I Made A Dark Discovery

I MADE A DARK DISCOVERY THAT I THOUGHT WASN'T TRUE

So, I guess I will start by introducing myself. My name is Bradley Weathers and I have been on my own since I was 19. I'm 28 now and up until three days ago, I worked for a company, who's name I can't say due to specific reasons, that basically paid me to travel and explore some of the most beautiful places in the world that also come with dark histories. I've had my fair share of encounters with death, I mean it wasn't but two weeks ago I was damn near mauled to death by a big grizzly. Playing dead was a skill I developed from all those hunting and camping trips I took alone. Say what you want, but I don't blame the bear. Not one bit. She was only protecting her territory and her cubs. Old girl did a number on me. I lost sight in my left eye, fractured three ribs, my right knee had it's flesh ripped from the bone like a tender turkey leg that took nearly seven hours to repair and many gruesome bear scratches and altogether, it took almost two to three days to full repair the broken bones, torn skin and over two thousand, four hundred and seventy-two stitches. I looked like a fucking stitched up ragdoll, but even after all that I went back to my job and continued to do my work. My boss, who barely says anything at all, gave me instructions to go to a small town in Maryland called Smithsville and spend two nights there while exploring the town of an urban legend. And so, I packed enough clothes, food and beverages for the trip and the weekend and set off to Smithsville. 

I arrived on Thursday evening a little after 7 and stopped at a nearby deli for dinner before checking into the motel. The residents seemed a little nervous and somewhat jumpy and claimed they rarely get tourists anymore. As I dug into my freshly cut turkey sandwich packed with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo, I pulled out my phone and did some research on the town's history. I discovered that a horrible massacre took place here five years ago. A man by the name of Lawrence Parr brutally murdered his wife and four children before committing suicide by shooting himself in the head. The town never really recovered and before that, apparently a three college students were found brutally slaughtered in the woods. Authorities believed it to be near attacks, but residents knew it was something evil.

In fact, this wasn't the only incident to happen in those woods. Apparently, dozens of bizarre and unsolved murders and deaths have happened there and no one can seem to discover who or what is killing anyone that enters them. Now, I know what you're thinking - it's probably some Satanic or religious cult doing these, but even multiple cults have debunked this as they know better to not mess with whatever entity is living there. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a woman by the name of Cassandra Wells was wrongfully accused of abducting and murdering a young boy, so she was lured into those woods by a young man to which a group of townsfolk ambushed her. They stripped her naked, tied her up and left her to die of exposure and the wild life. When they returned a few days later, they found her body missing and the ropes they used to tie her up with were laying on the ground.

The men never returned home and their bodies were discovered disembowled two days later. As years went by, people that entered the woods would never be seen again - alive that is and so the town of Smithsville and it's residents never went in there again. I'm no believer in the supernatural, in fact I think it's just a load of bullshit you tell at campfires or to your kids to get them to behave. But all of that changed for me in a matter of two days. I checked into my motel room and instantly took a warm shower then called Rebecca, my wife, to let her know I arrived and would check in every so often with her. I turned the TV on and within 5 minutes, I fell into a deep sleep. 

The following day mostly consisted of me riding around the town, taking pictures of some of the older buildings and interviewing the townspeople. Basically, just another day at the office and I had made the choice to go into the woods, not heeding the warnings of the residents. I checked out of the motel and drove to the forest. Exiting my car, I snapped a few photos then grabbed my bags and proceeded to enter. At first, it felt like a normal forest. Nothing out of the ordinary as I kept snapping more and more photos. Although to me nothing seemed wrong, the woods, however, seemed, well, eerie in a way. I mean, this place has seen its fair share of cold blooded murders. The sun began to set on another successful work day and I built camp. I packed a tent I bought at my local outdoors store for a whopping seventy-five bucks, but it was big enough to sleep an army. Once I got the tent up, I built a fire and cooked my dinner consisting of hot dogs and some beans. Yeah, I know, beans give you the shits but I have a strong stomach and at one time ate two cans when me and Rebecca went camping a few years ago and I was fine. My only concern is trying to piss in the dark with coyotes and wolves lurking. After I ate, I sat by the fire for a bit while listening to the crickets chirp and the fire crackling. Within an hour, I put the fire out and climbed into my tent for some much needed rest. Once my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. 

I awoke late into the night with a full bladder. I checked my phone to see that it was only 2:40 in the morning. I unzipped the tent and went to go pee near a tree. Once I relived myself, I climbed back into bed when I noticed something - the crickets. They were quiet. In fact, it was absolute dead silent. Not a single sound. I could see the embers of the fire continue to glow and that's when I heard it - footsteps. Right outside my tent. I packed my gun as I always do and quietly reached into my bag for it. The footsteps seemed to move around my tent as if whoever it was was checking it out. I swear I could see the silhouette of someone standing right next to it as if trying to look inside. I slowly pulled my gun out of my bag and as quietly as I could, got out of my sleeping bag.

Gripping the gun tightly in my hand, I slowly unzipped the door and with an instant jumped out pointing the gun all around and found nobody. "Whoever the fuck you are, it's best you stay away! I have a gun and WILL use it!" I shouted and fired a warning shot to intimidate whoever was trying to prank me. I started for my tent when I heard the footsteps again so I reached into my bag and pulled out my flashlight. I clicked it on and began moving through the forest, flashlight in my left hand and gun in the right. I searched the surrounding area and found nothing, but what was walking around? I scanned the trees and again saw nothing. I figured I was just exhausted and went back to bed. Once I went to sleep, I slept till sunrise the following morning. After I packed up my tent, I began my walk back to the car only to find that the way I came led me in a different direction. The exit should be right here. I only walked about ten minutes from where I entered and I know exactly where I came in cause it's directly by the road, but, there was no road. I wondered if I ventured off further than I thought.

