hoot hoot.

He sees the grandiose owl soaring through the night air, as the leaves floating through the darkened space settle back to the cold earth.

"Damn bird!" Erick yells at the lovely nocturnal beast.

His heart thuds so hard against his chest it's as if it's blasting in a coalmine. He can feel the vibrations deep in his inner core. He returns to his guard duty. Now with some hope, the owl might be his noise maker.

* * *

"What happened?" Greg asks him again when he realizes he's somehow hurt. The pain is dreadful.

"You were shot and I'm afraid to tell you this, but I'm the one who shot you," Bobs says, with clear regret in his voice. "I'm sorry man, really sorry."

His eyes are tearing up, purely from the regret. He hopes his friend will somehow forgive him; he truly didn't mean to do it.

"It's okay, man, I'm still here..." Greg's voice is weakening and fading out, "I'm tired." He closes his eyes once more.

To watch his strong friend struggle this way is heart breaking. As Bob sits there with true remorse, the tears flow down his cheeks. He hopes help will be there soon. Bob sends a text messages to the other two. Why aren't the police here yet? Where are Skinner and Erick? These questions go through his mind, while he sits there crying like a child. He looks at his phone. The battery indicator shows only one bar left, damn, he knows he better call someone before his phone goes dead. He tries Skinner and still no answer. He will keep trying to contact Skinner every ten or fifteen minutes, or until his phone battery is gone.

In the meantime, he needs to make one more very important call.

"Hello."

He feels relief and dread as the person answers.

Bob takes a deep breath.

"I have some bad news," he tells Greg's father on the other end of the line. "Yes, help's on the way and when we get to the hospital I'll call you again."

After he hangs up from the call, he looks at the phone, 7:43 p.m. The battery light is blinking. The woods are dark and in the stillness of the night, he hears a growl, an unmistakable sound, somewhere in the distant forest. He hopes whatever made that sound stays away.

* * *

Erick still has a dreadful sense something is watching him from the wooded area. He swears he can hear low breathing, just waiting for the right opportunity to show itself. It isn't long before he hears the eerie noise break the night air silence. Erick listens closely to the crunching noise. It sounds more like footsteps.

YES! His chest pounds in excitement, they found me.

"OVER HERE!" he yells, his voice carrying loudly. "You're lucky I didn't shoot your ass." He lowers his gun and the only reply he receives is a low depressing growl.

"Oh shit!" he screams in pure panic. All thoughts of rescue are gone from his terrified mind. His pants are suddenly wet down one leg as he softly cries and begs for his life. He lifts his gun quickly and tries to keep it steady. He can see eyes, glowing blue eyes, and teeth shining as if they are crystals in a cave.

Grrrrrowl....

The sound makes its way through the entire forest.

Oh Lord! Don't let me miss, Erick thinks as he feels the heat of the creature's breath. He closes his eyes tight and pulls the trigger.

Bam!

The gun fire echoes off the blacken trees in the darkness.

Erick feels the teeth penetrate his wrist and he opens his eyes. The animal rips the rifle from him along with his right hand. He sees it spit out his gun with a hand still attached to the trigger. Erick's scream is unreal, not a sound attributable to any man. The animal twists its head back toward Erick and studies him for a few seconds. Erick can't stop screaming as he's losing touch with reality. He sees the creature open its mouth, and a large tongue extends from its deep, dark throat. The tongue is rough and slimy as it licks Erick from his torso to his forehead. When it slides across his face, Erick stops screaming. It's trying out the menu before taking a full bite. The hard slap of a paw against his left cheek sends him to the ground. How did I miss? is his last thought as his brain shuts down. The animal of the Black Woods is clawing him around the forest floor like Erick is a cat toy. It rips flesh with each blow of its oversize paws and protruding knife-like talons. Teeth dig into Erick's neck to pull a fresh hunk of meat into its mouth. The scene is so bloody, that everything within twenty feet glows red. When the creature's sure its prey is dead, it lets out a deafening cry. All wildlife in the area run away, fear shooting through their small bodies. The large creature rises upon its hind legs, almost sitting, then leaps into the air and disappears as quickly as it arrived.

Erick's body is no longer recognizable, his head is only pieces of flesh mangled with clumps of hair. His clothing is torn to shreds, gun lying beside him, useless. Scattered on and around his body, are mushrooms dripping with thick red liquid.

The animal sits in the forest using its large porous tongue to clean the blood from its paws while it waits for the next victims.

* * *

The first two officers enter the woods together and cross the marshy area until they're on solid ground. They separate to cover the land more quickly. The youngest officer goes north while the other travels west. They know the reputation of the woods, but it's their jobs to serve and protect. With guns at their sides, the officers feel confident they're prepared as they walk alone in the Black Woods.

The other two officers are still at the lake with Skinner. One is almost ready to proceed into the woods as soon as he finishes the details with the other officer. He's worried to enter those woods and he's sure the other officers have their own emotions about this rescue. Two of the officers there tonight did a recovery in the woods once. They went right in, found the person, the body, and right back out. Most who enter don't make it far into these woods before something happens. This is different, these boys have been out for hours now, and they may be to the other side. The Black Woods is a long, narrow area, only two acres across and twenty acres back; more than likely, they have wandered off the Black Woods area, or at least the officers hope so. The last call for these woods was over two years ago, not long enough for them. The third officer is ready for the search and he swiftly enters the woods.

* * *

Brad Presley is one of the first officers to enter the woods. He walks north as he searches. He's a young, energetic man who is ready to take this on and retrieve the lost. As he's the new kid on the force, he's never been on a missing person call. Excitement pumps fast, but within thirty-five or forty minutes he's spooked and slowing down. The woods are so dark; he didn't expect that. He's carrying an inadequate flashlight, shining in a straight line only about seventeen feet. Shit, he thinks when he trips on every root and rock. He scans with the lousy light, and all he sees is hills, big hills. This area is maybe around forty acres, but including up and down the hills, it's double that. He can see some other lights bobbing around in the woods like some old scene from a scary movie. He knows they are co-workers fundamentally doing their jobs.

Brad stops to take surveillance of his surroundings.

"Greg, Erick, or Bob, can you hear me?" he says loudly. "Officer Brad here to help." In a few minutes, he'll move on if there's no reply from the young men. Faintly he can hear someone else yell the similar call, as they all look for the missing.

He is wishing the state issued better flashlights when he hears a slight scratching sound. Not much of a sound, but enough to make him stop and listen some more. After a bit he decides he's letting his mind get the better of him so he moves on. A strange and eerie feeling washes over him, as his skin prickles with goose bumps.

He must change his thoughts, so he thinks about his wife of just three months to relieve the dreadful feeling. He never thought he would find someone like her. She's his perfect life partner. His mind is lost in thought when he hears the scratching sound again. It seems to be coming from over head. He looks up and studies the treetops, nothing he can see. His nerves are now tingling like he has stuck his finger in a light socket.

* * *

Greg's fully awake now. He speaks with Bob as they try to build a plan.

"I remember the way back, it's only about an hour," Greg says. "Help me up so we can get moving."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. You've lost a lot of blood and you need your rest," Bob says.

"I understand, but we've got to try. I need a doctor." Greg pushes up his body with his right arm. He slowly rises, but wobbles to his knees and falls back to the ground. The earth is growing cold along with the night air and he's losing body heat with wet pants and half a shirt. He figures it won't take long before his body will react to the elements. His arms are heavy, too heavy for him to lift.

"Please help me," he pleads to his friend.

Bob knows what Greg says is true; they do need to get out of there fast. Bob gets to his feet and turns around to squat in front of his friend. He looks like he's going to take a dump right there.

"Ah man, if you have to do that, go someplace else." Greg still has his sense of humor.

This put a smile on Bob's face, it's good to hear his friend make a joke, and it actually gives both boys the expectation of a safe return.

"You dumb shit, grab my shoulders and I'll let you tag on my back," Bob says, and smiles.

"I can't, my arms are too weak. Sorry man," Greg says. He tries to think of some other way, when he notices it's dark. "Hey, what time is it?"

"I don't know. My cell phone died. Why?" Bob doesn't understand why it matters.

"No real reason; just wondering, it feels late," he answers.

"I don't think it's all..." Bob starts to reply, but Greg stops him with a wave of a hand.

"What happened to you earlier? I mean, what scared you?" He remembers why he's there with his friend.

"Oh, it sounds stupid now. I thought something was stalking me and I felt like I was on the other end of the hunt. Stupid huh?" He shrugs his shoulders to indicate his own disbelief.

"It does sound stupid, but you're not the one to get spooked, so something must have been going on," Greg says as he tries to stand again. "Where's the help? Did you call anyone?"

"Hell, yeah, I've called and I don't understand it. They should have been here a long time ago," he says with a sharp pissed off tone, not intending it for Greg, but out of aggravation that no one's there.

"Where's my cell phone?" Greg asks.

Bob looks shocked, he hadn't even thought about Greg having one, but of course, he would.

"I don't know I didn't see one. Check your pants," Bob tells him.

"I didn't have it in my pants. They were wet so I put it in my shirt pocket," he says, and pats his chest for the phone. "No pocket on that side, it's gone."

"Shit," Bob says, and he drops to his knees. He digs around the ground searching for the cell phone.

Greg tries to help by patting ground around his legs the best he can.

"Did you move me, you know, after the accident?" he asks Bob. He didn't want to say "after you shot me."

"No, but your body did leap back a bit when the bullet hit your shoulder. Maybe it fell out and back, I'll check." Bob crawls behind his friend feeling his way in the dark.

His hand touches something frigidly cold and hard and he knows he's found the phone.

"I found it!" Bob almost shouts, then he sits down by Greg and checks the phone. It's dead. He flips it over to see the back is missing. "Shit, I'll look for the battery." He hands Greg the phone and returns to the spot he found it. Within seconds he says, "Got it."

Greg puts the phone together and turns it on. The screen updates the time, and it reads 11:47 p.m. Before he can make a call they hear something in the woods. Both men know this is the last thing they need right now.

* * *

Buck Holt and Aaron White are two officers walking together in these woods, even though Buck entered with Brad about ten minutes earlier. When Buck lost sight of Brad, he waited for Aaron. They knew to split up, but felt the need to walk side by side. But if anyone was to ask them, they would say they it was an accident and they didn't need the company. They hike northwest and hope to leave these woods soon. They've been walking for more than an hour now with nothing to show for it.

