"The Jersey Devil; they say it’s part man, part goat, part horse, and part bat… or- something like that,” Natalie spoke, fingers flipping open her phone.

Ethan quirked an eyebrow. “I think your math might need a little recalibration there, dawg. And could you please stop dozing off? Aren’t you supposed to be writing about our descent into hell?”

Natalie shrugged. “This is meant to be more of a research paper than a 'My Adventures in New Jersey' memoir.”

Ethan huffed. “Don’t say memoir. Memoir sounds like we’re gonna die. And as the resident photographer, something tells me I’ll get in trouble if I take photos of your dead body. Plus, how am I supposed to know what you’re working on? I have no idea what an Anthropology major does.”

Natalie playfully smacked his arm. “Shut up! I told you, it's the study of human evolution, civilizations, and contemporary groups—modern culture stuff.”

Ethan chuckled. “I’ll take your word for it. Sounds riveting.”

“Oh, Thank you.” Natalie said.

Ethan smirked. “If I weren’t driving your crappy car right now, I might start a fight.”

“Alright, Hulk Hogan.” Natalie paused. “Hey! My car’s great. It just came out last year.”

“Yeah, well buying a used car from your creepy neighbor adds about 20 years.”

“It was cheap!” She protested.

“I can tell.” Ethan teased. Natalie smacked his arm.

The car lapsed into a momentary silence, Winter air rushing through the top of an open window. Natalie cranked the window back up, before pressing a finger to the glass. “It’s just up here. The Days Inn. I can’t wait to stretch my legs.” She said with an exaggerated yawn, “Thanks again for driving the rest of the way.”

“I like driving. You remember a few years back when I drove all the way from home to Tampa? That sucked. Even for me.”

“Yeah, what's the name of your town again? Murder-suicide, New York? I always forget.” Natalie asked. “All of those upstate towns have weird names.”

“Endwell.” Natalie snorted at that and stretched her legs. “I can’t drive over an hour or I start feeling sick. BUT I really wanted to travel and taking a plane from New York to New Jersey is kind of cray.”

Ethan huffed in agreement. Natalie continued; “I never get time off! So even if I’m only going to freaking Smithville, New Jersey, I wanted to actually feel like a real anthropologist and talk to people and go places and write things. Plus, I wanted to force my dear friend Ethan to hang out with me.”

“And on top of watching you write a paper that’ll knock your professor’s socks off, I can get the fuck out of the photo studio for a few days and spend time in the beautiful New Jersey countryside.” Ethan said, turning the car into the gravel parking lot of the motel.

Natalie stepped out of her beloved car, the 2002 Toyota Camry she’d bought just a few weeks ago. She wiped the passenger seat of crumbs and slammed the door shut, taking a moment to look at the woods surrounding them. The landscape was flat, obscured by pines as far as the eye could see. She turned to look into the forest. They shook their branches and stared right back. Natalie shivered. “What time is it?” She asked.

“My watch is acting up.” Ethan replied. “I think it’s like 1:00? And can you come grab this?" Natalie nodded.

Natalie, clutching Ethan's camera bag, followed him towards the motel's entrance. The gravel crunched beneath their footsteps, the sound swallowed by still wind. The Days Inn, an unassuming structure buried in the pine trees, promised cheap adventure to two roadtripping college kids. As they approached the door, Natalie read the buzzing neon sign:

VACANCY

Ethan, with a wry smile, held open the door for Natalie. "Ready for a work-cation?" he asked, his silver camera already hanging around his neck.

Natalie smirked, the anticipation of the weekend outweighing any fatigue. "Yes, sir."

The reception area boasted a worn charm, aging furniture complementing the tired receptionist, a middle-aged woman with a horrible fake tan and blonde highlighted hair. The ding of the doorbell announced their arrival, drawing her attention from her paper stack.

"Checking in?" she asked with a warm smile.

Natalie nodded, setting the camera bag down. "Reservation under Harper."

