The forest shouldn’t have had a path, and yet it did. It wound between pine and maple, under a canopy of fog that breathed like smoke. The air smelled of damp leaves and distant electricity, like something waiting to flicker on. Paper lanterns hung from branches, carved pumpkins glowed from stumps, and somewhere ahead, faint music drifted through the mist... a crackly old record of Monster Mash warped by time. Faded movie tickets and candy wrappers lined the dirt, as if the forest itself had been swept into Halloween.
At the trail’s end stood a two-story building, a hybrid of ranger cabin and video store, lights strung from the roof like constellations. A banner flapped weakly over the door:
SCARECROW VIDEO PRESENTS: HALLOWEEN OFF THE TRAIL — ONE NIGHT ONLY!
“Community, Cinema, and Possibly Ghosts.”
Inside, the air buzzed with life. Folding tables held half-empty popcorn tubs, trivia sheets, and old VHS boxes stacked like treasure. A battered espresso machine coughed steam in the corner while a generator hummed outside, flickering the lights in sync with the rhythm of the wind.
Someone had already set up a “Name That Horror Score” game, and a few brave souls were debating whether Evil Dead II was a remake or a sequel. Laughter mingled with static from a looping projector reel. Behind the counter, Ilya Snow adjusted a roll of film between his fingers. A dark-haired twenty-year-old in a thrifted denim jacket and hoodie, he looked half awake, half ghost, and fully at home. His hoodie read “I Paused My Movie To Be Here” which was ironic, considering he probably hadn’t slept since Thursday.
He’d started the “Off the Trail” tradition two years ago, meant to be a small film-club night with a few friends and a borrowed projector. Now it was something more stranger, a once-a-year gathering that no one quite remembered planning, but everyone managed to find… if they were meant to. The projector sputtered, lighting the wall in flashes of static and green-white glow. For a moment, the outlines of other faces flickered among the crowd. They were not living, but not entirely gone either. Ilya blinked, then smirked. “Alright, welcome to Scarecrow Off the Trail,” he said, voice warm and teasing. “Pick your poison. Horror trivia, cursed candy, or the film at midnight. And if you hear anyone whispering your name from the woods... Don’t. Look. Back.”
He leaned on the counter, tossed a candy corn into his mouth, and grinned at whoever was brave (or foolish) enough to step inside next.
“Trick or treat?”
Welcome to Scarecrow Video: Off the Trail!
A secret Halloween event hosted by Ilya Snow. Half community movie night, half urban legend. The forest path appears only in October and only those with curiosity (or supernatural luck) find it.
What You Can Do Here:
- Arrive via the forest trail and enter the lodge.
- Join trivia games, grab candy, or talk to Ilya and other guests.
- Choose between Trick (chaotic spooky fun) or Treat (heartfelt or nostalgic reward.. or just candy).
- Stick around for the midnight film screening.
Whispers on the wind carried with it a mysterious forest that hosted a place which only seemed to appear once each Halloween. Call it curiosity, but interest was piqued. With a lovely paper umbrella and attire for the evening, damp leaves barely crunched underneath geta shoes as the woman moved through with a grace from centuries of practice. Down the forest path she went. Dark eyes roamed over the finer details. What looked like faded movie tickets and old candy wrappers seemed to line the way, even if it was dimly lit by paper lanterns and carved pumpkins. Their glow cast shadows that danced along to a rhythm she could hear emanate from what looked like a two-story building of sorts just ahead. Was it a cabin or a video store? Head tilted slightly as her gaze pierced through the eerie fog.
She drew closer as the scent of the damp forest continued to waft along like something out of a fairy tale of long-lost memories. How nostalgic! For a moment, she stood just outside and listened in. Voices could be heard from within. Horror movies, music, laughter and maybe even a startled gasp or two. Fingers rolled along the wood of the shaft for the paper umbrella before it was carefully moved and then folded neatly. With that, a hand quietly dove into the pouch-like purse whose strings were looped around her other wrist. A sleek cell phone was fished from it's depths and soon a text message was sent to a certain someone. The message read simply... Let's go out on a date tonight. I'm in a kimono, so come dressed up. She made sure to include instructions on the address of the place and how to get there.