"To hell with this," Buck says to Aaron, "let's sit down and take a break. Besides, those dumb boys are probably dead by now anyways."

"I can't believe you said that, but you know me, I'm always ready for a break," Aaron replies, as he sits down next to Buck.

Neither one likes to work; anytime they see a chance to sit down on the job, they take it. They're very lucky, or unlucky, the other officers haven't caught them yet. Both are crooked men who would do anything for a dollar as long as they don't have to work too hard for it.

Buck's real name is James. A friend of his gave him the nickname in grade school. When he was in third grade, he wouldn't do anything for anyone, until they paid him a dollar. His friend told him his parents should have named him Buck. After a while, all the kids started calling him by the nickname.

They chat as they rest, not listening to the woods around them, but something is there.

"Erick, Bob, or Greg are you there?" One or the other will yell and then they go back to their conversation.

"So, how's that wife of yours?" Aaron asks.

"Just as fat and lazy as yesterday," Buck replies.

Both men laugh because they know it to be true. His wife is one of those women who thinks everything in life should come to her, and if it doesn't, it isn't worth getting up for.

"You shouldn't talk about your own wife like that," he says to Buck.

"Why not, she ain't going to get up to hear it."

"Stop, you're making my side hurt," Aaron says. He holds on to his right side as he laughs.

Buck lights up a cigarette and blows smoke up in a ring.

"How's life been treating you?"

"Not bad, wish I would win the lotto. I wouldn't have to be sitting here if I did," he answers.

* * *

With the cell phone in his hand, Greg's ready to dial, but instead he listens to the woods.

Shuffle...Shuffle....

is the noise; they clearly hear it now and both boys let out a long breath.

"Damn I guess we're jumpy," Bob says. "Just some small animal."

Greg punches some buttons on the phone.

"Hello," he says to the other person. "Stop screaming and listen. Bob and I are okay for now. I've lost blood from the bullet and need help." Greg explains to Skinner where they are. "Let me talk to an officer," Greg says, and he hears Skinner yell.

"Greg is on the phone, it's Greg, him and Bob are alive!"

"Hello."

A voice Greg has never heard before picks up the phone. He explains to the officer what happened and where they are. No, they hadn't seen Erick, he answers the officer's question. He presses the "end" button, and now all they can do is wait.

* * *

The three officers in the woods have been advised contact with two of the three young men has been established. Brad is to go locate Bob and Greg, while the other two are to keep looking for Erick.

* * *

Buck and Aaron continue their chat for another fifteen minutes after they receive the news that two of the young men had called in. Each officer knows he should be looking for the other man, but they still gossip on.

Soon they hear a slight noise.

Crunch!

The noise comes from deeper in the woods. They figure it's the other officer and jump to their feet to begin the walking and looking process.

"Man, that was close," Aaron says.

"I know," Buck replies. They walk a short distance and believe that the other officer is gone, so they sit back down to talk some more.

"Was you in on that big marijuana bust out here last week?" Aaron asks, a cunning smile spreading like a disease.

"You know it! I made a good amount off that stuff too. I kept me about a pound out before the others showed up and started packing it into evidence bags. Dumb shits, don't they know how much money they can make on the stuff?" Buck speaks with plain small town stupidity.

"I just knew you had some of it. I always keep me some back too," Aaron says.

"I know," Buck replies in a whisper. "I hear something else." He places his finger to his mouth to indicate to be quiet.

Crunch!

They hear the noise again, louder this time. Then whatever it is stops like footsteps, but not quite.

The guys are facing each other and listening.

Crack!

As the forest floor gives way to something heavy, the sound is close.

"What is it?" Aaron asks nervously, but tries not to show it.

Buck just shakes his head from side to side while listening to the sound.

Something hits Aaron hard on his back, knocking him forward into Buck, and they both go down hard. The pain in Aaron's back is so bad, it must be broken, he thinks when something bites him in the neck.

* * *

Bob is speaking with his parents on Greg's phone.

"We have been here a long time," he tells them. "Please get us help. The local officers are in the woods looking for us, but apparently they can't track worth shit."

They talk for a while longer before they hang up.

"They're calling Erick and Skinner's parents to let them know. I guess Skinner never thought to call them, dumb shit," Bob says.

Both boys smile faintly, trying to keep their spirits up.

"I'm feeling better. Let's try getting up and moving. We're going to freeze if we don't, it feels about fifty degrees out here," Greg says while he slowly tries moving.

Bob has put his shirt on Greg to help keep him warm, but it doesn't do much. Only good thing about the cool weather, it looks like it is slowing down Greg's bleeding.

"Oooh!" Greg moans with every attempt at movement.

"I truly am sorry, man, you of all people. I'd never hurt you on purpose," Bob says, feeling so terrible to see his friend in pain. It's not funny like Skinner needing to pee.

"Forget about it buddy, when I feel better, I'll kick your ass," Greg says with hope that his friend understands he doesn't blame him.

"I'll let you. Now let's see if we can't get you to your feet." He puts his arms around Greg's upper body and lifts him to his feet.

Greg's head spins. He closes his eyes, and rests his head on his friend's shoulder. Slowly he tries to take a step while Bob holds him up.

* * *

Buck is lying under his friend's body and he can see the monster attacking them. Aaron now has a jagged hole in his neck, but somehow he's still alive. The animal is so large and heavy, and is pressing down on Buck so he barely can breathe.

A claw now reaches for him and it goes across his face as it rips all the skin away and he still screams after his face is gone.

Aaron looks at his friend's face in disbelief. He tries to figure out where it just went. The only thing he sees is bloody bones, but his friend is still screaming. Then everything goes black when the animal tears Aaron's head from his body.

Buck watches as the creature rips his friend's head away smoothly from the neck that held it. He knows something is wrong with his face, he saw the paw slice through the air. He felt it hit his skin, but he doesn't feel pain now, it's numb. Buck can still see the animal clawing his friend. It now pulls Aaron's body away from Buck with its large mouth. He inhales deeply when the weight lifts from him. He stops screaming and pushes his body back with his arms as he tries to flee from the monstrous thing. He moves slowly, because he's too injured to perform any quicker motion. He hangs on to hope of an escape while the animal is busy with Aaron's body. A faceless man crawling the crab walk, the whole time never taking his eyes away from the creature. He only gets a few feet when the animal stops suddenly, then looks to Buck as if just remembering he's there. Shit! Quit looking at me, he thinks. Buck's unmoving on his back, still in his crab walk position. The animal stares at him. It seems to be making a decision on what to do with Buck. They stay in this stand off for several minutes.

The creature finally goes back to the body at hand.

Buck breathes again; he hadn't noticed he was holding his lungs back from their duty. Creeping away on his back, he's too scared to change his line of sight. When a light bulb goes off in his head, he reaches for his gun.

The animal seems to sense something is up. It looks back at Buck. His hand is almost on the butt of his revolver when the animal leaps. He watches the animal soar through the space between Aaron and him. From this angle, he can see just how large the beast is. Spread out to its full length over his body, flying like a majestic eagle. It must be over eight feet long. Raising his gun is useless as the animal is now on top of his body.

Buck begins to scream, but his throat has been removed by the creature.

This attack is quiet and fast. The animal moves in for the kill as if it knows to be silent so the others in the area will not be alerted. It tears at the lifeless bodies until it knows they are dead, and then it is gone into the night. A trail of large bloody paw prints is the only clue of what happened to the officers.

* * *

Brad, the other officer, pauses to listen, then trudges on hoping it will be over shortly. The uneasy feeling the woods are watching him hasn't faded. He spins around quickly to scan the dark forest, but nothing is there. He begins to whistle a light tune with expectations it will drown out the forest noises. After a few minutes, he realizes he can't hear if the boys are yelling, so he stops the whistling, even though it's making him feel better. He carefully picks up his pace in hopes of finding the other two boys soon. He's the only officer left in the woods searching, he just doesn't know it yet.

### Chapter 12

### Imaginary Line

My phone in the bedroom rings.

"Hello," I say so sleepily, the person on the other end probably can't understand me. My eyes open wide and I sit up fast, when I hear what the person says.

"Oh no, not there. Okay, we'll be on our way," I reply, and my heart pounds faster after my body catches up with my brain. Tonight Julie and I have to enter the Black Woods.

Dale rolls over and looks at the clock.

"Man it's almost one in the morning. Who was that?"

"It was the forest dispatcher and they need our help. Three young men are missing," I tell him as I try to hurry my old body. "They've already called Julie."

"I'm coming," Dale says as he rises from the bed to join me.

"No, you stay here. It looks like this might be a long search and I will need you to take my place when I'm tired." I knew he couldn't walk in the woods, not for long anyway. He feels the need to help me and I understand.

Reluctantly he agrees and gives me a kiss as I'm getting dressed. I don't tell him where I'm going. I know he would try to stop me.

My sister and I have only been in the Black Woods once, a long time ago. We were picking mushrooms and they were up like crazy that day. We were hunting in our regular woods and not paying attention as we went. We traveled a little too far off course and landed in the wrong area. We soon realized our mistake, and fear set in as we were too afraid to breathe. We could hear something following us, and we slowly started to move.

Crunch!

We heard the ground giving away under the weight of something heavy in the woods behind us and then again.

Crack!

We looked at each other, and we knew we had to run fast. With all our might, we fled the area, and ran as hard as we ever had in our lives. Luckily, we weren't far from the imaginary line, the Black Woods line. Panting loudly, we turned to look at the woods. Pure fear was evident on our faces and what we saw froze us in our tracks. It was some kind of animal, what, I don't know. Nothing we ever saw, nothing anyone has ever seen that we know of. It ran straight at us, its teeth shining.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my," I could hear Julie chanting next to me.

It skidded to a sudden stop, stared at us with those eyes, and snarled as it lifted its head, Then, it ran back into the woods. The mouth was like a lion's or a tiger's, the nose protruded too long, like a canine's. Its ears were too small for the large round head. The body was full of muscle, front legs shorter than the back ones. A long tail and smooth, shiny, short black fur covered its entire body. Its eyes were bright blue, shining pure evil. It was so oddly misshapen, nothing in proportion with its body.

"What the hell!" I heard myself say as it disappeared.

What keeps that wild animal in those woods is probably a question no one will ever be able to answer. We knew about the imaginary lines and we never strayed across them. We were told always to stay away and no one had to tell us why we shouldn't cross it, after we heard the stories, we didn't want to.

