A Spooky Descent
Flashlight in hand, Isaac creeps forward. Down the hallway, past cobwebs and broken deserted furniture, he reaches the basement stairs.
His heart pounds as he begins to descend. The wooden stairs creak under each step. “Hello? Is anyone there?” he calls.
Nature Walk
Taking a break from the hustle of daily city life, 19-year-old Isaac Wellington Watts and his girlfriend, Emily, plan a day to reconnect with nature.
They left their town and made their way to the forest. But as the pulled in they had no idea their world was about to get turned upside down.
Arriving At The Forest
Arriving at the green and lush forest, they already begin to feel rejuvenated. They both work long hours so a day out to explore together has been way long overdue!
Nothing could upset their day out, not even the darkening day or damp forest leaves. Or so they thought.
Something Strange
Isaac and Emily are enjoying the trail when they spot something strange in the distance. They decide to walk towards it to get a closer look.
Crows caw in the background and overhead as they make their way through the dark and dense forest. The smell of petrichor adding further to their growing sense of uneasiness.
Haunted Ruins
As they approach, the pile of rubble and stone takes shape and they realize it’s an old collapsed building.
Isaac wonders how old the ruins are and what must have happened here for it to be abandoned so hastily. He can still see pieces of furniture and an old tv radio set through the open window. Who lived here? Was it haunted?
A Plan In The Making
Unable to deny their curiosity, they adventure inside. Inspired by the eerie atmosphere and creepy, dark rooms, he decides to play a prank on Emily.
He often likes to play pranks on his girlfriend and although she said she hated him pulling pranks, she always ended up laughing along with him. But not today.
Getting Ready For The Prank
Isaac begins setting the stage for his master plan. This was going to be so funny!
He suggests to his girlfriend that they should split up and go in different directions to explore the ruins faster. Afraid to admit she’s scared, Emily reluctantly agrees to his plan, but she had no idea what was coming.
Alone In The Dark
The old building was so dark that when Isaac suddenly disappeared, Emily was none the wiser. She continued adventuring further down the dark empty hall. Thinking Isaac was behind her still, she spoke.
When she got no reply, she panicked. Turning quickly, she reached into her pocket, taking out her phone's flashlight. He was nowhere in sight.
The Prank
Isaac went outside the building to execute his well-thought-out plan. He was going to shout ‘hello’ in a strange voice from outside one of the broken windows.
Issac knew this prank was going to be the best prank he had ever pulled. It was going to be a prank they would both remember for the rest of their lives. And oh how they were right.
He Had To Film Her Reaction
Issac wanted to freak out his girlfriend, who was still wandering around alone inside. He whipped out his phone ready to film he reaction. Hopefully, her reaction would make them go viral!
However little did Issac know, his prank wasn’t about to go as planned.
A Fright
Stubbing his laughter, Isaac calls out into the abandoned ruins. He braces himself for her screams. Instead he hears something completely different.
It’s a deep, hoarse male voice and it calls back from somewhere in the darkness. The blood drains from Isaac’s face as the fright and creepy experience kicks. His mind then turns to his girlfriend, who's inside all alone. What has he done?
Fight Or Flight
Terrified, Isaac stood frozen. It was until a few moments later that he could calm his mind enough to think logically about the situation.
Emily made her way out of the building. Hearing the voices from inside, she knew exactly what had happened. Isaac rushed over to her to make sure she was okay. She hadn’t seen anything but heard the voice come from the basement.
Moral Responsibility
Just as Emily begs for them to leave, Isaac realizes that he can’t. He needs to see what or who that sound was coming from in the basement. His head was telling him to leave, but his heart was saying stay.
But time was running out for Issac. He had to be quick. He had to find out what that noise was, now.
Please Don’t Go Back Inside
Emily pleads with Isaac not to go inside, terrified and worried about what could be down there. She remembers every scene from horror movies that involve dark forests, abandoned ruins, being alone in the woods, and creepy basements.
She refuses to go with him, and for good reason.
The Basement
Phone torch in hand, Isaac moves slowly forward. He thinks this is the scariest thing he’s ever walked himself voluntarily into.
Down the hallway, past cobwebs, broken old chairs and cabinets, he reaches the basement stairs. His heart pounds as he begins to descend. The wooden stairs creak under his steps as he calls, “Hello? Is anyone there?”.
Among The Rubble
He reached the bottom of the stairs and pointed his light to the corner of the basement.
Something didn’t smell too good, and with every breath, Issac took, he could taste it. He spat out in disgust but what he saw next left him lost for words.
Not What He Expected
On the floor, propped up against the wall, lay an old man who looked on the verge of death. His face was filthy and his clothes were ragged and ripped.
As Isaac approaches, he begs for water. Isaac gives him his water bottle and let the strange man take his fill. Then prepares for heavy lifting.
A Heroes Ascent
Realizing the old man can’t walk, Isaac helps him up the stairs and out of the building. They greet Emily nervously waiting outside, pacing back and forth.
As she spots them, she immediately calls the ambulance and the police. As they wait for help they learn more about this stranger and how he ended up here.
A Man Unheard
The man was 51-year-old James Thompson. Thompson had been hiking through the forest a month ago, when he fell and broke his leg.
With only enough strength to reach the abandoned building for shelter, he waited and called for help. But no passerby had previously heard him. His shelter was too secluded resulting in an extremely dangerous situation, where no one could find him.
A Life-Changing Hike!
Isaac and Emily waited with Thompson until the medics arrived. Thompson was brought straight to the hospital for treatment. If Isaac had not kept his wits and ventured into the eerie building or had even done so a month later, Thompson would not have made it.
Isaac and Emily went into the woods for fun and returned saving a life. Who else can say that?