The Devil’s Trail Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The two brothers sit by the campfire. The tent is set up, and here they are; roasting marshmallows with the audio equipment up and running and the camera on the tripod aimed right at them. Ted had set the equipment to start recording whenever unusual spikes of temperature occur. Each camera or tape recorder was ready for anything. Of course all this technology was not cheap.

Tim and Dan may have a large fan base but not nearly as large as the guys from Ghost Hunters so they weren’t paid by the hour for ghost hunting. This was more of a hobby. A side conquest while they were working their asses off for raises and more hours of work just so they can afford all this stuff. Driven by their belief in the paranormal they spend endless hours in said to be haunted places and then post the results on You Tube. Sadly to say these two have only 500 plus subscribers. Not nearly enough as the guys from Destination Truth or Ghost Hunters.

“Do you think that there are ghosts out there? Like the ones we saw here earlier?” Dan asks Tim. He sighs, “I don’t know, I replied to that guy’s email asking about what happens after sundown. No reply yet.” Dan looks at the campfire holding his kebab-like stick with his marshmallow basking in the fire. “Hey have you noticed that when we researched this stuff that the orbs were the only found footage that we were able to find?” Dan asks. “Yeah, it’s strange. How come no one has ever posted the stuff that happens at midnight or before dusk?” Ted shakes his head pulling his marshmallow out of the fire and blowing at it to extinguish any leftover flame. “Dan looks at his Marshmallow noticing that it was ablaze, like a burning torch. “Shit!” Dan shouts as he swings the black puff of sugar off his stick and lands on the dirt beside him. Tim laughs as he chomps down on his gooey mallow. Dan glares at him, playful jealousy now in his eyes. “Damn you.” Dan says under his breath while Tim laughs even harder. “You vetter vatch it bro.” Tim says with a mouthful of marshmallow.
Dan grabs another marshmallow from the bag and impales the sugary puff ball at the end of his stick and waits once again for his marshmallow to cook. “You suck.” He says to Tim. Tim finishes his mouthful of marshmallow and speaks. “Don’t blame me bro.” He says with his hands up in surrender.

The hours pass and it is closing in on midnight. The air is more chilled and Dan and Tim put on jackets to keep warm, even though this is Arizona it can get pretty chilly up in the mountains. The night sky fills with stars, the moon is nowhere tonight but that didn’t matter. Tim sits next to the triangular tent setting up lanterns claiming he was turning them on in case they have to take a dump in the middle of the night. Of course Dan knows that Ted needed to set up his nightlights before he went to bed while Dan took the first shift.

The two decided since the hauntings were so particularly scheduled they were going to take shifts in watching for any paranormal activity. After drawing marshmallow sticks, Dan got the short one and was forced to stay outside the tent and watch for the midnight ghosts. Dan was there sitting beside the camera, waiting and watching the void of the dark forest. The fire was still going but it was slowly dying. He looked at his phone and saw on the illuminated touch screen that it was 11:55 pm. It was almost time and he was prepared to see some midnight madness from the mysterious orb ghosts. He yawns, looks at the tent where Tim rested and then back at the camera. He is growing bored as he waits for the next few minutes to pass. So he fiddles with the camera for a bit. He scrolls through the menu settings and finds different effects on the camera, including the negative color effect and the heat signature detection; this setting would have replaced FLIR equipment if it wasn’t just an effect. He thought carefully about whipping it out just to mess around with it, maybe even catch a couple squirrels with it. But he ultimately decided he wouldn’t misuse the equipment.

He sets the camera to its normal settings again and leaves it alone. He looks to his watch. It is 11:59pm. “Oh, shit.” He said to himself. The big show was about to start, soon ghosts would be rising from the ground in bright shining orbs. He counts down the seconds on his digital watch on his left wrist which displayed the seconds next to the actual time.

20…21…22…23…24…25…

His eyes grow wide with excitement; quickly he starts to set up all the necessary equipment (EVP, FLIR, Camera, etc.) He faces the camera on its tripod at the distance of four feet away from the fire pit. He places the FLIR monitor and camera around his neck by a strap. Once that was ready he pressed record on both his and Tim’s tape recorders and set them at the floor next to the camera. He then rushes to his equipment bag and comes back to his spot holding a device with a similar appearance to a TV remote only smaller and with little to no buttons and a meter on top part of it in a display screen. He turned it on and it immediately started clicking with a steady speed. It was his EMF meter. And without a second to lose the loud clicks were becoming louder, rapidly increasing in pace.