We tried telling everyone we met, but that didn't work out well. We gave up talking about it. Our family believed us and that's all that mattered. Now when we are out mushroom hunting we stay clear of the line as we hike those hills. We can hear a low growl, a crack, and crunch from time to time. We know the animal's eyes are on us, waiting for us, and we can feel its fury and rage.

I grab a large bag and fill it with food and drinks, and I know Julie is doing the same. When officers have been out this long, they need energy, and if we're lucky enough to find the missing, they will be starving and thirsty. As I close the door behind me, I pray for everyone's safe return. Going back to those woods tonight will be the second scariest thing we've ever done.

* * *

Officer Roy stands at the lake and tries to get Buck and Aaron to answer their radios.

"Hello, all officers please report." He speaks into his shoulder radio.

"I'm here, Officer Brad reporting in."

"Have you seen Aaron or Buck out there lately?"

"No," Brad replies.

"They're not reporting in. If you do see their sorry butts you tell them to radio me immediately," Roy demands.

"Sure thing," Brad answers.

No word yet on Erick, and now officers Buck and Aaron are not answering their radios.

"We need more people, do we have any names for volunteers that might be available?" the officer at the lake asks the dispatcher on the radio.

"I already made several calls and located two, Julie and Laura, they're on the way," the dispatcher replies.

"Only two, we have six people out there now and we know the location of three, but still haven't heard from the kid named Erick and now Officers Aaron and Buck. Damn, we don't need to lose anyone else. I hate these Black Woods," Officer Roy says. He's standing close to the SUV as he is speaks. "Well, at least you got those two women. I remember working with them a few years back."

Skinner listens to the officer talking and wonders why he is calling them the "Black Woods," he looks over at the area and they do seem to be dark.

* * *

Officer Brad hears a cat's meow, but deeper and stronger than a household pet. Damn, I don't want to run in... he thinks.

Yowl!

When a bobcat leaps from overhead off a tree limb.

The cat lands on his back and digs its claws in deep. Brad has his revolver in his hand, but he's struggling to keep his footing. He's barely able to stand with the excruciating pain. He raises his gun over his shoulder and shoots.

The cat hits the ground with a "thud" and so does Officer Brad. His back's painfully in bad shape, he can feel the blood run.

He radios for help and no one is available at the moment, but someone will be soon. The bobcat starts to move and Officer Brad shoots it again.

Now he's all alone and bleeding. He tries to get to his feet.

* * *

Skinner observes a white pickup truck pull in by the lake and park. An older man with a dog is talking to the officer. He sees his chance and he's going to take it. Slowly he reaches for the SUV's door handle and pulls up.

Quietly he slides from the vehicle, sneaking like a bank robber. With his cell phone in hand, he enters in the woods. I'm on my way, buddies, he thinks as he runs wildly through the woods looking for his friends. He doesn't care about some old ticks now; he only has the boys on his mind. They would do the same for him.

There's something bad wrong with these woods. He doesn't know what it is, but it's hanging in the air so thick it's hard to breathe it in. It's as if it doesn't belong in this whole forest, another place all its own. He must quit thinking about the woods and find his friends.

He stops to use his phone to call Greg.

* * *

Julie and I arrive at the site which is also our mushroom area. We see the officer talking with Dick.

"What's Dick doing here?" I ask Julie, like she should know.

"I don't know, hope he don't think he's going in there!" she replies, with a look of puzzlement on her face.

We get out of the car, holding the bags filled with nourishment, and walk to where the two men are standing.

"Hello," we both say to the men.

"What are you doing out this late?" Julie asks Dick.

"One of the boys out there is a nephew of my friend. He called and asked if I could come by, see how things are going," Dick replies as Sugar tries to lick us through his open window.

We pat the dog on the head, trying to calm her down a little.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, what's the boy's name?" I ask.

"Erick," Dick replies, "his parents are really worried for him and the others. Those four boys are like brothers, hardly ever apart. His parents are on their way along with the other families. It'll take them some time to get here. I told them I will stay until they arrive, that's the least I can do for them."

"That's kind of you to do," I say.

He nods his head and rubs his dog's nose to get her down.

"How you been, Roy?" Julie looks at the officer.

"I've seen better days," he indicates regarding the situation, "right now we know where two of the three boys are, and they have a phone. Three officers are in the woods looking for them."

He has a strange look on his face as he pauses a second, and then continues.

"But we have a problem. Only one officer is replying to the radio calls." He shakes his head slowly. "That's the Black Woods, no good comes from them."

"We hear you loud and clear," I answer, feeling scared and hoping they don't notice. "We've been in there once and vowed never to go again, but here we are."

Julie and I talked about a plan in the car on our way to the forest. We're going to walk the perimeter of the Black Woods and stay on the outside looking in, yelling for the boys. If that doesn't work, then we'll go in. We know the imaginary lines because we have hunted these woods for over forty years. We hope whatever keeps the animal inside won't fail us tonight.

"You girls are crazy doing this stuff at your ages." Dick makes the statement out of concern for his friends.

"Oh, you only live once, besides we might find a mushroom or two out there tonight." I say with no feeling, too worried to really joke around, and everyone else feels it too.

We hand the officer the supply of food and drinks, then head to the woods with our backpacks filled. A couple of mushroom hunters out on a hike, and we enter in our woods as we try to stay clear of the line. We begin the search by yelling the three young boys' names. We walk on the edge of the Black Woods.

"Do you think Erick and the other two officers are still alive?" I ask.

"We must believe it or why else would we be here?" Julie answers.

"You're right and I do have hopes of finding them." I can feel the Black Woods animal's eyes on us and I know it is there waiting for us to cross the imaginary line.

"Erick, are you there?" I loudly ask to the night air.

"It's chilly tonight," Julie says, shivering.

"Did you wear your long underwear?"

"No, but I wish I had."

"Julie, you're silly, I grabbed mine immediately."

We keep the small talk going, always listening for sounds in the darkened woods.

### Chapter 13

### Rescue

Back at the lake, Dick and Officer Roy are still talking.

"I better check on the kid over there, he might like some of these treats." Roy says, and points to the bags of supplies.

Roy knocks on the SUV's window and waits a bit for the boy to roll it down, but nothing happens. Then he reaches for the handle and opens the door, he looks inside to find no one is there.

"Damn!" the officer says loudly.

"What?" Dick asks.

"Dumb kid has run into the woods to find his friends."

Officer Roy shakes his head as he reaches for his radio on his shoulder. He tells the dispatcher what Skinner has done, and to keep the families informed of the events.

"What's that kid thinking?" the dispatcher asks.

"He just wants to help his friends, and he isn't thinking about the danger," Roy replies.

The officer walks back to the white truck and radios the others in the woods, still only getting a response from Officer Brad. He updates him on Skinner and the two volunteers.

"How you holding up out there?" he asks, after he's done with the updates.

"I'm actually better and I think the bobcat only scratched up my back. It's definitely not as bad as it felt and I'm back out searching now," Brad replies.

"It's really good to hear that. Call in with updates," Officer Roy tells the man.

He returns to guarding the lake and watching the woods.

* * *

After the bobcat attacked Brad, he didn't think he would be walking again so soon. But calming down and catching his breath he realized it wasn't that bad. The cat had just landed on him and only began to scratch when he shot and killed it. The pain combined with the blood was enough to scare a brave man.

Now he is ready to get back to the search. He knows he's getting closer to the location of Greg and Bob, but it is slow going in the dark.

Boy I'm grateful my wife made me wear all these clothes, they probably saved my back, he thinks. The one thing truly keeping him focused is his training and he's grateful to be out doing his job. He's weak and tired, but keeps moving on for the boys.

"Bob, Greg are you there?"

The only reply is he hears is a "hoot" from an owl.

* * *

Bob is holding Greg upright and he is able to stand on his own feet.

"Try to take a step," Bob tells him.

Greg is trying, but his legs are weak and heavy. He takes a few steps and stops.

"I can't. I have to rest," he says, frustration plain on his face. "Give me a minute and I will try some more."

He lays his head on Bob's shoulder to rest.

"I'm sorry for what I did. You're my friend and it's killing me to watch you struggle like this," Bob says softly.

"Bob, I don't blame you and I know you would never have hurt me on purpose, so stop blaming yourself," Greg reassures his friend.

They both slightly tremble with emotion as they stand there holding each other. A tender moment between two best friends with tears building in their eyes.

The cell phone rings in Bob's pocket.

"Hold on, Greg, the best you can while I get the phone."

When he lets go of his friend with one of his arms to reach the phone, Greg lets out a small moan from the pain.

"Hello," Bob answers, and puts his arm back around Greg, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder.

"Hey Bob, I got away from that stupid officer and I'm on my way to help," Skinner says excitedly.

"Man you're crazy! We didn't have flashlights with us, so how you walking around in this dark?" he asks Skinner.

"I'm using my cell phone light; it's got one of those built in penlights. It's not much, but enough."

Bob explains to Skinner which deer trail to follow in the woods to locate them and he also asks if he's heard from Erick yet. Skinner tells him "no" and starts his journey toward his friends.

Greg and Bob are still standing and holding each other as their friendship builds even stronger.

"It's going to take Skinner an hour or more in this dark to find us and I don't have much hope in the officers now," Greg struggles to speak. The pain in his shoulder is immensely horrible now, but he knows he must try to walk.

"Let's try moving again and hopefully meet him halfway," Greg says.

Bob opens his mouth to speak when they both hear the noise.

Crack!

The sound is in the distance but still too close.

"That sounded like it's just over the next hill. What do you think it is?" Bob asks, he stands in fear again remembering the thing stalking him earlier in the day.

"It's heavy enough to break a limb as it walks so it must be something fairly large," Greg replies to his frightened friend, not really helping Bob with his answer.

They stand there listening for the next sound.

* * *

Officer Brad looks around the forest trying to decide which way to go. He was given the direction to stay to the western side and travel north, and within an hour, he would be at the location of the two young men. He has been out way over that, but with the bobcat attack slowing him down, he still worries he may have gone too far. He yells their names again and anticipates he'll find them before long. He's climbing a steep hill and needs to rest but knows he must move on. One foot in front of the other. Hands holding on to this tree or that shrub to help him climb.

