The Mysterious Woods | Teen Ink

The Mysterious Woods

April 27, 2018
By leahrieger, Allendale, Michigan
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leahrieger, Allendale, Michigan
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The cool breeze rattled the leaves as it blew. I was taking a walk in a new part of the woods that my parents always told me not to go in, yet I did. I never liked the woods very much but there was something about a mystery that intrigued me. You may be asking why I hate the woods, and you’re going to keep wondering that because I’m not going to tell. My wet feet started to go numb from crossing the cold river. The fall day seemed like it was trying to be winter without snow. I hadn’t brought my phone for I didn’t want to be distracted, not like anyone was trying to find me anyway. I was a like detective on the case of the mysterious woods or so that’s what I called it. I lost track of time shortly after starting my journey, but I didn’t care. So far there wasn’t anything different from this woods compared to every other stupid woods.
My body was sore but my mind was fresh and awake. I walked for what seems like forever until I noticed things had changed. The birds fell silent and no wind rattled the leaves. I was left in a pool of silence. Fear raced through my veins touching all parts of my body. My aching body felt like it could run a marathon if it needed to in order to get out of here. I wanted to go back but I didn’t, I kept going. Then I saw it, a huge cabin in the middle of this silent woods.
One ginormous doorway with two large doors that rumbled the house as it slowly opened. A rounded window sat on top of the of the doors with a magnificent design swirled into it. Two staircases split the house in half. Both had grand statues at the beginning welcoming you up the stairs. Up one staircase there was a hall filled with tons of knick-knacks and random objects. The few halls seemed they hadn’t been walked in for many years. Hundreds of old scuffs and scratches ran across the gray trim.
A beautiful dinner table was set up the other staircase. Multiple bowls filled with mashed potatoes that used to fill the air with glorious smells now sat there moldy. Three roast beefs sat at each end of the table again moldy. Many bowls and plates sat with disgusting food on them. Down a long hall, a huge breeze blows sheets and pillows out of closets. That’s when I saw it. A huge hole at the end of this hall. This house seemed so enormous but used to be larger. It seemed that half the house was gone. While staring at the huge hole, you can almost hear the screams of 20 people fleeing from their beautiful house in fear.
I felt the air getting pushed out of my lungs. My body was stiff as a board, my spine was tight. My brain went a 100 miles per hour trying to piece everything together. Why? How? When? Who? I wanted to run out of the house and forget everything but how could I forget this. This beautiful house had a dark secret that I needed to uncover.
Once feeling came back in my body and I could move again, I started to walk closer to the hole. The floorboards creaked louder with each step I took. Then crack, I fell through one of the boards. As I fell, I tried to shriek but I couldn’t make a sound. The silence was broken by the boom as I hit the ground. Once again I was frozen only this time I was frozen in pain not fear. The last thing I remember was looking up at the broken floorboards that I fell through and cursing at myself for coming here in the first place.

My eyes fluttered open to the sight of flashing lights and crowds of people. I managed to get out a quiet, “Hello?” No one answered, no one even noticed me. I didn’t recognize any of these people. “Hello?” I whisper again, but slightly louder. This time someone looked and yelled, “She’s awake! She’s awake!” Now the crowds of people surrounded me; they then began to poke and scratch me. The crowds disappeared but one person began to walk closer to me. They began to talk to me and explain what was happening but I didn’t hear most of it. The one thing I heard was I hadn’t woke up in 18 years.
I have to get out of here. I let out screams in order to get attention. Three ladies come rushing to me. I look at them and demand “Tell me what is going on here!” They look at each other then at me. One of the ladies starts, “You are in a small hospital in the town of Wanes. Eighteen years ago you were found in an abandoned house in the part of the woods that no one goes in.” Nothing out of the ordinary. Then she continues, “ You are quite famous in our little town. Everyone knows of sleeping Annabelle.”
“That isn’t my name,” I told her as I sat up.
She chuckles and replies, “The lady who found you gave you that name because no one knew who you were.”
“That is insane! My parents are John and Sarah Winston. Why wouldn’t they know who I was?”
She seemed to be getting angrier with me, “Please settle down. John and Sarah came by to see you once without anyone knowing. I saw them sitting next to you so I went into the room to see what was happening.” she continues with sadness hanging over her, “When I came up to them I found them both dead.”  I could feel the tears filling my eyes and pouring out onto my cheeks.
“What happened to them?” I asked.
Her focus went down to her fidgeting hands.“ Both died of a heart attack. It’s a mystery how this happened to both of them but tragically it did.”
Time passed and lots of people tried to come up a see me but I never wanted to see any of them. I knew none of them but they knew me, well they knew of me. Eighteen years of my life are gone and so are my parents. I didn’t think I could ever go back into society. As the last of my family, I decided my life won’t end tragically. I was going to get back to my life and make my parents proud. The case of the mysterious woods turned out to be the case of the mysterious family.



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