The Sixth Clearing

The Sixth Clearing

Anna groaned as she looked outside the window.

It rained last night. That was never a good thing. She was supposed to go out with her friends today because they promised they’d play with her. It was too wet now.

She rolled her eyes and walked off.

Anna was a ginger little girl with a face full of freckles and hair reaching just past her small shoulders. She pulled it into a ponytail and stepped into her jeans and rainboots.

Maybe they’d still want to play with her. Rain wasn’t evil. They could splash in the puddles and carry umbrellas or mess with the mud.

She ran downstairs. Her mother was watching the television with a plate of breakfast in her hand. There was another at the table for her, but she didn’t want it. She had to play.

“Anna, you have to stay here until the road dries up,” her mom said.

Anna frowned.

“Please? I’ve been waiting to play with Henry for so long!” She stared with desperate eyes meant to elicit pity.

“Well, you better not come home with any mud on your new jeans. And stay out of the puddles.”

“Thank you! I promise I’ll be good!”

That was a little bit of a lie. Anna wanted to play. She always left the house and went as far as she could. Sometimes she got in trouble, but it was always worth it.

She grabbed her bags and walked out the front door. Henry and the rest of her friends were already waiting for her at the park a few blocks down.

Anna was skipping down the sidewalk. She loved being outside, especially with Henry. She had a big forest near her neighborhood, and today was the day to explore it. Her friends planned it for months: going as deep as possible without any parental supervision with a few film cameras. The rumor at school was that the forest was haunted or a killing ground. No kid could decide which since they hadn’t gone in.

She swung open the gate to the park and ran to her friends. They were huddled together with their cameras and flashlights and backpacks filled with snacks.

“Hey, Anna!” Henry said with a smile. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m always ready.”

Anna’s face flushed.

Henry was so cool. He was a sporty boy and his brown hair was a little too outgrown, but she liked it that way. He was a whole year older than her and he wasn’t a scaredy-cat like the girls at school. None of her friends were scared–obviously not, considering they’re exploring a creepy forest.

They got up and left the park. Anna looked around just to make sure nobody was around. Some of the girls at school liked to get her in trouble, and this plan could get her grounded for months.

She could see the forest in the distance. The sky was already foggy and dark from the overnight rain, but it looked even darker there like something evil saw over it.

Maybe Anna’s mind was biased from the rumors, though.

The kids said people die there. There was no definite answer why. Some said it was a ghost, and some said an evil killer, but she hadn’t heard of a real victim. She’d never seen a missing person sign or a news article about it. Anna was convinced it was nothing, but going in like a documentary crew would get her some clout.

Henry pushed away the tall weeds for her so she could step in.

It was almost colder inside. There were no pathways or directions and she couldn’t hear a single sound, not even birds, and that concerned her.

“We have two cameras for the four of us. Should we split up?” Her friend George asked.

Henry shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it’s a good idea… but it’s a fun idea.”

“You’re right.”

George handed Henry a camera, and naturally, he came to Anna.

They were going alone.

Anna smiled to herself. If it was a date, it would be the strangest date ever.

She went right while George went left, following behind Henry. He cleared the path for her. There were weeds everywhere and probably poison ivy, so she tried not to touch anything.

“Do you think the rumors are real, Henry?” she said.

“I think so. My guess is a killer, not a ghost.”

“You’re right. If we catch something on camera, we’d be stars.”

She looked around.

There were still no animal sounds. She could hear her breathing and Henry’s steps, but she couldn’t find a single thing. Even the mosquitoes were missing.

She grabbed his shoulder. “You know… it’s kind of empty here. Creepy.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a forest like this.”

Anna stayed quiet to try and listen for George, but she couldn’t hear him. Maybe he was too far away.

She reached in her bag and grabbed a flashlight. It was early in the morning, but the trees made it dark. Hopefully it was the trees.

She couldn’t deny she was shaken. There was no life here other than her friends and it was way too dark for morning.

Henry was walking in silence, which unsettled her more. He was a loud guy with a million things to say. Why wasn’t he talking? He was just walking with the same motions over and over and over. He didn’t even have excitement in his step.

Anna looked down at her own shoes. She wasn’t walking special, either. She was slower and her excitement was gone.

She gulped.

“Hey, Henry, do you think we’re close to anything?” she whispered.

“There’s a clearing here,” he said.

The clearing wanted to be beautiful, but it was just bleak. The water was gray and the flowers were almost gray, too. There was a log near the side. It looked perfect for sitting like it had been manmade.

They took a seat on the too-perfect log. Anna glanced at Henry. He looked sad. Not even scared like she was… just sad.

Maybe there was a ghost here. She never called herself a believer, but something was wrong. The atmosphere was almost crushingly silent, especially now that they were sitting.

She looked at her shoes again.

Her eyes flicked to the side of the log to see something there.

It looked like a piece of fabric. Anna checked her own clothes and Henry’s too, but they weren’t missing anything.

