Aaron Miller

I felt a creeping unease, like something hidden had been disturbed by our intrusion. This doesn't feel right, Ben whispered. His face was pale now, eyes nervously darting to the shadows beneath the trees. I didn't answer, pushing forward stubbornly, driven by an inexplicable urge to understand what we'd stumbled upon. After another mile, the source of the stream emerged abruptly ahead.

I felt a creeping unease, like something hidden had been disturbed by our intrusion. This doesn't feel right, Ben whispered. His face was pale now, eyes nervously darting to the shadows beneath the trees. I didn't answer, pushing forward stubbornly, driven by an inexplicable urge to understand what we'd stumbled upon. After another mile, the source of the stream emerged abruptly ahead.

My breath caught. Embedded into the hillside stood an unnatural concrete structure, a slab half covered by moss and dirt, anchored by twisted rebar, rusted deep red from decades of exposure. From beneath the structure flowed the runoff, sliding through a thin horizontal gap just above the ground. Ben's voice quivered, barely above a whisper. Luke, what the hell is this doing out here?

My breath caught. Embedded into the hillside stood an unnatural concrete structure, a slab half covered by moss and dirt, anchored by twisted rebar, rusted deep red from decades of exposure. From beneath the structure flowed the runoff, sliding through a thin horizontal gap just above the ground. Ben's voice quivered, barely above a whisper. Luke, what the hell is this doing out here?

I don't know, I murmured, feeling the hair stand on my neck. There aren't supposed to be buildings or dams this far into the backcountry. As the sun dipped lower, the forest dimmed further, shadows growing longer, deeper. The stillness intensified, oppressive and strange. It wasn't merely quiet, it felt devoid of sound, as if the woods themselves held their breath. Ben shifted anxiously.

I don't know, I murmured, feeling the hair stand on my neck. There aren't supposed to be buildings or dams this far into the backcountry. As the sun dipped lower, the forest dimmed further, shadows growing longer, deeper. The stillness intensified, oppressive and strange. It wasn't merely quiet, it felt devoid of sound, as if the woods themselves held their breath. Ben shifted anxiously.

We shouldn't camp near here. Let's head downstream, I agreed, reluctantly breaking my gaze from the unsettling concrete wall. We quickly set up camp a half mile back, beneath an overhang of rock, where the forest seemed slightly less oppressive. But even here, the silence chased us, thickening as dusk settled into darkness.

We shouldn't camp near here. Let's head downstream, I agreed, reluctantly breaking my gaze from the unsettling concrete wall. We quickly set up camp a half mile back, beneath an overhang of rock, where the forest seemed slightly less oppressive. But even here, the silence chased us, thickening as dusk settled into darkness.

As the fire crackled, Ben stared nervously into the darkening woods, eyes reflecting the flickering light. I keep thinking something's moving out there, he whispered, shifting uncomfortably. Just shadows, I replied, though I felt it too, a constant silent pressure from the darkness beyond. Sleep came fitfully, disrupted by sudden jolts of awareness, ears straining to hear what wasn't there.

As the fire crackled, Ben stared nervously into the darkening woods, eyes reflecting the flickering light. I keep thinking something's moving out there, he whispered, shifting uncomfortably. Just shadows, I replied, though I felt it too, a constant silent pressure from the darkness beyond. Sleep came fitfully, disrupted by sudden jolts of awareness, ears straining to hear what wasn't there.

Deep into the night, I woke suddenly, eyes snapping open. Above the gentle rustle of wind, something else hummed, a faint mechanical vibration, steady and alien, echoing from upstream. I sat motionless, heart hammering, listening until it faded. Morning couldn't come soon enough.

Deep into the night, I woke suddenly, eyes snapping open. Above the gentle rustle of wind, something else hummed, a faint mechanical vibration, steady and alien, echoing from upstream. I sat motionless, heart hammering, listening until it faded. Morning couldn't come soon enough.

Morning broke slowly, and despite the weak daylight filtering through the dense canopy overhead, the chill remained stubbornly in the air. I woke to Ben already awake, staring silently upstream. eyes tired and dark-ringed. "'You heard it too, didn't you?' he asked without turning toward me. "'That humming sound?' I stretched stiff limbs, shaking off uneasy dreams.

Morning broke slowly, and despite the weak daylight filtering through the dense canopy overhead, the chill remained stubbornly in the air. I woke to Ben already awake, staring silently upstream. eyes tired and dark-ringed. "'You heard it too, didn't you?' he asked without turning toward me. "'That humming sound?' I stretched stiff limbs, shaking off uneasy dreams.

"'Yeah, I couldn't tell where it was coming from.' We packed quickly and wordlessly, each eager to move and dispel the uneasy quiet that still clung to the forest." The runoff stream guided our path, its waters whispering over stones, clearer and colder with each step we took upstream. The animal remains persisted, birds, another rabbit, each as bloodless and untouched as the last.

"'Yeah, I couldn't tell where it was coming from.' We packed quickly and wordlessly, each eager to move and dispel the uneasy quiet that still clung to the forest." The runoff stream guided our path, its waters whispering over stones, clearer and colder with each step we took upstream. The animal remains persisted, birds, another rabbit, each as bloodless and untouched as the last.

The sight never became easier. My stomach churned uneasily, my mind desperate for rational explanations. Finally the stream narrowed abruptly, flanked by steep rock faces tangled with roots and moss. Around the next bend, I froze. Built into the side of the ravine was a stark, unnatural concrete structure, looming silently like some forgotten relic from a war long past.

The sight never became easier. My stomach churned uneasily, my mind desperate for rational explanations. Finally the stream narrowed abruptly, flanked by steep rock faces tangled with roots and moss. Around the next bend, I froze. Built into the side of the ravine was a stark, unnatural concrete structure, looming silently like some forgotten relic from a war long past.

rusted iron bars jutted from the stone bent and twisted sealing whatever lay within the run-off trickled steadily from a narrow horizontal opening beneath the wall ben stood beside me mouth slightly open eyes wide what is this luke I shook my head slowly, trying to fit this into what I knew of the mountains. I've never heard of anything like this being out here, not on any maps I've seen.

rusted iron bars jutted from the stone bent and twisted sealing whatever lay within the run-off trickled steadily from a narrow horizontal opening beneath the wall ben stood beside me mouth slightly open eyes wide what is this luke I shook my head slowly, trying to fit this into what I knew of the mountains. I've never heard of anything like this being out here, not on any maps I've seen.