Let's hang out sometime! (Waking up restrained, shackled, hanging)
⚠️TW hanging⚠️ (idk if there's more)
Unedited
Word count: 1418

People have been going missing lately. We don't know where to. We don't know why. What we know is they are gone. Most of the missing have been adults. People between the ages of 19-26. But just this week a six year old went missing.
There have been thirteen disappearances in all. There's been investigations but it's been so weird. The people who've gone missing were all happy, content with their lives. They wouldn't have just disappeared.
We were asked to stay with other people. Safety precautions to keep us from going missing as well. I don't mind too much. I can fend for myself. I'm smart. I'll keep watch. I've planned to go hiking for weeks. I woke up this morning early and got ready to go out. It was a thirteen mile hike, not too big of a deal.
For a person who didn't work out it may have been a lot, but I've always worked out a lot. I adore working out. Especially when it comes to cardio. I could run for days. I get tired and sweaty, sure, nevertheless, I find it easy to ignore the tiredness.
Approaching the trail in my small silver car I hummed. I pulled my phone out, checking that this was the correct trail. It was a small trail leading directly into the forest. I'd googled the trail, trying to find a difficult trail I hadn't already gone on.
I hadn't expected the trail to be such a small, hidden one. Even so I brushed it aside, I grabbed my backpack and my water bottle, checking my shoes were tied tight, before I started up the trail.
It didn't take long for the forest to turn into a small clearing. The path was kinda unclear, no longer a clear dirt path, instead what looked like a rake had been dragged through the knee length weeds to create a path.
I followed the path, as it led into more trees. After a few hours I sat to eat some lunch, on a flat rock next to the path. I could see ahead why the path was considered difficult. It got notably steep and slick ahead.
I ate my lunch, unbothered, looking around. There were no animals, it was kinda dark... and it smelt kinda odd. Ignoring the smell, after my lunch I got up, and began walking again. I pulled my phone out and looked at the time, it was about 11:25, I'd been awake almost four hours, and I'd been hiking almost two of them. I knew I'd be reaching the end of the hike after not long, and I could only then turn around and go home.
I checked my mess to make sure I didn't leave anything behind, noting again the odd smell and lack of any intelligent life. Once again I shrugged off my gut feeling something was off, and began to walk again.
Up the steep, slippery part of the trail I noticed the trail got muddy. It was gross muddy though... Not like normal... It was darker then it should have been. Though determined to finish this hike I continued on my path.
I reached the end and smiled, looking into the trees I froze. I'd never seen such a morbid, horrible sight. A man was hung by his neck from a tree, he was shirtless. He looked like he'd been there weeks. His skin was a horrible green color, the rope which connected him to the tree was stained in blood, that had been dripping down his face, from all spaces it could.
The horrible foamy-dry blood was running from his eyes, his mouth, his ears, his nose even. I realized instantly what the smell I'd been noticing was. Death. I hesitated before heading closer to the man, I quickly realized as Father Quince. He had been the priest who lived in our neighborhood. I'm not religious, and I didn't know the man well,but we had got along okay. He had disappeared a little over a week ago, on his way home from church.
When I got closer the wind blew, turning his dead body, carved into the delicate skin of his back was the word 'SINNER'. The smell of death was overwhelming at his point. My eyes teared up and I started to feel sick.
I pulled my phone out to call the cops. No reception. I cursed quietly and turned around to start heading back to my car, so I can call for help.
What I see behind me though... It was worse than the priest... twelve more bodies hung not far away. A tear slipped down my cheek as I ran over.
Bad decision.
Looking at them I could see a body who had been there quite a bit longer then the others... He was decomposing... liquefying... It was horrible. He had been hung by his feet, but the blood running from his eyes, mouth, and ears indicated he'd not always been upside down like this.
I glanced around, looking for the small girl who had been taken this week. I saw her a few yards away and hurried over.
She too, had been hung by her neck. She didn't appear to have been dead long... She was morbidly pale, as expected... but not green or purple. I decided I had to leave. I stuffed my phone in my pocket. Turning around I went to run... I was met with a horrible looking man. He had brown, horribly bloodshot eyes. His skin was pale, his face stained from something red... His teeth, yellow and broken...
I'd never seen the man before, but I could tell instantly he was insane. Connecting two and two I realized he was the person who had kidnapped her neighbors and friends. My hands were shaking as he asked me what I was doing there.
Instead of responding I pushed him to the floor, starting to run down the trail. I knew it would take more than two hours to get back to my car following the trail. I slipped near the start of the sharp decline in the trail, looking down I realized the reason the mud was darker than the mud had been previously... Blood...
I stumbled my way back to my feet, now covered in muddy blood. I knew I had to figure something out. I didn't know my way around the forest well enough without the trail, that where he most likely did he'd catch me, although It would take too long to get back running all the way. Going against my instincts, I left the trail, running in the direction I hoped my car was.
It didn't take long for me to run into a river I didn't recognize. I didn't know where I was. I was lost. I allowed myself ten seconds of pity before I gathered myself, starting to run parallel to the river, praying it would lead me down the canyon.
I thought I had run far enough away, fast enough. I sat on a fallen tree trunk and pulled my phone out, trying to see if I had service... Finding out I didn't I cursed... Louder then I'd planned to "Stupid fucking canyon!" My eyes widened and I covered my mouth. I stayed silent, praying he hadn't heard me. The only sounds were the sound of my heart beating in my ears...
*Badump, badump*
My heavy breathing.
*Huff huff*
And the leaves blowing in the wind.
*Rustle, rustle*
After a moment I decided I was probably okay to let my guard down, after not hearing footsteps or anything. I put my phone away, pulling my water bottle out... it wasn't there. I must have dropped it when I fell.
I stood, moving to the river and bending next to it hesitantly. I knew the water wasn't probably clean but I couldn't have cared less. I cupped my hands and got water into them, pulling the water to my lips, I went to drink. I was hit suddenly in the back of the head, falling into the water.
I didn't lose my cautiousness, it just stunned me for a moment. I went to get my head from the water but my head was being held under the water. I held my breath as I tried getting from the male's grip. It was to no avail, as I could feel myself growing light headed. I struggled... held my breath... need to get away... need to tell... someone