Doodle Bug

The droning noise of the truck was drowned out by the music playing on the radio. Cigarette smoke curled around the steering wheel before bellowing out the window. The driver's eyes quickly flicked over to the clock display on the dashboard; it blinked 4:30 am. Her eyes shifted to her phone with the GPS pulled up; almost to the hotel. With the last drag of her cigarette, she put it out in an old soda bottle that sat in the cupholder.

The hotel was quiet; a few lights lit up the lobby, and the rest of the building almost looked vacant or abandoned. Parking her truck in front of the lobby doors, she entered and headed to the clerk, who looked like she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Hello, Ma'am. I'm here to check in for Lana." Her voice rang out in the vacant lobby.

"Welcome. I just need your ID and credit card." She recited the line like it was second nature for her.

Lana slid her ID and card across the counter for the lady to look at. Rubbing her neck, she looked around the lobby almost like she was being watched by someone or something. Her eyes flicked back to the clerk as she spoke.

"My, you're a far way from home; must have been a long drive. All the way from the south, huh? What brings you up north?" The lady asked, almost more awake, surprised to see someone so far from home.

"Yes ma'am, been driving for a while…" she paused before she answered her question. " The uhh..the woods actually, my momma always talked about them."

The clerk's eyes widened slightly as her movement came to a sudden halt. "Are you one of those monster or cryptid hunters or whatever you call it? You do know the stories about these woods, right? You do know there's a demon that lives in these woods. All the locals know to stay out of it and only stick to the safe paths."

"Hahaha, no ma'am, I'm not a monster hunter, more like an observer? Maybe researcher is closer to the terminology…" She spoke as she leaned against the counter, her fingers fidgeting. "I know the stories, call it a death wish maybe, but I'm curious. I've always loved the woods, always felt like I was being called to it. Demon or no demon, I'd love a good hike in the cold air."

"Lady, no offense, but you're insane. I would never set foot inside that death trap of a forest." She scoffed as she handed me back my cards and the door key to my room.

"You must live a better life than me, ma'am." Lana smiled as she slid her cards off the counter and went back to her truck.

As she pulled up to the other side of the building, she parked her truck and entered the hotel room. It was cleaner inside than you would've expected, considering the almost dilapidated nature of the outside. She lugged her bags into the room and tossed them on the floor next to the bed. Kicking off her boots, she sat criss-cross on the bed, rubbing her neck. Reaching down into her bag, she pulled out some notebooks and a pen. Carefully, she went over her notes that detailed the woods she was planning on traveling into. The pages were worn and old, scattered with clippings, notes, and drawings. The ramblings of a mad man trying to find an ancient being that might not even exist. She began scribbling some more stuff down on an empty page, possibly about the trip? Maybe any observations she made along the way.

The hotel room was dark; outside it was raining softly, the droplets thudding against the window hypnotically. Lana's eyes slowly opened as she stared at the ceiling. Today was the day, finally. She had made it up here, and she wasn't going to stop until she completed what she came up here for. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she forced herself out of the warm bed. Throwing her stuff back into her bags, she lugged everything back into her truck. The cold, wet air bit at her through her coat, but in a way it was almost comforting.

She dropped off the key to a different clerk and grabbed some free coffee from the lobby before heading back into the cold air. The drive to the forest was anxiety-ridden. Almost like there was barbed wire around her throat and a stone in her stomach. But she continued, taking a drag from her cigarette to calm her nerves. The treeline, which once seemed far, now engulfed the truck as she drove down the dirt path. The soft pattering of the rain served as a juxtaposition to the anxiety clawing at her throat. The truck pulled to a stop once the dirt path had ended, blocked off by fallen trees. She turned the truck off and stepped out. The air was colder, sharper, digging deep into her bones. She continued deeper into the woods; the canopy of the pines began to block some of the rain as it fell. As she crept deeper into the woods, her truck now out of sight, she paused as she felt like something was watching her.