The receptionist shuffled through a dusty ledger. "Ah, yes. Room 13. Three nights?"

"That's right," Natalie confirmed, glancing at Ethan, who seemed more interested in examining the vintage postcards on the counter.

The receptionist handed them a set of keys attached to a plastic green fob with the room number. "Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, just give us a holler."

The air inside the motel carried a musty scent, a blend of aged wood and old guests. Natalie drew in a slow breath and unlocked the door.

"So, what's the deal with the locals again?" Ethan asked, folding the clothes he'd scattered across his rickety twin bed. "I know they have a thing about the Jersey Devil, but what's the actual story?"

Natalie sifted through some papers in her hands. "It’s more than just a thing, it’s a religion. It’s small, but it’s been passed down for a long time. Basically you know how in the Bible, Lucifer was like, an angel who created evil because he was jealous of God? Or- something like that?”

Ethan nodded. “He was cast out of Heaven.”

“Exactly. So instead of following common Christian denominations, they have like a Pagan and Satanic twist to it. They believe the Devil was jealous of God’s love for humanity and decide to be born as a human to enact revenge. He was born into the Leeds family as their 13th child-”

“That’s why the town is called Leeds Point?”

“Yeah. Basically God found out Lucifer had gone to Earth, so God came down to ask the Leeds family if the Devil lived under their roof. Mrs. Leeds denied it, wanting to protect Lucifer out of motherly love. God smote her for lying to him and cursed Lucifer to become a horrible, mangled humanoid creature with a goat head, leathery wings, and lots of other screwed up features.”

“Sounds pretty gruesome.” Ethan smirked. “So… what? Like, the townspeople think God was wrong for… turning the Devil into the Devil?”

“Yeah, something like that. They think of the Jersey Devil as this poor, endangered creature who needs rituals and prayers to survive because of God’s cruelty. It’s crazy. And obviously a fairytale, but that’s besides the point. The people here genuinely believe it’s true. And we need to approach them at a respectful angle. That’s why they’re probably going to ask us to join their church service tomorrow morning.”

“Do you think it’ll be like a regular maas?”

“I never saw any photos of the church, just spoke to the lady who’s the head of… something or other and she gave me the address.”

“So we’re wandering into a cult totally blind?”

There was a pregnant pause. “It’s not a cult.” Natalie said. “It’s not a cult.” She repeated with conviction. There was another pause.“Well- it might be a cult, but they’re harmless. Think about how weird other religions are. I’m just going to go through the grapevine, learn about some local history, take some notes and we’ll be on our way. I think they have a small lumber museum too. Perfect for a Nowheresville, USA photography project.”

“If we get Heaven’s Gate-d, I’m gonna be ticked.” Ethan added.

“You have my permission to take photos of my dead body.”

Ethan rolled his eyes.

As dawn painted the skies above Smithsville, they headed to the only church in Leeds Point. The early morning light spilled through the shaking pine trees, casting a cold glow on the narrow, dirt streets. Natalie took her time driving past worn homes and dying grass, the early Winter air prodding the car’s closed windows. The wind begged to be let in.

Wooden cottages lined the streets, porches adorned with carved figurines of unfamiliar men. Wooden charms etched with nonsense phrases dangled on door frames, shouting their truth to passing nonbelievers. A few cars and people littered the street, all seemingly heading in the same direction: to the church.

The building's facade bore witness to decades of worship, its windows shrouded in darkness despite the morning glow. Cautious anticipation hung in the air as they pushed open the creaking wooden doors, revealing a dimly lit interior adorned with flickering candles and unsettling symbols. The pews were filled with locals, their eyes fixed on an altar adorned with earthly-colored tapestries and offerings. The lights buzzed. 

A short, stout woman with a blonde bob glided over to Natalie and Ethan with an empty smile. Her face was weathered and worn from years of age, and the robes of green she wore accented her crinkled green eyes.

“Hi, Miss Audrey?” Natalie asked with a smile.