She gulped. She knew she had to check this. The whole point was investigation, and she wasn’t a scaredy cat. She grabbed the camera and stood up.

1… 2… 3…

She pressed record and squatted down, shoving her flashlight into the hole of the log.

Anna fell backwards instinctively.

Something was in there. Someone was in there. It was a human being! A dead body in the log!

Shakingly, she aimed the camera and zoomed in. There was no doubt about it. It was decomposing and rotting and the blood dried up inside the wood. The body’s eyes were stuck open, but there was no life in them. Just dried, decaying forever fear.

Henry still wasn’t moving. He wasn’t even looking at her as tears slipped from her cheeks. How dumb was he? He’s sitting on a body!

She tried to tell him to move, but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. This was too much. Way too much!

Anna paused the recording and pushed him.

“Henry!” She finally said.

“What?”

“Don’t you see inside the log? Can’t you see it?”

She was begging now. She needed him to notice.

Henry looked inside the log and shrugged.

“See what?” he asked.

His voice was calm and collected. Even if he was messing with her, he wouldn’t be that calm. He can’t see it.

“Henry, please,” she begged again, “look harder. We’re going to die!”

He took the flashlight from her and shined it inside.

“You’re anxious, Anna. You’re anxious again.”

He reached out and touched her, but she pulled back immediately.

“Anxious?! I’m not–don’t you see it?”

“Anna, calm down. There’s nothing there, Anna.”

She held the camera to her chest and backed up.

She had to find George. This wasn’t Henry. Henry would never act like this. He’d never be so blind. She turned around and ran through the path they had cleared.

Anna felt like she was having a heart attack. She was alone and vulnerable. She didn’t want to be stuck in a log by a ghost killer.

Footprints.

There was a trail of footprints in the mud. Best case scenario, they were George’s. Anna followed them. They were easy to follow. The grass and weeds were already cleared out and there was nothing in her way.

She tried to control her breathing as she reached another clearing. She frantically scanned the area for a log, but there was none. Thankfully.

There was no water this time, either. Just trees and bushes and empty land. Maybe George was here.

She started to record.

“The time marks–well–I don’t know. I’m here in the forest and I left Henry. He was… possessed, probably. He couldn’t see the body I recorded and he just wasn’t himself. I followed some footprints here to this second clearing, but I don’t see anything,” she said, lifting the camera upwards and to the right.

Then she saw it.

George.

He was hanging from the tree. His pupils were rolled up far away and his lips were blue. His limbs were limp and his neck looked broken.

She screamed and dropped the camera, falling on the floor. She felt like her legs wouldn’t work. They were too scared to hold her up.

Tears rolled down her face, but she tried to stay quiet. Whatever was killing her friends here could hear her, too. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t even want to be in this forest anymore. Why’d she come in the first place?

Anna stood up as fast as she could. Her legs practically had tremors, but she tried her hardest to walk. She had to walk out of here.

Her footprints! She should’ve left footprints in the mud. She turned around and disbelief hit her body.

There were no footprints. They were gone like they were never made in the first place. Where was she supposed to go?

She suddenly remembered Ali. He had gone with George, so he must be close, and hopefully still alive.

She walked past the tree and into the woods again. Going farther didn’t seem like the best idea, but going alone didn’t seem good, either.

And Henry… how was he? Anna didn’t want to leave him, but what other option did she have? He seemed like the ghost himself.

There wasn’t much in this part of the forest. Same old bushes and leaves and sticks and trees. She turned the camera on again.

“Henry seems to have gone to the ghost, and George… is dead. I don’t know what to do. I’m looking for Ali now,” she said.

She heard a slight whimper.

She turned around to see a wounded white puppy.

The puppy was the first animal she’d seen the whole time, and an animal that shouldn’t be living in a forest at all.

She didn’t trust it. Was this a real puppy? Was it a figment of her imagination or a ghost taking form?

Still, she couldn’t just leave it to die. That was wrong. She needed all the help she could get, anyway, and puppies were good emotionally.

She squatted and picked it up. It was limp and cold, but still alive.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, “do you have a mommy?” She petted its head softly. It whimpered again. It was wounded in ways she didn’t want to think about. Its arm bone was poking out and its tail was dismembered.

Anna didn’t want it to bleed out.

She took off her shoe and sock. She could go without a sock. She wrapped it tight around its tail and stood up.

If she got out of this alive, at least she’d have a puppy.

What if she did make it out alive?

That was supposed to be her best outcome, but two of her best friends are gone and she’d be in so much trouble!

That is if the ghost didn’t possess her like it did Henry.

Anna let out a shaky breath and continued to walk. This puppy was the only living thing she could find here.

The kids were right. This forest is evil. Why didn’t she listen? Why was she so stupid? She shook her head. It wasn’t the time.

Footsteps.

There was another trail and a third clearing.

