Whispers of Evil: The Jersey Devil

Whispers of Evil: The Jersey Devil - YouTube Video

Act 1: Setting the Stage

February 21, 1985, New Jersey. 9pm

As my friends and I hurry into the black Sedan we are renting for the camping trip at Mullican River Campground, I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I know it isn't because of the explosion that rocked a warehouse in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey a few hours ago. Steve Everhart (23), alpha male and default leader of our little group, starts the car, and we soon leave a trail of dust behind. My group of friends consists of me, Wendy Moore, a 20-year-old sophomore college student; Shawn Winslow (22), my boyfriend and Steve's best friend; Angela Winslow, Shawn's twin sister and Steve's girlfriend; and Steve himself. The drive to the Mullican River Campground was a noisy one. The guys rap along with LL Cool J, as his popular single, "I Can't Live Without My Radio," boomed through the car's stereo. Roxanne Shante's "Bite This" began playing, and the boys groaned loudly.

 Angela - Enough with the B-boy music.

Steve - (Chuckling) Our little feminist is craving some gender equality.

Angela - Oh, shut your mouth. (Frowning) We all know Roxanne Shante is an incredible rapper featured in the greatest rap battles. Quit the alpha male bullshit and give the girl her flowers.

Shawn - I am sure we can give her more than flowers.

Steve gives Shawn, who's sitting in the front seat, a light punch on the shoulder, and they start laughing. Agela rolls her eyes in exasperation, knowing there's no way she can win against the boys in an argument. 

Angela - (Glancing at Wendy) Are you okay? You’re never this quiet.

Wendy - I just have a lot going on in my head.

Steve pulls up in the Mullican River Campground, and a grave silence greets us.

Wendy - I thought you said a lot of college students visit the campground at night; why is it so quiet?

Steve - (In a dismissive tone) Don't tell me you're already afraid when the night has just started.

With nobody to back me up, I decided not to go ahead with my protest. I got out of the car, along with the others, and began to make a fire. 

Angela - (Peering into the red flame) Now that we are all warmed up, it's time for the stories. Who’s going first?

We are sitting around the campfire, the light from the flame brightening our surroundings and making the atmosphere seem less scary. 

Shawn - (Talking to Angela) You should go first. You can tell us the legend of the New Jersey Devil.

Wendy - (Looking surprised) New Jersey Devil? Is that a camping story?

Steve - (Looking uninterested) I've heard that story a dozen times. I’m sure I can tell cooler stories than…

Angela - (Interrupts Steve) You might have heard the story countless times, but Wendy hasn't. Don't spoil the fun. (She continues) On a rainy night in 1735, a child was born amid a thunderstorm to a Quaker lady. The candlelight flickered in the room. The breeze howled. She was considered a sorcerer by some. It was thought that the impoverished mother, called Mother Leeds, had up to twelve more children. Some claim the child had birth defects. Others claim she cursed the child as a result of her terrible circumstances. In other versions, the infant was normal at birth and gradually developed strange features, including an extended body, wings over the shoulders, a big head resembling a horse, cloven hooves, and a massive tail. Stories say the child was imprisoned until it managed to break free. That child is the Jersey Devil and is believed to be roaming the woods of New Jersey till today.

Wendy - (Shivering with a look of horror on my face) Do you guys believe the legend?

Steve - (Staring me straight in the eyes) It's just a silly tale. Scaring people is Angela's favorite pastime.

Even though Steve is trying to assure me, the silence from Shawn and Angela makes me feel even more scared.

Steve suggests that we explore the campground instead of sitting around the fire and telling stories that sound more stupid than scary. So, we start by exploring the trees in the woods, seeing how many we can identify.

Wendy - (Touching the weird carvings on the bark of a tree) The markings on this tree look strange; they're like symbols.