Just as the phone was slipped back into the purse, the woman paused briefly as a playful twitch of her lips was made. She hoped, for his sake, he wouldn't keep her waiting too long. Otherwise, there was a trick or two he'd be facing tonight! Before emotions could slip from control, she recomposed herself and stepped over to the door to open it. Inside was glorious mischief and chaos as she stepped through the threshold and closed the door quietly behind herself. Eyes swept briefly over the scene that played out in front of her like an old clip from one of those cinemas with the big black and white screens back in the day when they first came out. Then her gaze landed on someone that appeared to be in charge of this curious event, so she stepped over to him. Had she heard her name be whispered? Not yet. Were there ghosts around? Possibly!
With a faint hint of mischief in her eyes, she spoke. "I'll take two tickets for the midnight film." Soft-spoken as usual, but still clear enough to easily be heard. The man looked half asleep, which was perfect for casting illusions! She wouldn't start right away but instead would pick and choose her moment to maybe spook a person or two. A cursory glance was made. There was plenty of opportunity here, too! Was that a ghost? She knew the world was filled with them and tonight, of all nights, the veil was thinnest. Her attention turned back toward Ilya. "Thank you for hosting this event." With two tickets in hand, she gave him a knowing smile and stepped gracefully through the crowd as she wandered a bit first. All the while, she ticked the minutes and kept track of the time as she waited for someone to arrive. She'd give him some time. But after that? Yeah, he would be fair game for some pranks! As she peered at the candy nearby, she dared to try one just to see what it would. "Treat." She murmured to herself amusedly.
She drew closer as the scent of the damp forest continued to waft along like something out of a fairy tale of long-lost memories. How nostalgic! For a moment, she stood just outside and listened in. Voices could be heard from within. Horror movies, music, laughter and maybe even a startled gasp or two. Fingers rolled along the wood of the shaft for the paper umbrella before it was carefully moved and then folded neatly. With that, a hand quietly dove into the pouch-like purse whose strings were looped around her other wrist. A sleek cell phone was fished from it's depths and soon a text message was sent to a certain someone. The message read simply... Let's go out on a date tonight. I'm in a kimono, so come dressed up. She made sure to include instructions on the address of the place and how to get there.
Just as the phone was slipped back into the purse, the woman paused briefly as a playful twitch of her lips was made. She hoped, for his sake, he wouldn't keep her waiting too long. Otherwise, there was a trick or two he'd be facing tonight! Before emotions could slip from control, she recomposed herself and stepped over to the door to open it. Inside was glorious mischief and chaos as she stepped through the threshold and closed the door quietly behind herself. Eyes swept briefly over the scene that played out in front of her like an old clip from one of those cinemas with the big black and white screens back in the day when they first came out. Then her gaze landed on someone that appeared to be in charge of this curious event, so she stepped over to him. Had she heard her name be whispered? Not yet. Were there ghosts around? Possibly!
With a faint hint of mischief in her eyes, she spoke. "I'll take two tickets for the midnight film." Soft-spoken as usual, but still clear enough to easily be heard. The man looked half asleep, which was perfect for casting illusions! She wouldn't start right away but instead would pick and choose her moment to maybe spook a person or two. A cursory glance was made. There was plenty of opportunity here, too! Was that a ghost? She knew the world was filled with them and tonight, of all nights, the veil was thinnest. Her attention turned back toward Ilya. "Thank you for hosting this event." With two tickets in hand, she gave him a knowing smile and stepped gracefully through the crowd as she wandered a bit first. All the while, she ticked the minutes and kept track of the time as she waited for someone to arrive. She'd give him some time. But after that? Yeah, he would be fair game for some pranks! As she peered at the candy nearby, she dared to try one just to see what it would. "Treat." She murmured to herself amusedly.
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