New Jersey. The 3rd state was known for his impish attitude that has more than often got him into trouble with his neighbors. As such, he often gets into fights wherever he goes, especially whenever New York is involvements. Outside his smitten behavior, he can be composed and well-educated whenever he needs to be.

Among his favorite activities to do, he loves anything related to horror and the spooky. Whether it be spending a night at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital to daring his fellow states to touch the Devil's Tree, he's a huge fan of the haunted. One of his favorite stories is the legend of the Jersey Devil, an infamous tale set in the 1700s that is well-known throughout not only in his home, but across America as well.

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"It was a dark and stormy night. Mother Leeds was bedridden for many days in preparation for another child to be brought into this world. Her beloved friends watched over her and her twelve children, awaiting for the arrival of the thirteenth new-"

"That's a lot of kids. I'm surprised she hadn't stopped at two," Maine's voice squeaked in the dark.

Jersey pointed his flashlight onto the red haired, pale skinned girl with emerald green eyes. "Quiet, Maine!" Jersey scolded her before gathering his composure, adjusting the flashlight back on him. "As I was saying, Mother Leeds was afraid for her life, her friends, and her family for earlier when she discovered she was pregnant, she had an omen." He paused, allowing his audience to absorb the shock of the news.

Maine and Vermont's facial expressions remained intent on New Jersey while New York looked rather indifferent, his cobalt blue eyes darting elsewhere around the cabin's living room, the only room to be lit brightly in the dark thanks to their flashlights and the fireplace that sat behind Jersey. His nonchalant yawn ruined the eerie silence of the story.

"Are you going to tell us?" York impatiently asked.

"Quiet, Yorkie!"

"Don't call be that!" York bristled, but Jersey paid no attention to his rude neighbor.

"To answer your question, the omen she had prophesied her thirteenth child will be the Devil itself."

York raised an eyebrow. "And how is that possible?"

Jersey rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been paying attention? Mother Reeds is said to be a witch and the father is the Devil," he tried to explain.

"That doesn't make any sense. How can the mother fuck with the Devil to give birth to the Devil? Plus, how come her last twelve children have been normal? Wouldn't they be the Devil, too? Or, did she had an affair? Explain."

"Quit your complaining, and let me finish the story!" Jersey grumbled. "Anyway, where was I...? Oh, yes! When Mother Leeds gave birth to her thirteenth child," Jersey paused to build up suspense, "the child was born...normal..."

Another brief moment of silence was given to take in his words.

"Normal?" Vermont repeated the word, perplexed by what Jersey said.

"Yeah! A normal child with a normal weight and a normal body. Both hands having five fingers each, and both feet having five toes each. Crying sweetly like any newborn, the thirteenth appeared innocent and alive," Jersey described with excitement.

"But suddenly," Jersey deepened his voice, waving the flashlight toward his face, "the newborn began to warp into a creature of unimaginable ugliness. A fiend so horrifying it caused everyone in the room to flee on sight. The creature's chubby, peachy limbs began to extend and form the large hooves of a horse. Its cute, baby head suddenly distorted into the head of a wild, rabid goat, shrieking out hellish screams of the dead. Along its back the cursed child grew a pair of large, bat-like wings the length of the room before growing a spiked tail at the end of its spine. Its beautiful, porcelain skin started to grow out the black fur of a demon. Its blind eyes were now open to the world, now clouded with blood lust. No longer was the child human, but a menacing monster."

Jersey made a diabolical grin seeing the the faces of his fellow states warp into shock. Maine's face leaned toward him, her mouth agape to such detail while Vermont held onto a beige pillow tightly, half his half hidden from Jersey. Contrasting their absolute interest, there was York who lazily sat back against the sofa on the floor, sipping his mug of coffee, about ready to go to bed.

He continued, "In a loud roar of bloody fury, the horrendous creature killed its own mother without mercy. And before anyone could go catch or kill the dangerous creature, the Devil flew up in the air, out the brick chimney, escaping to the outside world. The menacing creature flew around the villages of the once-peaceful land, causing havoc for the villagers, destroying their homes and possessions, terrorizing the peace before fleeing into the pine forest. The Devil continued to torment the poor villagers every night, destroying the earth and killing farm animals for many years after its birth."

