Ghostly Figures

## Author's Note

**WARNING:** This is a series of short horror stories, they will be gory and scary (I hope).

This might have not been the greatest idea, considering I have a fear of the dark, and have had terrible nightmares, but who cares? (I do, and I know that I will regret this)

Ya know, most of this is based on my terrible nightmares, I should really go into horror (I think?...)

This was the nightmare that I got a lot (I don't have nightmares anymore, I just watched a lot of short horror back then). Anyway, the main guy is named Keith. He's a shadowy figure that follows me around, trying to kill me. He was originally an orphan who was bullied as a child. As a teenager he was beaten to death by the bullies, when he came back as the shadowy figure, he vowed to make friends. He lures people into traps, and kills them so they can join him.

Well anyway, let's get into this! (I am too happy for this.)

## Prologue

The dark forest stood tall and spooky in the sunlight, an eerie glow coming from the trees. If you looked hard enough, you could see movement. A white stream of mist, moving along the dark trees.

But was it mist? That was the big question.

For years, young people had been disappearing, stupid young people who went in, never to come back out.

Some said it was a portal to a mystical new land, and no one wanted to come back, while others had a more dark approach.

The most common one, was...ghosts. They said that the kids who were trapped and died became ghosts, who would haunt the forest, and lure in children and young adults to their demise.

Before some would disappear, they said they saw a figure haunting their nightmares. He would get closer, and closer, until he disappeared, taken by the fog. And then they would wake up, but the strange forest called to them.

Until they disappeared.

They were scared, but something about it couldn't keep them away. It put them in a trance until they came in, or went insane.

But one young lady, decided enough was enough, the "magical" figures were make believe, and she would prove everyone wrong. There was nothing in the forest, or so she thought.

That thought was one she'd immediately regret.

[This one is going to give me nightmares...It's 7:14 pm, The sun is setting and I based the dark forest over the forest in my backyard. I think this might have been a bad choice...]

## Chapter 1

Do you know why the sun sets?

Do you know why darkness falls?

Well I don't, and I vow to learn. I vow to learn why the sun sets, I vow to learn why darkness falls. And I believe the key to all of that is in the blackened forest.

The sun sets so the world can get a break, but others take advantage of that, a hunter goes for the tired prey, not the lively one.

The darkness falls so those horrid creatures can go out of their terrible homes. They no longer have to lurk when the night falls.

But things are different in the strange forest. Instead of going after prey, the prey goes to them. Why? Who knows.

Emily did. Emily knew why, I know deep down she knew, but she was too afraid to say it. Emily, why couldn't you say it? Why did you have to join the legions of the missing?

The forest is home to great mystery, but at what cost?

Crews of explorers, news-writers, and any other stupid, idiotic people go in, only for none to go out.

But why? Why don't they come out? Is it because the land is too good?

No.

They don't come out because there's something there, or someone. They take, and take, and take, never giving back.

It's known that there are many someones, but how many? Who's in the lead?

If we take down the lead, then the others will soon fall apart, right? But who's the lead? Is there even a lead? Who are the misty people? Who are the people who are made of mist? Who are they? And why do they keep taking?

Emily knew. But my stupid younger sister did nothing. She just *left*. At the dead of night, she left in her frilly pink dress and soft slippers, and entered that accursed land. She just left.

She left me, and mother, and the whole town. She was the brightest, smartest, most talented girl in the world, but she was lost to that forest. She didn't even tell why. What was calling her? What was telling her to go? Why couldn't she stay?

I promise that I *will* find the cause. I swear on my soul.

## Chapter 2

Mother refused to let me enter, I don't know what I was thinking asking her beforehand, but my actions are stronger than her words. I will enter the forest, and there's nothing she can do about it.

When do you think someone dies?

When they stop breathing, or when people forget them?

I will never truly die, as long as I find the cause. Nothing can stop me, because where there is will, there is a way.

Emily stopped breathing, but if I do this, our family will be immortal. No one can forget us, no one can forget Emily, because she doesn't deserve to be forgotten.

"Honestly, why would you want that?" My "friend" Genevieve exploded, smashing her glass into the floor. "I can't lose you too!" She stormed out, and I admit that could have gone way better.

A few moments later I saw her dark, bushy curls. "Oh, so you've decided to come back?" I don't know what I would call her, but I would never call her a friend. Our relationship is complicated to say the least.

"I used to have such a big family! Do you know what happened to them?"

"The forest."

"I can't lose you too! Even my parents went in, all I have is my abusive grandmother, is that all you want to reduce me to?"

