I had never been one to believe in the ghost stories my Uncle Ralph told me. They were always long and drawn out, never straight to the point, and, frankly, not very convincing. Growing up on the Appalachian Trail, he often warned me to be wary of what lurked in the shadows after dark. But being the type of person who needed to see something to believe it, I never paid much attention. That is, until last night.

As I write this now, safe and sound in the comfort of my home, I hope that recounting the events of what happened will bring me some peace. But I know that what I experienced will stay with me forever. It was a night that sent shivers down my spine and made me a firm believer in everything my Uncle Ralph had ever said about the woods.

--

I had been visiting my Uncle Ralph to pick up the deed to his home. He had been growing sicker by the day, and I knew I needed to act quickly. As I packed up the papers and prepared to leave, Uncle Ralph gave me a serious look. "Are you sure you want to go out there this late?" he asked. "You know how these woods get after dark. They can be downright spooky."

I tried to brush off his concerns with a light-hearted laugh. "I have to get home, Uncle Ralph," I replied. "My mom will start to worry if I'm not back soon. Besides, it's not like anything's going to happen."

But my uncle didn't seem convinced. "Please, let me give you some advice," he said and I nodded, and he continued on. "Don't look into the trees. If you see anything, don't acknowledge it. If you hear anything, don't turn around, walk away, and don't call out to it. And if you hear footsteps for the love of God, don't run. You'll only make things worse."

I mentally rolled my eyes at his cautionary words. At that time, I did not believe a single thing that came out of his mouth. I should have.

"Thanks, Uncle Ralph," I said, trying to sound grateful. "I'll keep that in mind."

Uncle Ralph did not seem to catch the hint that I was unwilling to stay for longer than I had to. "Why don't you stay the night? I could drive you?" Uncle Ralph asked me with a hopeful look, but I shook my head no and he continued on, "It's just I'm worried. I don't want anything to happen to you.”

"I'll be fine. Plus, there's still sunlight left, but if you keep talking there won't be" I said with a light-hearted laugh, hoping to ease the tension that Uncle Ralph had created when he dived into one of the fantasies they like to spew around town. It was common among the old folks who lived on the trail to be mesmerized by the kinds of tales, some saying that they have seen something of their own, or had known someone who has been taken by the "creatures" that live out there in the woods. 

"Be safe my dear, remember you aren't alone out there, whether you like it or not," Uncle Ralph said as I descended the steps of his home. His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I quickly brushed it off, just hoping that I can get home soon and lay in the comfort of my bed. 

"Bye, Uncle Ralph," I said as I waved. 

I began my journey into the woods, unprepared for what would come.

—

“Everything is going to be fine,” I thought to myself.

Half a mile into my walk, I started to get an eerie feeling on the back of my neck. The feeling that I was being watched. I brushed it off as some animal looking at me, maybe a deer or a rabbit. So I kept walking. 

As I was walking, my shoe slowly came loose, and I had just noticed it now a mile into my walk back home. So I bent down to tie my shoe, going quicker than I should have, because I wanted to get out of the woods, it was getting darker by the minute, and my mom will start to worry. But, because of my lack of hand-eye coordination, I stumbled and had to start again.

“Dammit,” I exclaimed quietly.

My words must have set something off, because as soon as I said that, the whistling began. It could not have been the wind, because it was whistling a tune, one that I can’t describe. For a second I thought it was the crows, because of their ability to mimic and all. But I still took it upon myself to look around, completely forgetting what Uncle Ralph had said. I instantly regretted my actions, because in the dense trees and brush on the side of the trail, was a lanky figure with long limbs, watching me, with eyes that seem as though they were glowing, and a large toothy smile that looks almost human-like. 

I quickly finished off my shoes and got up. I brushed whatever I saw off and pinned it on Uncle Ralph’s words getting into my head and making me hallucinate, so, I continued my walk. Though, the whistling continued, holding the belief that it was crows. 

