The camp fire ripped the shrouding night away, as its black thick smoke lingered above, sending flares of ash towards our feet. There was a group of us, around five, not including me. It was late summer, and college was starting up again, so our little pod of friends decided to go camping in the nearest forest. It wasn't long before we found ourselves speeding down the freeway yelling "Road trip" as we passed fellow drivers. The wind whistled in my ears and the music blasted in my jeep, which at first was unnerving, but made it that more nostalgic over time. It took a couple of hours to find a spot suitable, my friend Jess was right on my tail throughout the whole trip. She and her group of friends were stoners, fortunately I wasn't. Occasionally we would see puffs of smoke shoot out their windows, and dissipate into the air. I always honked a "What the fuck" at them, and they always honked back. They were good people, but not always the smartest. We pulled into a narrow road leading into a dense wooded area, we drove past cabins and trailers for rent, but we thought that wasn't real camping. As we got further into the woods we found a small gathering where we had set up our tents and made a fire, it was already dark so we locked our cars and pulled out some beers, and guitars. That's when it all started.
At first it wasn't alarming, it seemed like a bird or an owl zooming overhead, until I looked up and saw what was really starring down at us. It was a distorted man. His face was straight and pale, almost as if he were in pain, but was desperately trying to hide it. He moved so quickly that it left a shallow blur behind him. I couldn't tell if he had been there or if it were an near hallucination due to the intake of alcohol. Can one hallucinate while being drunk? I've never heard of anyone like that. I stood up really fast and gazed up and around our camp ground.
"Jake what the fuck man chill, it was probably an owl or something relax."
"No no no there was something, someone in the tree looking directly at me I saw him."
"Dude shut the fuck up and have a beer."
"No guys I think he might be serious. I saw him too about ten minutes ago, I just thought it was the weed but I think there might be someone out there."
I began to shake and panic, what was that thing? it couldn't have been human, was it?
"HEY! IF YOUR OUT THERE IM GONNA KILL YOU YAH HEAR ME?!"
"Dallas stop that!"
"Guys just stop talking. lets just get in our cars and leave."
"What with all our stuff here? real smart, plus were intoxicated dumbass."
suddenly there was a distant crack in the bush, lurking forward. It sounded as if something was being torn apart, like rubber or meat. It made me feel nauseas, but the more clear it became the more I wanted to know what was making the noise. Suddenly the same ugly thing I had seen only moments before shot out and grabbed Dallas. Dragging him into the forest. His screams were distant as if it had moved a mile a second, then went silent. I couldn't tell if it was how far he was, or whatever had got him finally killed him. Regardless I ran back to my jeep and hoped In. I turned and sped down the narrow road, hitting leaves and bumping over rocks. I was about half way down until I noticed. I forgot the others. I slammed the brakes, sending a horrid screech throughout the dense timber. I began to back up to get a proper turn, until something fell onto my car, it hit with a hard thud, it was so sudden I let out a yelp horror. I drove forward, sending the thing rolling off the hood of my car. It hit the ground and rolled over, I looked out of the front mirror, it was Dallas, he was dead. I don't know why but.. I got out of the car and ran back to the campsite. When I got back everyone was dead, blood littered the tents and on the trees. The tent door was open, I carefully crept up to it and peeked inside, I came to a pile of my friends bodies gathered up on one another. I screamed and fell to my knees. it felt like forever since I had fallen, until I felt a small grasp on my back. I heard the sound of the tearing of skin behind me, then came the voice if that horrid, skinless man I had seen earlier hiding in the trees,
"You let them die."
