Bigfoot

11.

Fifteen years ago Wade and his family encountered something in the forbidden forest. The men in his family were stupid and every year they snuck inside and camped a little further away from town for a few weeks. This year Wade would be sixteen and deemed a man. He was now able to go with his father, uncles, and cousins. In total about eleven men from their family would pull on their hiking boots, pack their bag, and wait for the shift change of the patrollers.

Wade was excited. His family had done it for years and he was ready to be looked at as a man. Of course he had heard the stories, everyone knew of the stories, but his family had been camping in the woods long before he was ever born. Not one person had ever seen anything.

They had hiked for three days before deciding to stop and make their base camp. Wade was thankful. Hiking just wasn't his thing, but he knew better than to complain and embarrass his father. They would camp for a week and then start back to the town.

The first night was peaceful. The men had gathered around the campfire drinking and talking. Wade's uncle, who was the town drunk, gave him his first sip of beer. They all laughed as he cringed and made a face.

The second night something weird happened.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

The men looked up from their fire to somewhere in the dark woods behind them. It was like something was beating on a sturdy tree. The three knocks came again. The men stood up and grabbed their weapons.

"What the fuck was that?"

"A bear maybe?"

"You're so fucking stupid, Carl. Yeah I'm sure a bear is knocking on trees in the woods."

Wade peered out into the darkness. The feeling of being watched crept up on him slowly. He turned around and looked into the forest behind them. He could have swore his saw red eyes glinting at him. He didn't sleep well that night.

The third day started off fine. Everyone woke up when they felt like it and ate breakfast. Wade was the first one up, but he didn't leave his tent until he heard the others shuffling around. One thing he knew for sure, he didn't want to be wandering out in the woods by himself anymore. He was done and ready to go home.

Wade had begged his father. "Please Dad, something doesn't feel right. I think we are being stalked by something. I think those tree knocks were a warning. Sasquatch does tree knocks, Dad."

He was dismissed. "You are just like your mother."

Later that evening as the sun began to set, the men jumped up when the tree knocks came again. This time they were even closer.

"What the fuck?"

Tension filled the forest. It consumed everyone. It filled every gap, hollow log, and man's chest.

Suddenly a roar came from the unknown. Wade watched in horror as a giant hairy monster popped out from behind them. Then another one came from in front. Then another, slightly smaller one, came from the middle.

The men screamed like women and took off. The biggest monster grabbed Wade's father. Wade watched the thing beat his father like he was nothing. The deafening sound of his father's neck being broken is a sound Wade could never forget.

His body froze, pissing on himself when the Sasquatches turned and looked at him. He snapped from his trance and darted off into the woods. He heard the roaring behind him, and could feel the footsteps of the giant creature vibrating behind him. It was toying with him. Purposely letting him stay ahead and giving him a false hope of being ok.