The Secret In The Woods: A Bedtime Story

Hello, beloveds.

Tonight's offering is a story about what should have been an ordinary camping trip to the woods, but what a group of friends find there is far from ordinary.

I hope you sleep well, dear ones.

Music is generously provided by Nature's Eye.

Thank you for listening beloveds.

Transcript

Hello dear ones,

And welcome to today's story,

The Secret in the Woods,

A story that I wrote as part of a short collection.

So just taking a few moments as always to arrive in the space,

Just making yourself comfortable,

And transitioning from whatever you were doing into a space of rest and relaxation,

Maybe taking some deeper longer breaths.

And when you're ready dear ones,

We will begin our story.

The sun dipped below the treetops as four bikes sped down the winding dirt trail,

Tyres kicking up loose gravel and dry leaves.

Jake led the way,

His backpack bouncing with every bump in the trail.

Will,

Keep up slow pokes,

He called over his shoulder.

Will,

Right behind him,

Laughed.

Don't get cocky dude.

Ava rolled her eyes.

You two are going to crash if you don't watch where you're going.

Sam,

Bringing up the rear,

Tightened his grip on the handlebars.

He wasn't as fearless as the others,

But he didn't want to be left behind.

The air smelled like pine and damp earth,

The woods growing thicker around them as they rode deeper into black hollow forest.

They had planned this camping trip for weeks,

One last adventure before summer ended.

Just four best friends,

Their bikes,

And the thrill of the unknown.

But if they had known what was waiting for them,

They might have turned back.

By the time they reached their favourite camping spot,

The sky had turned a deep orange,

Streaked with purple.

The clearing beside the lake was perfect,

Flat ground,

Plenty of space,

And the water close enough for a late night swim.

Jake dropped his bike and stretched.

Alright then,

Let's set up.

They worked quickly,

Unrolling sleeping bags,

Pitching the tent,

And gathering firewood.

Will struck a match,

Lighting the fire with a flicker of golden light.

Now this,

He said,

Grinning,

Is real camping.

Ava smirked.

Because you made fire?

Exactly.

As the fire crackled,

They roasted marshmallows and swat stories,

Their laughter echoing through the trees.

The lake reflected the moon like a mirror,

And the air filled with sounds of chirping crickets and rustling leaves.

Then,

Just as they were settling in,

The hum began.

It started as a faint vibration,

So low it was almost a whisper in the ground beneath them.

Jake frowned,

Sitting up.

Do you guys hear that?

Ava tilted her head.

Yeah,

What is that?

The sound grew louder,

Rhythmic,

Mechanical.

A deep,

Pulsing hum,

Coming from somewhere beyond the trees.

Sam swallowed.

Maybe we shouldn't.

But Jake was already grabbing his flashlight.

We have to check it out.

Will jumped up.

Yeah,

We can't just ignore it.

Ava hesitated,

But then nodded.

Alright,

But we have to stay together.

Reluctantly,

Sam stood.

His gut told him it was a bad idea,

But he couldn't let his friends go alone.

Their flashlights cut through the darkness as they pushed deeper into the woods.

The hum growing louder with every step.

And then,

They saw it.

Half-buried in the ground,

Covered in moss and tangled roots,

Was a metal hatch.

Jake knelt,

Brushing away dirt to reveal rusted edges and faded lettering.

Property of Blackwood Science Division.

Restricted Area.

Ava ran her fingers over the lettering.

What the heck is Blackwood Science Division?

Will smirked.

Sounds like a secret government lab kind of name that does.

Jake grabbed the handle and pulled.

It's locked.

Ava reached into her backpack,

Pulling out her multi-tool.

Step aside,

You amateurs.

She worked the rusted lock,

Biting her lip in concentration,

Until finally,

Click.

The hatch groaned as it swung open,

Revealing a ladder leading into darkness.

The hum,

Now louder,

Pulsed from below.

No one moved.

Then Jake grinned.

Who's going first?

Despite Sam's protests,

They climbed down one by one,

Their flashlights barely cutting through the thick shadows.

The air smelled damp and metallic.

Pipes lined the walls,

Their surfaces covered in rust.

At the bottom,

They found themselves in a narrow tunnel.

Dim red emergency lights flickered overhead,

And more faded signs lined the walls.

Keep out,

Authorized personnel only.

This place is ancient,

Will muttered.

Ava pointed ahead.

Look!

At the end of the tunnel,

A heavy metal door stood slightly open.

A pale green glow seeped through the gap.

Jake pushed it open.

Inside was a laboratory,

Or what was left of one.

Shattered computer screens flickered.

Rusted filing cabinets stood overturned.

A thick layer of dust coated everything,

As if the place had been abandoned now for years.

But in the center of the room stood something completely untouched by time.

It was a pod.

The pod was sleek,

Metallic,

And covered in blinking lights.

Tubes ran from its sides into the walls.

Jake took a step closer.

Guys,

This looks like.

.

.

A containment unit,

Ava finished.

Sam's hands clenched into fists.

For what?

The answer was right in front of them.

The pod was open,

And it was empty.

A noise echoed from the darkness.

A soft,

Wet,

Clicking sound.

The friends whipped around,

Flashlights darting across the room.

Who's there?

Jake called.

Silence.

And then,

From the far end of the room,

Something moved.

A shadow shifted,

Slipping through the flickering red lights.

Torn.

Thin.

Too thin.

Its limbs stretched unnaturally long.

Its head cocked to one side.

Two reflective white eyes caught the flashlight beams.

The hum in the room turned into a sharp whine.

The thing took a step forward.

And then,

The lights went out.

Run,

Ava screamed.

They bolted for the door,

Hearts pounding.

Will tripped,

But Jake yanked him up.

Move.

The thing behind them clicked and chittered,

Moving fast.

Sam risked a glance back.

It was climbing the walls.

They reached the ladder,

Scrambling up,

Lungs burning.

Sam was the last.

As he reached the top,

He saw the creature standing below.

It didn't follow them.

It just watched.

And then,

As Jake slammed the hatch shut,

The hum stopped.

The woods were silent again.

They packed up in record time,

Peddling back to town without a word.

They never spoke about what they saw.

And they never went back to black,

Hollow woods.

But sometimes,

Late at night,

Jake swore he could still hear.

The low,

Pulsing hum.

And deep in the trees,

Behind the shifting shadows,

Something watched.

Something waited.