"But then one day, a clergyman appeared in the community where the Devil was born in. Hearing the tale from the fearful villagers, the clergyman vowed to stop the wicked creature's reign of terror. Immediately, the clergyman went into the pine forest to exorcise the demon. No one knew how long or how difficult it was for the clergyman to defeat the Devil. But by the end of it, it was certain he succeeded for he came back to the village, announcing the Devil is gone for good. The attacks have stopped, and the villagers were back to living in peace ever since."

"For decades, the land was safe from the creature until-"

"Let me guess," York interrupt, "One day in the future, the creature comes back and is still out there to this very day. The end." New York quickly wrapped up the tale, earning claps from Maine and Vermont to the conclusion of the story.

Jersey gave off an offended gasp as York left the living room to get some coffee from the nearby kitchen. "York! You ruined the story!" Jersey chided upset.

"That was a great story, Jersey. You should tell more stories often," Vermont complimented him, trying to cheer up his fellow state.

"The tale sent shivers down my spine, especially knowing the creature exists," Maine mimicked a shiver, "It's too bad the creature doesn't exist because otherwise I'll be having goosebumps for a week."

A mischievous smirk grew on Jersey's face.

"Actually, the creature does exist in fact," he boasted.

"No, it doesn't," York rebuked from afar, coming back with a mug of freshly, brewed coffee.

"It does exist! Yorkie is just too scared to admit it," he teased.

York glared daggers at him. "I'm not scared. That silly tale is as true as flying pigs. This so-called Devil you're talking about doesn't exist nor it ever has."

"Is that a challenged?" Jersey quirked a brow. "If we were to go outside into the forest right now, we can go see the creature for ourselves."

"I don't know." Vermont seemed unconvinced. "I know we're in your home and all, but it's pretty dark out."

The four were currently spending the weekend at Leed's Point, home to the tale of the Jersey Devil. Maine and Vermont had no problem going out into the forest. But at this late hour around nine at night, it could be dangerous. Plus, it was January. The snow around the area had to at least be a foot deep and temperatures were below freezing. It would be difficult for them to find a mysterious creature in the dark forest, especially in these frigid conditions. Even so, it didn't matter to Jersey considering he wanted to prove York wrong above everything else.

"If the creature does exist, it could probably kill us." Maine grew worried at this terrible possibility.

"Don't worry about it, Maine," Jersey chuckled, placing an arm around the fellow State. "I know your big brother is not here and all, but I'll protect you."

"Yeah. He'll protect you from a couple of deer and rabbits alright," York sneered.

Jersey mocked a sigh. "Why are you even here, Yorkie?"

"Can you stop calling me Yorkie?" York huffed. "I only came here because Maine invited me."

"And you're just going to let our innocent Maine go into the dark, dangerous forest alone?"

"Of course not," York scoffed. "I don't trust you two going off on your own."

"So, you're going then?"

"... Yeah," he reluctantly admitted. "Only to prove you wrong of course."

With a twinkle in his amber eyes, Jersey gave a victorious laugh. "Then it's settled! You, me, Maine, and-"

"I'll pass!" Vermont spoke up.

"... Okay then! You, me, and Maine are going out into Leed's Point!" Jersey announced. "This is going to be great! When we find the creature, you'll be sorry to ever doubt me!"

"I doubt it," York sipped his coffee, still unfazed by Jersey's declaration.

Thus, Jersey, York, and Maine set out into the dark woods of Leed's Point on their own in the middle of the night in search of the Jersey Devi.

~

"Brrr~ I think we're lost," Maine shivered in her thick, faux fur coat.

"Nah! We're fine!" Jersey laughed the cold off despite his shivering body showing otherwise.

"We've been out here for hours. Can we go back to the cabin now?" York yawned, bored out of his mind.

"Not yet! We haven't found the creature yet."

The three have been strolling around the snowy forest for the last two hours. With the only source of warmth and light in an oil lamp held by Maine, it will probably be another hour until the lamp burns all its fuel. Tired and bored, York was ready to head back. He made the mistake of joining them, thinking it would be entertaining to see Jersey lose his shit to something random like a crow's caw or a clump of snow from a tree branch falling on his head. But the only entertainment they saw was a gray fox passing by on the slick path. That was all.