"No, but I will come back! Just trust me!"

"You're grieving, you're not thinking straight! You *can't* come back! That's the point, they won't let you come back! Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I don't! You just have to trust me." This time I stormed out, she displayed a pleading, desperate face. She didn't understand what I was going through! Her family was mediocre at best, Emily was everything! She could light up the town at dark with her smile.

No one understood what I was going through.

No one.

## Chapter 3

A few changes of clothes

Water and Food

Some personal belongings

A map of the forest.

All things I needed to bring to the forest if I was going to leave. I kept that list repeating in my mind so I didn't forget I packed it all in a small, leather backpack. The map of the forest only included a few small things like the destination, and a few other landmarks.

No one really knew how the map got there, but others speculated it was a way of grabbing people's attention. The way to bring someone into a new land is to either make their land horrible, or make the new land better.

I guess they did both.

The sun was about to rise, I wasn't insane enough to go into a mysterious forest in the middle of the night. I wrote a small note and placed it on my bed.

*Thank you for everything, Mother. I promise you that I will come back, and I'll have come back with answers. Tell Genevieve that I'm sorry, tell anyone that asks that I'm going to find answers.*

*It's the least I can do for this lovely town, they all deserve answers. You deserve answers, and I intend to find them.*

*I love you and Emily with every fiber of my being, and I'm sure that Father would be proud of me too.*

I looked at the house I had spent 15 years in, the house that had held everything for me. The house that make me who I was right now. The forest was a bit of a walk away, it was easy to see since it was tall and sucked all the light away.

Why didn't anyone leave? Mother said that there was something that kept her back. I didn't have that. I didn't have that feeling.

I set off when I saw the sun peeking through the land. Since I had plenty of time I was stuck in my own thoughts. Every step I took my body screamed "Don't do it" but I had to.

I had mentioned my father in that note, even though I didn't know him. Mother hardly talked about him, and I was just left to photos and vague statements.

"He was a great guy" Didn't tell me enough about him. What happened to him? Why isn't he here right now? Honestly, after losing Emily, I realized that all of the answers were in the forest.

A deep sense of hope grew in me when I thought that maybe it would also have answers to what happened to Father.

I knew that was a silly sense, but I couldn't stop it. "Father, are you mad at me? Wherever you are, are you mad at me? Are you mad that I left? Are you mad that Mother's all alone now?"

I wanted to go back so bad, but I couldn't just be a coward and run back when I was at my worst. No, I had to be *strong*. I had to help Mother and the other villagers get closure. *I* needed to get closure.

And I needed to get it myself, since no one else would.

## Chapter 4

*Don’t worry Mother, I know what I’m doing. I’ll be back soon, but unlike you think, I won’t be the least bit shameful. Do you wish to know why? Because I am going to find out what killed Emily. I’m going to do more than you ever did for Emily or Father.*

Those words circled through my mind spinning so fast. So fast. I couldn’t focus since it was too fast. With a cry I crumpled too the ground falling so fast. So fast.

Then a hiss got me up. My hairs stood up, and my heart started beating faster and faster in my chest, almost bursting through my ribs. Am I dead yet? I barely walked in yet I was dead. Dead already.

Then the whispers started. They spoke nonsense to me, but I craved more. With another cry I covered my ears. And another hiss came out. I couldn’t do this anymore.

The whispers spoke made me crave more, but the feeling that something is looking at you. Staring through you. I wanted to leave but the whispers made me stay.

Is this what Emily felt? Would they ever clear up?

*The whispers only slow down when they are ready for you*

The “official” handbook circled through my mind. A collection of “tips” and folklore that the people lived by. If they were true, then why was this known?

I reached into my leather pack and realized in my haste I packed the book. I flipped to the first page and just read.

*The ghosts of the forest call those who know. If you don’t know then you aren’t a problem.*

Know what?

*If you ever have the misfortune of being in the forest, you will be brainwashed to not react to anything unless you weren’t called. If you weren’t called the whispers start the moment you enter the forest and you’ll slowly go insane and decay slowly in the forest. Then you’ll become one of them. Those who are called are also one of them.*

I was going to decay? Everyone will be one of them?

*They call. They call. They call. They call.*

A whole page of that. Between the tips and the tales was just rambling. Nonsense. No meaning just a man going insane.

*They lie. They call. They lie. They call. The forest is peaceful until it isn’t keep your back against the wall to live they lie they call they lie they call they lie they call.*

I shut the book in exasperation.

WIP