Welcome to Monday Minis, a series where I’ll be sharing short, eerie stories and haunting little reflections to start the week.
This week’s piece is a little longer than my usual mini story, but I had so much fun writing it I couldn’t bring myself to shorten it. It was inspired by the photo shoot my husband and I did on Halloween.
P.S. The encounter with the deer 100% happened. Enjoy!
The Photo Shoot
As Becca walked through the woods to meet Agnes for the photo shoot, a gust of wind greeted her with a sharp bite. It was early November in Chicago, which meant the leaves were putting on their final show. Vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows cascaded through the trees, while layers of muted brown leaves crunched beneath her boots. As the sun began to dip, its rays filtered through the branches, creating a mosaic of light and shadow that stretched across the forest floor.
The further in Becca went, the heavier the pit in her stomach became. She still couldn’t believe she’d been chosen for this shoot. Agnes was a well-known photographer in the Midwest and was usually very particular about the models she chose for her campaigns.
“Over here!” Agnes called out.
Becca quickened her pace, careful not to trip over the chaos of fallen branches.
“I just need to finish setting up, then we can start,” Agnes said as she unfolded the tripod.
“Sounds good,” Becca said, setting her things down on the ground.
“Alright let’s start with some practice shots. Stand right in front of the tree. Without the jacket for now. Once the sun goes down we can take some with the jacket.” Agnes said as she started snapping away.
Becca stood in front of the tree, trying to quiet the nervous rhythm in her chest while she waited for Agnes to speak. As Agnes kept taking pictures and adjusting her settings, Becca’s gaze began to drift, taking in the scenery. Her eyes stopped when they met another fixed gaze staring back at her. Goosebumps rippled along her arms as she realized a deer was watching her. Its head moved slowly between Agnes and Becca, but it stayed where it was…graceful and unphased.
“Alright, all set. You ready?” Agnes said, breaking Becca’s gaze.
“I’m a bit nervous, to be honest. Please just let me know what you need from me. I’m not afraid of feedback and direction,” Becca said.
“Oh stop. You’re gorgeous and perfect for today. This will be over quickly,” Agnes said as she started taking pictures.
The next half hour was poses and the sound of the camera shutter. They moved through different areas of the woods, chasing the light. Becca, still new to modeling, didn’t ask any questions. She just did what she was told. She didn’t want to seem difficult to work with because Agnes’s reference could open doors for her.
“Okay, I think I got everything I need here. Now we just need a few more shots with the jacket,” Agnes said as she adjusted the settings and turned on the flash of her camera.
“Lemme grab it real quick. Be right back,” Becca said, scanning the woods to find where she’d set her things.
As she walked the short distance toward her bag, the last trace of sunlight vanished, and the moon took its place. The forest fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop. A heavy stillness pressed against her ears, and her heartbeat grew loud enough to fill the space around her. The woods stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowed by a blanket of darkness.
Becca’s hand trembled as she reached into her pocket to use her phone as a flashlight. She set it face down so the small circle of light illuminated her while she slipped on the jacket.
A sharp crack of a branch splintered the silence, and Becca froze.
“Agnes? That you?” she called out, but no one answered.
Another sound followed, a soft rustle of leaves.
“Agnes!” she called again, sweeping her light through the darkness to find where the noise was coming from.
Becca couldn’t make sense of what was happening. She knew she should run, but her body refused to move, her feet felt heavy and stuck as if glued to the ground. Every shadow her phone light touched seemed to twist and shift, forming shapes her mind couldn’t define.
Was it the deer? she thought.
Then came more crunching, quicker this time, like footsteps running toward her. Panic surged through her chest.
RUN. She told herself. Just one foot in front of the other. Don’t look back.
She tore through the woods, jumping over fallen trees and branches. Everything was a blur as she kept running. Her lungs burned, each breath raw and heavy in her chest. Suddenly, she thought of Agnes and hoped she was okay. The thought distracted her, and she didn’t see the branch in front of her until the toe of her boot caught beneath it.
Her world tilted. Gravity took hold, and she hit the ground hard, the impact jarring her bones and sending her phone flying a few feet away. Before she could get up, the footsteps behind her grew louder. As she reached for her phone, and the beam of light caught movement.
Agnes.
She smiled at Becca before swinging the tripod, striking her across the head. Everything went black.
****
Her vision flickered in and out, shapes bleeding together. The ground felt cold beneath her, and a dull ringing filled her ears. When she blinked again, the shadows began to take shape. Agnes and a much taller man were standing in front of her, whispering to each other.
Both wore masks. Agnes’s was a feathered, horned masquerade mask, elegant but strange in the dim light. The man’s mask made Becca squirm, wishing she could free herself from the ropes binding her to the tree trunk. It was grotesque, horned, leathery, and molded into the face of a demon. The area near his mouth was open just enough to expose yellow, jagged decaying teeth.
Agnes bent down and ran her finger through the blood dripping down Becca’s face. Becca realized she was bleeding and tried to scream, but nothing came out through the gag. Agnes used the blood on her finger to draw a pentagram on Becca’s thighs.
I’m going to die, Becca thought.
She let herself drift, taking in the scenery one last time. Her eyes met the same gaze as before. The deer was still there, lying in the same spot, watching. Unmoving. Unbothered.
The man’s voice pulled her attention back.
“Let’s begin,” he said.
