Short Story: The Trail

“We checked the area where she claimed to have heard the mumbling and then we immediately called it in because of the seven high school kids attacked late yesterday evening.” The ranger looks at Vanessa with sympathy and gives a detailed overview of the trail.

“From the entrance to exit the path stretches approximately three miles with a creek running from the mountain emptying into a small pond like pool approximately halfway on the trail, we searched the trail from beginning to end and found nothing.” Burroughs stands for a moment, realizing they are talking about the same path. Immediately directing his questions to the young girl,

“You’ve stated you heard the mumbling of voices. Do you mean there may have been more than one voice?” Vanessa

“That won’t be a problem I have a friend that works there” looking at the young Mexican girl he continues his questioning.

“Vanessa, think about this first before you answer me.

“Did you notice anything different about the air?”

To that question, Jenkins listens for the reasoning.

“What do you mean, different?” she asks.

Burroughs elaborates.

“I mean the scent in the air, what did it smell like?”

Jenkins puzzled by the line of questioning Burroughs is applying. The Ranger confused by the question is also wondering what the detective is getting at. Vanessa tries to remember, she searches the incident in her mind for a recollection of any smells “I can’t really say,” Vanessa replies “everything was so pleasant until the rumbling started. However, this I can say; there was someone or something watching me. I could feel it.” Burroughs glances at Jenkins and then walks away.

His partner is done, and Jenkins discontinues the interview.

“Thank you, Vanessa, for contacting us, for now. Stay off that path until future notification and stick to the original road.”

Vanessa eagerly agrees. The Ranger supports Vanessa’s decision to bring the matter to the

“Do you think the Jersey Devil is here in Los Angeles?” he asks.

Burroughs ignores that question, for the sake of conversation, returning to his story

“This is an actual eyewitness description of the creature taken in January 1909 Mr. and Mrs. Jason Edwards of Gloucester awakened by a noise in the woods.

“They watched the devil from their opening for about 10 minutes. Mr. Edwards described the creature standing about three and a half feet high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse.

“It had a stretched neck and wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like a winch with horse's hooves. Mr. Edward believed it walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs that looked like paws.

“It did not use the front legs at all, he said at a minimum, although they were watching, without warning, it flew away.

“A more recent sighting in 1957, a cab driver on his way to Salem got a flat tire the Creature stood vertical and shielded with hair, it landed on the roof of his cab shaking the car violently.

“Mike Shore, known as a sober and honest man, saw the devil walking down the street in