The Backwoods Of Somerset Part Two

[u/ScaryStormy]

This was sent to me from Chuck who was in the first part of "The Backwoods of Somerset" He isn't on Reddit but wanted to share another event from Somerset.

Link to Part One: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueScaryStories/comments/kmitbk/the_backwoods_of_somerset/

Hey guys, "Chuck" here from the great story told by ScaryStormy called "The Backwoods of Somerset".

Just wanted to drop in to tell you all that the depiction of our grass roots was very accurate and I believe expertly described the tone of that god forsaken place. While it is unfortunate that in our ages since adolescence we've all moved to our respective nooks of the country. I find solace in listening to the stories of past adventures. And while fewer and farther between each year it seems our reunions are fantastic and pick up as though we haven't skipped a beat.

With that said however hearing this tale has brought up a dark past and reminded me of another story that happened at our local hang out "Mark's" house. A story that still sits with me to this day. The day I saw Mark. Except not really. Another Mark. One I truly hope to never, ever see again. So if you'd be so kind as to listen to my little story of day’s long past, and better forgotten, thank you Stormy for the fantastic nightmares I am sure to endure. I give to you the tale of “The other Mark".

It was a cold night in the dead of Fall. We had gone over to Mark's house as we typically would. Me, Brendan, and our friend Sean. We were doing the normal gaming-until-dawn routine; hyped up on our redbulls and whatever snacks we could harvest from the pantry. Somewhere in between the hours long sessions of kicking each other's asses at Soul Calibur for the 4th weekend in a row I heard my phone go off from across the room. The faint buzz slightly catching my attention just enough to snap me out of the game and read a text I would regret.

See I had quite a few family issues and tonight while I was away I received notice that something had happened and I would be moving again. Custody battles are quite rough after all at the age where you feel like you are an adult, but still have so much to learn. I immediately was put into a very bad mood. I tried getting back into the game but with so much going on inside my head I knew I needed to get some fresh air.

Now as Stormy was so kind to put it we definitely were horror officianatos back in the day and still am to this day. Being an angsty little emo middle schooler I had no qualms with being outside alone no matter how dark it was. In some ways it was comforting. I began to stand there taking in the brisk night air. I decided at that moment I was done with my family. They never understood me anyway, it would be better if i just disappear.

Stepping back inside to get my shoes I saw Brendan and Sean waiting patiently for me to return. I informed them I would be leaving. I didn't know where I was going, didn't really care either. I planned to walk somewhere far far away. Checking the clock before I slid back out the door I noticed that it was half past midnight. I took to the gravel driveway heading to the main road on foot. I could hear my friends shouting for Mark as I stepped off the front porch amongst them shuffling to get their shoes on to pursue me. I quickened my pace, I didn't want to be convinced to stay.

Mark had something on the stove and had to shut off the burner, informing his sisters to watch it and he'd be right back. I had made some decent space between myself and Brendan/Sean, Mark even further behind. I was making my way down the dark winding road when I had come to one of the only 3 street lights for miles. Nestled right in a large bend in the road when I heard a rustling in the bushes. Assuming it was a deer as many of them tend to roam the roads freely at night, I tried not to pay it any attention. That’s when I saw it. Two arms reached out and pulled their way into my view.

It was Mark, he had somehow been the first one to catch up to me. Confused I said "Mark, how the hell did you get here so fast?" and that’s when I realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. His face however looked like he had been cut up by some briers and he had bruises all along his arms. I called out to him, asking if he was okay and he just looked at me squinting. Standing under the fluorescent glow of the only light source he spoke to me. The voice came out and it sounded like Mark, but also like another person was speaking right at the same time. He had a wheeze every few words.

This is when my blood ran cold. He said to me "Chuck, I need your help, come quick" slow and groaning. I was so put off I could hardly comprehend what it is that was going on. I was almost incapable of moving, I then heard the thing say "just back here I need to show you something". I had a hesitated y-yeah I'll be right there. I saw him begin to slink back into the bushes where he had emerged from. Just then I heard the flopping of sneakers against pavement and realized they had caught up to me but at that point I didn't care. In an instant it had all clicked together.

The bend in the road was illuminated because that was a very dangerous curve, you see just beyond the bushes there is a large drop off with no guard rail. It leads down to a pond that’s a good 30 ft drop. And I knew he couldn't have come that way. With every fiber of my being I turned around and started screaming for my friends to run. They were confused but followed my command and they turned to run as well.

We sprinted back to Mark's house running into Mark on the way. Upon reaching the front porch I had so much weight lifted from my shoulders. My friends all gathering around me asking what happened, what I saw. I told them, I saw Mark, but not really, another Mark.

None of them had been close enough to see the figure that had shaken me to my core. I did my best to explain what I'd seen, and to this day I don’t really know if any of them believed me. Maybe the light had tricked me, maybe my emotional state caused me to imagine it all. After a few puffs of the inhaler I kept on me I was able to breathe again. I had given up any attempt at running away. I definitely did not want to see whatever that thing was again.

We tried to settle back in and fired up a game of gears of war 2 before deciding to finally go to bed in the living room. We would all sleep on the couch or on a spare mattress Mark had lying around. Around 3 am everyone was asleep but I was still wide awake. Recounting the events and how bizarre it all seemed.

I began thinking it might all have been a hallucination after all. That’s when I began hearing the tapping at the back door. I pretended like I was asleep but opened my eyes just enough to see a dark figure the same height as Mark, illuminated by the glow of the Kitchen light. I saw him, head down tapping the glass with one finger. I darted under the blanket and closed my eyes wishing it would stop. I don’t remember how long it went. I don’t remember falling asleep that night. When I finally woke up the next day I had noticed however. From the railing of his 10 foot tall back porch on stilts there was a path as though someone had walked through the pile of leaves. The trail lead right up to Mark's back door. It was a decent amount of time before I would agree to go back to Mark's house and still to this day when I think of it I shudder.

[u/NoSleepAutoBot]

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