The Woman In The Woods,
Short Story : The Woman In The Woods.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark ( Horror Story)
By Prabir Rai Chaudhuri . All Copyright Reserved 2018
The day my grandson came to my house to stay for a while, I must admit that it was not an idea that excited me too much, do not get me wrong, I loved my grandson, however, the idea of spending more than a few hours with any child made my head hurt just thinking about it, however, my son was going through a strong problem due to the unexpected death of his wife, I could understand it a little since my wife had died a few years ago.
He needed some time to readjust both his ideas and his life in general, and he undoubtedly felt that his son had already been through too much to subject him to all that; the initial plan was only a few days, however, after some complications, his stay had been extended for longer; he was a nice young man, he used to spend a lot of time alone and was quite quiet.
As the days went by he began to open up more to me, he used to tell me about his friends in the city and also his interests, among them he seemed to have a certain taste for the paranormal and horror stories, those days when he told me all that were the good days because, sometimes the pain for the loss of his mother could be seen in his eyes, and one stormy night this feeling seemed to invade him even more, I hated seeing him like that, so I decided to tell him a story that I knew he would like, I had kept that story to myself but I thought it was time for someone to know it.
At first he didn't seem very interested in hearing my story, but that interest changed when I told him that the story was something to do with my time as a soldier, which seemed to interest him a lot as well, and he made himself comfortable in the seat next to me. I looked at the cup of tea in my hands, trying to gather my memories and bring to life the story I had kept hidden for so many years. With a sigh, I began to narrate:
That night, the military camp lay in a tense silence, broken only by the patter of raindrops on the tents. I, a young and reckless man, had not been dragged into the army by choice, but rather by an ultimatum from my father that I could not ignore. My irreverent and carefree attitude did not exactly align with the discipline that the army demanded.
The task of patrolling the camp's surroundings seemed simple, but my young and bored mind quickly grew tired of the task. I decided to escape the monotony for a moment and go into the nearby forest to smoke a cigarette, completely ignoring the consequences.
The night was dark, but my confidence in my own bravery blinded me to any potential danger. I inhaled the cigarette smoke, feeling its burn in my throat, as I walked deeper into the thicket. However, the atmosphere suddenly changed. A gust of cold wind blew through my clothes, making me shiver despite myself. It was as if nature itself was trying to warn me of something I couldn’t see.
My steps took me deeper into the forest, where the trees seemed to grow to impossible sizes and the shadows stretched out like long fingers in search of prey. The icy wind persisted, and a dawning uneasiness took hold of me. That was when I saw it: a brown-furred rabbit, peacefully grazing among the undergrowth. Yet its presence disturbed me in an inexplicable way. Its dark eyes seemed to hold a secret, and its stillness was like a silent warning.
I decided to leave the rabbit behind and continue, but a strange feeling of déjà vu enveloped me. The forest seemed to distort around me, as if time and space had blurred. And there was the rabbit again, like a recurring shadow that haunted me. Every time I thought I had left it behind, I was met again by its disturbing gaze, as if it were mocking my attempt to escape.
A sense of panic gripped me as my steps became more erratic. The forest seemed to have no end, and the rabbit's haunting presence continued to haunt me. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up.
My physical and mental exhaustion finally brought me to a screeching halt. I searched in vain for landmarks in the darkness, but everything seemed confusing and disorienting. It was then that I saw something that chilled my blood: a female figure slowly emerging from between the trees. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes glittered in the gloom.
I stood still, mesmerized by her presence. She seemed to radiate a strange serenity, and I felt drawn to her like an insect to light. Almost without realizing it, she was in front of me, and our lips met in a kiss that seemed to be torn from a dream. The world around me dissolved, and only the two of us existed in that moment suspended in time.
However, the atmosphere abruptly changed. A sulfurous smell filled the air, and a sharp pain pierced my lips. I recoiled in surprise, touching my mouth to find it covered in blood. The woman in front of me was no longer the vision of beauty I had known. Her face had transformed into a nightmare mask: wrinkled, pale skin, lifeless eyes, and a sinister smile that revealed knife-sharp teeth.
A chill ran down my spine as I recalled that terrifying image. My legs finally reacted, and I ran with all my might, away from that abomination. The forest seemed to conspire against me, twisting and shifting around me as I desperately tried to find my way out. Every corner became a trap, every shadow a threat.
Finally, as if nature itself had taken pity on me, I emerged from the forest. My heart was pounding in my chest, relief mixed with confusion. I looked back, but found only the darkness of the forest, hiding the secrets it held.