“Just Audrey, dear.” She clarified with a soft smile. “It’s so lovely to meet you. Not many folks your age come wandering into our little town.”

“Well we’re honored. We mean full respect in visiting to learn about your beliefs. We hope you’ll let us attend the service?”

“Certainly! All are welcome. Though, it is customary for us to wash our hands before entering the worship. If you wouldn’t mind.” Audrey stated, holding out her palms. Natalie glanced at Ethan and placed her hands in Audrey’s, who suddenly gripped them tightly and led her to a bowl on the side of the doorway. She released Natalie’s hands, placed her own palms into the bowl, and gripped the soil inside of the bowl, filling her fingernails with dirt and coating her palms in mud. Natalie blanched, then mimicked this behavior, unsure of what to do with her dirty hands. Ethan rolled up his sleeves and did the same. Audrey beamed.

“You’re free to do what you need to do during the ceremony as long as you don’t clean your hands. The dirt must fall naturally.” Audrey stated simply. “I must head over to the front and lead our service, but I encourage you to enjoy our session. We thank you for joining us in this special celebration.”

They nodded and found a seat in the very back of the wooden pews. The faded fluorescent lights casted harsh shadows on the walls, and the scent of incense hung thick in the air. The songs from the congregation were unaccompanied by instruments, just a melodic thrum that sang:

I am the earth that leads all to freedom

I am the peace the world cannot give

I will call your name, embracing all your pain

Stand up, now, grow, and live

Natalie listened intently, fidgeting with her dirt-caked hands while Ethan tried not to fall asleep. The service was short and the locals didn’t seem to pay them any mind, focused solely on the short, blonde woman singing at the very front. After several minutes of this, Audrey raised her arms, signaling everyone to stop praying.

The room was silent for a few moments, fluorescent lights buzzing and bouncing their sound off of the walls. Audrey lowered her arms and looked over the congregation silently, before slipping her dirt-stained hands over her eyes, kneeling to the floor and pressing her forehead against the linoleum. 

After several minutes, Audrey slowly stood back up and uncovered her green eyes, which landed on a tall, white man wearing a brown polo in the second row. “Johnathan.” She called towards him. The room seemed to take on that silence again, as all eyes turned to the tall man. “Johnathan?” She called again. The silence echoed. Hesitantly, Johnathan nodded, the stiffness of the service dissipating. He exited his pew in favor of walking towards the front, towards Audrey, who clapped him on the back and took his dirty hand. The locals erupted into applause, shaking their arms and singing discordant verses of church songs that didn’t quite sync up. Some closed their eyes and shook their palms over their head, as if mimicking something Natalie couldn’t place. She shot a look at Ethan, who stared back with the same bewildered expression.

The noise died down as Audrey spoke. “Everyone, please join me in celebrating Johnathan, who will be this year’s conduit. He will spend the night in holy worship to the Leeds, who will guide him to grow into a new man. May we join him in his prayer space at 9pm, where we will then disburse.”

Applause rippled through the audience as Johnathan and Audrey walked down the aisle hand-in-hand. Ethan watched the churchgoers trickling out of the building before Natalie suddenly turned to him and said “Okay, so what I got from that whole service thing was that there’s a sort of silent praying ritual where someone prays all night by themselves in the church. I’m thinking based on what they were saying that only the men are supposed to do this prayer. What do you think?”

Ethan blinked slowly. “Honestly, I kind of spaced out. I was hoping they’d have a blood sacrifice or something.” He paused. “What now?”

“Now you’re free to leave me here to talk to the locals and can join me at 9 for the prayer with Johnathan, or you can stick around and watch me interview people. Either way, I think it’s alright if we split up. I need to do some writing anyway.” She pulled out a tiny notebook.

“We passed a library a few blocks away, you can go there.” Ethan supplied.

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Split up here? See you at 9?”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, be safe, call me if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Ethan felt weird.

