The video had been passed around Indian Summer High like wildfire that October. It all started on the 24th, when an anonymous user uploaded it to YouTube in the wee hours of the morning. By the 27th, nearly everyone in the school had seen it, and everyone was running scared from the strange contents included in the video. Strangely enough, all the description said was "Found this on a video camera abandoned in the woods near Indian Summer High. Enjoy". Of course, the comments section was full of users labeling it a hoax, although they applauded the professionalism of the special effects(?) used in it.
On the 28th, someone who had not seen the video yet finally sat down after a week day of school (it was Friday) to see the video for the first time. Pulling their laptop out from under their bed, the opened YouTube, found the video with a quick search, and pulled it up. They were surprised to see it hadn't been taken down.
In it, a teenage boy of about 17 with short black hair, a red and gray sweater, and jeans was standing in an small open area surrounded by trees covered in yellowing dead leaves. The autumn sun was bright, but there was no warmth in it. Thunderheads were visible in the distance. The timestamp at the bottom of the frame said 'Oct. 21 2016'. "Are you recording?" he asked irritably to the cameraman. "Yeah, I am! Now shut up and do it!" the cameraman's voice was young as well. "He won't." A female voice said off camera. Then a 17 year old girl entered the shot. She had long blonde hair with blue highlights, a gray and white flannel, jeans as well, and a black beanie. "He's too scared. What a wuss." The blonde said, chuckling. The camera turned around to face the cameraman, but it was jerky when it moved - it was shot on a cheap video camera you could pick up at Fred Meyer for forty or fifty bucks. A face appeared, belonging to a 17 year old boy with short brown hair and a navy blue sweatshirt. "April Silas, the quick wit." He said, jokingly mocking her. "Cut it out, Brian!" April cried. "I want to see Ray do his thing!" The camera turned back around so that Ray and April were in the shot. "Ray Scarlatti will now show us his amazing rock trick. Let's watch an be amazed, no?" Brian said to the camera.
"Ok!" Ray said. "I've been out to this clearing a few times, and every time, I've thrown a stone into that dark clump of trees -" the camera swiveled to face a thick tangle of willow trees about thirty feet away, close together, dark, and mysterious. "- and I've never heard it land. So I've come here to show you. Here goes nothing..." Ray bended down, briefly going out of the shot, to pick up a stone. He came back up and threw it. The camera followed the stone's arc as it flew up towards the sky before coming down in the tangle. No sound was heard. "I bet he just threw a wad of gray paper. What a loser." April's voice floated from something off frame. Ray's face went red. "You know what? I've had enough of your comments and under your breath insults. Gimme that." Ray walked off frame and April yelled, "Hey, what are you doing? Get aw..." then the sounds of a loud scuffle appeared. "RAY! Let go of me, you - no, give that back, Ray, it's mine!" Ray then ran back into the frame holding April's hat. "Let see if THIS makes a sound!" he cried, then threw it. The camera followed the hat as it sailed across the clearing before passing through the curtain of leaves formed the trees.
Brian laughed, but the camera turned to see April's pissed off face. "Uh, here April, I'll go get it. You hold the camera." The camera was then jostled as it was handed over, and April kept it focused onto the cluster of trees as Brian ran towards it. He slipped inside the curtain of leaves and was not able to be seen. She swiveled the camera towards Ray, who was standing next to her, and her hand appeared and shoved him. "Hey!" Ryan cried. "Love ya, Ray." April said. He smiled and said, "Sorry, April. I shouldn't have thrown your hat." April laughed and said, "Don't sweat it. But it should have been you to go ge..." Suddenly, a very loud scream pierced the crisp autumn air.
The camera quickly swiveled to the cluster of trees. The curtain of leaves rustled for a moment before Brian stumbled out. He had been slashed across his chest, ripping open his sweatshirt. Blood was leaking slowly out of the wounds and some kind of dark hair was growing around the wounds, rapidly spreading. Some smaller slashes were on arms and left leg. "Help...meef." was all he could manage before falling face up on the wet grass. "BRIAN!" Ray and April yelled. The picture became erratic and the two ran towards their injured friend. A large, sky-swallowing thunderhead passed over the sun, darkening the field until it looked like twilight. They reached Brian and the camera was thrust down towards the wounds as April kneeled down. "Brian oh my god Brian RAY WHAT HAPPENED?" she cried. The dark hair had now covered his entire chest and stomach, and seemed to be crawling up his neck.
Suddenly, Brian began to jerk violently. The camera panned up towards his face as the dark... fur covered it. Suddenly, with a loud cracking noise, Brian's mouth and nose pushed out into a lupine muzzle. His eyes turned yellow as his ears grew pointed and moved to the top of his head. April screamed. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the cluster of trees. April sprung up and began backing away slowly. Ray's sneaker came into the shot, as the camera was pointed towards the ground. "No... get away... please...." Ray was mumbling off frame. It appeared April and Ray were backing away slowly. Suddenly, April screamed and let the camera go. It pin wheeled in the air, landing on it's side in the grass with a loud thump. From the low angle, it picked up a gloomy sky and April and Ray running away, their backs to the camera, screaming bloody murder. Then, a wolf, way too big to be natural, jumped across the shot, howling. It bounded away, obviously chasing the pair.
All three eventually disappeared from the shot, screams and howls growing fainter until they couldn't be heard anymore. Ten minutes later, another howling came from somewhere off screen and a rustling of leaves was heard. That howling grew fainter until all was still. The video continued on for anther hour, not picking up anything except the occasional cawing of a crow. Then it clicked off, the camera's battery obviously having run out.
The person shut their laptop and thought good and hard. As a student of Indian Summer High, they knew Ray, Brian, and April. They had all been missing for a week. Suddenly, they had an idea. Getting up, they left their room and started downstairs to grab their phone to tell their friends that they had a big plan this weekend.
They were going to find their three missing classmates.