York halted to a stop. "Just admit it! There's no such thing as the Jersey Devil! You're just wasting our time!" he accused Jersey.

"It is real!" Jersey stopped in his tracks to face the New Yorker, "Giving up now, Yorkie? Thought you would last longer."

He glowered. "Call me Yorkie one more time! I dare you!"

The two stomped toward each other, getting up in each other's faces. It took the sweet, concerned voice of Maine to let them know she was with them.

"York. Jersey. Please don't fight," she begged. "Let's just head back to the cabin. We can search for the Jersey Devil some other time."

Jersey shook his head endlessly, trying to stall an excuse to look around the forest some more. "W-We still have some time left. How about we-"

"No!" York screeched in an loud, irritated tone. "I am cold and I want to get some fucking coffee! I am so fucking done with this pointless shit, so admit I'm right for fucking once! After two hours of dealing with your shitty excuses, I honestly can't believe you're this gullible to a silly fairy tale. No matter how many times you say it, the Jersey Devil is never going to appear. Admit it! This whole stupid adventure is pointless!"

Turning his back on the distraught host, York trudged back the way to the cabin with Maine who hesitantly tread behind him, leaving Jersey to stand on the snowy, forest path alone.

"Hey wait! It is real! The Jersey Devil is real!" Jersey yelled after them, trying to stop the two from leaving.

York quickly turned his head, stopping Jersey with his icy gaze. "Motherfucker, it's not real! The Jersey Devil is some made-up crap about an emaciated, winged horse that did nothing other than to scare little kids! If you want to find the stupid, cursed horse, fine then! I'm going back to the cabin with Maine, so don't expect us to stay in the cold all night!" York's screams echoed in the dark, snowy, pine forest.

A moment of silence fell on the trio. Jersey and even Maine were quite shocked by York's furious statement. Without a word of empathy, York turned his back on Jersey and trudged back the way they came. Maine mouthed a quiet apology to Jersey before following after York, leaving Jersey to contemplate alone, facing his fellow States' backs leaving him behind.

Crestfallen, Jersey knew the tale was created only to demonize a political opponent. There was no such thing as a demon goat with wings. It was all a myth. The only reason he dragged the story to the point of actually looking for the imaginary creature was to prove York wrong. The stiffened, always-right businessman would always refute the horror stories he loved. For once, he wanted to prove such tales, although fictional, are enjoyable.

But York was still right in the end. All tales are fictional. Only meant to be told for entertainment. Only existing for pleasure. No matter how many times he tells this story, the monster will never exist.

After a moment to himself, Jersey followed behind his fellow States without a word of resistance.

Trudging through the deep snow, the three headed back to the cabin after a long, evening walk in the forest. Their bodies frigid and numb, they were eager to huddle in thick, wool blankets next to the toasty fireplace, drinking a pleasant, warm beverage for another hour before sleeping silently in their big, cozy beds. It was a nice thought. Even Jersey was forced to admit it was better than strolling around a creepy, freezing forest all night. Led by Maine and the glowing lamp in her hand, York and Jersey followed the light.

Suddenly, the small light within the lamp vanished. The darkness and freezing temperatures began to surround the trio. The path ahead was now enshroud in the pitch black. Maine quickly checked the lamp to see what was wrong. She tried shaking the lamp, hearing the fuel in the canister slosh around. She tried to turn the knob, hoping the flame inside would flicker. Both York and Jersey were unable to see Maine's panicked face, but they knew from the silence the lamp was of no use to them anymore.

"It's not far from here. We should hurry," Jersey said.

For once, everyone agreed with him.

Speeding up in longer strides, they heard the sound of pine needles rustling behind them. None of their eyes dared to turn back to the forest. Even if they do, the darkness surrounding them would prevent them from seeing who it was. Or, what it was. Their eyes forward in the direction of the cabin, they ignored the wind's howls and the snapping twigs crawling up toward them.

"We're being followed," Maine whispered the obvious.

"Jersey, can you look behind us?" York grew nervous by the sounds behind them.

Jersey gulped, unsure if he was kidding or not. "I don't want to."

"Don't be a chicken."