"Oh, damn it," he says out loud when he trips on a small log and breaks it in two. He starts to slide down the hill. He catches a branch and holds on. What else can happen to me tonight? he thinks as he gets back up and begins his climb again.

Now at the top of the hill, he shines his light around and yells the boys' names. He stops moving as he genuinely thinks he hears someone answering his yell. The officer opens his eardrums to take in all the sounds of the night. He hears something faintly in the woods.

He waits, listening for the sound again. Thank God! he thinks, and then he yells louder.

"This is Officer Brad, is someone there?"

"YES! Down here. We're down here!" Bob and Greg scream as loud as they can.

"I'm on my way," he yells back to the boys. Slowly and carefully, he comes down the hill to rescue the young men.

Bob and Greg are watching the officer climb down the hill. They can see his flashlight bobbing along the darkness. Their excitement shows as they hug each other, tears of joy shining in their eyes.

"I can't believe it!" Bob yells.

"Me either, now we can get out of here faster with his help," Greg replies, almost in a laugh. He briefly forgets the pain in his shoulder.

"Hey, I'm going to call Skinner, let him know to go back. His light isn't good enough to go look for Erick, and we don't even know where he is," Bob says. He makes the call, and by the time he tells Skinner the news, the officer is close enough to talk to them.

"Boy it's sure good to see you guys. I've been walking forever looking for you two," Brad says, about fifty feet away.

"You're glad, how do you think we feel!" Greg says.

As the officer gets closer, they can see all the dirt and blood clinging to him.

"Man, what happened to you?" Bob asks Officer Brad.

"Damn bobcat attacked me and then I've fallen down I don't know how many times," he replies.

Brad reaches on his side and releases a bottle hanging from a hook.

"Here drink this, it'll help you. It's an energy drink."

"Thanks," Bob tells the officer and hands it to Greg. "You need to drink all of that," he says to his friend.

"I have to call in and let them know I've located you." The officer reaches for his radio on his shoulder, and tells the other officer the good news.

They sit for a spell to let Greg get his drink down. They chat about each other, and the search while they wait. They worry about Erick, and hope he is safe and found soon.

* * *

We're still walking on the edge of the woods as we look for the boys, when my cell phone rings. I answer, and Officer Roy lets us know Bob and Greg have been found and they're safe. I hang up. Julie and I feel better about the search.

"I guess we're now looking for one missing boy and the two officers not responding," Julie says.

"Man, this is a relief, and I hope we find the others soon, because I really hate being here." I say this even though it doesn't need to be spoken.

Crack!

The sound is loud and we know exactly what is making it. Our heads automatically turn toward the Black Woods and we see a pair of bright blue eyes staring at us, from maybe fifty feet away. It emits a low growl, its teeth shining in the moonlight. It knows we'll not come closer. The animal saw us before, and it wants us to know it's there. The creature stands on its hind legs and in one leap, it's gone, back to the shelter of the trees.

We hold each other, and fear the day the imaginary line will no longer imprison the evil it contains. The violent beast has been a prisoner to the woods at least seventy years.

"Come on, let's get moving, it will help relieve the shakes." Julie tells me and we begin the search again.

"We're here to help!" We yell into the night air, about every ten minutes with desperate hope of a reply.

After a little time passes, I ask.

"Where do you think that animal came from?"

"I don't know, but I do think it has something to do with the collapse of the Best Fuel mine and the big hole it made all those years ago. I just can't figure out how," Julie answers.

"Me too, and how come it stays in there like some force has it trapped. An animal in the wild, caged by its own habitat."

We've had this discussion many times over the years and yet we still haven't come up with a reasonable answer.

We yell again and this time we hear a voice deeper in the woods. As loud as I can, I yell again.

"We are here to help, can you hear me?"

We are quiet as we listen for a reply.

"YES! I'm down here, this is Skinner." The voice carries clearly to us.

"Can you see our lights?" I ask.

We are on a hilltop and we shine the lights down into the dark woods.

"Yes, I'm on my way to you," Skinner replies with a big sigh of relief, grateful for someone to walk with in these woods.

"Be careful, we are waiting. Don't rush and fall down," Julie tells the young man.

Both of us are still worried about the animal in there, but it's been awhile since we've last seen it.

"Did you bring a gun?" I ask Julie. She usually has a small hand gun in her backpack.

"Yes," she says. Then it dawns on her why I asked. She digs into her pack and retrieves the gun.

I nod to her with agreement. We wait and listen for the young man to make it safely up the hill. We know we could go in the woods and walk with the young man, but knowing the animal is watching us, we figure it's safer for everyone, including ourselves if we stay outside the line. Ever since we ran into the animal years ago, we feel it's stalking us and wants us more than any other person out here. Maybe it's simply because we got away. If only we knew more about it, we could get rid of the animal, and the Black Woods.

* * *

Greg, Bob, and Officer Brad are ready to make the trip out of there.

"Let's see if we can get you up," Brad tells Greg. "Bob, you take one side and I'll take the other, let's get this boy up and moving."

"I'm as ready as I can be," Greg replies, and with their help, he stands. He's ready to begin the walk. He takes a step and then another.

"Hey, I think that drink must have helped, I feel a little stronger," Greg says.

"That, and knowing your friend here has some help holding you up can make a difference," Brad says to the young man.

Greg knows it's true; he was really worried that Bob wouldn't be able to help him the whole trip. He was holding back on moving because of it. He didn't want to burden his friend, give him any other reason to blame himself again for failing him. Bob stayed with him this whole time, instead of going for help and leaving him alone. This idea never crossed either boy's mind, as they are friends sticking together, side by side, no matter what happens.

* * *

I call Officer Roy to let him know we have located Skinner and that he is making his way to us as we speak. I ask if he has any other recent news. Roy says "no," and we hang up.

Julie stands beside me, and watches for signs of the animal. She holds her small gun, probably useless against the evil. We quietly listen to every noise the woods can make, when we hear the sound.

Crack!

The limbs and twigs break as the heavy creature walks along the edge watching us.

"Oh no!" Julie says, frightened beyond words.

I can't speak as I try to take it all in. We're instantly staring at a pair of bright blue eyes, with shiny teeth glowing in the moonlit woods. Then the kid climbing up the hill towards us begins to scream.

### Chapter 14

### Enter

"Stop screaming!" I finally find my voice and yell to Skinner. The poor boy sounds like he's losing it right then and there.

"Don't move, and stay calm," I say. A statement so much easier to say than do.

Bam...Bam...Bam....

The gun fires so loud my ears are now ringing nonstop and finally the boy quits screaming.

The animal lets out a horrible growl, and rises on its hind legs. It leaps into the forest.

We don't know if the bullets can even harm the thing, but we see our chance and we take it. We run to save the young man from the creature and with a slight hesitation, we cross the imaginary line. No turning back as we know we don't have much time, we now enter the Black Woods.

* * *

"Who's shooting and why?" Greg asks, while hanging on to his friend and the officer.

They have been walking for about twenty minutes and he's still holding up fairly well.

"Beats me. Maybe there's another bobcat out here, and whoever it was just killed the damn thing," Officer Brad answers.

"Well, I just hope it wasn't Skinner, the damn fool probably shot himself," Bob says, his sense of humor back, now as they're walking to safety.

He and Greg laugh, but the officer doesn't get the joke. He's figuring it's something between friends.

Officer Brad radios to ask about the gun fire and he's told no one has called in to report firing any weapons.

They go back to the slow progress of walking with two injured men. They talk and joke with high expectations of a safe journey to the lake, unaware of the wounded animal that's headed their way.

* * *

We race down a steep stripper hill to retrieve the young man, and we stop suddenly when we see the reason he's screaming. Our eyes bulge in disbelief at the horrible scene in front of us.

Skinner raises his head to look up, unable even to move as he stands in the middle of a murder site. The blood is everywhere and the valley looks as if the woods have changed to red for the incoming spring. We see a mangled body in the mess and we know by his clothing that we're looking at the other missing boy named Erick.

Julie stands still, ruggedly gasping for air as she stares at the grizzly sight.

"Come on, snap out of it! We got to get that kid and get out of here fast." I tell her as I climb on down to where Skinner is standing. "You know that animal can come back any minute, now come on!"

She finally takes in a deep breath and lets it out, then follows me to the young man.

Skinner's hysterical with fear and grief for his lost friend. He can't believe his eyes, it must be a bloody joke, this can't be Erick.

"Get up, you dumb ass, and quit joking around," he says to the dead man. He hopes it's a joke Erick is playing, but it's not, and tears stream down his face as he cries like a child.

We stand at the scene with him, trying to get him to leave.

"We're so sorry about your friend, but we have to go fast before it returns," I say to the grieving young man. He doesn't seem to hear what I'm saying and I don't think he even noticed the animal or the gun fire.

Julie and I start pulling on his arms and he begins to move with us, but his eyes stay on his friend's body. We get him walking and head for safety at the top of the hill.

Our hearts beat so fast when we reach the top and we look out to our woods. Only twenty feet to go for safety, which looks more like a mile away. The boy slows down when we reach the top and we have to pull at him again to move.

One foot crosses the line and now two; we are safe in our woods. We both let out a big rush of air, and fall to the ground. We're weak from the quick climb to the top, with fear running through our bodies.

"I can't believe we got him out safe," Julie says softly, so the young man can't hear. "And the animal stayed away."

"We're lucky. The thing must have run off after you shot it." I also speak in a whisper.

"Are you two okay?" Skinner asks as he notices us lying on the cold earth.

"Yes, just old and tired from the climb," I tell him.

"What a horrible way for you to find your friend, we're so sorry," Julie says, while she rises to a sitting position.

He sits down next to us, and cries, covering his face to shield out the world.

Julie puts her arm around him to comfort him as he weeps.

I walk a few steps away and call Officer Roy to let him know we now have the boy.

"Did you fire a gun?" the officer asks me.

"Yes, that was us, a bobcat was after Julie, and she shot it." I dislike having to lie, but I figure he will think us crazy. "But I have horrible news to relay, the young man named Erick is dead, and looks to have been attacked by a wild animal."

"I sure hate to have to tell the family and your friend Dick. He has been talking about the four boys all night and it's going to break his heart," the officer says. "How's Skinner taking it?"

"Not too well as you can imagine, Julie is consoling him now. It might be awhile before he's able to start moving," I reply, and we talk a little more before saying our goodbyes.