He was perched on the edge of his twin bed fiddling with his broken watch, trying to keep his suspicions at bay. Natalie was way too trusting with these people. He loved her- she was like a sister to him- but something just felt wrong. His gut was telling him to go, go, go, but he couldn’t place why. He chalked it up to being tired and in an unfamiliar place. He rubbed his face and grabbed his camera equipment, heading out to tour the town on his own terms.

Before he knew it, the sun had gone down and 9 o’clock came faster than expected. Ethan pulled the car into the tiny dirt parking lot of the church before he braced himself for the cold and stepped out. He sat on a rickety bench outside of the church doors and smoked a cigarette, only to drop it to the ground and stomp it out when Natalie approached the church, chattering excitedly with a local.

“Ethan!” She called. “This is Scarlet. She explained A LOT. I need to catch you up.” Natalie said excitedly. “She works at the library. I also got a TON of notes written down. Remember how we were talking about the Leeds family getting in trouble with God because Mrs.Leeds wanted to protect her son? Well- apparently the father of the Leeds children wanted to tell God the truth, and he was killed by the Jersey Devil. Now, the forest is not just a safe place for the Jersey Devil to reside in, but it’s a part of him. Kind of like a hivemind scenario.”

“Thanks for talking to us and teaching us, Scarlet. Nice to meet you.” Ethan said, shaking the older woman’s hand. Scarlet nodded, crinkled eyes watching Ethan warily.

“Wait, I wasn’t finished.” Natalie pouted. “Remember the moment in the service earlier when Audrey covered her eyes and pointed to Johnathan? Apparently it’s a ritual that signifies men repenting for their sin against the Devil while the women are protected from harm. It’s a bit difficult to explain but the library had some cool artifacts and photographs. We’ll have to stop by again tomorrow.”

“I can see why you’re an Anthropology major. That’s insane.” Ethan teased. He paused. “That’s interesting.” He corrected himself. Scarlet only nodded.

The locals were arriving back at the building, but weren’t going in. They congregated outside, chatting and laughing while Ethan snapped photos when he could, getting a few dirty looks from those gathering. The air was colder now that it was dark, but the people lit by the lantern hanging from the doorframe seemed unbothered. Ethan shivered.

Audrey and Johnathan came up to the crowd just a few minutes later, with Johnathan wearing nothing but a thin paper tunic that looked like a green hospital gown. Natalie looked at him and scribbled something down in a bright green notebook. If he was cold, Jonathan gave no indication of it.

“Friends, family and visitors, please follow us as we arrive at Johnathan’s prayer spot. May his soul grow into a perch for the Devil to reside.” Audrey said, smearing dirt onto Johnathan’s forehead. 

Audrey held the lantern and guided the large group to a clearing in the woods, just a few minutes away from the church. Natalie drew a quick sketch of the area. Ethan thumbed through the photos he’d been taking, realizing all of them were completely black from the dark. He let his camera hang loosely around his neck.

They fully came upon the clearing, locals forming a circle. Nicole and Ethan followed suit, watching as Johnathan stood in the center and mimicked the same prayer-like state that Audrey had performed in the service. Johnathan covered his eyes, fell to his knees, and placed his forehead to the ground. For several minutes they watched- Ethan desperately wishing he could take a photo until one by one, the villagers left. Ethan, Natalie and Audrey remained for a few more minutes before Audrey cleared her throat and motioned for them to leave. Natalie glanced behind her at the man in worship, before turning and being led away.

They walked for a few minutes back to the church before Ethan broke the silence. “So… he’s going to be there all night?”

Audrey nodded sweetly. “Yes, he’ll be in that position for some time.”

“Won’t he be cold?” Natalie asked. Audrey laughed.

“My dear, he’ll be fine. The flesh is weak.”