"I'm not."

"We should run for it," Maine advised.

"Run?" they questioned.

RAAAAWROOOAAAHHH!!!

Everyone froze in their tracks. Frightful of the noise, Maine dropped the useless oil lamp from her limped hands. Hearing the menacing roar of an animal that was neither wolf or bear, no one dared to ask what it was. Neither foot moved an inch nor were their voices able to scream. All that came from them was silence and the chilled fear surrounding their trembling bodies.

Suddenly, the frosty wind began to pick up behind them. The chilled temperature dropped another ten degrees. The forest seemed darker, the trees towering like tyrannical giants over the trio's small figures. As they peered up at the night sky, the white, waning crescent that hovered in the black skyline was now a crimson hue. A mysterious mist slowly crawled around their feet, their surroundings blurred in an ominous, shadowy gray. The caws of nearby crow rang sirens of baleful warnings, shrieks of doom and despair. Such phenomenons happening within a minute of silence, everyone shivered on edge. They could only look forward beyond the darkness where the cabin was situated ahead.

Even though the cabin may be another half a mile away, the road ahead felt like an illusion. Everyone was at a loss. Afraid of the sudden changes from the dragon-like growl, no one was sure what was going on. Was the tale true? Was the Devil real? Was it possible to escape?

It took Maine the courage to shakily say something to wake the others from their frightened trance. "W-We need to go. Now." Her voice sounded small, afraid to scream or else the demon might snag her out of the mist.

York furiously shook his head, getting a grip to the reality at hand. "This has to be a prank. Jersey, if this is your doing you better stop."

"I-I swear! I have nothing to do with this! I swear!"

RAWWRRRAAGGHH!!! 

Another grueling cry vibrated nearby. Clopping stomps in the thick snow were coming closer with every second that passed. Like his two companions, Jersey was afraid to look behind him. His heart was beating like a drum, a fast beat on tempo. His heavy feet refused to move against his wishes. It was at this very moment Jersey regretted the tale to be true. He only wanted Satan's spawn to be real just to prove York wrong. Even if he's immortal, so was the Jersey Devil itself. Jersey didn't want to know what would happen then. Blood. Torn-up limbs. Guts. Missing bodies.

Heaving two heavy breaths, Jersey slowly turned his head to look behind him. In the pitch darkness, about ten yards behind him, a pair of crimson orbs glowed behind the dark brown trunks of the trees.

With a trickled wheezing panic, Jersey screamed, "RUN!!!" and dashed into the darkness ahead of him.

Seeing Jersey run off ahead of them, Maine, too, lost all rationality and ran after Jersey without hesitation. Not far behind them, York had no intention on dying today. The three scrambled far from the echoing roar behind them, through the tall trees, the misty gray, and the deep snow on the pure adrenaline rush to survive. No one knew how far it was to the cabin. All that mattered was survival.

Another roar went off and Maine shrieked at the top of her lungs, darting pass the other two States. York could hear the galloping clops and heavy breathing closely behind him. He screamed and rushed faster than ever. Despite the burning sensation in his legs and lungs, Jersey fought off the pain, struggling not to lag behind the others.

Beyond the dark pines, a familiar building came up into view. A wooden cabin on top of a snow-covered hill where a yellow-orange light emitted a homely warmth behind the window panes. A beacon of shining hope! Surely, they'll be safe inside the cabin. There was also a rifle, so they can shoot the creature dead. Was it possible to kill the Devil? Only one way to find out.

Far ahead of the others, Maine barged up the steps and banged on the heavy, wooden door.

"Vermont!" Bang, bang, bang! "Vermont! Open up! Vermont!"

Not far behind, York and Jersey ran back to the cabin. The terrifying roars and clopping were not far behind them. Just as they were approaching the hill, York tripped on a hidden stone under the snow. His right foot twisted in an unnatural angle. In an agonizing yelp of shock, York fell face first into the ground. His head bashing onto a hard object, sending a surge of pain rang at the front of his skull. York's blue eyes saw fresh white snow before getting overwhelmed in black.

Jersey whirled his head back around hearing a human shout behind him. He noticed York's unconscious body lying at the bottom of the hill. A clump of red snow piled around his blonde hair. Yelling out York's human name, Jersey rushed back to his fallen neighbor. He tried to wake the young man, shaking him awake only to receive no response.