It’s been two miles now, and only half a mile left until I am in the comfort of my bed passed out from exhaustion. I was never one to exercise, but living along the trail made me have to if I wanted to see my family members. That sensation that was on the back of my neck is still there, it seems to have intensified, but I was only focused on getting home. 

At that moment, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the woods, piercing the silence of the night. It was not just any scream, but a sound of a woman in excruciating pain and agony. Frozen in terror, I didn't know what to do. Uncle Ralph's words echoed in my head, telling me to ignore it, but the scream sounded too real to ignore.

Feeling compelled to investigate, I called out, "Hello?" but the screaming and whistling stopped abruptly. A chill ran down my spine, and I started walking again, picking up the pace until I was almost jogging. However, Uncle Ralph's warning resurfaced in my mind, and I slowed down to a quick walking pace, hoping not to provoke anything lurking in the woods.

“There’s only half a mile left, I thought to myself. Trying to calm myself down. “You’re most likely just making things up and trying to scare yourself.”

I kept my head forward, kept a safe walking pace, and continued my trek home.

“Goddammit!” I think to myself. Because now, there were footsteps that sounded like someone was running, coming up behind me, and it was alarmingly fast.

I abandoned everything that Uncle Ralph had told me to do, and I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could take me, without looking back. Whatever was behind me was catching up. I still didn’t look back, I just run, and I don't think about anything besides running. 

I feel hot breath on my neck. It feels rancid, and almost like it will burn through my skin, and something sharp digging into the back of my neck, causing searing pain. I cried out in agony, thrashing around and trying to fight it off.

--                 

After that, I woke up panting and covered in sweat. This false hallucination was just just a terrible nightmare. 

--

I am writing this still shaking, I have no idea how I had gotten home, I was still half a mile away from home. I remember the last thing I wrote in the journal was that it was all just a terrible nightmare. But I was wrong.

When I woke up after writing it, I had gone to the bathroom, and I had the sudden urge to check the back of my neck, so I did. And there they were, bright red claw marks on the back of my neck. I could have passed out then and there. Uncle Ralph was supposed to come over that day, he had forgotten to give me a document. So I can ask him about everything, even if it all seemed like it was just a silly dream and my mind playing tricks on me. That could be the only explanation for this, right?

I remember going back to bed. But I remember seeing the figure that was looming in the woods, in my closet. Staring at me with its unblinking glowing red eyes and that same toothy smile. A sense of dread washed over me. It began to move, slow and languidly and its footsteps thumped against the carpet until it was inches away from my face I could feel its hot breath on my face, one that could only be described as death. 

Its face seemed to have cut in half horizontally, and it let out a blood-curdling scream, a sound so deafening it felt as though my eardrums were about to burst, The scream seemed to have gone on forever, echoing through the empty halls and filled the entire room with a sense of terror and dread. Though, just as suddenly as it began, the screaming stopped. The figure disappeared, leaving me alone in the dark with nothing but the ringing in my ears. 

--

That night Uncle Ralph had come over, bringing the documents we needed in case something happened to him. He looked different this time that I saw him, almost paler and skinnier. We were talking for a while, just about family, and what had occurred, until it was time to go. It was an hour before sunset, and I didn’t want Uncle Ralph driving through the woods alone. 

As Uncle Ralph got into his car, he turned to look at me. Then at that moment, he had the same glowing red eyes and the same toothy grin that the creature that was in my room had.

I felt my blood run cold.

“Remember, you are never truly alone,” The “thing” that was supposed to be my Uncle Ralph said. It let out the same bloodcurdling scream and sped off into the dense woods.

I stood there stunned, unsure of what to do, and what had just happened. Was I still dreaming? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. The creature that had taken ahold of my Uncle Ralph was now looming in the shadows looking at me, and it raise its thin leather-like skinned arm and waved its talon-like fingers slowly. Seeming to attempt to mimic what seemed like a wave.