Stopping dead in her tracks, she dropped to her knees and tossed her bag to the side of her. She quickly started to work, clearing the ground in front of her and drawing sigils in the dirt. Reaching into her bag, she set an assortment of items in the circle of sigils. Holding up her hand, she pulled out a knife and sliced her palm. She winced as the knife stung her skin; she could see the steam leaving the cut from how cold the air was. Squeezing her hand, she watched as the blood dripped into the dirt. That's when she finally spoke.

"Hail spirit! Reveal yourself to me, demon of the woods! I wish to strike a deal!"

The air grew almost impossibly colder, the forest quieter. Not even the soft pattering of rain could be heard anymore. The trees began to shift and creak, as if they were moving, transforming into something ancient. Lana's eyes darted around the woods before her vision caught something in front of her. A being with a horned skull for a face looked down at her. Its antlers merged with the branches of the trees around it. Its body was covered in matter both living and decaying, as if the whole forest floor rose. The being stared down at her, a look of curiosity and disgust. Then a voice spoke, dark and rich like tar trying to suffocate her.

"Human…" In what seemed like an exhale of breath, steam clouded the underside of the skull. "What you are to offer me, will it be equal to what you seek?"

Lana looked up at the creature, her voice caught in her throat as if she was being strangled. Gulping, she forced her feeble words to come out. "Spirit, I wish to learn from you. I offer my servitude to you for your wisdom."

What felt like the earth below her trembling, the being began to chuckle. "You are… an interesting human…" The being shifted closer to her as it reached out a long, clawed hand. Its claws paused as it touched her forehead. "You will belong to me then, human, you understand this, yes?"

Lana could barely move as the beast's claw hovered near her skin. A weak whimper of a voice mustered from her lips, "Yes."

With that, the being hummed a sound that sounded as if the whole forest was twisting in unison. Its claw dug into her forehead, leaving a mark that looked like a star. Lana's vision went black as she fell onto the forest floor. Though it was not cold or lonely, it felt as if the earth itself was swallowing her whole in its warm embrace.

There was a girl who went missing in the woods recently. The townspeople began to talk; another visitor got lost in the woods looking for something that wasn't real. That was until more people began to go missing; every search party that went out to look for the lost hikers and visitors who wandered into the woods began to be picked off one by one every day. While the townspeople already held their superstitions about the woods, they began to worsen. They began to whisper of a witch in the woods, serving the demon that reigned in dominion over the forest. Though little did they know how close they were to the truth.

Lana awoken in a in a clearing near an old log cabin deep in the woods. Birds of prey were pecking at her legs and observing her as she stirred awake. As she sat up, she looked around, rubbing her head, feeling as if her skull was split open. That was when she felt the raised mark of a scar on her forehead. Her fingers traced the outline of what felt like a star, and then she remembered. She looked towards the cabin, slowly blinking, trying to adjust her vision to the light that shone through the leaves. The birds trotted near her, pecking at the ground as she sat there. With a groan, she picked herself up and headed straight to the cabin. She knew that she was a servant now; she had to be ready to do the bidding of the being of the woods.

It began as days that turned into months, which became years, serving her master. Creating altars around the cabin, sigils and totems for appeasement and protection. Slowly, the being shared its dark arcane secrets with her. Teaching her how to carve into skin and whisper the tongues of a language long forgotten. How to shape and weave nature to do her bidding; the living and the decaying, it all could be controlled. But as the arcane became stronger, the being demanded more; after all, it had to remain equal.

Every human that wandered too far into the woods would meet the same fate. They would get lost, panic, and scramble to find their way home. That was until a kind smile poked through the treeline, beckoning them with the promise of food and a fire. But the warmth would never come; they'd only see the outline of the cabin before everything went black. The ground would be painted crimson as a new offering would lie on an altar of life and decay. At first the work sickened her, but as the time went by it became a routine, normal for her really. That was until the balance was broken.

The being would ask for more and more but teach her less and less, yet her soul, her servitude, was still owned. She respected the being, the beast of the woods. In some form, she felt fond of it, appreciative of everything it had given her. After all, it could've easily gotten rid of her when she stumbled to its feet. Yet it humored her, gave her a home when she had nothing, showed her secrets long forgotten in the roots of the trees. Though something new had possessed her heart, call it greed or longing, she was no longer happy with the arrangement. She used her arcane knowledge, everything the being had taught her, and waited at the altar for it to appear.