As I walk back to Julie and Skinner, I'm so saddened for the young men and what their lives will be like, with one in the group gone. I sit down and wait for him to come to terms with what he saw.

* * *

They walk slower as the night draws on. Greg is weak and needs to rest, but doesn't want to stop for a break. "I'm okay," he answers when they ask him.

Officer Brad knows the young man needs to rest and he's weak himself.

"Let's rest a bit anyway; I need it even if you don't. My back is stinging like fire ants are making a nest on it." This is very much the truth but not the reason.

Greg is grateful to rest. He hadn't realized how tired and weak he was.

Bob has been carrying both their guns this whole time and he puts them down, also needing to relax with the other two men. He stretches out and leans against a tree trunk. He closes his eyes against the darkened night.

Greg leans against a different tree and looks over at his exhausted friend with appreciation for their friendship.

"You know, Bob, you did shoot the biggest turkey on this hunt," Greg tells him and laughs at his own joke. One thing for sure, it's hard to keep a young man from poking fun. All three men laugh at that one.

"Damn, you know what it's going to cost to get that old tom stuffed? He weighs about one hundred and eighty pounds," Bob replies, with his own joke back at Greg.

"It's good to see you boys can joke about being shot by your friend, now that takes forgiveness," Officer Brad says.

Either forgive and forget or hate your friends, but these two could never hate each other.

Brad watches the young men laugh and joke as they rest. He knows he's only a few years older than they are, but he feels a lot older at the moment.

Greg and Bob stop telling jokes and now relax quietly.

Bob is thinking about the day's events and what all has happened. He can't wait to get out of these damn woods.

Greg is just grateful to be alive, with his friend and the officer.

All three are leaning against a different tree trunk, with their eyes closed, when they hear the first....

Crunch!

Officer Brad and Bob jump to their feet immediately and grab their guns. Bob hands one down to Greg. They are on guard and ready as they wait for the sound to expose its maker.

* * *

Skinner calms down and gets his act together. He tells us he's ready to start the walk. We get up and begin walking as we keep an eye on Skinner so he doesn't cross the border of the woods. We don't want to explain the lines, and what is waiting in there, or how it wants to attack. So we keep him on the far side away from the Black Woods.

"Do you want to go back the way we came, or head over to the open area and go that way?" I ask Julie.

"Let's just stay on this path we came in on and that way if the missing officers are close, we'll hear them," she replies, and looks over at Skinner. She is reacting as a mother hen would. Last thing we need is for him to go wandering off again.

"Sounds fine to me," I reply and we keep walking.

Julie knows why I asked the question and why I want to go the other way, but she's right. We need to stay by the woods even if the animal comes back. From where we are, we can see most of the hills and valleys in those woods because we're on higher ground. We keep a good twenty feet from the line and look for the officers. From time to time, we yell out their names.

"What do you think happened to Erick?" Skinner asks and it startles us to hear him speak. He's been so quiet this whole time.

"Oh, Hun," I answer, "that was an awful thing for you to see, I know. But it was probably a bobcat or a mountain lion; it's hard to tell," I reply softly, with care and understanding.

"Do you think he felt all that pain?" he sadly asks.

I look at Julie. I didn't want to answer that one, so she replies.

"He was probably knocked out with the first blow. Wild animals don't take long, so I don't think he felt much," she answers. She didn't really know how to answer his question.

"Hey, I see some light moving down there in the valley." Skinner points in the direction of a small dot floating around in a valley.

"That is a flashlight down there," Julie says and we look.

"Call your friends Bob and Greg and see if that's them," I tell Skinner and look back at the valley. "I wonder why they're staying in one area like that?"

"I don't know, maybe they're resting before moving on," Julie answers, and then we listen to Skinner speaking into the phone.

"Hey, I think we see you guys, we're on the big hill across from you. What? What do you think it is? Ah shit man, we'll be right there," Skinner says. He hangs up and says his friends might be in trouble and we need to get to them.

I grab his arm and stop him.

"Woo right there, young man, what did they say?" I ask.

"Something large is stalking them and they're not sure what it is," Skinner answers.

"Okay, do they have guns?" I ask as he is trying to leave.

"Yes," he says.

"Do you want shot? If we go running down there and that animal is there, they're going to shoot before asking who it is," I tell him and he stops to think.

"We need a plan and fast," Julie says. We know it's urgent for us to react, but what?

"I know. Now let's think," I say, hoping someone will come up with a good answer.

"Well, I think we need to get moving and think of something on the way," Skinner wants to get to his friends, like now.

"No that's not good, call them back and let me have the phone," Julie tells him.

"Okay." He dials the number and hands it to her.

"Hello, I'm Julie and I'm with your friend Skinner. What are you hearing? All right now, look up at the tree tops. I'm shining a light, can you see? Good, now if you can move, start walking this way and we will start moving toward you. And whatever you do, keep your guns in your hands at all times because there is a large animal in these woods and it's extremely dangerous. I know I sound crazy, but I know what I'm talking about. Keep your eyes peeled at all times. We're on our way." She hangs up the phone and looks at me.

We now must enter the Black Woods for the second time tonight. This time it doesn't look good for any of us.

* * *

Bob hangs up the phone and tells them what Julie wants them to do and the crazy story about a large animal. But standing there are three grown men with guns and they're frightened of that noise in the woods. Maybe the animal story isn't all that crazy. As experienced hunters, they know the thing making the noise has to be large, very large. Slowly but steadily, they begin walking to the big hill. They hear the first growl.

"Oh shit, that don't sound good," Greg says as the other two are holding him up. "Let's get to moving, right now."

"I agree," Brad answers.

They move more quickly this time and Greg isn't minding at all. Hell, he's almost walking on his own now, and he doesn't even notice. They keep an eye on the woods, as they want to get away from the sound.

Grrrrowl!

The animal is close, too close, and they know it's behind them. They pick up their pace as much as they can.

* * *

We're almost to the bottom of the hill when we hear the loud growl. We know the sound too well, but we have to travel deep into the woods to help.

Skinner turns to look at us and speeds off in a run, faster than Julie or I can ever do. There's no stopping him. He wants to save his friends from the animal making such awful sounds. He knows killed the creature Erick. We only wish he had a gun for protection.

* * *

"I can see the other flashlights coming down the hill. Maybe with enough gun power we'll kill the thing," Brad says.

"I sure hope so because it sounds pissed," Bob answers. He remembers why he was frozen on the path not so long ago and he hopes they do have enough gun power. "I knew something was out here all along, that's why I was so scared."

The animal pushes with its hind legs and fiercely leaps from the woods. Astonishingly, it stands in the valley among them. Blood drips from its face from some previous assault. They can't believe what they are seeing. The animal is a hideous monstrosity, and judging by its looks alone, it is ferociously violent.

"What is that thing?" Greg asks, though he's sure they don't know either.

"It's the animal that's killed many out here in these Black Woods," the officer answers, because he's heard the stories and knows them to be true.

They all aim at the mutant animal and open fire. They're sure the bullets will stop it. But before the first bullet leaves its barrel, the animal is already in the air as if it is flying.

Above them like a slow motion replay, the animal lands on the group and bites Officer Brad's left arm. He screams in pain as the animal's teeth dig in deep and hard. The animal rips Brad's arm from the socket. The sound of tearing flesh is gut wrenching and to have to watch it happen makes it worse. The creature flips its head and throws Brad's arm in the air, like it is playing football with the men. Bob and Greg fire again and this time one bullet hits it in the hind leg and the other hits its side. Now the animal is in pure pain and it bites Officer Brad again, this time around his waist. It shifts its weight to the hind legs, then leaps in the air as it flees with the officer's body dangling from its mouth. It drags Brad like a rag doll.

Skinner sees the animal coming straight at him, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, is all that's playing in his mind, over and over. The thing still has the officer in its mouth as it runs in his direction. Then for no reason it curves right and into the woods, gone for now. Skinner can still hear the officer screaming and he's trying to block it out of his mind. The screams are worse than the animal's growl. He looks back to check on the two women who are following him. They are a good two hundred feet away. He runs to his friends.

"Oh man, I didn't think I would see you guys again," Skinner yells as he runs in their direction. He's waving at them with both arms in the air. He trips on some rock and falls to the ground, but he doesn't care, he's found his friends. He gets back up and looks at his buddies, when he notices they're staring at him like he's a ghost.

"It's me, it's really m..." His voice trails off as he knows what's behind him. He starts to cry. There's a sharp pain going down his back and he can feel the claws cutting in deep. The animal growls a low moan, before it opens its mouth fully, ready to bite...

Bob and Greg take aim at the creature and hope the two women behind have taken cover as they release their bullets.

The animal is quick as it bites into Skinner's head, and like a flash in the sky during a thunderstorm, it's gone. The animal takes the boy with it. The young men don't know if they even hit the thing or not. They look at each other and run to the women across the valley.

* * *

"Are you two all right?" Bob yells at us.

Greg is keeping up on his own, with no time to worry about being weak and shot. They had just watched their friend and Officer Brad get carried away by an unknown animal. Shock is only a moment away.

"We're fine, boys," I say to them as they now stand beside us. "But we need to hurry before it comes back. Now listen and listen close, just in case something happens to my sister or me. This hill we came down, you follow it up to the top, go at least twenty feet away from the tree line and walk to the lake through the open area. The animal can't leave these woods, are we clear?"

"Yes," Greg answers, "Now let's go."

We turn to go back up the hill when we hear the creature growl.

### Chapter 15

### Waiting

Officer Roy has calls in for an ambulance, and any other rescuers who may be available.

"We'll need others to look for the missing officers when the groups come out. They won't be able to go back in the woods, they've been out for hours now," he tells the dispatcher. "Also, call the families and tell them to go to the local hospital and wait. That's where the young men will be going as soon as they get here."

He walks over to Dick and asks if he needs anything.

"A drink will be good and any kind is fine," he tiredly replies. He's standing by his truck and stretches his legs while the dog gets a drink of the cool lake water. Dick is upset about Erick, and now his friends are still in those woods. Damn those woods, he thinks when the officer hands him a Diet Coke. He looks at the drink, pops the top, and drinks this one for the girls.

"That sure tastes good," he says to Roy, "thanks."

"You're welcome, but it came from the women, not me," he answers.

"I know," Dick replies with a small smile, "and if I know those girls they're making the poor boys pick mushrooms out there before they will let them leave."

Both men chuckle.

