by gleefulblogger

The Hiding Tree – Secret Revealed Part – 1

September 27, 2017

Adventurers love deserted terrains specially with eerie locations for boastful hangouts & adrenaline juices. A group of teenagers – 4 high-school friends decided to hit the highway for Death Valley ‘s overnight camping trip. Navigating through the maps they took shortest route to destination – through Ravencliff. A sleepy town with small population, silently safeguarding dark secrets and they do not welcome revelers warmly.

Local bar was almost empty except few truckers and staff. They ordered drinks and Megan asked waitress for vacant rooms to freshen-up.

‘We have no rooms, finish your drinks and go away from here kids.’ She answered.

Irked by her reply they finished up drinks and left for good. ‘Weird townies huh’ expressed Josh. On their way to highway he saw a huge creepy tree with long barren branches. Like one from the haunted fantasy film. They decided to halt and click few pictures with the creepy tree.

‘Its’ awesome but spooky with those branches looking like crooked hands of a witch’. Do you think this place has secrets?‘ asked Sue. They stood in-front of the tree and started clicking selfies. It was just after couple of clicks when Dave pointed out to something weird in the shots. It’s a shadow!! A shadow of someone hanging just above Megan’s head, when they turned to look at the tree nothing.

It was getting darker and they left in jiffy without looking back at the tree or town, Megan was troubled by the picture they saw – which now looks absolutely normal click.

‘I swear to God there was a freaking shadow on Megan’s head’, said Dave while looking back at her from front mirror.

‘Just shut-up Dave and drive fast, we need to get the hell out of this place’ – said Sue holding Megan’s hands. They reached destination in total silence, knowing well what they saw in image but no one wants to talk about it. Specially Sue, she told them to forget and never talk about it again. ‘It’s haunted, so just forget it. Evil can hear us, we don’t know what are the secrets of this place’

They put up the tents to rest and burned a small fire to keep wildness away, but no one is comfortable out in open – totally exposed to wilderness. Josh held Megan close and re-assured her nothing will happen to her, ‘just forget about it, you know we came here to enjoy so just relax! I am with you always.’ said taking her in tight embrace.

It was past midnight when Dave barged in Josh-Megan’s tent and told them he can’t find Sue.

‘What do you mean you can’t find Sue, you both were in there together?’

‘Yeah man! but she went to clean up and I kept waiting for her, when I went to look out for her – she’s gone.’

They started looking round for Sue frantically with flashlights, ‘may be a wild animal?’ pointed Dave when Josh snubbed him to be quiet. Even after going for miles and calling her loud they did not find Sue anywhere, but near river bed Megan saw something shiny. She ran to check what it is – it was Sue’s bracelet which Dave gave her couple of days back in her severed hand.

Cindy learned about this incident from her informers, she reached the investigation spot with her camera team. They scanned whole area for tiniest of the evidence but nothing is left to trace, except few marks on mud which show marks of tussle by Sue from her attacker. However, no footprints of the attacker; local Sheriff’s statements bring no new light to the incident and Cindy wanted to know whereabouts of these kids. After few calls and urgent texts, she gets the details of Josh, Megan & Dave. Sheriff warned her off to be away from this case on pretext of saving her from any danger but this is a personal battle for her now.

She called all 3 for statements and gathering any new detail regarding Sue’s disappearance when Dave mentioned about the picture they clicked before reaching the valley. She wanted to see that image so desperately and reached Dave’s apartment in no time. Megan & Josh were with Dave and they told her each and every detail of their trip to Death Valley and halt at Ravencliff. When Cindy saw the image she gasped for breath and crashed on the chair – it was The Hiding Tree Tim’s & her favorite hangout place. The tree was so huge that they both would sit together inside for hours to play and hide from others, one of their best kept secrets. Tim had once carved Cindy’s name too on the wood of their hiding tree.

Comeback tomorrow to read the concluding part and to know what secrets Ravencliff is hiding in itself.