She stopped. Was going there even a good idea? The clearings were full of death! She didn’t want to see Ali dead!

But if she didn’t go, wouldn’t Ali die because of her? What if he’s alive and waiting?

Anna gulped.

Now wasn’t the time to be a scaredy-cat. She always prided herself on her bravery. Wasn’t now a good time to test it?

She walked towards the clearing feeling like her heart was going to stop.

Henry was standing there waiting for her. She froze.

“Anna,” he said desperately. His face wasn’t cold anymore. It was vibrant and full of the same emotions she was feeling. He was normal! He was normal.

“Henry!”

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. We’ve got to get out of here. Do you know where Ali is? Please tell me you know where Ali is,” she said.

“I don’t.”

“Is he dead?”

“I don’t know.”

She stared at him for a long time.

She loved Henry, but she found herself doubting him.

What if he was faking? What if this wasn’t even him?

What if he’s planning to murder her?

Anna backed away. His eyes looked emptier. Sure, he was emotional, but something was different about him. Horribly different. He was standing weird. Breathing weird. Maybe she was imagining it, but she couldn’t take chances like this.

Could she?

She looked down at the puppy. It was still just as sick as it was then. Maybe even sicker. She took a chance with this puppy. He was just as innocent as Henry. She couldn’t just leave Henry, could she?

The way he looked at her seemed more sinister each and every moment that passed. She could swear he was getting closer or smirking more or closing his fists.

Was he going to hurt her?

He was different from her puppy. He was capable of hurting her. He could stuff her body in a log or hang her from the tree. He could kill her. This wasn’t safe. Henry wasn’t safe anymore. All she had was herself and this dog. She couldn’t stick around to see what would happen. She needed to run!

Anna turned around and ran. She could hear him running after her, but she didn’t look back. Looking back would make her slower. She didn’t have time.

She tripped.

She tripped and she couldn’t catch herself in time. She fell on the rocks and logs.

Her head snapped back to look for Henry, but he wasn’t there. Not anymore.

Then, her hands felt wet.

The dog.

It fell on a stick. It’s impaled. She killed it! She killed the only thing left!

Anna couldn’t stop herself from making noise. Her world was seeming to spin and her breaths were faster than ever. It was almost like she wasn’t breathing at all even though she was. She was shaking and trembling and crying and almost screaming.

Her ankle hurt.

She wasn’t making it out alive.

The dog was dead, she twisted her ankle, Henry was crazy, and George was dead. Ali was nowhere to be found and she was deserted.

She still had to try.

If Ali was still here, she could make it out. He was strong. He could carry her, right?

Did she deserve to make it out?

She killed a helpless dog. It was her own fault she went here in the first place. She was the evil one.

Anna sat there in silence for quite a while. There was nothing else to look for. The forest was practically a maze.

She looked up again from the puppy and saw footprints, but this time, she didn’t want to follow. She couldn’t walk and the footprints lead to clearings that lead to death.

She gulped. What else was there to do? If she stayed here, she’d have a slow, painful death. What if this clearing led to an exit?

She gripped the ground and crawled.

The fourth clearing was beautiful.

It wasn’t trying too hard or eerily perfect.

It was pretty. Dainty.

Was this the clearing of her death?

She bit her bottom lip but still tried to crawl. There were more footprints after the blueish-clear water. The cold water that was freezing to the touch, so freezing it felt deathly.

She continued anyway. When she made it to the next set of footprints, it was an empty clearing.

On the other side was a road.

A road outside. A way out. The way she had been looking for the whole time.

Anna was tired and her knees hurt, but she tried harder.

When she touched the rough road, she could almost cry. She was out. She wasn’t going to die.

She curled up into a ball on the side of the road and stayed there.

A car pulled up a little while later.

She didn’t know how long it had been since she made it out.

“You okay?” The man in the car asked.

She squinted. The world was so bright that she could barely see.

“How did you get here? There’s not anything for miles.”

“The–the forest!” she stammered.

“There’s no forest. You’re having an anxiety attack, sweetie.”

Anna’s eyes widened as she turned around.

Where was it? Where was the forest that she escaped from?

She looked at her own arms that were covered in puppy blood.

It was real, wasn’t it? It had to be real.

“I can take you away,” he said, “make a choice, yes or no.”

“What?”

“Fast, love. Yes or no?”

“I don’t know!”

“No. I see.”

“No–I said I don’t know!”

He drove off before she could say anything more.

As she looked at her surroundings, everything seemed to return to darkness.

She was in the sixth clearing.

Was that her last chance? The man in the car?

She was still in the forest. Still in the clearing. She hadn’t escaped.

Anna exhaled.

What was this? Punishment?

She looked one last time before closing her eyes.

There was something there, but she couldn’t make it out.

She didn’t want to.

The sixth clearing was the prettiest of them all and a nice place to eternally sleep.

The water she was in wasn’t cold anymore.

It was perfect.