Trackside

Backwoods Shenanigans

  Bobby takes an unsuspecting Cal on an adventure out in the bogs of rural Mississippi. 

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"Come on, Bobby, are we there yet?" Cal complained. "We've been out here forever."

"It's been ten minutes, Cal." Bobby reminded him. "And don't talk so loudly. You'll wake the spirits up."

"Whatever." Cal rolled his eyes and kept trudging through the undergrowth.

Bobby's property was extensive, and right smack dab in the middle of Nowhere, Mississippi. Mississippi in summertime is as swampy as it gets without going to the Louisiana bayou itself. With outrageous humidity and insects the size of small tires, Cal didn't want to be outside in the daytime, let alone at night.

His friend thought differently. Bobby had told him all about this supposedly haunted shack a half a mile or so back through the woods. When Cal laughed and told Bobby he didn't believe in hauntings, ghosts, or anything of that sort, he'd essentially signed his own permission slip for going and checking it out.

The sound of the crickets and bullfrogs was overwhelming, consuming the night around them. They were driving with no lights through a lightly wooded, swampy field, guided only by the moon and Cal's wavering trust in his friend. The dew had coated everything, so not only were they getting dirty, they were getting wet and itchy as well.

"This place better be as good as you say it is." Cal said, shaking some mud off his front right tire. "I'll have you know this is the sketchiest thing I've ever done."

"Relax, man." Bobby continued to talk in a hushed tone. "Just go with it. Take in the lore."

"I told you, I don't believe in lore." he reminded him. "The only piece of lore I ever even found interesting was The Legend of Wooley Swamp and that's just because Tex likes to listen to The Charlie Daniels Band a lot. And if you'll recall, that story didn't end well for anyone."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now come on, there's a creek up here we need to cross. Then we're almost there."

Cal heard it before he saw it. Bobby took point and crossed it first, leaving Cal to hesitantly follow. He didn't like not being able to see what was in the water, and flipped his headlights on to get a better look.

"Cal!" Bobby hissed at him. "No lights! What's with you?"

"I just wanted to see the water, sheesh, calm down." Cal turned his lights back off and entered the stream hesitantly. He hadn't seen anything, but then again he'd had all of two seconds to look.

The moment his front tires beached on the other side of the water, something loud and thudding came pounding towards them from the yonder side before splashing into the water. Cal screamed as something hit him in the side, and kicked up dirt and mud all over Bobby as he high-tailed it into the woods. He couldn't see anything, but only something huge could have made a sound like that. Was it chasing him? Was this the end?

"Cal!" Bobby caught up with him and pulled him to a halt. "Dude, what was that?"

"I don't know!" Cal was whispering now, panting. "I don't know, man, but it was big. Did it follow us?"

"I don't think so. But then again I didn't see it either." Bobby looked worried. "I don't even know what kind of creature could make that big of a commotion."

They sat in silence for a moment and listened. There was nothing, not even the crickets and frogs now, at least not for a long ways off. It was eerie. Cal felt a shiver run through him.

"Alright." Bobby sighed, still speaking quietly. "Come on. Stay with me. No lights, no loud sounds. Got it?"

A twig snapped behind them, and Cal squeaked in surprise. He could almost feel something breathing down his side.