That was pointedly the opposite of being fine, Ethan decided, before Audrey cut in. “We take care of each other here. Anyone may visit him throughout the night. He will be fed, just as he is food. The forest is strong, and we make it stronger. This is what we believe. We give and we receive. Spring will grow everything we could possibly need.” She said, punctuated by a pause. Ethan let the silence hang, sending a look to a blank-faced Natalie. Audrey cut in: “Why don’t you visit him tonight? Nighttime is an open, holy time to witness the ritual.” She gently brushed blonde hairs out of her eyes.

Natalie nodded, writing it down in her notebook. “Will you be there?”

Audrey smiled even sweeter, green eyes holding an unplaceable emotion. “No.” She placed the lantern on the ground in front of the church, light still lit. She smiled sweetly to herself. “Come talk to me in the morning.” She finished, simply, before walking off into the night.

Ethan and Natalie stood silently in the lantern light. “My car’s this way.” He said.

Natalie nodded.

The drive back to Smithville was silent. When Natalie came back with a flashlight courtesy of the front desk, Ethan didn’t say anything. He just wrapped a blanket around himself and picked up his camera to look through the photos he’d taken of the town.

“Shit. What the fuck?” He rasped suddenly.

“What?” Natalie asked, huddled on the identical bed next to his.

“My camera’s broken too.” He responded angrily. “All of the photos are completely black. I thought it was just the few I’d taken at night but it’s every single photo. I didn’t even realize it was broken.”

“First your watch, then your camera.” Natalie responded with a sad smile. “That sucks. Maybe we’re cursed.”

“Maybe this place is cursed.” Ethan replied with a frustrated sigh.

A silence fell over them.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Natalie asked. “Are we allowed to bring him something?”

“Honestly I don’t know if I want to go. Audrey was kind of creeping me out at the end there. The flesh is weak? I just-?”

Natalie laughed. “Sorry to make you come to a haunted town and wake up at midnight to go see some guy in the woods.” She paused with a chuckle. “It sounds infinitely more creepy when I put it that way.” Ethan laughed and gripped his blanket tighter. “I don’t think you should go alone. It’s okay. Plus, if I came back without you, your mom would kill me.”

“Thanks. Your own mom would probably kill you too.”

“That too.”

Midnight, like 9 pm, came faster than expected. 

Natalie and Ethan drove to the church and parked the car in the same dirt spot, which was now devoid of other cars or people. They warmed their hands in the car’s heat and sat in silence

“I’m really sorry your camera isn’t working.” Natalie said. “I mean, also your watch but the camera feels like more of a blow.”

Ethan gave a crooked smile. “It happens. It’s too dark to photograph anyway. Plus, we can always come back. Or you can drag me into more adventures once you’re a famous anthropologist.”

“You know it.” Natalie said.

They turned the car off and found the path’s entrance, retracing the steps they remembered taking. Natalie shined the flashlight upon a similar clearing with a small tree in the middle.

“Wasn’t it here?” Ethan asked. “Didn’t you make a map?” 

“Yeah- it should be? I don’t remember the trees being like this. It was a total clearing.”

“Maybe he ditched? Johnathan didn’t seem too thrilled about being picked.”

“Well he didn’t seem not-thrilled either.” Natalie replied. She stepped towards the small tree where a root squished under her foot. “Ew!” She jumped back. “What the fuck?” 

Ethan snatched the flashlight from her and pointed it at the ground beneath her feet. In the clearing's center, a man- Johnathan- twisted and contorted, his limbs elongating into gnarled branches. Its base, thick and wet, oozed pale brown and bright red, a fusion of bark and blood. The flashlight's harsh glare illuminated the body pulsing with heat. The tree sprouted roots from under his toenails, its surface slick with fluid and prying off what wasn’t organic or needed. Johnathan’s head perched upon his long neck was tipped back, eyes gazing towards the sky. His mouth, long and widened, gaped like a fish on land.

Ethan was shaking now, as he guided the beam of light onto the malformed face, which took note of him. Johnathan’s pupils drifted sideways towards the beam of light, towards Johnathan, and his mouth opened pathetically. The branches of his tree shook until he closed it, like he’d been muted.

The trees around them shook in sympathy.