Steve - Anyone can make symbols on trees. Here, (brings out a pen knife and proceeds to carve a symbol on the tree)

Steve's attempt to carve a symbol on the tree unveils a hidden hole, a paper fragment with the letterhead “HG Forestry” sticking out of it.

Wendy - (Pulling the piece of paper out of the hole and reading out loud) The devil is coming.

Steve - (Collecting the paper from me to see for himself) It's just a prank by some smart-ass college folks. I told you they come to this campground a lot. (Turning to look at Angela and Shawn, who have been silent all along) Right, guys?

Angela and Shawn don't give Steve a reply. They seem distant, and the campground feels even scarier.

Steve's scream wakes me up from my not-so-peaceful slumber. I dreamed of being chased by a child with hooves, wings, and a tail. I take a moment to collect myself and observe my environment. Everything seems okay. Shawn and Angela are lying on a camp bed close to me.

Wendy - (Jumps up with a start) Where’s Steve?

I am lost in confusion. What if the guys are playing a prank on me? I've been a scaredy cat all night. 

Wendy - (Picking up the flashlight lying close to me) I should search for him myself. If it turns out to be a prank, I would be less embarrassed knowing I didn't wake Shawn and Angela from their sleep.

I tiptoe around the campground, trying my best not to arouse the others from my sleep as I search for Steve. With each step I take farther into the woods, this might not be a prank at all.

Wendy - (Hears a low sigh and turns around) Who's that? Steve, is that you?

The feeling of being watched doesn't leave me, and I go deeper into the woods, turning with every sound I hear. What if I don't find Steve?

Act 2: Unveiling the Cult

I feel the brush of icy cold wind and immediately stop in my tracks. I have this incredible urge to turn around, but my fear won't let me. Still thinking about the next step, cold fingers graze my nape. I jump in fright and turn around to find Angela standing behind me with a sinister smile playing around her lips.

Wendy - (In a whisper) Why did you do that?

Angela - (Still smiling) You're shivering. Is it from the cold, or are you afraid of something?

Wendy - (With a worried look) Have you seen Steve? His scream woke me up, and I couldn’t find him.

Angela - (A mischievous look on her face) Maybe the Jersey Devil took him because he made fun of the legend.

Wendy - (Eyes wide open in shock) This is not the time for jokes, Angela. We need to find him.

Angela - Who said I was joking? (Turning away) Good luck trying to find him.

Something falls from the back pocket of Angela's blue jeans trousers. It's a photograph.

Wendy - (Picking it up) Angela, you dropped something.

Angela - (Turning to face me) Did I?

I can't tear my eyes away from the photograph even though I want to. It's a photo of a group of people dressed in black robes. I can't recognize any of them except Angela. What is she doing with them? I look up at Angela and see her watching me keenly as if daring me to ask the numerous questions running through my mind.

Wendy - (Staring Angela in the face) Who are the people in this photo, and what's your deal with them?

Angela - (In a lazy manner) They are my family, and Shawn is also one of us.

Wendy - (Surprised) Family? Shawn is my boyfriend. He never told me that he belonged to a strange family. Is it a cult? Do you kill people?

Angela - (Smiling) I was hoping that Shawn would be the one to introduce you to our family.

Wendy - (Moving backward with disbelief in my eyes) No, I can't believe this.

I break into a run. I don't care about the woods and the creepy feeling it gives me. I want to get away from Angela; she's messing with my head. When I run, it seems like the trees in the woods are running after me. I feel like I am going insane, but I don't want to stop. I am afraid of what will happen if I stop running. 

Wendy - (Speaking loudly to myself) Wendy, you're in a dream. Shawn, your sweetheart doesn't belong to a cult. Steve is sleeping quietly at the campsite. And Angela is lying.

(Shutting my eyes tightly) This is all a dream. I'll wake up soon and forget all about it.

I crash into something and don't know what it is. After struggling with my eyelids for a few seconds, I can finally open my eyes. I look around me; I am in a dimly lit cellar, and from the architecture, I can tell that the building is ancient. It's empty. No life. No furniture. Just me, sitting on my butt and staring into space.

