Ghost Stories

The half-dozen now reduced to a foursome followed Kurt along the dirt trail. The path itself was still relatively straight, a fact for which Kurt was thankful. Though it had only been a year since he'd made this trek last, he found he'd forgotten most of it. He was sure he was still on the right track so far though. In fact, they should be close to the split...just around this corner...and over this dip...

Yes! Kurt inwardly praised himself for managing to make it this far. At this point the path divided into two, one going left on an incline and the right weaving deeper into the forest. Between the two paths sat a large upright manmade stone, jutting up into the air like a knife. He marvelled at the stone towering above him, finding something oddly artistic about its uneven shape and red splotched discolouring.

As he looked upon the stone he was reminded of the stories he was told about its origin. Apparently, there were once many of these stones in a large circle in the forest and it was believed that they formed a sacred magic field. Here pagans would perform human sacrifices to their fertility goddess, and it was for this reason that holy men sought to tear down these stones. One by one they fell, but with each downed stone the wind whipped into a more and more terrifying frenzy. Rain began to fall, thunder clapping in the distance, until eventually the holy men had to stop, leaving this lone stone erect.

Then, over a series of days, the spirit of the demon that had been worshiped here slaughtered all the men that had tried to obliterate it’s power from the world. It was only when the last man was dead that the storm stopped, and no one has ever tried to remove it since. Though it has been said that if it's raining and the wind is blowing, you can sometimes see the demon, prowling around the forest, looking for human to devour as a sacrifice.

Kurt chuckled to himself, remembering that it was a ghost story they use to tell at the summer camp near Silver Lake. Usually, as the story reached it's conclusion, one of the counsellors would jump out from a bush, terrifying the children. In his youth, he'd been frightened too, but as he grew older he remembered telling it to younger campers, laughing as it horrified a whole new generation.

Whatever its original purpose, it now served as a perfect landmark, and instantly informed Kurt that he was at the right place. Now all that was to do was to split the group.

"Alright everyone, listen up," he said, turning to the other three. "That left path will take you two to the caves. Chloe and I are going to take this right path to the waterfall."

"Can we really split up though?" Gavin asked. "Didn't you say that someone with a backpack or someone who knows the trail had to go with each group? Heather's gone so that only leaves you."

"Yeah, but you guys are smart, and the path is easy to follow," Kurt argued. "There's a tourist information board outside the cave so you'll know when you've arrived."

"That sounds like I'm stupid and need a chaperone," Chloe joked.

"Don't worry about it," Victoria said, taking Gavin's hand in hers and leading him towards the left path. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Alright," Gavin relented. "But if you wind up in the middle of the lake in a canoe, I am not taking the blame."

As Gavin and Victoria went their own way, Kurt turned to Chloe and smirked, causing her to pout and narrow her eyes.

"Well, m'lady, shall we make our way to the waterfall?" He asked, sounding more sleazy then noble.

"Ugh, I think I'd be better off with Jason Voorhees than you," Chloe teased, tilting her head and smiling back. "Who knows what you'll get up to under the cover of the trees, just the two of us..."

"Damn, you figured it out. I'm really a serial killer and I'm packing a pretty big weapon in these shorts." Kurt bared his teeth like an animal. "And I'm coming for you."

Squealing, Chloe turned and ran down the path to the right, Kurt giving chase.