No. I didn't cause I could see my campsite from where I was and that's exactly the same spot I saw when I came into the woods. I walked north and proceeded on that path, hoping it would lead me back to the main road, but I came across the same camp site and when I looked towards the exit, it wasn't there. Something is fucking with me. I just walked in one big circle for two hours only to end up right where I started. The fuck is going on here? And that's when I heard it - a blood curdling scream. I ran towards it, but the closer I seemed to get the further away it got. I yelled out for the screaming victim, but got no reply. I stood there and heard the scream again and I followed it and anytime I thought I was getting closer and closer, the scream just got further away from me. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath and just listened and now just silence. Exhausted, I pitched my tent and made a fire as the sun went down while I took my phone out and went to call Rebecca but I had no service.

Typical. I cooked what hot dogs I had left over and ate them. I need to find that exit. I only packed enough food and water for two days and I need to find that exit out of here. Night fell and I laid by the fire, looking at the pictures I've taken on this trip. I looked at the ones I took when I came into the woods and stopped on one that caught my attention. I studied it a moment and spotted something so I zoomed in on it then cleared the image up a bit to reveal what looked like a lady in a white gown standing no more than a foot from me. But I never saw a lady in white when I entered. Is she lost? Is she hurt? Maybe she can help me get the hell out of here. My eyes began to get heavy so I put the fire out and went to bed.

I awoke later in the night to the sounds of branches cracking and sounding like they were being thrown to the ground. What kind of animal can break branches off trees? I haven't seen any ever since I came in here. I laid there just listening when the cracking stopped. I sat up and thought I heard whispering. Then footsteps. Running footsteps. I reached into my bag and took my gun out. I cocked the hammer back until it made the loud click to indicate a bullet in the chamber. The sounds stopped as I clicked the safety off. I went to unzip the zipper when I heard a child's voice clear as a day say "HI!" and caused me to fall back! My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst from my chest. I burst from my tent, hoping to catch whoever was out there and as always found nobody. I stood there a moment, rubbing my eyes and slapping myself. This isn't real. You're tired, you're exhausted.

Just go back to sleep and you're gonna leave out here tomorrow. I crawled back into my tent and tried to sleep, but struggled to do so. The next morning, I was up and started my walk to finding the exit. It appeared I ventured further into the woods when I followed the screams and now I have no fucking clue where I am. My water bottles were empty and needed to find a river or something to fill them up. I kept walking north when I found a creek and ran to it. I took both my bottles and filled them with water when something on the ground caught my attention. I walked over and kicked the object then squatted down and began brushing it. It was an old sign and I brushed the dirt and leaves off of it to unveil the sign saying "Burkittsville." Burkittsville. Holy shit. It's no wonder why the townspeople won't enter these woods.

These woods belong to the blair witch! And now I'm trapped in here just like those college students were nearly twenty years ago. I turned to start walking when I noticed a strange, humanoid stick figure hanging from the tree directly in front of me. What the fuck? These weren't here before - were they? I look around and see dozens of them everywhere, all in different sizes. Who put these here? Seeing these eerie, creepy figures hanging from the trees, I took my camera and snapped a few photos of them for proof. I peered at the stick fingers hanging all around me and I could feel them taunting me, telling me there is no way out. My vision become a blur and next thing I know - BAM! Everything went dark. 

I woke up and saw that it was already night time. I slowly sat up and stood to my feet while grabbing my luggage. I decided to pitch my tent when I heard a twig snap loudly, causing my to flick on my flashlight. I shined it around frantically, hoping to catch whatever has been stalking me. I left my belongings and began walking to try and find who is messing with me. Enough is enough and I'm fed up with it. I kept walking and walking until I noticed something. It looked like a cabin? It was a cabin. No. It was a house. An old, rundown house. This house looked to be over a hundred years old. How the hell was it still standing? I stepped inside carefully while keeping my light everywhere so I wouldn't step through a rotten floorboard. I used my shirt to cover my nose from the very foul stench of black mold. I heard something above me. Footsteps. I called out, but got no answer. I walked up the steps to the second floor.

It was empty. I stepped into one of the rooms and there were hand prints everywhere. Hand prints that belonged to children. Fuck. The legend IS true. I stood there for a second, looking at the hand prints when I heard a voice coming from downstairs. It sounded like a woman calling out. I called back and she called back, but kept saying "hello" like she didn't hear me. I ran from the room and back downstairs then into the basement when I stopped dead in my tracks. A woman was facing the corner and I stood there, not moving a muscle. I felt a very cold chill run down my spine and then I heard it. A deep, raspy breath.

It was freezing. It felt like someone was running ice down my back. I shut my eyes and could feel whatever was behind me move to face me. I kept them shut, not wanting to see what was standing before me. I could feel myself shuttering as the figure gently touched my face. It's hand felt smooth and gentle, but I kept my eyes shut. The entity spoke to me in a very calming and soothing voice; "You are free." And when I opened my eyes, nobody was with me. The woman in the corner, the entity in front of me. Gone. Into thin air. I left the basement and went back upstairs into the second room where I saw the bodies of the three missing college students along with the group of six hikers I had placed there. To this day, nobody still knows that these people are dead and have been for so long. Hell, the three students have already decayed into skeletal remains. It's quite funny actually. I looked out the glassless window to see a young couple at their campsite. I reached into the hole in the floor and took out my blood stained knife and left the house to continue my great great grandmother's work. She lives in me, now and I will do anything she tells me to.