Wendy

63 - (Whispering to myself) How did I get here? Is there a building in the middle of the woods?

(Shaking my head from side to side vigorously and screaming) I am not crazy. There must be an explanation for this. I seem to be the only one here. I try to listen for a sound. Anything to show that I'm not the only human in this building, and then I hear something: the sound of water droplets falling into a puddle, but it seems distant.

Wendy - (Standing up at once) There's gotta be another room in this underground place. I have to find it. It may help me to make sense of everything.

I begin to walk, tiptoeing so I don't make a noise. I might not be the only one in this building. I see a metal door and give it a slight push with my right hand to see if it's locked. Fortunately, it's not, and the door opens, unveiling a chamber.

Wendy - (Muttering under my breath and walking into the chamber) Who builds an underground chamber in the woods? What are they hiding?

The walls and floor of the underground chamber are covered with creepy symbols. I saw the exact symbols that were carved on the trees. I continued walking and stopped before the statue of a dog with a bull's horns. I can feel it staring at me, its red eyes blazing, and I scream as darkness engulfs me. 

 I am sitting on my butt in the woods, my forehead throbbing with pain. The tree I had bumped into was standing tall before me. 

Wendy - (Looking confused) The tree must have knocked me out. (With a look of realization) The underground chamber! Did I actually stumble upon a chamber, or is my mind playing tricks on me?

And then I heard a loud shout; it sounded like Shawn. Without thinking, I jump up and begin running toward the voice. I no longer hear his voice but don't stop running until I see a clearing in the woods. I see a body dressed in the exact ripped black jeans and black T-shirt Shawn was wearing when I last saw him. I run towards the body without thinking. Kneeling on the ground beside the body, I see that it is indeed Shawn. His throat has been cut open, his light blue eyes giving me a vacant stare that sends shivers down my spine. I want to scream, but I can't find my voice.

Wendy - My head must be playing tricks on me. Just like when I thought I explored a scary underground chamber. (Screaming) Shawn, I know you are okay. This must be a bad dream.

Angela - (Appearing before Wendy without warning) Don't be so sure.

Wendy - (Shocked) What do you mean? You have been trying to scare me all night? I know that this is just an act. You and the guys planned it.

Angela - (Defiant) Shawn is dead. I killed him.

I stare at her in disbelief.

Angela - He wanted out of the family. I couldn’t allow that to happen.

Wendy - (Tears running down my cheeks) Why? You are his twin sister.

Angela - I might have been his twin, but my loyalty is to the family. (Smiling sinisterly) We help the Jersey Devil to do its business in the Pine Barrens, and he, in turn, protects us. It's a good deal, I assure you.

I don't know what to say to her. I hold Shawn's cold body with my hands and break down into tears.

Act 3: The Unseen Evil

Blinded by my own tears, I don't see which direction Angela leaves. A million thoughts are running through my mind. A piece of paper between Shawn's fingers catches my eye, and I try to remove it.

Wendy - (Reading the content of the paper) The devil is always around. If you move deeper into the woods, you'll see him. But be careful, you are either family or foe.(Dropping the paper suddenly) Is that why we are camping here? Is the devil here with us? (Turning to look at Shawn's lifeless body) I am going to avenge you, Shawn. I'll expose the cult and all its members for the world to see.

I place a light kiss on Shawn's left cheek before standing up from my kneeling position.

Wendy - (Walking deeper into the woods) The devil has stolen something from me. He stole the only man who loved me. I don't mind wrestling with the devil, even if I have to walk through the fires of hell to do that.

I stop abruptly as three paths appear before me. I don't know which to take.

Wendy - Three paths are before me, but which one leads to the devil?

I study all three paths carefully. They all lead in the same direction, but two are narrow, while one is wide. I lower my head as I try to think deeply. Making the wrong decision may bring me to a disastrous ending. One that's much worse than what happened to Shawn. And then my face lit up in realization.

