The Haunted Wood

          Out west, beyond the Eureka Peaks, there is a very large forest. There is a logging camp to the north side of the forest and if you talk to any of the loggers, they will tell you that there's an area in the southern part of the wood where it's best not to go. They will tell you harrowing tales of accidents that occur with more frequency in that part of the forest and even the owner of the timber mill doesn't log there any more. Danniken Willow is his name and he will smile and shrug as if it's a silly superstition but he won't budge on the subject.   He refuses to say more. But villagers and townsfolk who live near the forest don't mind telling you about it. Go into the Red Mead Tavern in Quarry Town on any given evening and you may hear a bard singing a ballad about the boy who never returned. If there's no bard, ask any old timer you see sitting around. He or she will tell you all about the boy who never returned and much much more.   Albert Twig is just such an old timer and when he was approached by a visitor recently and asked if he could tell him why he shouldn't go into the Haunted Wood, Twig told him the story.  

It weren't but about 3 year ago. Tommy Twig, no relation mind you, was 13. He was mad at some older boys when they told him he couldn't go camping with them. Them older fellers told him he was too young. Tommy told 'em he would prove he was old enough. He told them older boys he would go and spend the night in the Haunted Wood. Them older boys laughed at him. But they wanted to see him go in so they followed him to the edge. They watched him walk into those woods without trying to stop him or tell his parents or anything, They heard a screaming and they ran for their lives, When Tommy didn't come home, his parents went about asking after him and finally learned the truth.   Tommy's folk just about went crazy and they ordered them three older boys to take them to where their Tommy had disappeared. By then the constable had showed up and a off went the group of boys and Tommy's parents plus the constable. When they got to the woods, they said there was a loud moaning sound. Tommy's father pushed one of the boys and hollered that he better go in there and find his Tommy. The boy stumbled and tried to come back but when he saw Tommy's father had a big knife in his hand, he went into the woods. They was all standing there when they heard the howling screams that were cut off short.   Tommy's mama screamed and went off a running into them woods hollering that she would get Tommy and bring him back. The rest of em were just fretting and waitng and they didn't hear no more screams. But then Mrs. Twig came out pale as a ghost carrying something. It wasn't nothing more than the clothes that Tommy had been wearing. They were all ripped and torn up like something got him. She dropped Tommy's clothes at her husband's feet and started screaming and never stopped. They had to lock her up somewhere. Neither of them boys ever came back.   But you just go to the library (Twig pronounced it as libary). Look at old broadsheets. Them woods have been evil for at least a hundred years. More than a hundred years ago, the paper reports that an old witch came through the village begging for food. Nobody would give her none and they chased her off into the woods. But before she disappeared into the trees, she turned back and said, "I curse thee and all your kin for the next thousand years." Nobody ever saw her again but they swear that you can hear her a laughing sometimes.