Sugar is sniffing the ground around their feet as they wait for the troops to come home. They can see flashing red lights moving down the old county road, fast, and the sirens are on. It pulls in the parking area at the lake and two EMT's jump from the vehicle and walk toward them.

"Hello, are they out of the woods yet?" one of them asks.

"No," officer Roy replies, "but we expect them anytime."

"We hope so anyway," Dick adds.

"The county coroner and his deputy should be here soon. We saw them loading up the gear for the hike back to the body," the other EMT says.

"His name is Erick, not body," Officer Roy tells the man in a way that lets him know to be sensitive with his words.

"Sorry," he says.

The first EMT speaks up.

"My name is Jim and this sensitive thing is Gary." The men all shake hands and begin to chat.

In a few minutes, they see the coroner vehicle heading their way and it pulls in behind all the vehicles parked there. It looks like someone is having a moonlit party by the lake, but this is a party no one wants to be at.

"I've got to get back in my old truck. These legs can't stand for long periods at a time." Dick pats his leg to let his dog know it's time to get in the truck.

"Hello," the coroner and deputy say. All the men introduce themselves and begin chatting to pass the time.

"I'm going to close my eyes for a while and I want you to wake me the minute you hear from or see the girls. Got it?" Dick tells Officer Roy.

"Got it," he replies, "you sleep tight."

Dick nods his head and relaxes in his truck seat.

The other men move away from Dick's truck to give him some peace and quiet so the old man can rest.

* * *

We're working our way up the hill as fast as our old legs can go. After the torture we've put them through tonight, it is a miracle they can move. We tell the boys to go on, we know our way, but they won't leave without us. They seem like nice young men and we are grateful they're here, but they really should go on. The climb's going to take us about another fifteen minutes to finish and that seems like eternity right now. The boys are not looking too well. Their skin is pale and their faces display shock. Terror is taking over, with each step of their hunting boots.

"Where are you young men from?" I try to bring them from the unspeakable thoughts banging around their minds.

The climb is taking too long and it's evident to everyone, but we carry on with our small talk.

"A little place just north of Terre Haute, it's about two hours from here," Bob answers in an uncaring, flat voice.

"How did you hear about this forest?" Julie asks them.

"Oh, Erick's uncle came here once and he liked it, so he told Erick about it. Now we're here," Greg says, also with a dull tone. A look of realization washes over him and he asks, "Has anyone found Erick yet?" in a voice a little more upbeat. The two men haven't heard the news about their friend and we're not telling them.

"No, we haven't heard yet on him," Julie answers before she looks at me.

I nod my head in agreement. We both know Erick's bloody, mangled body is less than five hundred feet away.

We hear another atrocious growl and know it's closing in on us. As if someone is poking us with a hot prod, we pick up the pace.

How many more times can the animal attack? How many more bullets will it take to bring it down finally? I think as I climb, and how will this one horrifying day affect these young men, if they make it out of here alive? Thoughts can be in abundance in a terrifying situation such as this, but in the end the only thing that matters to us all is, we get out alive. The powerful need to live is the only thing keeping us going.

Now we hear the crunching and snapping of the forest floor. The delicate flooring doesn't stand a chance under the weight of the heavy creature.

I begin to worry we won't make it this time, an idea that should never creep into one's mind during an extreme situation. It's not healthy for me or the people around who depends on everyone's strength to get them through. I can't stop my mind from these notions, rightfully so, as we can't stop the animal.

* * *

At the lake, everyone waits patiently for the return of the missing along with the searchers. Talking, eating, and drinking to pass the time. Every now and then, they get on their radios or cell phones to keep the family members and authorities up to date. The wait is weighing down on the lake like ice in the middle of January.

"Why haven't we heard anything from them yet?" one of the EMT's asks Officer Roy.

"I don't know. I've called them, but they're not answering," he replies. Fear settles into his thoughts, what if they can't make it? He shakes his head to get rid of the image his mental etch-a-sketch is making.

"Can we go on in there and see if they need help?" the other EMT asks.

"No, we don't know their location. Besides, we could get ourselves lost and have to start this search all over again and no one wants to do that," Roy replies.

"No we don't," he says.

"Best thing we can do is keep a look out for them and help the wounded when they arrive." Roy hopes it will be soon.

"You're right, I just hate this waiting," the EMT replies.

The atmosphere is solemn as they wait by the lake.

### Chapter 16

### The Hill

It's closer, way too close for us, and we're terrified.

"Now you boys listen to what I said earlier, you run when you can, don't wait on us." I tell them and wish against all odds they won't have to. I still have so much more to live for and I'm not ready to die, definitely not this way. I look at Julie and we both know this is probably the end.

"I love you," she says to me quietly as she reaches over to hold my hand.

"I love you too."

Both of us cry and hope this will not be the conclusion of our lives.

Steadily we climb the hill that now seems like the Alps. I can almost see the snow covered caps. With each hand gripping this or that and getting our feet on something solid, the hill now seems ganglier. Tears flow down our cheeks as the two young men try to help us up a hill.

"I want just one more mushroom hunt before I go," I say with a trembling voice.

"Me too," Julie cries the words.

Our one true love in life, outside our families, is mushroom hunting. We spend ten months a year planning out our next mushroom season. We check our bags for holes, replace broken gear, make sure our walking sticks are still sturdy... All this work for two months of pure bliss.

Grrrrrrrrowl!

The sound is in the valley below us. Oh Lord, I think and move my feet faster as everything else is slowing down. It feels like time's coming to a standstill and everyone tries to climb with some weighted force holding us back, slowing us down. I can see Julie climbing beside me. Slowly she reaches at a rock and it must have taken her ten minutes to put her hand down. Oh, how my mind can play tricks on me when I'm terrified and struggling for my life. I look at the boys slightly ahead of us and they're slowing down to almost a stop. My mind is racing faster than an Indy car, but my body cannot. Why is everyone slowing down? I think to myself and know it isn't true, how can it be?

The animal sits at the bottom of the hill, staring up at its prey, deciding which one of us it wants first. It's so large and fierce in these small woods, displaced from a different world. As if it doesn't belong here, or anywhere for that matter. It sticks out its tongue and licks some of its wounds we've inflicted upon it tonight. The blood drips to the forest and spreads slowly as it covers everything it touches. Engulfing Mother Nature with its hot red liquid and changing her forever. The creature isn't slowing down from the assaults of the piercing bullets. It appears to be gaining strength, building on the rage within its tortured soul. Bright blue eyes stare into the night upon the hill and it lets out another....

Grrrrrowl!

We're moving like snails across a flower garden and I can hear my cell phone ring. No one can help us now, I think as it rings slowly. I felt a rock strike my hand, I look up to see Julie sliding back down the hill.

"Nooooo!" I scream and all of a sudden, the world moves faster, making my head spin as I come back to reality. I work my way over in time to catch her by a leg and I hold tight. I pray I don't drop her until she gets her footing again.

The boys are climbing down toward us to help retrieve Julie, and I wave at them to move on. They're too young to die tonight, with so much to do in this world. They've endured all a person should in a lifetime, all in one night. I know I have to save my sister; she's my true friend. A bond like Bob and Greg, a friendship you'd die for.

"Hold on, Julie, and grab at that rock, the one right by your shoulder." I yell at her to listen and I know she will. She instantly has a grip and I get below her to push her up, encouraging her to move.

Julie is climbing again and I see blood running down one of her arms, but she doesn't seem to notice. I think about our lives and everyone who will miss us. We must live for them, we have to, I think when the brittle outdoor flooring "crunches" below the animal's enormous paws. Oh, please help us all.

My mind starts drifting, not able to deal with the realization of what's happening. I'm mushroom hunting with Julie and we're picking so many that our bags are full. The mushrooms are so abundant they look like spring flowers growing in a field. It's a bright and sunny spring day and the birds are chirping in the tree branches. We're talking about the day and our grandchildren. Oh, how happy we are at this moment in life. Nothing can happen to us here, not in our woods. We sit down to have some lunch and lean against a tree. We toss some journey cakes to the birds and watch them eat. This is the life, our life, and we start giggling at a joke Julie just told. Resting by the trees, relaxing and wishing for more time, but more time for what? And then I come back to the unquestionable world around me.

We're still climbing up the hill and we're almost to the top. The boys make it and turn around to check on us. I think, you have to keep moving boys, go on another twenty feet at least.

Julie is about to reach the top, climbing ten feet from me and I'm glad to see her there. Greg and Bob reach out their hands to help her up from the long climb. She reaches to them and they get her hands and pull, almost dragging her to the top. She stands up and turns around. I can see her eyes fill with terror and she yells something, but I can't hear her. My mind won't let me. Then I hear a....

Grrrowl!

Bam...Bam...

The gunshots are deafening, and I look up to salvation. I can see my sister and she's no more than five feet from me. She's still yelling and this time I can hear her, she's yelling for me to hurry. The young men stand beside her with guns in their hands, still firing at the animal of the Black Woods.

I'm climbing, and Julie reaches for me with outstretched arms. I grab a hold of her sweaty hands and I feel safe, the warmth of her fingers reassuring me.

Pain, oh the pain, where is it coming from? My head is killing me like it is ripped open, but it can't be. My sister's hands are in mine. I'm holding them tight and we're too close to the line, it's not fair. It was the last thing I was able to think before I heard myself scream. I was still looking into Julie's eyes when the world faded to black.

### Chapter 17

### The Lake

Two young men and one older woman walk from the woods to the safety of the lake. They're bloody and covered in dirt, but they're alive. As they leave the woods, one falls down and another helps them up. All three are in shock; each holds their head down as they weep. It's so sad and their lives are forever changed from the few hours they have spent in the Black Woods.

People are gathered at the lake as they wait for the group to emerge from the moonlit woods. Each one there walks, paces, and hopes for the best possible outcome.

"I see someone coming from the woods!" Dick screams with excitement.

"Where?" Officer Roy asks.

"Over there." Dick points to what the girls call "our woods."

The officer squints to get a better look and he can see them now.

"Come on, guys, let's go get them," Roy says to the EMT personnel.

All three take off for the woods to get the last of the survivors.

"They're probably so worn out," one of the EMT's says, as they walk along the edge of the lake.

"I believe that will be an understatement," the officer replies.

Dick is waiting impatiently as he watches for his friends to make that walk, to return to the safety of their friends and family. He can see there are only three in the group and he prays his girls are two of them. All I can do is wait and see, he thinks as he watches the two groups of people come together at the edge of the woods.