The Ghosts are comin’. The ghosts are comin’! He thought. His heart was increasing in speed as well, going at least 85/100.

50…51…52…53…54…55…

“Tim, wake the hell up!” Dan shouts at the tent. Almost without needing to be shouted at a second time, he is up and stumbles to Dan’s position almost stepping on the tape recorders. “Watch it!” Dan warned. “Sorry, what’s up?” Tim asks as he leans in next to Dan beside the tripod. The red light was on the camera, the EVP’s were set, EMF readings climbing, and the FLIR pointed at the dark woods ahead of them. Just then Dan’s watch beeps three times signifying midnight had come. Dan grins and stares ahead. “Show time.” He says under his breath.

Within the next couple of seconds, the bright orbs had shown themselves once more. The glowing intensity of each orb appeared one by one, hovering over their position, growing in large numbers and surrounding the camp ground. The EMF stayed at a steady deafening beep. The camera was rolling capturing each orb in their position. Dan and Tim stare in amazement at the glowing orbs as they closed in on them. Nothing was being said or heard by either Tim or Dan. Then that’s when they noticed… the orbs were no blue this time. This time, they were red and not as harmless looking anymore. They looked more sinister than they do innocent. Dan thought it was the color maybe it meant something. Was blue the universal color of good and red the one for evil? Or were these souls the one’s that suffered the worst because they were already going to hell? Tim however, thought that this was just some strange thing with the light tonight and it didn’t mean anything. “Why are they red?” asked Dan. “It’s probably nothing.” Tim replied still looking at the orbs floating and rising slightly upward. Tim noticed that the EMF was still running off the charts so he quickly turned it off. “Why did you turn it off?” Tim asks. “It was getting annoying, plus we need something for the EVP’s.” He whispers back. “Dude, this is amazing… how the hell did anyone else not get this on tape or at least on YouTube for that matter?” Tim asks. The orbs start to rise higher off the ground along with the other orbs surrounding them. “I don’t know, I guess they got too scared of being out here; must have high tailed it out of here the second they realized the orbs changed color.” Dan suggests. That’s when he realized he forgot something.

“Shit!” Dan swears under his breath and quickly attempts to turn on the FLIR, he didn’t even so much as bother to turn it on when the haunting began.

“What?” Tim asks.

“I forgot to turn this damn thing on!” Dan explains sounding more than irritated.
He quickly finds the on button for the FLIR and clicks it on. The camera shutters and turn on, the monitor that rested atop it and rested on Dan’s chest started to turn on first presenting the FLIR logo and soon enough the video shown through the camera.

Meanwhile the camera started to show static images on its own screen and almost appeared to have stopped for a second then started back up again. The FLIR screen then revealed to Dan what was truly in front of him. Upon that screen was not just a few orbs. Dan’s eyes widen in terror looking at the orbs which were now floating ten feet in the air, and then looking back at the FLIR. Tim notices his reaction to the FLIR but felt his response to be strange since he did not know what was on the FLIR. “Dude what’s wrong?” he asks, the red light glowing against his face. Dan tried to speak but couldn’t he was too shocked. But what came out next was even more shocking than what he could have said.

“Hung…” Dan says quietly. Time just stares at him as he stares at the picture of heat signatures dancing across a screen. “What do you mean man, what’s wrong?” Tim asks feeling uncomfortable at the mere mention of the word “hung”.
“They died…look” were the only words to escape Dan’s mouth. Tim grew impatient and snatches the camera off its strap that was wrapped around Dan’s neck. What he saw next will forever scar his mind. Where the orbs’s red, sinister, light had floated high above the ground were the heat signatures of full bodied apparitions floating above the ground and hanging by nooses tied to the tree branches. “Fucking hell!” Whispered Tim with fear at the edge of his voice. “What the hell is this?” he asked. “I d-don’t know-“ he stammered under his breath. The white silhouettes of bodies hanging by the branches swung back and forth like a pendulum. The black background of the FLIR revealed the trees as darkness consuming the silhouettes.

