DEATH WALKS THROUGH THE WOODS - Poetry - http://maxpages.com/edgeofinsanity/Death_Walks_Through_the

It was one of those days when Kate's college classes ran late. On those inconvient days she always took a short cut through the woods in order to get home on time, without missing her favorite shows.

Today the late afternoon was frigid and Kate's blue felt as cold as its color, providing her with little warmth. The blistering wind whipped her alburn hair around her sun deprived face violently, as she walked across the emptk parking lot. When she entered the thickett of trees a sour smell of decaying leaves greeted her, and the stale damp air slapped her in the face.

Approching the slow running streem that lies at the bottom of a moderately shallow ditch she could hear the calls of the small brown frogs that live along the banks. As she stepped on the damp forest floor that was carpeted with the colors of autumn leaves, small lizards scurried about her feet.

Now standing on the edge of the ditch Kate noticed the forest all around her was getting dark signaling it was late. Kate looked into the ditch to see if the water was low enough so that maybe she could walk across but it was to dark to tell. Not wanting to chance it, remembering the rain storm that had occured the night before.

Kate began to walk across the ditches edge. Suddenly the dirt under her left foot crumbled benieth her causing her to tumble into the ditch landing face down in the water. Kate lifted her head from the merky water gasping for air. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light she realized the water around her swirled a crimson color. The water beneath her nose had a sweet metallic smell. Cringing in pain Kate managed to turn onto her back.

Sitting up to examine her now throbbing legs, she noticed a mound just beyond her feet. It couldn’t quite be made out the setting sun was hidden behind a far off hill and the faint light cast shadows on the water. She slowly stood up, her bruised legs shaking unsteadily and cautiously approached it. Squinting in the dim light she saw a water soaked backpack. Kate touched her shoulders and realized she still had hers on. Bending over to examine it she noticed that the bag was empty. Thinking that someone just carelessly left it there Kate turned around and came face to face with a girl about her age hanging from a tree by her ankles. The girls throat was slashed leaving a fleshy gap that semi circled her neck. The look of horror on the corpse’s face made Kate gasp. The girl’s lifeless eye’s which left open seemed to stare into her soul and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Blood dripped from the girl’s once light hair into the water. Just then a strong wind blew, and twisted the rope so the body no longer faced Kate.

Unfreezing from her terror she fell to her knees and began to vomit. Looking up toward the sky Kate realized that night had come. She could almost make out a full moon through the thick canopy of tree tops. Kate stood up and started to run through the muddy water until she found a shallow slope and climbed out of the ditch. After climbing out she ran as fast as she could away from the gruesome scene. As Kate ran branches slapped her across her face and arms and the woods around her passed in a dark blur. Kate wasn’t sure how long she ran for, but the interstate. Kate waved her arms frantically trying to get someone’s attention.

Finally a Black Ford Explorer pulled up and rolled down its window.

"What’s wrong missy," a man in his early thirties said.

Kate explained to him what she had found as calmly as she could, but midstream she stopped and noticed a large blood soaked kitchen knife sitting on the floor. Kate gasped sitting up in bed and glanced at her bedside clock that read 1:28 am.

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Page Updated Wed Dec 6, 2000 11:58pm EST