* * *

I can see everything going on at the lake as I step into the clearing from the woods. People are walking around and I can even see Dick as he sits in his truck with Sugar. I walk up to him, so happy to be here, but he acts like he can't see me. I reach in the truck and pat Sugar on the head, but the dog doesn't respond to my touch. Dick is gazing at the edge of the woods, so I turn to look in the direction of his stare. I realize why he's ignoring me. I can see them at the edge of the lake as they struggle to make each step. I'm so excited they made it out, as I stand here waiting. My head no longer hurts and I'm grateful for the loss of pain. All I want is to get Julie and go home, and see my whole family. I know they've been worried about us through the long night. I also want to see my brothers and my other sister and hold them tight. Oh, how I love them so. I stand by the old white truck and wait for them with my friend. I'm not sure how I got out of there before they did, but that doesn't matter now. They're almost to us and I'm ready for them, as I've had enough of these old woods to last me for the rest of my life. I look back at Dick, and he's crying, and I don't understand why.

We made it out! I yell in my head.

I go running to my sister and put my arms around her. She doesn't notice me.

"Come on Julie, I'm here. Let's go home!" I yell, but no one seems to notice me at all. What is going on here, why aren't they glad to see me? They all must be in terrible shock.

Julie falls to the ground and cries so hard I'm scared she won't be able to breathe. Then some guys run to the ambulance. They get out a stretcher and carry it over to her. Good, because I think she really needs it.

The two young men are also crying, but quietly as most men do. I can tell their lives have been shattered. They'll never be the same after what they've gone through. My heart aches for them, but I need to help my sister.

The EMT's have Julie on the stretcher, ready to take her to the ambulance. Dick walks over and tells her he's so sorry about her sister.

"What, what happened to our sister Judy?" I yell at him, and then I realize he doesn't know her. I look back at everyone standing here and I finally understand what has happened. I take a deep breath to let it settle in my mind.

"Noooo..." I scream as loud as I can, but no one can hear me.

I sit down on the cold rocky ground and weep. I wish this was a horrible dream and I could change everything that's happened, because I need more time.

Everyone else goes about, as they tend to the young men and Julie. They've got blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, I.V. bags, and other items I've never seen. Alcohol cloths are being used to wash and clean areas of skin on the wounded arms. They stick needles with medicine to help them calm down, and everything is moving on except me.

They have Julie at the end of an ambulance as they prepare her for a trip to the hospital. A second ambulance is there to help with the other wounded men. That poor kid Greg got shot so many hours ago. I'm glad they made it out alive, truly I am. I just wish I'd gotten a little more time on this Earth.

I get up and go to the ambulance, and reach over my sister to stroke her hair. I give her a big kiss, and then wish her well. She's loaded in the back of the vehicle as they leave this awful place. They turn on the ambulance lights and I watch as they flash back and forth. I raise my hand to wave.

My head begins to hurt again while the night gets darker and everything fades around me. I can only make out shapes in the dimming light, but I can hear everyone talk about how bad things are.

What's happening now? I think, as the world I love so dearly disappears.

### Chapter 18

### Hospital

People hurry around inside a hospital. The emergency room nurses get supplies and a doctor walks in a room. Families wait to hear the news on their loved ones, as they sit patiently in the lobby. Some children play a card game as they sit on the waiting room floor.

It looks like any other day at a hospital, but today is different and everyone can feel it in the air. A storm has settled in and looks like it's there to stay for a while. The lights flicker out a few times as if threatening to stay that way. Lightning flashes through the windows and the following thunder is deafening.

Some people are crying and some are just talking, but all are waiting to hear the news. That wait is always the worst part for the family, the unknown of their loved one's condition.

Julie sits in a chair in a hospital room while she looks out a window and watches the slow moving storm clouds roll by.

"How many hours has it been?" she asks.

"About four hours," Dale answers her as he sits next to the bed.

"Hello," a doctor with a name tag which states, F. Rhodes, M.D. says as he enters the room.

"Hey, Dr. Rhodes, when do you think there will be a change?" Julie asks him.

"Well, with something like this, I can't be sure until I look over the x-rays." He's holding an envelope in his hands. "Let me have a look at these and the patient and I'll know more after the exam," he replies to Julie.

Julie and Dale get up and leave the room to let the doctor do the exam in private. Maybe they'll get a better answer. The lights flicker again under the pressure of the storm, and they can hear the hospital generators fire up and then stop as if they're not yet needed. They stand in the hall and listen to the muffled thunderstorm.

Chris walks down the hall toward them.

"How's everything going in there?" he asks, pointing to the room.

"Dr. Rhodes is in there right now, hopefully he can tell us more soon," Dale answers. He looks more tired than usual today; he is sick with worry.

"How you holding up, babe?" Chris asks Julie as he gives her a kiss.

"I've definitely had better days," she replies to her husband. "I only want to know how everything's going in there."

The three stand by the door and wait for the doctor to step out, hopefully with good news. The talk is idle while they wait nervously in the hallway.

There's a full house of people in the hospital lobby and among them are Andrew, Addy, Izzy, and many more as they wait for the news.

"Is grandma going to be okay?" one of the little ones asks.

"We sure hope so, honey," Andrew replies to the child and then gives her a big hug.

"Good, because I want to go to the party and have some mushrooms," the little girl says.

"I know you do, baby girl," he says to her as a tear builds in his eye.

The doctor opens the door and asks them to come back in the room. All three go in and shut the door behind them.

Dale goes to the bed, sits down beside it, and reaches up to take a hand of the patient. He holds the soft limp hand in his as he waits for the news.

Dr. Rhodes begins to speak.

"It looks like she took a hard blow to the head and no fractures on the x-ray. She'll have a slight concussion, but nothing to worry about. We're going to reduce the medicine in her I.V. and see if we can't wake her up. Everything I see looks good and she will be fine and out picking mushrooms again in a few days," the doctor says with a smile. He knows his patient well, and how she loves her mushrooms. He's been her doctor for over forty years.

Julie runs over, gives the doctor a hug, and thanks him for the good news.

"You're welcome, and when she wakes up tell her I want a pound of those mushrooms," he says, then leaves the room.

Dale has a tear in his eye as he holds her hand. He stands up and bends over to kiss his wife on the cheek. He sits back down and asks Julie and Chris if they would mind going and telling the family that Laura will be fine. He looks for the remote to the hospital room's T.V. and after locating it, he turns it to the bloody sci-fi show he loves. He sits there with his wife, anxious for her to wake.

Julie walks into the lobby and everyone looks to her for an answer.

"Laura is going to be fine!" She is so excited to tell them, she almost yells.

They're all so happy to get the news, some begin to cry as the stress of worry releases.

"When can we go to the room and see her?" Andrew asks. He's been so worried about his mom.

"Whenever you like, but just two can go together at a time," Julie tells her nephew. She walks over, gives him a big hug, and says, "I know you love your mommy as I do." They cry with relief.

Andrew and his wife are the first to go in and see his mom. They visit with his dad and look at his mom with love. They keep the visit short because there are so many waiting for a chance to see her. Andrew stands and bends over to Dale. He gives his dad a big hug.

"You know Mom is going to be fine now Dad, you ought to go home and get some rest."

"No way, I'm staying until she's awake," he says and gives his son a wink.

"Okay, but you should at least change that T.V. channel; you know Mom don't like it and you might give her nightmares." He grins at his dad. The discussion of the Sci-fi channel has been going on ever since he was born, and Andrew knows this will never change.

"You know I must have my blood and guts every day, son," Dale says. He looks at Andrew and knows the kid likes the shows as much as he does. "Are you guys going to go back home or just stick around here for a few more days? Our anniversary party is so important to your mom."

"We're going to stay. I called into work already to let them know. I've been missing my old room anyway," he says.

They say "bye" to each other and Andrew and his wife leave the room.

One by one, people come in to visit with Laura and Dale.

Laura starts to move around a bit, so Dale calls the nurse to check on her. After monitoring her vitals, the nurse says everything is fine, she will be waking up soon.

Julie and Chris are the last ones to enter the room for the evening. All the family has visited and gone home, as they were tired and the children restless. The waiting room is quiet and empty. It's been a long day for everyone involved.

"I hope she wakes up soon, I just want to see her smile again," Dale says to Julie and Chris.

"Me too! She really had us worried there for a while," Julie answers.

The three sit in the room and wait for her to wake. Laura begins to stir again, she mumbles in her sleep. "Black Woods, animal, help," she unconsciously says.

Julie walks over to the bed and tenderly waits by her sister's side. Laura's eyes open gently and she sees her sister standing beside her.

* * *

"How, how, how," is all I can say, like I'm at some Indian pow-wow.

"Just rest Laura, we can talk when you are better," she tells me and then gives me a hug.

I lie in the hospital bed and stare at my sister as I wonder how I'm alive. How's it possible, did they come back and get me? Or maybe the boys killed the animal in time and I passed out? That has to be it, I tell myself as I lie here still too tired to fully wake. I can see the television and it is set to Dale's channel. How does he watch that stuff? I think as I struggle to stay awake. I'm just not strong enough to fight back the sleep, but I'm grateful to be here in this room. I begin to dream. . .

I'm in the Black Woods again, and Julie and I were still looking for the lost hunters. This time they were down in the valley, the animal trapping them from us. We screamed for them to run toward us, up the hill. The animal was the only one paying attention to our screams. It twisted its large frame to look in our direction and it growled that awful sound. It leaped and ran straight at us. We were on the other side of the line, where we knew we were safe. The boys had a chance to run as the creature came for us. Run! we yelled as loud as we could. Glowing blue eyes were staring us down, making us shiver at the evil lying in them. We could see our reflections shining back at us as we peered into its eyes. A horrible beast in a beautiful land, skidding to its usual stop at the edge of the trees. We were having a good old fashioned standoff; which one of us would win? Safe on our side, we still trembled from the sight of the animal. A storm was brewing in the air, lightning striking around us. It was making the animal even fiercer looking than before. A tree cracked in the forest behind the animal as a lightning bolt struck it. We could see it falling to the earth, loudly breaking down as it tumbled. It was heading in our direction. Most importantly, the tree loomed over the mutation. We were praying it would crush the beast. The sound was deafening as the tree was suddenly stopped by the earth. Sparks flew from the Black Woods, and around the entire perimeter like an electric fence shorting out. The animal moved in time to avoid the falling mayhem. It was now in the Black Woods as the sparks were shooting like fireworks. Julie and I looked to each other and ran like hell. We knew the animal's boundaries had been released. The world would no longer be safe as the monstrosity roamed this earth. We were screaming on our flight to the car, and we could hear growling behind us in the Black Woods. . .