“T-Tim, what is that?” Dan asks “I don’t know- I just don’t know-“ Tim replied as he gazed upon the monitor then back at the red orbs of light now descending. “Fuck, what are they doing now?” Dan looks up at the orbs with Tim, gazing at the crimson red light as it descends upon them. The two remain frozen in their positions as the red lights group together like an army. Tim snaps out of his trance and backs away from Dan who remains frozen with fear. Tim looks ahead then behind him only to realize the orbs are all around him and his brother. There were hundreds of these things everywhere; Tim felt claustrophobic as the orbs close in on Dan and his position. That’s when the suffocation started to set in the need to breathe grew and grew, leaving Time practically gasping for air and grabbing at his throat. He kneels to the ground and looks around for any trace of the Devil’s trail. Nope, nothing, there was only the color of blood. He struggles to look at Dan who was still crouching and looking up at the orbs of light who were sucking the air from the atmosphere. “D-dan-“ Tim gasps for Dan’s attention but he is caught off guard by the monitor that was visible from where he was standing. There upon that monitor was nothing but white, the silhouettes of the bodies hanging from tress must have descended with the orbs. Or maybe the orbs were these people. Questions stir around Tim’s head-

What are these things?
Where is the rest of the trail?
What’s wrong with Dan?
Am I dying?

From the mouth of Dan came these words in a voice that wasn’t his own: “No… but you will be-“

Before anything else is registered through Tim’s mind he passes out.

