Chased through the woods by a man with a crossbow

A friend and I drove to a small, secluded graveyard surrounded by woods. We had visited it before during the day, so we knew the short path and the layout. We walked around the graves using flashlights and looked at the names and carvings.

When we were halfway around the loop, my friend noticed a light in the trees. At first it seemed distant, perhaps from a vehicle on the road, so we kept walking. Less than a minute later, the light was much closer and moving quickly toward us. We heard someone crashing through the undergrowth.

We turned around and ran for the car. I unlocked it, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. Just before the headlights came on, a large man in camouflage burst out of the trees. He wore a headlamp and carried a large crossbow. His expression looked frantic and aggressive as he ran directly toward the vehicle.

I reversed as fast as I could and drove away. We continued driving for a long time because neither of us could shake the feeling that we were being followed. We never saw the man again, but he had reached us so quickly that I still think about what might have happened if we had waited even a few seconds longer.

There were no nearby houses, and the person had been waiting in the woods in hunting gear with a weapon. He had not called out or asked us to leave. Instead, he sprinted toward us without warning. We escaped before learning whether he intended to frighten us, drive us away, or cause serious harm.

I still visit isolated places, but I no longer relax completely when I am alone outdoors. Strange sounds and unexplained sightings have frightened me before, yet none made me as afraid as seeing a person with a crossbow charge out of the trees toward my car.