The darkness of the forest seemed to envelop me in a cold embrace, and every shadow and corner hid a possible danger. I didn't walk far before I came across another soldier, who had been sent to find me after noticing my prolonged absence. He observed my injured state, my lips almost torn off and my eyes glassy with shock. I couldn't articulate a word, my mind still trapped in the nightmare I had just lived. The soldier looked at me with concern and questioned what had happened, but my inability to respond only fueled his bewilderment.
Guiding me with compassion, the other soldier helped me back to camp. There, I was met by medics who tended to my physical wounds, but the trauma remained trapped in the depths of my mind. They stared at the bloodied lips in wonder, trying to understand how such damage had happened. But how could I explain the inexplicable? My vacant gaze spoke for me, a window into the horrifying experience I had lived through.
During that night, as I rested in the relative safety of the camp, a chilling whisper woke me from a restless sleep. I was paralyzed, unable to move as the unintelligible murmurs echoed in my ears. They were like whispers carried by the wind, barely audible but impossible to ignore. Despite their closeness, I couldn’t understand the words they were saying.
I felt a chill run down my spine, as if someone was running cold fingers across my skin. My gaze locked onto the darkness of the tent, and my heart raced as I noticed a figure emerging from the shadows. It was her, the woman I had met in the woods. But her appearance was volatile, changing with every blink, as if she were a manifestation of my own fear.
Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, and at first, her figure seemed to be the same as before: beautiful, seductive. But as she came closer, her face began to distort, as if the skin was peeling away to reveal the monstrosity that lay beneath. The pointed, wrinkled nose, the lifeless eyes , and the sinister smile that revealed sharp teeth. My muscles tensed, and terror gripped me once again.
I felt my heart pounding in my chest as she came closer, her gaze fixed on me. Almost like a mockery, she gently stroked my hair, and her touch was like a burn on my skin. The closeness of her presence was overwhelming, and I felt as if the very air grew thicker around her. I tried to move, to scream, but I was paralyzed by fear, as if her influence had robbed me of my voice and the ability to move.
My mind was a whirlwind of confused thoughts as she leaned closer, her lips almost brushing my ear. Incomprehensible whispers filled my mind, like icy needles piercing my consciousness. It was as if I was on the border between two worlds, trapped between reality and a living nightmare.
As she leaned over me, her transformation was complete. That initial beauty vanished completely, and her face became the embodiment of darkness. Her empty eyes stared at me with wicked pleasure, and her twisted smile filled me with a terror I had never known.
Finally, my body responded to my will, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. The tent filled with noise, and the camp lights came on, dispelling the shadows and the nightmare that had gripped me. The woman disappeared, as if she had never been there, but her influence continued to echo in my mind.
My fellow soldiers surrounded me, asking what had happened, but words could not capture the reality of what I had faced. My mind was reeling between sanity and horror, and I found myself struggling to find my place in the world I once knew. I was taken to the doctor again, and while my body healed, my mind remained stuck in the memories of that terrifying night.
After that terrifying night at the camp, the days passed slowly as all the soldiers prepared to be relocated. The news of the relocation made me extremely happy; despite not having had any encounters as aggressive as that night with the woman in the woods, the feeling of being watched continued. Sometimes, I could catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, a shadow at the edges of my vision, and the rabbit continued to lurk near the camp. The prospect of leaving that place became an escape from all those nightmares.
The last night at camp arrived, and I felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. I didn't want to go back to sleep, didn't want her to appear once more as a farewell. I tried to occupy my mind with anything to keep me awake, but fatigue eventually overcame me. Although I wasn't assigned to the night watch, I found myself fighting sleep, wanting to avoid the darkness that brought with it such terrors.
Finally, I gave in to sleep and fell into a deep, strange sleep. Without even imagining the horrible nightmare that awaited me, in my dreams I could feel the earth beneath my feet and the cool night wind caressing my face, which made me wake up frightened.
I woke up abruptly, my heart pounding and sweat beading on my forehead. The horror wasn’t over, though; it had only just begun. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the middle of the place I had seen so many times in my dreams. The dilapidated cabin loomed before me, its ominous presence filling the air. The darkness of the forest seemed thicker, more palpable, and the wails and screams I had heard in my dream echoed in my mind.
I didn’t have time to question whether it was all real or a dream. I knew I had to get out of there. I turned on my heel, determined to retrace my steps and head back to camp. But before I could take more than a step, a gust of icy wind blew out of the cabin, carrying with it a frightening wail that headed toward me like an entity of its own.