Devils Trail Part 2

Chapter 2

Tim slowly travels ahead of Dan as they start their journey into the darkness that is “the Devil’s Trail”. Tim looks ahead of him to see the trail wind up the mountain side, surrounded by trees that seem almost devoid of life. This same pattern of lifeless trees and clear trail seemed to go on forever and ever. Sunlight barely peaks out through the branches of endless trees. Dan was just carrying his load and is more than prepared for that adrenaline that will fill his bloodstream with fear. It was safe to say Dan was looking forward to it all, so was Tim, but he had a different idea on what being scared was like.
“Okay let’s start this bad boy up!” Tim says as he traces his fingers alongside the camera to find the record button. “Okay, here-we-go!” he finds the button and starts up the camera. On the screen of the camera was a red flash of light that signified that it was recording. Tim smiled and started to speak to the camera as he pans out the environment before him whilst he walks along the trail underneath the trees that acted as an overpass. “Devil’s Trail, September 26, 2014, T&D Paranormal is sent an email detailing instructions and lists of supplies needed to make the journey to Devil’s Trail here in Mount Lemon-” He explains trying to give the audience that documentary styled feeling to his speech. He believed that the more unrealistic and “Blair Witch” he sounded, the more captivated and entertained the audience will be; however he knew when it was time to knock that wall down and make important statements in front of the camera. He was an expert at this sort of thing but was also an amateur with his personality, giving the audience a different perspective on himself each time he spoke or stood in front of the camera. It was like watching someone go through multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, and ADHD all rolled into one, even though he had none of the above.
“-Along with the detailed story of how this trail is haunted by the many souls who have died here, and a detailed schedule of how often these lost souls appear to others.” Tim stops in his tracks and turns to Dan with the camera. Once the spotlights on Dan he acts naturally and he assumes his role in this part of the documentary. He stops as well and looks to the camera, smiles, then speaks: “Er- yes. We were told by this anonymous fan that these apparitions only appear three times a day and at very selective times: once during sundown, twice at midnight, and three times before dawn. It is, however, unknown to us for how long these intervals of haunting last and what they do during these times.” Unlike Tim, Dan was the true expert on Camera acting. He controlled himself, physically and personality-wise and he gave the information without unnecessary dialogue. Tim quickly turns the camera to himself without another word from Dan. “-It is now ten minutes to sunset and once that sun meets the horizon, this place becomes ghost central.” Ted then pulls out a digital stop watch from his pocket and flashes it in front of the camera. “Since we are unaware how long or short these hauntervals are (that’s slang for haunting intervals) I brought this along to record any necessary data along with my notepad and pencil by my side.” He winks at the camera and turns it toward the trail which has somehow changed.
For once you could actually see the end of the trail, or at least, see where the trail extends to a new turn and maybe even a small campground ahead. Ted is at a loss for words. What happened to the once infinite trail?
“Did you see that?” He asks. “See what?” Dan asks. “The trail changed itself. That campground wasn’t there last time.” Ted claims. “Dude, you probably didn’t see that last time; just keep moving.” Ted was still confused but alas he caught back on with reality; the adrenaline or promise of a ghost had probably made him foggy in his brain or something. “Okay- continuing; The Devil’s Trail is nearing its haunting hour and we will catch it all on tape; let’s go!” With these words he is back into fancy ass documentary maker mode.
They continue the journey and within at least fifteen minutes they find the camp ground that Tim had found earlier. Dan, having all the supplies and tent, started to set up camp as Ted kept on talking as if he had watched one-too-many documentaries on the History Channel. While Ted rambled about how ghosts were scientifically proven to exist, Dan was thinking to himself: If only he could stop flapping his jaws maybe he could help me set this fucking tent. The camera can catch this shit in its own.
The campground was pretty basic; where Ted sat was the stone bench and across from him was a small pit surrounded by dead tree logs and stones; this was assumed to be the fire pit. And nearly five feet away from the fire pit was where the camping packs lay beside a frustrated Dan while he tries to work the mechanics of this godforsaken tent.