"Hail, Spirit." She spoke calmly as she stood in front of the beast. It knowingly stared down at her, calm as ever.

"You are not satisfied; you wish for more… how human." It exhaled, creating a puff of steam from under its skull. "Yet I understand, for I had once suffered that feeling of longing."

The being crept closer and closer till it knelt in front of her. It reached into the mossy carpet of life and decay that covered what its body was and pulled out its beating heart. It was small for such a large, ancient being, as if it was once human.

"You want more power, you want to become me, you wish to surpass me. You want to be your own god." It bore its eyes into hers. "Consume my soul, my being, my power. Claim your freedom and more, the power to turn into anything in these woods. To control the very ground you walk on and everything that lives in it. Do what I did before you, complete the cycle."

Hesitantly, Lana stopped in her tracks. She was ready to kill the beast, or be killed trying. And here it was offering its life up to her. Though before she could think anything through, the being, with its divine spell cast over her, beckoned her to come closer. To take its heart and bite down on it. The beast didn't scream, didn't writhe in pain; in a way, it looked to be at peace. Lana stared at the being's figure as it blurred into the treeline, as if it was becoming one with the earth once more. She scarfed down the beast's heart like a wild animal, tears streaming down her face, as if she had lost a friend.

As the beast's form faded, she felt herself become more inhuman. Her teeth grew sharper, allowing her to tear through the thick muscle of the being's heart more easily. The silent tears turned to sobs as she felt her body change and transform the more she ate. She could feel her spine elongate and swish rapidly behind her, forming a tail. A burning sensation ran up her spine as she felt something clawing its way out of her skin, flapping and pushing through the tearing skin. Pushing up against her shirt, ready to tear away the fabric. Her head felt heavier and heavier, and she began to look less and less human. Sharp, pointed ears flicked on top of her skull as antlers covered in bloody velvet poked through her hair. As the beast completely faded in front of her, she swallowed the last bit of its bitter soul. In a fitful fright, she stared up at the starry sky and screamed till her lungs burned like the tears on her cheeks. She had all the power she wanted; she was her own god, but at what cost.

Extra:

The Sighting

A small cozy diner lay lit up near the edge of town, bordering the void of the woods. The call of nature was trying to pull in the last bit of civilization, drowning out any other noise or light from reaching too deep in. A stranger, a visitor of unknown purpose, has entered the small, quaint town. Eyes follow the truck, out of place, word getting around fast from mouth to mouth. What could this person possibly want from our town? We remain humble and cautious, ever since IT began; after all, who would possibly believe a folktale as an undeniable truth?

With almost practiced ease, as if this routine was normal, the stranger sauntered to the bar seating of the diner. Almost feeling at ease as eyes darted to check out this strange figure that had walked in like they’d been in there millions of times before. Nails clacked against the linoleum countertop, fiddling with the menu that stuck to it. A thoughtful hum came out of the stranger's throat, an odd, although soothing sound that seemed to echo in the once bustling diner.

“Sweetheart, could I please get a coffee to start?” The words rolled off sweetly from their tongue, like poison. The waitress, with a curt nod, left to grab an off-white porcelain mug from the rack. With a soft clink, the all too familiar mug was placed on the counter. Aromatic, steaming liquid poured into the cup, a creature comfort. The stranger, whose focus was torn from the ragged laminated menu, was now on the waitress who wore a serviced smile.

“What can I get ya, hon?” the words rehearsed off the waitress's tongue.

“Why does everyone ‘round these parts seem so fearful of those woods?” the stranger spoke, calmly as if testing the air in the room. For a moment, you could hear the diner go silent; you could hear a pen drop, a heartbeat with no breath. But as quickly as it came, it passed as if acknowledgment was worse than its utterance.

“There's a superstition about them woods. Folks around here know better than to go wanderin’ round there. Though I suppose that would be news to a visitor,” she said, leaning her weight against the counter, not missing the chance to gossip about something outside of the usual drama of the small town.

“Superstition, hmm? So y’all got a folktale for these woods?” the stranger inquired as they stared into the swirling, hot black liquid in the stained diner mug.

