Chapter Text
The closer they got, the more this whole video idea felt more fucking insane.
Besides risking getting caught in the rain in the middle of the vast, dark forest, they also risked an encounter with a cult, as they were pretty sure someone was actively performing rituals in the Witches Forest, whether or not it’s witches or someone else.
Colby was almost sure he could feel there was something very shady and very wrong with it as Sam drove deeper into the foggy woods.
If they do end up in some deep shit while camping (it was an overnight video after all), the deal was to go to Jennifer’s cabin and stay there. Not like it felt any less dangerous, after the stories she told them when she gave them the key.
Recently, a lot has been going on for most of them.
Sam was cranky, feeling the lack of motivation for filming these couple of days and reaching for straws just to make it all work.
Colby suffered the consequences of Sam’s crankiness, but he never complained. He also had no idea why, but it just made him feel closer to Sam, and it generally wasn’t enough to push him away.
Jake was doing fine, except for his usual identity crises where he would just stop what he was doing and think of reinventing himself. But at least he had Tara to tell him that he’s fine the way he is.
And then there was Corey, who was having problems with falling asleep as he thought about his little brother getting into the same shit he got into a few years ago, when he first saw the shadow figure behind the curtains in his bedroom. It still haunted him, but at least he knew how to live with it. His brother didn't deserve that. He felt as if he was at fault for telling him about all of the things they see in LA and their other trips around the world in the search for the paranormal.
And spoiler alert, they always find more than they are looking for, like that day.
While it was still bright outside (as bright as it could be with the thick fog suffocating the forest), they parked on the side of the road and descended down the hill, to get in the forest.
''It's fucking cold, we're not camping!'' Corey protested. They almost went there without him, but if he was honest, it would be so much worse without his motherly instincts.
''We're sleeping in here tonight man!'' Colby snickered as Sam looked down the path that spread further to the east, away from the forest.
''Woah, what was that?'' Corey jumped in when Colby turned the camera that way, but the fog covered pretty much everything and there was no way that camera would catch anything even if it was visible to the human eye.
''Bro the fog!'' Colby zoomed in, but still got nothing. Jake tried not to move, as he was still freezing, even with a thick sweatshirt around himself and the hoodie on.
''Not the fog!'' They chuckled and Sam tried to listen to the sound he heard.
''You hear the howling? Like ooooh ... See?'' He pointed to the pathway again and they all agreed that it could just be the wind.
They scouted for some flat ground with minimum moisture in it to set up the camp. Soon they skirted behind a group of trees and found the perfect place.
''Yo, we could get murdered!'' Corey said, now with his hands retrieved in his hoodie. They laughed, but he went on about how creepy it was and how convenient it was for a murderer to just come and get them. Colby filmed the area for a bit and showed how far away the car was.
''This is so difficult!'' Sam said as he tried to pull a part of the tent up and fucked it up even worse than it was beforehand.
''Sam, dude, you'll make it look not manly,'' Jake joked, even though they were all struggling for at least twenty minutes now.
''We are super manly!'' Sam said when they got the top part together and got the wires through so the construction could be made, then he picked up a part of it. ''Wait, hold up, this is just mesh! We'll freeze in there!''
''We have blankets to put on the bottom.''
''Oh okay.'' Sam was reassured when Colby got the tent up and they were all surprised to actually see his boy scout talent in action.
''You guys should make a YouTube channel.'' Corey teased and they got inside to check how spacious it actually was on the inside. It looked like it could work, with sleeping bags set up and the shoe container so they don't get the inside dirty.
Sam kept making jokes about them getting in there naked. Colby almost caught himself slipping and saying that, with him, he wouldn’t mind.
They kept hearing more strange noises, more people, and some lumberjacks too. Jake and Colby looked even more lost in a way. Especially the way Colby's eyes just got lost in the distance a few times. Sam wanted to get to him, to ask him what was going on. This wasn’t unusual for him, but he had good instincts and if he feels like something is wrong, most of the time, he’s right.
After a weird encounter with a weird lumberjack jacket just tossed on the side near a sidewalk that cut through the forest, they headed back to the car to grab more supplies and came back to the pitch dark forest.
