Siren Head: Three friends went out for dinner. A traditional restaurant specialized in roasted meat. Arthur, Daniel and Frank love the place. Not only because of the food, but also because of its environment. The decoration inside, is rustic, and even better, when the weather is pleasant enough, the customers are able to eat outside. Several wooden tables are displayed in a big garden, surrounded by trees. And it is also possible to see the meat being roasted. Plus, the food is delicious and the prices are decent enough.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes, 40 seconds.
– I love this place. It’s like going back in time. We get the best of the middle ages, but not the worst… The plague, the poverty, the lack of hygiene… – says Arthur, while taking a bite out of a chicken leg. Arthur is tall, thin, has short dark hair and eyes and wears glasses. He is 27 years old.
– Come on, man! We’re trying to eat! Yes, they really chose the perfect name for this restaurant. “The Old Tavern” fits perfectly. – replies Daniel. He chose the veal. Daniel is neither tall or short. And the same logic applies to his body structure. Balanced in height and weight. He has curly red hair, that makes him look like Tom Sawyer, and green eyes. He is 30 years old.
– My good friends, this is the perfect time for me to propose you an adventure. Something that only bold and corageous men like us would find interesting… and irresistible… – Frank says, with a defying smile, taking a bite off of his roasted pork. Frank is the most extroverted of the group. He has long brown hair and eyes, and wears a beard. He is short, but very strong. Yet, Frank is also the youngest. He is 25.
– Ok, Frank, what’s in your mind? – Daniel asks.
– The Forest of Doom. – Frank answers, as if he just announced he won a contest.
– You want to go to the Forest of Doom?! That place is too far away from the last shred of civilization. The last time I read about those woods, it was an article about rotting corpses, allegedly sacrificed in a satantic ritual. With candles and dead animals around them. The reporter who was crazy enough to go there, made a fortune with the pictures. A sad way to make a living, but he earned it well… – Daniel replied.
– Yes… not to mention the UFO sightings, and alleged haunting creatures… The Forest of Doom is like the Bermuda Triangle, Area 51 and Slavic Forests combined. Why do you want to go there, anyway? – Arthur says, as he agrees with Daniel.
– Ok, I will not tease you and call you cowards. That place is… intimidating. But that’s the whole idea! The thrill and fun of the experience. I want to go on a camping trip to the Forest of Doom. A life episode, an adventure for us to remember. Forever. How many people have the guts to do it? And we’ll take our own pictures. Plus, guys, to be honest, most of those stories are probably hoaxes. – Frank explains, filled with enthusiasm in his eyes.
– Man, sorry… Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not addicted to chaos like you. Even regular forests always hold their small amount of risks. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, did a couple of his… jobs, so to speak, in the woods. – Arthur says, as Daniel nodds, in agreement.
– Very well… I respect your fears. That means I will have to go there by myself… – Frank announces.
– Yeah, yeah… Man, that game won’t work, ahah. You would never do it… Let’s finnish our meal, and then catch a movie. – Daniel says.
The three friends didn’t discuss the creepy camping subject anymore. Obviously, Frank would never go there by himself. He just wanted to convince his friends of that, so they would come with him. He was bluffing…
Or só, Arthur and Daniel thought.
One afternoon, Daniel saw Jane in a supermarket. She is Frank’s sister. The two talked a little, and she said Frank was very excited, because he was going to camp, within the next days. He had bought and arranged everything. His car was already packed with most of the items.
– Huh… Did your brother tell you where he was going? – Daniel asked.
– He just said it was a “forbidden place.” He is such a crazy brother! – Jane answered, while laughing.
– Oh yes… you have no idea, Jane… Well, nice to see you! – Daniel departed.
Of course, Daniel was worried and surprised. Frank wasn’t being manipulative after all. He really was crazy enough to go there alone…
Daniel called Arthur, and told him about it. They had to choose between being safe, but allowing their best friend going to Forest of Doom alone, or… the opposite. Being terrified, possibly risking their lives, but… doing the right thing.
They chose the second option.
That same night, they called Frank, announcing that they had changed their minds. It would be a friends’ adventure. Rather than a lonely one.
– Oh! Really? That’s great, guys! I’m so glad you are coming with me. That’s what being best friends is all about. We are as epic as the Three Musketeers! And after camping in the Forest of Doom, we will be even more awesome! You will see… it will be something for us to remember. This is what life is all about… Those small moments. – Frank said, on the phone, sounding as happy as a child before Christmas Day.
And só, a couple of days later, the three friends were on their way to the infamous Forest of Doom. Frank was driving, and obviously the enthusiasm he showed wasn’t really shared by Arthur and Daniel.
But as they arrived, and prepared the tents, as hours went by, and nothing weird or out of the ordinary happened, even Arthur and Daniel were now relaxing, and enjoying the moments.
