From The Trees

It was supposed to be an ordinary camping trip, deep in the woods with no technology, just nature at its finest. But how were we supposed to know what was going to happen? It started when our friend Jason Erhard had proposed the idea to go camping in the woods. He told us to leave technology behind and only bring the essentials for two nights. It seemed simple enough to us, we enjoyed the idea of a break from social media and the complexities of life. When Jason came to pick us up we were excited, we had grown up in a small town in Oregon with a large forest near it that we often went camping in. In fact that’s where we thought we were going. To our surprise Jason went passed the dirt road to the place where most people camped. No problem; I just thought he was taking us to an unpolluted part of the forest. But no, we drove along a highway for many miles until we found a road that lead to a series of dirt roads that were laid out almost like a maze. We had finally reached the edge of a forest. We got our supplies and started heading into this place that seemed so new and frightening to us.

After we had hiked a few miles we found a spot to set up camp. Jason explained to us about how he heard some people saying that this forest was amazing and really untraveled. “In fact they said it would be a miracle if you saw someone else there.” Jason said. Anne Adelaide and Joshua Yong set up their tents while Jason was telling us really goofy scary stories. I became tired quicker than the other’s. I’m very sleep deprived from my insomnia. Some nights I just get tired but I just keep waking up. Jason used to always joke about how I’d someday go mad from all this sleep deprivation.

It was only our second day but we didn’t pack enough food, we began to head out of the forest. Everything seemed different heading back. The trees seemed thicker and the path seemed longer; unlike the rides home after visiting family or friends. We began to lose our way. That is if we had not already. “Don’t you know how to get back?” I asked Jason with a slight knot in my throat caused by uneasiness. We were lost.

Jason set up camp and decided that we can get some rest and try to find our way back the next day. It had been three days after that where we gave up hope. We were starving. We knew we would have to eat something soon or we would die. The aching of hunger had kept me up for the past nights and I knew I wasn’t myself anymore. My ideas for survival were beginning to be really disturbing. But maybe they would work. “No they couldn’t” I told myself. Knowing it was pointless; if I didn’t do it one of the others might before me. I had to kill the others. I know cannibalism is messed up but I need to survive!

I took my knife and as the group slept I killed them off one by one. I had killed them. What kind of monster had I become? I killed my own friends to ensure the possibility of my survival. But there was nothing I could do now except finish cooking the bodies. I prepared the bodies quickly; just taking chunks on a stick and roasting it over a fire. Now that I had eaten I could get some sleep. Sleep was what I needed. I fell asleep; in my sleep I began to sweat, I was tossing and turning. This nightmare was killing me.

I was in a white room with my friends. Had we died? My friends began looking at me and then looking at each other. They took me over to a dining hall, finally something to eat! They brought the cows and pigs out; many animals to eat. The dining hall had many foods to choose from, fruits from all over the world, bowls of gravy, and so much more.  The animals that had been brought in began butchering themselves alive and forcing themselves onto the plates. My friends ate them raw and as I looked down at my food it had the face of one of my friends and I screamed.

I screamed and woke up. What a horrid nightmare. I knew that would not be the last time I saw that dream again. When the sun had risen enough for me to travel by its light, I was ready to try to get out of there. I gave my friends a proper burial and got ready to go on my way. I knew that it would take a few days to find my way back, and I knew my life would never be the same. As I was packing up I heard what sounded like voices. Yes they were voices! I started to tear up, my friends had died for no reason… and it’s my fault!

When I got home I stayed isolated. I didn’t talk to my parents, I didn’t visit Facebook, and I didn’t talk to my friends from class. For the next two weeks I was desolate. The worst part was that I couldn’t get the taste of human flesh out of my mind. In my math class I had my mouth resting on my arm and I was sleeping, the teacher woke me up and to my surprise bit a piece of skin out of my arm and swallowed. The teacher sent me to the nurse who gave me a bandage. I went back to class and felt somewhat relieved after eating my skin. What was happening to me?

After school I raced home and locked myself into my room. I started screaming into my pillow; what the hell was going on with me? I could not possibly know; all that I knew was I craved human flesh. I traveled to the community center that was always empty during the spring. I saw a kid that was just a year younger than me, maybe sixteen, trying to break into the community center. He was perfect; no one knew where he was. I came up to him asked him for his screw driver and said “this is how it’s done” I took the screwdriver and started working over the lock, made it do a snapping noise and he was intrigued. He bent over closer to where I was working and I stabbed him in the eye. I break into the community center and start the oven in the room used for the cooking class my mother made me take. I start cutting pieces off him with my knife. I slice deeply taking all the delicious parts of his body. I began to cook the pieces of his body in the oven.

I heard police sirens outside, this was not uncommon but due to my circumstances it was troublesome. I look at the door to make sure it was locked. At that moment I realize the door had a silent alarm on it. I become petrified in fear. The police break down the door, I’m still cutting the body; an officer takes a shot. I look down; I’ve been hit. A recollection of the events in the last few weeks leading up to this event flashes before my eyes as my last minute on earth passes; and my body becomes lifeless.

By: Kylan Walker