The Devils Tree

Another story from my time exploring the macabre things in NJ, stem from my time exploring the Devil's tree located in benardsville, NJ. The story surrounding the tree goes, that back in the early 1900's the KKK used the tree to kill hundreds of African Americans by hanging. Over time many people have tried to cut down the tree (there are still marks from previous attempts) however, once they get into the cutting a feeling of suicide come over the perpetrators and they hang themselves from the branches. An other element to the tree is when you enter the field the tree is on you are often chased by a black truck (some believe by the devil himself). When I first entered the field 3 days before Halloween, after about 2" of snow fall, the first thing I noticed right away was no snow surrounded the tree, mind you there was no leaves to block things. Another thing I felt was a feeling of dread, that coursed through my veins. Almost like a sickly feeling of wanting to leave. Against my better judgment I pushed further to get a better look at the tree. There was a chain link wrapping around the tree (to prevent further attempts at cutting it down). The tree itself is placed right in the middle of an open field and gives chills based solely on that factor. What happened next changed beliefs in me, that demons do run amuck. I heard the unmistakable sounds of a diesel truck starting up just beyond a tree line. I can tell you I looked around carefully before approaching. This startled me and made me at first think it was the owner of the field staying alert for trespassers. I could hear the engine rev up to six times then the black truck exited the woods at full speed toward my friends and I causing us to panic and run in 4 different directions. Once I entered the woods, the noise of the truck completely stopped. After about an hour of waiting silently in a patch of thorns, I heard my friends shouting for me to get back to the car. Once we regrouped it became clear the truck just vanished , leaving us confused and mildly sick from the encounter.