My name is Alex, and this is the story of how I lost my friend in the woods of New Mexico when I was 12 years old. Even after a search and rescue team scoured the area for months, no one ever found anything. This story takes place 20 years ago, north of Eldora. My friends, Jake and Ethan, and I loved to camp during our summer break, and since our house was nestled in the woods, it didn't take long to find a decent camping spot.
One summer, we decided to challenge ourselves and camp separately to see how we'd fare on our own. I wandered far from our usual camping spots, drawn towards the open areas and meadows. It was the farthest from home I had ever camped. Jake decided to stick to one of our usual spots, and as for Ethan, I had no clue where he went.
Luckily, we had radios to communicate in case anything went wrong. We all left at 10:00 in the morning, and Jake radioed me around midday when he reached his spot. I called in around 1:00 p.m., but we began to worry when we hadn't heard from Ethan. The radio crackled, announcing that he had found a spot pretty late in the day.
Relieved to hear from him, we continued with our camping routine. We set up our tents, started fires, and spent the warm summer night under a blanket of stars. Everything was usual up until midnight when I heard strange noises on my radio. It sounded like one of the guys was trying to talk to me, but the signal was terrible. Eventually, Ethan's voice broke through, and he asked how we were doing.
We said we were okay but questioned why it took him so long to find a spot. "I'm far away," he replied. He had found a spot beyond some hills north of us. The only hills in the area were about a mile away, so Ethan was quite far out there. It struck me as odd, but he insisted the area was great, so we all went to sleep around 1 or 2 in the morning.
Just before dawn, I was awakened by the sound of footsteps running past my camp. At first, I thought it was Jake, but when I unzipped my tent, I saw Ethan. It was strange; I didn't see his face, only his back, but I could tell it was him by his clothing and hair color. I called out to him, but he didn't stop or acknowledge me; he just ran across the meadow and disappeared into the dark woods.
Assuming it was some kind of prank, I grabbed my flashlight and looked around the tree line, but there was nothing. It was too late for Ethan to be playing games, and he should have had his radio on him. I tried to contact him, and he picked up, denying ever being near our camps.
Throughout that night, I swore I saw him three more times, each time he would run past, but he wouldn't talk to me or even acknowledge me. At dawn, I contacted Jake, and he told me that Ethan had also run into his camp, calling for him to look at something. Pete, who didn't sleep that night, said Ethan had run into his camp and called for him to look at something too. Pete told me he hadn't seen Ethan, so I decided to head to Pete's camp to investigate further.
Pete explained that Ethan said he needed help, but every time Pete asked what was wrong, Ethan would just repeat the first question. Pete got tired of this strange behavior and went back to sleep. After some time, he called out to Ethan again, but there was no response.
Disturbed and concerned, we decided to find Ethan's camp and clear things up. We followed the nearest hills and found footprints in the mud. Following them, we lost the trail when the soil dried. Climbing a tree, we spotted a spot of red in the distance, hoping it was Ethan's tent. Determined, we hiked an extra mile until we reached his campsite, secluded in a clearing deep in the woods.
As we approached, we realized something was terribly wrong. Ethan's tent was torn to shreds, belongings scattered, and his radio thrown into a long-gone campfire. We searched for Ethan for hours but found no trace of him. We were filled with fear and confusion, not knowing what could have happened to our friend.
Feeling desperate, we decided to hike back towards the hills to get a better view of the surrounding area. Finally, to our relief, we saw Ethan standing on top of a hill not far from us. We shouted and ran towards him, thinking we had finally found him. But Pete stopped abruptly, his expression filled with horror. Something was not right. Although the figure on the hill closely resembled Ethan, the way it moved and its facial expressions were off.
As we cautiously walked towards it, the figure began to smile abnormally large, stretching from ear to ear. It sent shivers down our spines. Suddenly, without warning, the figure dropped to all fours and started running down the hill, losing its resemblance to Ethan and transforming into something unimaginable.
Its skin stretched tightly over its bony body, its head elongated with a strange circular mouth and black, beady eyes. It emitted a chilling, otherworldly scream that echoed through the woods, all while maintaining the distorted voice of Ethan. We were frozen in terror as we watched this grotesque creature vanish into the depths of the forest.
To this day, I struggle to find an explanation for what we witnessed. It defied all logic and understanding. We were left with more questions than answers. What had happened to Ethan? What was that creature that wore his likeness? And why did it torment us throughout that dreadful night?
We reported the incident to the authorities and shared our harrowing experience with them. However, they were unable to provide any plausible explanations. The search for Ethan continued, but it yielded no results. Eventually, the case went cold, and it seemed as though the truth would remain forever hidden in the depths of those eerie woods.
Over the years, I have revisited the events of that fateful night countless times in my mind. It haunts me, a lingering mystery that refuses to be solved. I have shared this story with only a few trusted individuals, fearing ridicule or disbelief from the majority. But deep down, I know that something inexplicable occurred, something beyond the realm of human understanding.
If anyone reading this has any insight, any knowledge of similar occurrences, or any theories about what we experienced and what happened to our friend Ethan, I implore you to share your thoughts. Perhaps together, we can shed some light on this enigma and find solace in knowing that we are not alone in our inexplicable encounter with the unknown.