When they were back at the campsite, after thinking that they'd lost it, they got inside the tent to warm up in the sleeping bags. Each of them took a corner of the tent for themselves. Sam sat across from Colby as he filmed him talking about the fire ritual they could do as a sort of cleansing.
And right as they were talking, Corey got another one of his frequent unknown number calls.
''How do you even have service?'' Sam checked his own phone to see that there was no service on his phone.
''Are you sure your phone number didn't get leaked?'' Colby asked as Corey looked at the screen, whoever was calling hung up.
''I don't think it's a fan, because he gets a call whenever we do somet-'' They all shut up when there was noise outside. It sounded like someone was walking around the tent, way too close for comfort.
''Unzip it, but barely, someone is there,'' Jake said as Corey turned around and looked at the ''door'' of the tent.
They all turned around when Corey reached for the zipper, but then the distinct noise of cracking wood could be heard outside. When Colby and Corey got out to check on it, the mysterious caller tried to call Corey again. Sam wanted him to answer it.
''I'll answer if they call again.''
''I'm not getting out the tent.'' Jake said, still hiding in the safety of the blue mesh.
''There's nothing out here, just fog.'' Colby filmed his surroundings.
''It sounded like a car just passed by, hit a cone or something.'' Jake said and as everyone agreed with him, Corey pointed at the forest, in the direction he was looking at right as he opened the tent.
''Y'all are gonna think I'm crazy, but right as I opened the tent, I heard someone say 'Corey' quietly.''
''That's insane!'' Colby filmed Sam's reaction and got the shock that filled his face as Corey's phone lit up and started ringing again. He answered this time, but they couldn't make anything out of it. It sounded like a bunch of jumbled words in another language.
''Yo what the fuck is that?'' Sam said before the caller hung up. ''Did you guys understand any of it?''
Corey shook his head. ''No, it was...''
''It was just gibberish.'' Colby turned to Jake who tried to say something when the caller tried again. Corey was visibly terrified now.
''Answer it one more time dude, you don't have to talk,'' Colby suggested.
''I don't wanna talk!'' Corey held his phone up, muted his own mic and put the caller on the speakerphone. Nothing could be heard from the other side. Sam unmuted to say hello, but there was no answer.
''It was just completely silent this time.'' Sam sighed when the call ended again.
''Just... nothing on the other side. What the fuck dude...'' Colby stood there with Sam, as their brows furrowed. Corey decided to look around to see if someone was just messing with them, and Colby walked right behind him.
''Don't go by yourself!'' Jake shouted after them.
''Guys, let's just stick together, okay?'' As Sam said it, Colby felt someone, or something, invisible but with a strong presence as it passed right next to him, like a gust of wind. It felt like it went towards Sam right after. And Colby swears he could’ve heard a voice gasp out his name in a quiet whisper.
''Sam, watch out!'' Colby headed closer to him and was frozen in place when Sam turned around and saw nothing around himself.
Corey was asking where Jake was.
Then Colby felt it again, and this time he definitely made out ''I got you'', but he was too stunned to say anything or do anything but move back to Sam’s side.
Corey was relieved when Jake came around a thicket close to them and the two of them talked. More like, Corey lectured Jake not to go off on his own like that, because he got seriously worried.
Sam stopped filming when he realized his voice wasn’t reaching Colby at all. He tried to gently rub his arm and he snapped right out of it.
''Hey, what’s up? You literally look like you’ve seen something,'' Sam spoke under his breath, until Corey approached and he slipped his hand away from Colby.
''We can't be getting scared so early in the night guys,'' Corey said.
They gathered the things needed to start the fire and got out in the clearing with the bucket and the chairs. Once Colby got the fire started, they got the snacks out. Colby and Jake had to go to the car and quickly grab more things for the ritual.
On the way to the car, Colby carried the lantern in front of Jake.
''You know, I like going on these exploring trips with you guys, but you gotta admit you almost shit your pants earlier. I saw your face.''
Colby sighed and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. ''Yeah I know. I just think I heard some weird noise next to me. It's all good though.''
Corey looked at him for a second, with the stare that was letting Colby know he wasn’t having his bullshit, but he still let it slide.
And when they got back, with unconvinced Jake and still kinda anxious Colby who was having constant tremors running down his arms, it was time for the fire ritual.