Wendy - (Excited) The excellent path is narrow, and only a few people are ready to follow it, but the path of evil is wide. The devil is evil; his path is wide.

With determination in my heart and the fear of what lies ahead in my mind, I take the wide path. The walk is longer than I expected, and I feel strength leaving my body with each step I take. My breathing is becoming shallow and labored. However, I persevere, trying not to stop for fear of what will happen to me. The path disappears, exposing a clearing. On the ground, I see the drawing of a pentagram decorated with white candles. It looks like a ritual has just taken place. 

Wendy - (With a whisper) The devil's lair.

I am still in awe of the eerie decorations when I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around quickly.

Angela - Wendy, I always thought you were a wise girl, but I assumed too quickly. After Shawn's death, I thought you would find a way to escape the woods and run back to town, but I thought wrong.

Wendy - You expect me to let you carry out your evil? You killed your twin brother because of an evil you know nothing about.

Angela - I can see that you have a death wish.

Wendy - Whatever made you kill your brother will undoubtedly get you at some point.

Angela - (Throws her head backward in laughter) You have no idea of who I am.

Wendy - (In a defiant tone) Why don't you tell me? Because there's a likelihood that you might just be a sadistic murderer and that no devil is lurking in the woods.

Angela - Don't be silly, Wendy. I am not the Jersey devil. I am his devoted worshiper: I and many enlightened people like myself. We are a family.

Fear grips me. I feel like taking to my heels and not stopping until I get home. I regret coming along on this camping trip. I think about Steve, who's still missing, and Shawn, whose throat has been slashed in the most brutal way possible. Knowing the secrets of this cult is the only way I can leave the woods alive.

Wendy - (To Angela) So, what’s the deal with worshiping the Jersey Devil? What do you get out of it?

Angela - (Chuckling loudly) We don't worship the devil because of any benefits he can offer us. It's an honor to be chosen as a Jersey Devil worshiper.

Wendy - Who carries out the selection process? Is it the Jersey Devil?

Angela - No. Our family has a hierarchy. The family's oldest members search for worthy boys and girls, men and women.

Wendy - Who found you and Shawn?

Angela - It was one of our class teachers. She’s also a member of the family.

The background changes to the exact image I saw in the underground chamber. The dimly lit candles are the only light source, making the cryptic symbols look scarier. I don't know if I have begun to hallucinate again, but I can feel the tension in the air. I know something terrible is about to happen, but I don't know precisely what that is. And then I realize that I am running out of time. If I want to stop evil from defeating good, then I have to make Angela tell me about their cult and the Jersey Devil.

Wendy - What's the purpose of the cult, Angela? What have you guys done?

Angela - We help the Jersey Devil to spread his powers beyond the woods. We lure unsuspecting college students to the woods and kill them for rituals. Sometimes, we make them join us. The Jersey Devil's reign of terror mustn't end. If he goes down, we go down with him, and all our secrets will be exposed to the world.

Wendy - (Staring at Angela pitifully) Can't you leave this evil life behind? We can run away from the woods and forget everything that has happened.

Angela - (Shaking her head in disagreement) Wendy, it doesn't work that way.

Wendy - (Stretching her hand towards Angela) Come with…

A loud growl interrupts me, and the ground trembles. The loud sound permeates every inch of the space. Then, I see the silhouette of a monstrous figure slowly emerging from the darkness. I don't know if I am hallucinating or not.

Wendy - (Trembling) Angela, can you see what is coming towards us?

Angela - (Afraid but excited) It's the Jersey Devil. Our dark rituals must have summoned him.

Fear has us transfixed to a spot. Even as the strange creature's glowing red eyes land on us, we don't move an inch.

Wendy - (Terrified) He’s here. The Jersey Devil is real.

With a loud thud, I fall to the ground, and the world fades to black…