“-Ghosts are an unnatural phenomenon, which is widely believed to be the work of fiction and horror stories. Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we will witness how ever-so-wrong the former statement was, as we witness for the first time ever on T&D Paranormal actual proof …that ghosts, entities, spirits exist.” The unnecessary synonyms to the word ghost were just about the final straw for Dan. Dan stands up and throws the sticks to the tent on the ground. “Dude they get it!” Dan yells. He finds Tim panning out the tall dark forest that surrounded him but suddenly stops as he hears the comment made by Dan mid-monologue.
He sets the camera on the bench pointing toward Dan. This direction of the Camera wasn’t intended but was nearly an act of careless anger. The camera is still recording and Ted walks up to Dan feeling rather annoyed by his outburst. “Look what I say and do with the Camera gets views, it needs to be epic.” He argues. “We need it to be “real”; not the bullshit you put in front of the camera!” But just then Ted’s look of anger turned into one of awe as he looked not directly at Dan but at his surroundings. Dan didn’t look behind him he just asked what he was staring at. “Ted! What’s going on now?” He looks behind himself to see what was going on. As he turns his body away from Dan he sees now why he was so frozen in place.
Here, there, everywhere, sprouting from the ground all around the campground were hundreds if not thousands of white orbs of light. These lights hovered over certain spots of the ground; some emitted a sort of bright light with the brightness of the stars. Some even emitted a sort of series of lights, illuminating to a high brightness then decreasing in brightness again almost repeatedly. The lights seem to be friendly and harmless. Tim had a gut feeling that these were the ghosts that they saw on the YouTube videos, because these were the same white orbs that showed themselves at sundown. It was funny because he only saw the videos of these orbs during sundown; never were there any midnight spirits or early morning spirits.
He however didn’t care and immediately charged for the camera. As a cameraman’s best instinct he must film any and all activity that happens, especially if he is hunting for ghosts. He almost falls on himself until he catches himself once more on the stone bench and grabs the camera by the handle. He aims the camera at the ghosts and thank God they are still there. They are even appearing on the screen of the playback menu. “What we are witnessing right now is a rather strange event; these orbs suddenly appeared whilst me and Dan were talking. Luckily we caught them just now.” He waves the camera back and forth and in all directions to see every orb around him. “-It is to my understanding that these are the ghosts that we have been searching for and… my God. They. Are. Amazing.” He gasps and grins at the sight. Dan chuckles but then the chuckle fades somehow detecting something was wrong. Dan felt just as excited as Ted. He didn’t get that fearful jolt like he wanted but he did receive a feeling of uneasiness. “ Wait, wait…” Tim instantly points the camera at Dan. “What, what’s wrong man?” Tim asks behind the camera.
Dan sensed something wasn’t right, he had noticed that only few of these orbs had been increasing in brightness and decreasing at the same time. Dan immediately rushed for the pencil and paper in his pack and grabbed his tape recorder out his pocket and pressed the record button. Almost as quickly he sits on the bench, lays the tape recorder on the seat next to him and starts to write down a series of signals; dashes and lines only known as Morse code. During the whole time Tim keeps the camera on Dan, then at the ghost orbs and then back at Dan. “Keep watching them.” Dan whispers to Ted so that the tape recorder won’t pick up too much of his voice. Ted nods and turns the camera to the bright orbs of light that seem to be floating higher above ground now, maintaining that strange pattern of bright ness and un-brightness. He just looks around in awe, not speaking one word. Tim knows more than anyone that speaking during an EVP was a sin of its own.
After at least five more minutes of the orbs appearance, they disappear and fade into nothingness. Like dust in the wind. Tim turns the camera on himself and begins to speak hysterically, taking deep breaths with each word that he spoke and gasping them out after every sentence. “What we have just seen was bona-fide proof off the existence of ghosts, demons, the devil, God… all of that.” He believed that this one appearance had practically revolutionized the belief system of the world. But he still didn’t have enough footage to support this claim. God exists and so does the Devil no doubt. But basing it all on one small experience with the paranormal; it just won’t settle with the skeptics. More likely than not his footage will be called fake, a science fiction story, possibly a project for his computer class’s special effects program. Hell, he might even be called a fraud because he sucked so much at film documenting.