The three of them explored the surroundings. The forest indeed had an eerie and mysterious appearence. The trees were tall and huge. And no animals could be seen or heard. Not even birds. Which was strange. But besides that, the woods appeared to be calm and silent.
– Maybe you are right, Frank. Perhaps those legends are just modern fables, to scare us all. – said Daniel, later in the evening, when the friends were having a few beers, sitting around a nice and warm fire.
– I told you! Nevertheless, we did take awesome pictures. Think about the girls we are going to impress. – Frank replied.
– I hope so. Being an expert in Maths never did much for me, regarding that department… – replied Arthur. And they all laughed.
Eventually, they decided to go to sleep.
Only to wake up, a couple of hours later… Or, to be more specific, Daniel and Frank woke up… Something completely unexpected, an extremely loud noise that didn’t belong in that place, had that effect.
– Man! Did you hear that as well?! – said Frank to Daniel, as both of them met outside their respective tents. They had their lanterns on.
– Yes! It sounded like… a siren! A loud, huge siren. But… in here?! By the way, where’s Arthur? – replied Daniel.
Arthur was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t inside his tent.
And again, the horrendous siren was heard. In fear, worried about their friend, but also curious, Daniel and Frank followed the noise, throughout the woods…
Daniel screamed.
– Hey! What’s wrong?! – Frank asked, as he followed his friend’s terrified look…
Frank almost froze when he saw what Daniel had found… Or better said, who he had found…
Arthur was on the ground. Dead… And they immediately realized he was friend because his body was completely torned apart. His head had been completely chewed by some kind of creature. His torso was missing his organs. And Arthur’s limbs were nowhere to be seen.
– What… happened…?!! – Frank whispered, agonized with such sight.
But he would have an answer soon enough…
Daniel’s scream captured the attention of something… Something that was producing the horrendous previous noises, which resembled the siren.
Now, the noise was coming in their direction, and not the other way around…
– Man… Let’s get out of here!!! To the car!! – Frank shouted at Daniel.
No more thinking about Arthur’s dreadful fate, as survival instinct took over, the two friends were now running like maniacs towards their car.
The siren’s noise was now louder, and they could now listen to steps running, as well.
Chasing them.
They couldn’t avoid looking back, when they heard trees being smashed and destroyed.
What, on Earth, could do such thing?
In awe, Frank and Daniel couldn’t believe what they saw…
A gigantic, huge, monstrous creature was in front of them. It had the size of a building, Its body was humanoid, but the legs and the arms were bigger than the torso.
But the creature wasn’t completely humanoid… It had two heads, attached to each other, facing opposite directions… T
The two heads had the same shape of… sirens. Although they had enormous teeth.
The shock was so big, that Daniel just stood there, looking at the entity, and said:
– What the… hell… No… This… is not real…
As Daniel was mesmerized by such appearance, he didn’t have time to react, when the creature came to him, incredibly fast, and grabbed him.
Frank was now running for his life, not even daring to look back. He didn’t see Daniel being eaten alive by the Siren Head creature.
In fact, Frank’s thoughts were macabre, as, fearing for his own life, he wanted the creature to take its time, when devouring his friend… That way, Frank could have a chance, and save himself.
Later on he would regret such thoughts… But nature has its rules…
Breathing heavily, with his lantern still being of great help, Frank managed to get to his car.
Relieved, almost laughing out of joy, he was now driving. The drive that could – or not – save his life…
Terrified, Frank literally wet himself when he heard the siren again… and huge loud steps, running towards him…
Frank was driving like he was a rally pilot. If he hit a tree, or a rock, it was game over for him…
The Siren Head creature was now approaching… closer and closer… Frank realized he had no chances… No other human being was there… Or would be, for the next miles…
Frank started crying, but at the same time, he was still driving, as fast as his car could…
The siren screams were louder and louder…
And suddenly… the morning sun started to appear, up in the sky…
This seemed to trouble the creature. As the Siren Monster’s steps were now slowling down.
Frank realized: The daylight wasn’t something that the entity was fond of.
Excited with such hope, he kept driving, praying to every god that he could remember, in order to be saved.
And suddenly, as the morning was now a reality, he realized the creature was gone. It had returned to its lair. Wherever, within the Forest of Doom, it might be.
Frank was now on the road, driving back home. In ecstasy, trying to gather his thoughts, and processing what had happened.
When he got home, he told his sister and his parents what had happened.
They called the authorities, and Frank repeated the dreadful story.
An investigation took place.
Frank never knew what – or if – the Siren Head Monster was found.
But within a few months, the Forest of Doom was closed to the public. Forever.
The Government built a massive wall around it. No one, besides the Government Authorities had any chance of getting in.
The mainstream newspapers never mentioned The Forest of Doom again. And the official public authorities, until today, never acknowledged its existence.