Weird Halloween
THE FACELESS
HORROR FROM
WICKHAM CORNER

Autumn Rose
HELLO FRIENDS OF
THE ORANGE MOON

[First Published: October 23, 2020]


Welcome one and all to the next story in our Halloween celebration! Your host, Autumn Rose, here as always to spin you a tale to make the knees shake and your heart beat just a little bit faster. Yup, it sure has been some journey. And boy oh boy! Might I say what a right strange trip it has been yet!

Well, for tonight’s installment, we bring you a tale of a ghastly, grisly sort. You ever think you see some kind of somethin’ while walkin’ straight on through the big woods but turn away and it’s just like nothin’ was never there? Well, this is a story ’bout exactly that. It is tell of what some kind of folks might just could call—a hidebehind.
* * *

I was never a “woods person” or whatever you want to call it. Far from it actually. My hobbies? Games and TV mostly, outdoor stuff never really figured into it. But I knew plenty of people who were. In fact, had a good friend by the name of Jim. And he was just crazy about the woods. And hardly was there any conversation where he didn’t have somethin’ to say about hun’in’, or fishin’, or hikin’, or campin’ or just about anything what has to do with the outdoors.

Well, one day Jim, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to go campin’ with him. And, like I told you, the woods isn’t really my thing. So, I says I think I’ll pass or somethin’ like that. But do you think that stopped old Jim? Shucks, not for a second. He keeps on askin’ me, day after day, ’till finally I say “sure.” Now, I still wasn’t sure about it. But Jim was a good friend to me, thought, well, it was the least I could do for him.

So, finally the night came, and we settled on a little spot over in Wickham Corner. To be honest, Jim did most of the work, settin’ up the tent and everything. I suspect Jim had a lot of fun doin’ it too.

Y’know, despite every complaint, I had about the woods, I really did start to enjoy myself. That is up until nightfall. Because it was that night that everything changed. See, we had the campfire goin’ strong, flickerin’ with the embers risin’ into the air, when a strange noise started off about a hundred feet from where we were. First, Jim brushed it off, but the more we started to hear those sounds the more his face started to change.

I got real nervous, could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Nothin’ really did ever bother Jim, and he looked bothered.

The sound was like whistlin’ wind, only—there weren’t no wind.

Just then somethin’ popped out from the bushes, and darted like lightin’ across behind some trees. We both stood up in an instant, nearly fallin’ backwards when we did. I only got a glance at it, and it wasn’t pretty. It was almost like a man, but weren’t like no man I had ever seen.

It hopped a little as it ran. It had a great long legs and arms. Its body was narrow and covered in hair. But the “thing’s” face was the worse at all. What I mean is it didn’t have none.

We didn’t get no sleep that not. Spent the rest of the trip keepin’ the fire goin’. We saw it pop in and out a couple more times but never did get another good look at it. But we knew it was there. It was always hidin’ just behind the wood line. Lucky us, we gathered enough brush wood to last the night. And Jim he just sat there, look of pure terror on his face and a hatchet in his hand. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to like the fire none.

It was only a night but it felt like days. When dawn broke, we looked around for any sign of it. Claw marks a full two inches deep covered trees surroundin’ the campsite. They looked like bear marks but they weren’t bear marks. No matter what nobody has ever tried to tell me that “thing” it weren’t no bear. There weren’t any prints or hair. The “thing,” well, it was like a ghost.

We got out of there as soon as we could. I never did go campin’ again. And Jim? We’re still close, spend a lot more time together too. Games and TV, mostly. He took it the hardest, and he never did set foot in those woods again.
* * *
Egad! And good night! There’s a tale to make the blood run cold. Might could think twice myself before headin’ out that way. No doubt, if I did, I just soon as highball it outta there too. Can never be too careful, y’know? Well, that’s our story for this evenin’
’Til we meet again—stay together... keep nigh unto the fire.
Copyright © 2020 Thrill Land

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