Lakewood is a small town about 50 miles away from Black Oak forest. The population is 13,583 and counting. Most of the residents are older citizens but new development is attracting younger residents also. There is a small forest preserve; Lakewood Forest Preserve only a few minutes away, but it is not nearly as large as Black Oak Forest.

Downtown Lakewood is mainly family-owned shops although more and more chains are coming is slowly and driving them out of business. Lakewood is pretty much crime free, with only a few petty things here and there. The last known and recorder murder was over twenty years ago.

For as long as anybody can remember there have been legends of terrible creatures that haunt the town and the distant Black Oak Forest. The new residents mostly dismiss it as something to scare people away and to stop the new development.