“They say the woods hold a secret that was never meant to be learnt. The trees twist their roots in untold runes as their branches whisper spells into the wind. A creature lives deep in those woods, hidden away behind windchimes made of bone and decay. If you dare trespass deep into those woods, an unstable form will appear, amorphous and changing… The Shapeshifter. The shadow of this creature alone makes grown men shake in their boots. The creature’s shadow casts long, sharp antlers that weave through the trees, sharp, pointed ears that can hear for miles, and a long, bushy tail waiting to trip you if you don’t watch your step. Eyes and fangs that glisten in the night like a beast, yet nothing is more horrifying than the fact that this beast was once human. A gravely voice will call out, disdain dripping from its tongue, “You’ve ventured too far.” Of course, that’s just townfolk rumor from the adults. The youngins tend to tell a different story,” she said with a sly smile.

“Pray tell,” the stranger leaned in, waiting for more.

“Y’know how kids are, some of them never listen to any sense. Kids wander, they get lost, and end up crawlin’ into the forest. Some kids dare their friends to wander deep into the woods, the same old story. But each one always tells the same tale when they come wanderin’ home.” The waitress shakes her head, not believing what she’s about to say. The stranger's interest piqued at this point, wanting to know more, their gaze never faltering.

“The kids say the darndest thing, and they all agree every single time. A figure appears, smelling of earth and cinnamon. With a soft voice, the figure calls out, “Are you lost, little one?” But at this point, the story changes. The little ones, the youngest of the batch, say a kind stranger offers them a treat and takes their hand and leads them back to the edge of the woods, while the older kids swear the figure disappears into the trees and within seconds an animal appears. The animal doesn’t seem to be the same every time, but it guides them back towards the edge of the woods and disappears.” She let out a harsh scoff and laughed, her weight shifting to one side. “Can you believe that bull?”

The stranger raised their eyebrow and, with a smile, let out a soft laugh. “So if that's the case, why do the older townsfolk have the legend of an evil being in the woods?”

The waitress's gaze grew serious for a split second, busying herself with tasks as if standing in place was too much to bear. “Well, that's just it, isn't it. The kids got dared to go into the woods for a reason. The woods were already known to be dangerous, but most of us thought it was just because of the animals, but then people started disappearin’.”

“Disappearing?” The stranger inquired.

“At first, it seemed to be accidental. Drunk teenagers disappearing, goin’ missing after partying too late in the woods. Campers never returnin’ after a weekend vacation. The police said it was probably animals or the weather that got’em, that was, until they started to disappear too. Search parties were picked off one by one every time they entered the woods. The police called off every search party in the area, scared to lose any more numbers to this unknown force. Placed a mandate that no one was to go deep into the woods for whatever unknown danger was plaguing the woods. Course that never stops people. Hunters ‘round here love to talk about how there's big game that wanders around the edge of the woods, as if trying to lure them into the woods to catch ‘em. If any of them are stupid enough to go too far, they disappear; the only thing left of them is their gun. And then we got strangers like yourself comin’ into town, visitors asking about the urban legend so they can go get themselves killt up in them woods.” Her voice seemed to be a mix of frustration and concern; she must’ve seen a lot of people disappear.

“Oh, I don’t intend to get myself killed, least not today,” the stranger laughed as if warming up to the waitress. “But if you could humor me for a bit, I’ve got a little theory on what this creature might be.”

The waitress let out a hearty laugh that filled the diner; her laugh seemed to make the diner bustle with voices again. ”Oh, I’m sure you do, honey. Lots of folk come in here talking about how they think it's some alien or something stupid. But I’d love to hear your version of the story, suga.”

“Well, I’ve done some…background research on this town. Read up on all the theories you’ve mentioned, and it sounds like it’s a witch,” the stranger said thoughtfully.

“A witch? Now you sound like a local,” she rolled her eyes and laughed.

“How else would you explain the cabin in the woods with sigils hanging around in the trees? The shapeshifting into these creatures- you say it can do. Sounds clear-cut to me, sweetheart.” The stranger smiled with confidence.

“And how can you be so certain of that?” she questioned almost mockingly.