Into The Woods
written by: Courtney Glover
When I was 13 years old, I witnessed something truly horrible, a most horrific crime.
Though I realize now that it was a paranormal event, from a different period in time.
In the small town of Bay Minnette, where with my family I did reside.
The apartment we lived in was surrounded by dense woods on all sides.
To get to most places in town, you had to cut through these woods to get anywhere.
I didn’t mind though, because I had grown up having camped everywhere.
There was just something ominous and dark about most of the town’s woods, though.
Something unsettling that I just couldn’t explain. Something unnatural flowed.
There was always something malevolent looming just near the edge, watching me.
This was particularly terrifying as the woods were, from my back door, a mere 10 feet.
Into the woods we went one day, my friend and I, taking a shortcut to a friend’s house.
I had taken this shortcut several times, knew it to be safe. My fears never before roused.
In the two years that we had lived there I had never once seen, on that path, a single soul.
This section of woods was always full of birds and squirrels, just a beauty to behold.
As my friend and I were just starting out on the path, perhaps a minute into our five minute walk…
everything inexplicably fell silent. No birds chirping, nothing. And I was not one to easily balk.
I heard someone with very heavy footfalls coming towards us on the path, snapping dead limbs.
The ones scattered on the ground, breaking as he went. It was deafening. The light in the woods dimmed.
In that moment, I felt more fear than I had in a very long time. But that’s another tale.
I grabbed my friend and pulled her behind some bushes and an old log that had fell.
We hid behind the undergrowth, and we both ducked down. Soon the person came into view.
I peeked over the edge of the log. It was a large man, over 6ft tall, with a stocky build too.
He was wearing a red flannel shirt and blue overall jeans.
Despite having a perfect vantage point, his face couldn’t be seen.
We were only about 6-8 feet from the path, but his face was completely blurry.
He was dragging a garbage bag behind him, heavy-laden, but clearly not in a hurry.
The dragging had caused holes to be ripped into the bag, leaving little doubt.
From those torn holes were long blond, wavy lengths of hair spilling out.
I realized he was dragging the dead body of a young woman in that black garbage bag.
I was too afraid to move or speak, terrified beyond reason. The blonde hair was a red flag.
As I watched him travel down that path, dragging a corpse, I prayed to God…
that he wouldn’t see or hear us. Once he exited the woods, I gave my friend a nod.
I grabbed my friend and we exited to the left of the path, making a bee line for the apartments.
As soon as we got inside, I immediately called the police. They swarmed the area in minutes.
They questioned us both and I told them everything that I saw, in absolute tears.
The forensic team searched the area thoroughly. This was the first crime in years.
I called the police a few days later for an update on the investigation.
They had no evidence that a crime had ever been committed, without hesitation.
I was told, though it was evident that something heavy had been dragged…
the case was at an impasse. The police had found pig’s blood, but nothing sinister to be had.
There were also no reported cases of missing children or adults. It was daunting.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized it had to have been a residual haunting.
Where the same ghostly scene played over and over, again and again.
To this day, I wonder who she was, who murdered her and committed such a sin.
I will never forget that day, it will forever haunt me into eternity…
A horrific crime, in vivid detail, this real life murder mystery.
- The Piper - March 13, 2024
- Into The Woods - September 8, 2023
