I saw it again through the flickering flames of the fire, this time it didnt try to hide. It started to move darting through the tree line faster than I could comprehend, I could see its freakishly long arms and legs as it towered over me. It's face was a shadowy mess along with the rest of its body, it slowly started to reach towards me as I stood. I felt it's cold claw like fingers tear through my shoulder practically ripping it off as its face started to contort into something vaguely human.
I jolted awake in a scream that woke everyone else, they scrambled out of their tents to find me breathing unnaturally heavy drenched in sweat. All I could think was "when did I fall asleep and what was that…thing?" I had to tell them what I saw in that short nightmare, they didn't make jokes this time, only worried looks were passed between us.
It felt so real, the claw ripping through me, the agonising pain with blood spilling down my arm, it just felt so real. The scent of blood filling air around me, the setting around the campsite, everything identical. As I told the others what happened I quickly realised that the smell of blood lingered in the air.
"Do you guys smell that?" They looked confused as to what I was saying, they didn't smell anything. "The blood?" I had to make them aware to it, no way they could have missed or mistaken it now.
They just stared at each other like I was insane, I searched for any signs of the blood I was smelling until I saw the red stained hands of Josh.
"Josh. Wh-why is the blood on your hands?" Anton finally spoke up after looking closer at the blood.
Josh just simply stood there in silence like he was possessed, we looked at each other with a great deal of concern and confusion. I finally recovered from the nightmare so I stood up and went to tap him on the shoulder. I barely touched him as his face started to contort into something, it was still his body but he slowly started to change into something unrecognisable. It was like I was back in that nightmare, none of us could move, all we could do was watch in horror.
They had completely turned into that thing from the nightmare, in a flash its claws pierced Jacks arm. Letting out an agonising scream his arm was ripped off being slung into a tree, Jack stumbled back before passing out from the pain and rapid blood lose. I finally snapped out of the shock and turned to run away from the thing, my fight or flight kicked in and I chose flight. I heard Anton's scream echo through the woods before it turned to a gurgle, I didn't hear anymore screams after that, I could only hope that the others fled too.
I sprinted through the dark woods tripping on fallen branches, rocks and trees, I just kept going through the pain in my legs until I reached a river. I had no idea how far I ran I just hoped it was far enough, the moonlight reflected off the water illuminating something on the other side. It was Harry waving at me, signaling for help. The river was weak and shallow so I trudged my way through to meet him but as I reached halfway his face started to change. He turned into the shadowy mess of something vaguely human, his limbs stretched as his skin seemed to fold into itself, he towered almost as high as the trees. It's claw like hands reached down towards me as I stumbled back, it sliced through my chest like it was nothing. It lifted me up towards its head as it switched to faces I'd never seen before until I saw Jack's, Joshe's, Anton's, Harry's, Cooper's and then I saw mine.
In that moment I felt my heart slow, the blood dripping down my body, the claw slowly cutting through my flesh, snapping my bones, I could every make a sound. It stole everything.