Fear

Everything had gone straight down the tube before he decided to take a little trip alone. Life for James had taken a complete 180 degree turn as a lawyer appeared at his place of business, issuing him divorce papers from a wife that, he had thought, was happily married to him for eighteen years. It had been a sharp blow, receiving those papers. James's world had seemed great and happy, and now, rocking slowly back and forth on the porch of his little cabin, the boards squeaking, relaxing him, a gun lay limp in his hand on his lap, he wanted to end it all.

He lifted the gun, slowly, surely, knowing exactly where he would put the muzzle, knowing exactly where the bullet would enter and exit, knowing exactly what the twisting, speeding mass of lead would do to his brain. And what was best, no one would ever find his body. The woods were so full of bear and wolves he knew that they would completely dispose of his body. That would be best. He only wished he could see the look on his ex-wife's face when she found out he was gone, missing, never to return... no trace but a few blood and gray matter stains on the porch of this little cabin.

The gun was at his temple now as he gently eased back the hammer. His finger gently squeezed, squeezed, squeezed.

"AAAHHHHHH!"

James almost jerked the trigger and he let out the breath that he had been holding. "What's going on now? Can't a decent man commit suicide without any interruptions?" He talked to the trees, the cabin, the setting sun, whatever would listen as he jumped out of the rocker, wondering from which direction the scream had been coming. There it was again, coming from deeper in the forest.

He set out at a brisk pace as he followed a game trail deep into the trees. The sun set over his shoulder and the darkness of the trees closed in around him. Something brushed against his leg and he looked down to see that he was still carrying the pistol and it was still cocked.

Nothing like shooting a hole in your foot before you commit suicide, huh Jimmy?

He put the safety on. Another scream sounded though the trees, bounding, echoing off the trees around him. It was a woman's scream, he could tell that much, and it was so loud now that he thought it was coming from every direction.

The sky was a purple haze behind him now and his only light was the full moon above. He'd come about a quarter of a mile and contemplated returning back to the, forgetting he ever heard the sounds coming from the forest. A fourth scream changed that thought. There was pain behind that last scream and James ran at a full sprint into the trees. He looked around, realizing he was no longer on the trail. He looked up at the moon. The scarce clouds sped around it, making the trees appear to move. Their bony limbs were reaching for him, scraping him across his face. The underbrush clung to his jeans, tearing through them, as he ran faster and faster.

There! There was a flickering light ahead, shining through the trees, beckoning him. He had to get out of the trees, and quickly. He was all turned around, lost without the path, and the light of the fire would be a welcome sanctuary. He ran, painful cramps issuing up and down his out-of-shape legs as he pumped them up and down. He stumbled and lost the gun as a sharp, piercing pain shot up his arm.

Oh, my God, he though, as he pulled the sharp pointed limb out of the fleshy part of his outer arm. He clinched his lips together. He wanted to scream himself but the fire was just ahead and there were people moving back and forth in front of its light. He got himself up, relying on his fear and adrenaline to keep him going. Sticky warm blood soaked the sleeve of his shirt.

He quietly sneaked to a large tree and peeped around as a fifth and final scream came from the small clearing which contained the fire. He saw the woman. She was dressed in a long white gown. A figure came up behind her, dressed in a long black, hooded cloak. It's shadows hid the face, as did the other's gathered around the fire. The fire reflected off a thin piece of metal as the figure slashed it over the woman's throat. Her scream ended and James would swear later that he could hear the gurgling of blood over the roar of the fire.

James then made on of the worst mistakes of his life. As he watched the front of the woman's dress turn red he stepped out from behind the tree. The word no issued from his mouth in a loud scream of horror and fright. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. He lifted his hand, trying to aim a pistol that was no longer gripped there. The black shrouded figures formed a line in front of the fire. They watched James as he stood frozen before them. The one that had killed the woman stepped forward and said, "Kill him."

James turned and fled into the trees as the shouts and sounds of his pursuers stomped through the trees behind him. He ran blindly, not knowing exactly which direction he was heading. The sounds of pursuit got frighteningly closer as the dark figures danced through the hills behind him.

Shadows danced in front of him now as well and he knew that he was surrounded. He kept glancing up at the moon and the reaching, groping trees. His left leg cramped and he fell in a heap, screaming aloud as he landed on his injured arm. Hands grabbed him roughly and pulled him through the forest by his legs.

He was back at the fire now and he caught glimpses of horrific faces within the folds of those dark cloaks. He was the devil in one, an alien being in another, and the face of a man with half his face missing. James realized that what he was seeing was men with Halloween masks on. But even this realization didn't help the fact that he was truly, truly frightened. He suddenly no longer wanted to die and when he saw the reflected light of the fire on the long knife he blacked out.

James started awake. The sun had disappeared into the distant horizon and darkness surrounded the little cabin. The moon illuminated the shinny form of a pistol in his lap. His head hurt from the nightmare and he rose to get another beer from the cooler indoors. He stood, gripping the pistol in his hand as he walked to the front door. He didn't enter though, but just stood there, feeling the cold weight of the gun in his hand. He turned back around and walked the short distance down a path to the edge of a small lake. He smiled to himself at the soft splash the gun made as it struck the surface of the lake. He returned to the cabin and locked to door behind him as he entered, never realizing that within the shadows of the trees outside, several dark cloaked figures with horrid masks were watching... waiting.