GRRAAAAWGGHHH!!!

Frozen in place, Jersey didn't move from where he knelt next to York.

His amber eyes peered up from the snow, finding their way to a pair of deep scarlet eyes deep within the trees. The head of a jet black furred goat with two obsidian, pointed horns that arched like scythes poking out from the dark background. Its mouth unlike any normal goat had fangs, breathing out a dark smoke from its throat and nostrils. Lucifer's cursed child was ten feet tall from hoof to horn, standing tall with effortless power. Its giant, gargoyle wings flapped in the shadows like an Angel of Darkness in all its thunderous glory. Its vicious, spiked tail swished back-and-forth like a pit viper, flailing eagerly to see its victims in such a vulnerable state. Giving off a single, shrilling cry, the fiendish spirit stomped its goat hooves into the trampled snow, ready to charge and strike.

Although frightened by the horrific sight, Jersey was unable to scream. Despite being less than ten yards away from the Devil, he was more awed than terrified. The famed mythical creature of his favorite tale standing in front of him, appearing to blend in with the murky woods. In his glistened, amber eyes, the Jersey Devil was more mystifying than any of the stories he has described. Even with the possibility of death at hand, dying seemed like a distant memory. If anything, given the chance to see the creature in the flesh, death may be worth it.

After staring for a solid minute at the ferocious demon, Jersey waited in anticipation for the inevitable. However, the Jersey Devil had yet to make a move. The King of Hell for whatever reason only watched Jersey with its ruby eyes, standing at the edge of the forest without making a sound. The creature had not attacked him or York, only watching him with a blank if-not curious gaze.

'Why? Could it not leave the forest? Was it letting me go?' Jersey eyed the creature to see what it would do.

"Jersey! York!" Maine's voice yelled behind him.

Quickly turning his gaze back to Maine, he saw her at the door, waving toward him with a frightened expression. Jersey gazed back at the creature, only to find nothing there. Only pine trees and snow. The mist was gone. The crescent moon no longer red. The scary monster that was once in front of him had suddenly disappeared. Or, was it his imagination?

That didn't matter. York was unconscious and bleeding. He needed medical attention. Lifting up his heavy body, Jersey carried York's unconscious body back to the cabin.

'Was it all real?' Jersey thought to himself, 'Did it really exist?'

Vermont and Maine tended to York's injuries while Jersey sat by the window to see if the creature was still out there. For the last hour, nothing out of the ordinary appeared out of the forest. Waiting past midnight, against his will, Jersey passed out on the sofa by the window sill without another glimpse of the mysterious demon.

~

The next morning, York had woken up from his black-out. He couldn't recall what happened last night. The last memory he remembered was Jersey's story on the Jersey Devil. Knowing nothing on the walk in the forest, York found it hard to believe the creature he was running away from existed.

York didn't believe Jersey or Maine on the story. For Maine, she was unsure whether the Jersey Devil was real. Maine had only heard its roars, but not seen its actual appearance. Even she was having doubts on whether it was actually the mythical creature or a figment of her imagination.

Jersey knew the possibility of York believing his story to be slim, thus he gave up on the stubborn New Yorker. York's opinion on the tale didn't matter. In his own eyes, he knew he saw something out of the paranormal. Even if the monster was real, he prefer everyone see it as a simple tale. After all, the Devil would've wanted it that way.

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+ The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature in New Jersey folklore, supposedly based in Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. The origin of the legend is traced to the Leeds family, a prominent household in New Jersey during the early 18th century. Prominent men of the Leeds family were sometimes villainized in political-religious debates, creating and popularizing the myth of 'Leeds Devil', wyvern-like creature being born from the family. It wasn't until the 20th century did the Jersey Devil become more prominent thanks to supposed sightings.

+ Honestly, I had fun writing this chapter. Compared to the rest of the chapters in this book, this one has the most spooky elements. Although, Horror isn't my strong suit, so this chapter may come off as amateurish to some. Either way, I liked the unique tale to give it a mention in this chapter.

~

Feel free to vote or comment any thoughts on New Jersey or the chapter here.