He turned the camera toward Dan who stopped writing and stopped the tape recorder all under a second. He was feeling uneasy; of course he enjoyed being scared, he was a fear junky, but this was different. He was rather un-happy with the results that he received from the Morse code test he had just established. He looks down at the series of dots and dashes. He scratches the top of his head, ruffling though his black, messy hair.
“I don’t like this…” Tim was interested although he didn’t feel as fearful or as discouraged as Dan, in fact he didn’t feel that way at all. “What, what is it?” He asked pointing the camera directly at Dan. Dan looked up at the purple sky as it was slowly turning dark. Then he turned back at the camera. “I learned Morse code when I was in college. I still remember it and well-” He says under his breath. “Speak louder man.” Tim insists but Dan just sighs and explains what he had found.
“Ok, the orbs of light were shining brightly then decreasing in brightness at an unusual pace. It was like it was trying to speak in Morse code so I wrote down what they were saying… or at least what I think they are trying to tell us.” He grabs his notes and looks to the camera. “Here is what I picked up:-“He sighs and continues. “Turn back, death lies ahead.” Dan sighs hoping that the message got through to Tim. But as the news sets in, he couldn’t help but laugh hysterically, the camera shaking along with him in laughter. Dan is annoyed and grabs the camera from him and points it back at him. “You’re such a prick dude.” Dan says under his breath. “You being the one who hates skeptics are becoming one yourself!” He explains. Ted stops laughing and stares down at Dan and the camera as if he had just been insulted. “Look I know ghosts are real and shit, but do you really think that these things can form a full sentence through Morse code; Because if that’s so then these fuckers can help with my math homework as well.” Tim jokes but Dan doesn’t laugh. “Hold this-“ Dan gives the camera to Ted and grabs the tape recorder from the bench. Tim aims the camera at Dan and watches as he shows the camera his tape recorder; which was a silver stick with a speaker and a mic at the end of it, along with a series of buttons used to play, pause, and rewind the audio. Dan pushes the rewind button and releases the button to play.
Out of the silence of the tape recorder was a faint moaning sound followed by Dan whispering to Tim to watch the ghosts then that’s when a faint voice of a woman began to say something. When first coming out it sounded all jumbled up but then Dan rewinded the tape some more to listen close. Thes second time they were able to catch the woman scream into the recorder:
“Go away!”
Dan stops the tape before going any further. Dan shakes his head in disbelief “Tim we have to leave-“ “No-“ he shouts abruptly.
“Fine you can do this shit yourself I am leaving. Chasing ghosts is one thing, getting ourselves killed is another-” Explains Dan as he grabs his red pack and straps it around his back. Ted turns the camera off for a minute and sets it down beside the concrete bench. It was drawing close to dark now and he needed Dan with him.
Secretly, Ted was afraid of the dark, when he and Dan were little kids he would always sleep over at Dan’s room almost every night. The two brothers were inseparable mainly because Tim would never let the two separate. He was clingy as hell and a great amount of his bravery came from having Dan around. If Dan were to leave now he would die out here. “Wait! Dan-“He said trying to get an answer from him but he remained determined to get the hell off of Devil’s Trail. “Wait Daniel I need you!” He speaks loudly at him and Dan reluctantly stops in his tracks for he was halfway off the camp ground. He turns around to face Ted who was standing before the fire pit. “Dan I need you, this is a once in a lifetime chance. The world will know, not just a small portion but the entire world will know that we have documented proof of the existence of the afterlife… we need this man. Please… don’t go.”
Ted pleaded, convincing Dan that this really was the big break that T.D.P was looking for, the kind that will get them on the map of the paranormal world. He also knew that this meant a great deal to his brother and that he probably would die out here without him. It was no secret that Ted was still afraid of the dark. He carefully decides what he should do in his mind:
Shit, we could very well die out here, who the hell knows what’s further down the road? But Ted really wants this, hell, I want it. But I don’t want to risk my life in the process.
But if I leave then I live to fight another day… but my brother won’t, he will want to stay despite his fear of the dark…
Fuck it.
“FINE!” he drops his pack and unzips it to dig for his campfire supplies. Ted smiles at him and sighs in relief; he can now sleep at night or at least stay up longer. Because the next showing was at midnight and who knows what the orbs have in store for them?