Slowly, I struggle for wakefulness and fight back the dream. I've had enough of those woods to last me. Dale, Chris, and Julie are chatting as they wait for me to wake. I can hear them talking about the day and how bad the storm has been. I also hear Dale's T.V. show playing softly in the background, and I know I'm truly alive.

"I'm thirsty." I can hear myself say and it is good to hear my own voice. "My mouth is so dry."

"Here." Dale gives me a drink of cold water from a straw.

"That tastes good," I tell him. "What happened to me and how am I alive?"

Julie gets up and comes to the bedside. She begins telling me the story of our day.

"We were out mushroom hunting this morning when a bad storm started moving in on us. We were almost to the car when lightning hit a tree nearby. I was already on a run to the car when I heard it strike. I twisted around in time to see a limb fall and hit you on the head. Lucky for you your head is so hard the limb didn't even break a bone."

As Julie tells me this outrageous story, I think. Is she afraid I can't handle the truth?

"What are you saying? That didn't happen. We were in the Black Woods and the animal in those woods attacked me," I tell everyone in the room. "Why are you saying we were mushroom hunting three days ago?"

They all look at me with puzzled expressions, and then Dale speaks up.

"Hun, this is Thursday, late in the evening. You and Julie went out this morning and a limb hit you on the head. What she says is true. You must believe it."

"What about the Black Woods? We went in those woods to save some boys," I say adamantly.

"Laura, you know I wouldn't go in those woods if you paid me. Neither one of us would go in there, we're so stupidly scared of them," Julie says.

I shook my head. How can I believe it? I'm so confused.

"I had to call an ambulance to come get you. Dick happened to be driving by when he noticed our car and he stopped to see if we needed help. I'm so glad he came along at the right time. You were lying in a bunch of water and I was afraid you might drown. You kept mumbling over and over that you needed more time. I was so scared you might die on me. He helped get that limb off you and out of the flood. I know, before you say it, I wasn't supposed to move an injured person, but I had to. I couldn't leave you like that." Julie is in tears as she relays the story to me. It reminded her how scared she was earlier today.

I know she isn't lying to me, but it seemed so real. Those boys in their SUV, the call for us to help, and the hideous creature stalking us in the Black Woods.

"Did we meet four young men before I was hurt?"

"No. Why would you ask that?" Julie looks puzzled again at my question.

"Oh, no reason. I will tell you later, but first things first. When do I get out of here?"

Everyone laughs, and we all know everything is going to be fine.

### Epilogue

It's Saturday morning and the family is already in town. Everyone pitched in and did the work for our anniversary party. Julie and I decide to go mushroom hunting before the big event.

I came home from the hospital the next morning and was told to take it easy, so I rested yesterday. I figure, what can be more relaxing than mushroom hunting?

We're at our woods and when I look over at the trees Julie and I call the Black Woods, a shiver goes down my spine.

"Are you okay?" Julie asks me. "We can go home. You shouldn't be here this soon anyway. I don't know what I was thinking, agreeing with you on this one."

"It's okay, I was only looking at the Black Woods and got spooked a bit," I tell her as I try to forget that awful nightmare.

"I know, I do too. The weird thing is, I don't why we are so spooked of the stupid place. Everyone hunts it and finds pounds of mushrooms in there," Julies says.

We both look at the woods.

"Well, probably because we have too big of imaginations," I say.

We laugh at our own fear of the woods.

Our supplies are loaded and we have our backpacks in place, sticks in hand, water bottles at our sides. Just a couple of mushroom hunters out for an adventure. We walk into the clearing where the limb had fallen on my head.

"That's the limb that fell on you," Julie says, and points to a large half hollow limb.

It had broken in several pieces when it hit the ground.

I'm lucky it didn't kill me. Looking at the size of the thing is scary enough.

"Good thing it was half hollowed out, or it probably would have killed me," I say.

We proceed into the woods. I am walking slowly and carefully, as I don't want to fall and damage my body any other way. It's had all it can take for a while. The morning is nice and it feels so good to be back in the forest, searching for mushrooms and not missing boys. I catch myself listening to the trees, expecting to hear a low growl. I'm startled easily when anything crunches the forest floor. It'll take some time to get over a dream like that. I can't shake the feeling the nightmare was real.

Julie keeps asking if I'm okay. I tell her "yes" and we keep hunting, although I don't think I will ever be the same.

We hunt for a few hours and stay in the valleys. I'm too weak to climb those hills. We do well and have several pounds of the delicious morels to share with our families. We're ready to go home.

"You know the kids are going to be mad when they wake up and find me gone," I say.

"Well, they should be. You running off with that crazy sister of yours!" Julie replies.

We laugh again like nothing has happened.

I look at the Black Woods as we stand by the car.

"One thing I know! I will never go in those woods, not after that nightmare." I point at the scary cluster of trees.

"We never did go in there anyway. Why start now?" Julie says.

"Oh! Remind me if I ever want to volunteer to help the Forest Search and Rescue, stop me," I tell her.

"Why?"

"I will tell you soon."

"Are you going to tell me about the dream?" Julie asks.

"In due time," I say. We get to the car and I see a vehicle parked about a half a mile away. "Will you drive home the other way? I want to look at that vehicle."

"Why?" Julie asks.

"Oh, I have my reasons, that's all," I tell her.

We are traveling down the old country road very slowly so I can get a better look at the parked automobile.

"STOP!" I scream.

"What the hell!" Julie looks at me. "You almost gave me a heart-attack!"

"We can't go anywhere! Not until the four boys come out of those woods," I tell her, and I mean it.

"How do you know there are four boys in the woods?" Julie looks puzzled.

"I just do," I reply.

Because sitting here on the road side is a big new SUV. I know it's time to tell her my story of the Black Woods.
Excerpt of

Black Woods Revealed Book 2

Prologue

The storm blew evil across the land, causing a fishing boat to capsize, and it floated helplessly around on a large lake. Rain poured steadily, making visibility limited. A crack of thunder sounded, followed by lightning that illuminated the dark sky. The surrounding woods glistened as if a fairy had sprinkled dust. Beautiful, for one brief second, then eerily dark once again. Waves smacked into the boat, banging loudly like a bass drum. Pelting rain bounced on the lake surface, steadily raising the water level. Thunder rolled for miles before exploding above.

Husband and wife held onto the boat. Invincibility was only a myth while they struggled for their lives. They were beginning to lose their grip on the cold metal boat as their muscles weakened against the fight. Their voices were hoarse from screaming for help. Hopelessly, they stared at one another.

Smack!

Something large broke the lake's surface.

The frightened couple held on desperately to their upturned boat, startled by a sound louder than the storm. Looking for the source was impossible, as they barely could see one another.

"I love you," Amy moved her lips, hoping her husband understood.

"I love you too," Victor mouthed in reply.

The boat had capsized over thirty minutes ago, and the water was cold. The occupants' body temperatures were dropping, threatening hypothermia.

In these conditions, Victor knew they wouldn't last much longer. He motioned for his wife to move her arms and legs.

Amy shook her head no, too scared to let go.

They would surely die if they didn't try moving. Victor urged his wife once more to do something to create warmth inside her body.

Still clinging onto the boat, Amy remained unmoving. She was too terrified even to kick her legs.

Victor feverishly kicked his legs, working the circulation.

Suddenly, a torturous scream escaped Amy when something brushed her legs, and it felt unnatural as if it was covered in coarse, prickly hair. Then she lost her grip from the boat.

Victor reached out with one hand, while the other held tightly onto the boat. Grabbing his wife, he knew she was also losing grip on reality. He tried to yell, but only a hoarse whisper escaped when he began rising from the water. Something beneath his feet pushed him upward. With bulging eyes, mouth agape, his mind tried to understand. Still holding tightly onto his wife, she began rising with him. Looking into his wife's blank eyes, he knew whatever sanity she had left was fading fast.

Seconds ago, the couple had been clinging to the boat to stop from going under the water. Now they clung on for dear life to prevent themselves from rising. Their bodies were exposed to the waist. Gripping Amy firmly with one hand, Victor let go of his hold on the boat's railing. He half leaped, half flung himself at the boat's upturned hull. As he landed on top of the slippery surface, he lost his grip on Amy. Frantically, he reached for her and missed.

The water beneath Amy's feet thrashed and swirled, exposing a mysterious beast. Victor didn't know what it was, except that it was alive. A strong wind blew, and Victor began sliding from the boat. His upper body dangled over the side, and he stared into the water. Only inches away and looking directly at him was a pair of monstrous eyes, glowing blue. They were large and round. Just as Victor thought the eyes would break surface, they receded swiftly back into the deep.

Screaming, Amy reached for her husband as she plunged into the lake, into which the animal had disappeared.

Victor's hand reached out, grabbing only air. He watched his wife as she sank beneath the water. Her panic was the last thing he witnessed before she fully submerged.

"No!" Victor screamed.

Lightning struck a nearby tree, and Victor heard it crash, but his eyes stayed focused on the lake. Then he noticed a large red area spreading throughout the water. Before he had time to react, the beast broke surface. It rose swiftly and fiercely from the water as it jumped into the air like a ten-foot bass, but whatever it was, it was nothing that innocent.

The large animal smacked the water upon reentry, and a two-foot high wave rushed toward the vessel. Victor managed a scream before being thrown into the cold water.

### Books by this author:

Black Woods Book 1

Black Woods Revealed Book 2

Broken Soul

Two Sisters: prattle tales of playful girls

### About the Author

Laura Wright LaRoche is a native of Noblesville, Indiana where she was born in 1968, but she spent her childhood in the small town of Shoals and her current residence is Linton, Indiana. She comes from a loving home, and as the youngest of six children, probably enjoyed being the "baby" a little more than she should. She is a self motivator with many titles of interest including: fine arts artist, digital art designer, photographer, author, rock carver, avid mushroom hunter and the one she holds dearest – Mom.

### * * * * *

### Find more from Laura Wright LaRoche at

www.LLPix.com

### All persons fictitious disclaimer

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

