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A videotape is placed into a videotape player. The screen of the TV is black for a moment before it flickers to life. The footage begins playing.
The blur of the rapidly passing forest floor is all that's seen. Whoever is holding the camera is breathing heavily. There's the sound of rapid footsteps and snapping branches. In the background is what sounds like the faint cry of a baby.
Abruptly, the footage stops and the screen goes dark as it's rewinded. When it stops, two girls are on screen with the entrance to the forest behind them. The footage resumes.
Ranma has an arm around Akane and is flashing a peace sign with her free hand.
"Why are you posing like it's a picture?" Akane asks with a roll of her eyes.
"Because it makes for a good intro, duh." Ranma grins. "Now smile for the camera."
"This is dumb." Akane doesn't smile. She does, however, at least look amused at the situation.
“Well, if we get eaten by a monster and this is the last footage they find of us, then you’re going to sure feel dumb that the last thing they saw was you being grumpy.” Ranma points out.
Akane laughs at Ranma, breaking into a smile. “That’s fair, we are going monster hunting after all. Have to make sure I look good in my final moments.”
“Exactly!”
“Are we going to go in now?” Akane asks, pulling away from the pose. “I feel like we’re burning daylight and I’m pretty sure this place closes when it gets dark.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get going.” Ranma walks forward and grabs the camera. She turns it so it’s facing the opening of the forest. Neither Ranma or Akane is in shot anymore. “Okay, everyone watching, me and Akane are going monster hunting in Aokigahara forest. If we don’t make it out of this alive then Nabiki you can’t have any of my stuff.”
“Can’t have mine either.” Akane chimes in.
“Alright let’s get going then. Akane you wanna lead the way?” Ranma says. Akane appears in front of the camera and starts walking into the forest. Ranma follows as the camera takes in the change in scenery as they actually enter the forest.
The footage cuts here, static filling the screen. It lasts for a moment before it clears up. The timestamp in the corner says that about an hour has passed.
“Make sure you’re keeping track of where we’re going, Ranma. I don’t want us getting lost.” Akane says as she continues walking in front of the camera.
“Don’t worry I’ve got a great sense of direction,” Ranma assures with a laugh.
There’s suddenly the faint cry of a baby. The camera stops moving abruptly as does Akane in front of it.
“Do you hear that?” Ranma pans the camera around the forest. In one frame of the shot, there’s a black figure deep in the forest just faintly visible. It’s there only momentarily and goes unnoticed by the girls. The camera turns to land back on Akane who looks confused.
“Did someone bring their baby out here?” Akane asks.
“This is like the spookiest forest ever why would anyone bring their baby?” Ranma also sounds confused.
“I don’t know but that’s what it sounds like.” Akane shrugs.
“Maybe it’s just a animal.” Ranma suggests. “I think there’s gotta be one that sounds like a baby crying.” The camera pans down to their feet where a faint mist has started gathering. “Oh looks like it’s getting foggy too. Extra spooky stuff.”
“We should head back then.” The shot raises back up to Akane who looks a little unsure about the situation. “We don’t want to get caught in the fog.”
“But Akaaaaaane.” Ranma whines. “We haven’t seen any monsters yet.”
“There’s no such thing as monsters but there is such a thing as getting lost and dying in the forest.” Akane says.
“Fine, we can start heading back.”
The screen fills with static for a moment before the footage clears to Akane walking down the path. It’s gotten a little foggy. The timestamp says only about 15 minutes has passed.
“They weren’t kidding about this place being spooky.” Ranma comments.
“It’s really quiet for some reason too. Like there aren’t any animals or bugs.” Akane adds.
“Maybe we really will see a monster out here then! I mean it could have scared everything off.” Ranma laughs.
“Maybe.” Akane chuckles.
“If you don’t even believe in monsters then why did you agree to come?” Ranma asks.
“Someone had to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed doing something stupid.” Akane says. “Besides, I've always wanted to come here.”
There's a rustling sound in the trees behind. The camera whips around to look in that direction. For a fraction of a second it looks like a shadowy figure is standing there and then it’s gone. The camera jerks slightly at Ranma’s surprise. “What the fuck was that?”
“What was what?” Akane walks back in frame.
“Did you not see that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Must of just been a trick of the light then.” Ranma sighs.
Static fills the TV again and within the static what looks like a moaning face is visible.
And then Akane’s worried face fills the screen again. The fog has filled the forest and the timestamp says yet another hour has passed.
“Ranma, I thought you said you knew where you were going!” Akane snaps. “We should be back at the entrance by now.”
“I could have sworn I did. It’s not like we took a complicated path.” Ranma says at the same moment there’s another faint cry like before that sounds closer.
“There’s that sound again.” Akane frowns.
“It’s probably no-”
A stick cracks and the camera whirls around in the direction the sound came from. In the fog it’s hard to see very far ahead but there’s a faint outline of someone off the trail.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Ranma calls.
“Ranma don’t call out to some stranger.” Akane hisses.
The baby’s cry is suddenly much louder and coming from the direction of the figure.
“Well, that’s not creepy at all.” Ranma mutters as the camera turns back to Akane. Only for Ranma to scream and the shot to jerk back.
Standing right behind Akane in the fog is the same figure that had just been in the woods. The figure is unnaturally tall with a long, gaunt face. There are sunken hollows where eyes should be and something black drips down its face. Its mouth gapes open, no teeth but there’s a slimy black tongue. Out of the mouth comes the sound of a baby’s cry.
The figure wears rags but stitched within the fabric are the faces of people in various expressions of fear.
“Ranma what is it?” Akane turns around and screams.
Static fills the screen but sound still plays.
“Akane run!” Ranma yells frantically.
“Ranma!”
There’s the sound of cracking bones and more screaming from both the girls. The screaming from Akane cuts off abruptly.
“Akane no!”
The baby’s cry is suddenly very loud, almost drowning out the screaming from Ranma.
Then everything suddenly goes silent as static continues to fill the screen. The screen then fills with image once again.
The blur of the rapidly passing forest floor is all that's seen. Whoever is holding the camera is breathing heavily. There's the sound of rapid footsteps and snapping branches. In the background is what sounds like the faint cry of a baby.
The sound is getting closer.
The screen goes black.