The Devil’s Trail Chapter 1

The Trail By Ryan Stratford
Chapter 1
“What the hell, Dan?” Tim yells at Dan from the backseat of the jeep. “Look I have this, okay? The fucking GPS is just taking a detour.” Dan yells back as he drives the run-down jeep down the dirt road somewhere in the cool forest of Mount Lemon. “A detour, on the mountain?” he asks sounding thoroughly not impressed. The two were on a journey, a somewhat strange and unprecedented journey; they only packed as much as they can into the small space in the back of Dan’s jeep for this trip. They have received an anonymous tip from a paranormal enthusiast such as themselves, claiming that there was a specific trail up north of Mount Lemon that was haunted by the souls of those who have died trying to hike up this mystery trail.
This anonymous tipper had sent them an email, giving instructions on how to get there, where to park, and what they will need to survive. This email also included detailed instructions on when to go. Apparently there was a specific time that these “spirits” show themselves. For reasons unknown, they prefer to come out once before sundown, twice at midnight, and three times at dusk; the spirits repeat this cycle on and on, supposedly haunting this trail on a very unorthodox schedule.
Dan and Tim had thought it to be complete and utter bullshit, but after an hour researching the disturbances of the trail (which goes by the name “The Devil’s Trail”) they were convinced by all the stories, news articles, and YouTube videos regarding these hauntings. Being that this was a spur of the moment thing they only packed half of what they were told to pack: an EMF detector, cameras, notepads, pencils, sleeping bags, tent, matches, flashlights, and the crew’s specially made FLIR detectors and tape recorders. The other half of the list was food and water supplies along with a couple of first aid packs and extra clothes. To which the two of them stopped by McDonald’s and a Circle K for food, water, and First Aid. Then they stopped at a Thrift Shop to pick up some clothes. They originally had an emergency fund for this type of stuff but due to the circumstances they had to dig into their own budget for extra clothing and a tent. As they ride along the rough terrain Tim feels pressured to get there, for they were approaching dusk and would miss the first appearance of these apparitions.
“Look we will get there I promise; we just have five more miles of dirt road to drive through and we will be there.” Dan shouts to the back at Ted as he taps his finger on the bright three-dimensional map that was the GPS. Tim was unamused, the both of them left their two bedroom apartment (or as Dan liked to call it: Their HQ) with the promise of a haunted trail and an opportunity to film it and become famous for revealing to the world of skeptics that ghosts were real. He wanted this badly, he even went days without sleep on his previous adventures with Dan, trying to prove the existence of all things paranormal. But now Tim was becoming skeptical himself, he thought that maybe this was all one big prank to try and get a rouse out of him and Dan. He almost wanted to call the anonymous prankster on his bullshit and turn around but at the same time felt hope for this “Devil’s Trail”. He thought that if this mystery tip was solid then both then the two of them will have had their own ghost-hunting show on Sci-Fi in no time.
Dan however, wanted all the things Tim wanted but was a little less serious than he; honestly he was in it for all the excitement and thrill of being scared shitless. He was one of those guys who got high off of fear and adrenaline. He was a classic horror fan at heart but was even more adaptable to fame, if he had gotten famous for filming and getting scared shitless, it would be a dream come true for him.
It was drawing closer to sunset and the sky had already started to turn a light orange as the sun drew closer to the horizon where the sky line met the mountain. Tim pulled himself to be right next to Dan’s face and points a finger to the orange sky ahead of them. “See that Dan?” He asks. “What?” Dan says. The road starts to grow increasingly bumpy and the trees seem to grow closer and taller blocking out some of the sky that Ted was pointing to. “That sky is orange; we don’t have much time and if we miss out on this first part of the cycle we will have to spend more time here than we intended and I am not looking forward to sleeping in a tent all week!” He says. Dan stands up for himself and talks back. “Look, I am not the one who suggested we go I just said it was possible we could go today.” “You basically insinuated it.” Tim replied back. Dan ignores this and continues. “We didn’t have to go today we could have stayed at home and planned ahead; you never think things through Tim!” In Dan’s defense he was right. There is always tomorrow and they were informed that these spirits haunted on an unusual schedule they don’t come and go whenever they please. But in Tim’s mind there was no tomorrow, it was always now or never, no matter how often these ghosts appeared, he was hell-bent and practically ignored Dan’s reasoning. “Just drive-” Tim ended the conversation as the GPS had announced that they were two miles from their destination. Equipment rattles in the back as Tim tries to keep it all steady. This was sensitive equipment; one pothole is all it would take to mess up a screen or accidentally lose a microchip. If that were to happen then this entire investigation could be jeopardized.
“Steady man, steady!” Tim warns. “Sorry, I’m just trying to get us there.” He replies irritated, “-Well can you get us there in one piece?” Tim asks, Dan just mumbles to himself in frustration.
“Holy shit!” Dan yells as he slams the breaks, Tim is launched out of his seat into the back of Dan’s seat. There was little to no harsh impact so he wasn’t in pain more so than he was annoyed by the sudden stop. The breaks squeal as the jeep scrapes off the gravel from below its tires. “What the hell!?” Tim yells. Dan begins to grin from ear to ear,it was a slow wicked grin that assured itself that there was indeed something to be happy about. “Dude look!” He says. Tim regains his senses after his brief run-in with the back of Dan’s seat and looks ahead of him outside the windshield.
There it was- the Devil’s Trail. It was a tall almost completely dark forest, the trees branches intertwining with each other making the forest seem almost infinite, as if this giant spread of green was all one tree shrouding and spreading amongst the forest. Before Ted and Dan’s jeep was a sign hanging by a nail upon one of the many trees arching over a clear path that was untouched by rock. The sign read: “the Devil’s Trail” in dried up red paint. Around them was a line of trees surrounding the jeep and the dirt road behind them, almost as if it was a giant dam, keeping the rest of the world out of Devil’s Trail.
“Get the tent and backpacks, I’ll get the equipment.” Without another word the two springs into action and grab whatever was necessary for setting up camp and recording paranormal activity. Dan grabbed all the food and water needed along with clothes for the two of them packed into two camping packs, one blue and the other one red.
Ted spent the time trying to get the basic equipment started up and grabbing the silver suitcases full of ghost hunting equipment. The basic stuff included a camera and the night vision lens. Ted had strapped both silver suitcases full of tech to a harness on his back and carried his giant film-making camera that he had gotten for his 19th birthday in the front, and just like that he was a walking tech crew. “You ready?” Tim asked. Dan closed the trunk and held the two packs in both arms. Dan nods and with that they embark on their journey into “the Devils Trail.”