The wind ripped through me with a force that seemed to want to tear my being apart. My body convulsed, and I found myself falling hard to the ground. The rough earth crashed against my skin, and the pain made me let out an agonized cry. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out the pain and terror that overwhelmed me.
When I finally opened my eyes, the pain subsided, but the horror was far from gone. In front of me, emerging from the darkness, was she: the woman from the forest. At first, her appearance was the same as I had seen the first time in the forest: seductive, beautiful. But as she looked at me, her figure began to distort, as if the shadows themselves were enveloping her and revealing her true form.
His face twisted into a look of malice, his dark hair cascading around his deformed figure. His hollow eyes stared at me with a chilling intensity, and his sinister smile revealed knife-sharp teeth. My heart pounded, and my mind was flooded with a terrifying realization: this creature, this evil incarnate, was searching for me, it was hunting me.
I felt paralyzed with fear, unable to move or utter a word. The figure of the woman from the forest moved toward me with deliberate slowness, as if to prolong my torment. Her footsteps echoed in my head like ominous drums, and the wind seemed to moan in response to her presence. I wanted to retreat, to flee from this nightmare, but my body refused to obey.
Finally, he was standing over me, his lifeless gaze locked on mine. His hand reached out, as if he wanted to touch my face, and a shiver ran down my spine at the proximity of his touch. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it was all just a nightmare from which I would eventually wake up.
But when I opened my eyes again, she was still there, as real as the forest around us. The evil emanating from her was palpable, and I felt as if I was trapped in a dark abyss with no escape. I knew I had to do something, I had to fight, but fear kept me immobilized.
The woman in the forest leaned forward, her lips almost brushing my ear, and whispered unintelligible words that echoed in my mind like a disturbing echo. My heart pounded with a painful intensity, and terror threatened to overwhelm me completely. I was trapped in a living nightmare, a place where reality and darkness were inextricably intertwined.
The presence of the forest woman had become inextricable, like a shadow that clung to every corner of my mind. In that moment, as I stood paralyzed by fear, I felt a surge of desperation and bravery. I couldn’t allow this creature to overpower me, not again. With a piercing scream, I gathered all the strength I had and propelled myself forward, pushing the woman away with all my might.
Her empty eyes widened in surprise as she backed away, and I took advantage of that moment of surprise to turn on my heel and run back to camp. Every step echoed in my head, every beat of my heart seemed to accompany my escape. The ground beneath my feet seemed to shift, as if the forest itself was conspiring to prevent my escape, but my determination propelled me forward.
Finally, I arrived at the camp, out of breath and with my heart pounding. I looked around and realized that no one had noticed my absence. The darkness of the night seemed to have covered up my escape and my encounter with the woman from the forest. I said nothing to anyone, I couldn't find the words to describe what I had faced.
As the first light of morning illuminated the camp, I prepared to leave with the other soldiers. I felt immense relief at leaving this place behind, and my longing to escape this nightmare outweighed every other emotion. Despite the curious glances of my companions, no one seemed to have noticed my absence during the night. I settled into one of the vehicles, ready to begin the journey, and the camp began to fade away as we drove away.
But as the camp faded into the distance, something inside me shuddered. An uneasy feeling washed over me, and a strange certainty came over me: the woman in the woods was not finished with me. I looked out the window of the car and thought I saw her standing on the side of the road, waving goodbye with a mocking smile.
The chill that ran down my spine was indescribable. How could this be possible? How could it continue to haunt me even now, as I left that place behind? I felt a knot in my stomach as the vehicle continued to move forward, away from the nightmare that had been my temporary home. The image of the woman faded into the distance, but her presence seemed tattooed on my mind, indelible.
After that experience, I would have liked to say that the woman from the woods never appeared in my life again. However, the reality is that her shadow clung to me in ways I could never have anticipated. Every night, she whispered in my dreams, her empty eyes watching me from the darkness. In every dark corner, I felt her presence, as if she was waiting to claim me once more.
Even on rainy nights, when the world seemed shrouded in mystery, I could feel her presence lurking around every corner. I would wake up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding as I struggled to escape her clutches in my nightmares. The woman of the forest had become an inextricable part of my life, a curse I could never break.
Copyright © 2018 Prabir Rai Chaudhuri
All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or stored in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other method, without the express written consent of the author. This includes, but is not limited to, publishing in any format (print or digital), translation into any language, adaptation, or any other form of distribution.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or adaptation of this work will be pursued to the fullest extent permitted by law.