David

It's just the woods, Sheriff Greer said, adjusting his hat like this was any other missing person case. Kids get lost all the time. We'll find him. But as the search teams disappeared into the forest, I saw the doubt in their eyes. They'd heard the stories too. Everyone had.

It's just the woods, Sheriff Greer said, adjusting his hat like this was any other missing person case. Kids get lost all the time. We'll find him. But as the search teams disappeared into the forest, I saw the doubt in their eyes. They'd heard the stories too. Everyone had.

i stayed at the edge of the woods pacing biting my nails waiting for someone to come back with good news hours passed then days they found nothing not eric not even footprints just his backpack abandoned in the middle of the trail and near Silver Basin, the massive tree with its spiraling carvings. The search dogs refused to go near it.

i stayed at the edge of the woods pacing biting my nails waiting for someone to come back with good news hours passed then days they found nothing not eric not even footprints just his backpack abandoned in the middle of the trail and near Silver Basin, the massive tree with its spiraling carvings. The search dogs refused to go near it.

One of them, a big German shepherd, yelped and bolted when its handler tugged too close. The handler turned back, pale, muttering something about the air feeling wrong. Eventually, the search was called off. We'll keep looking, the sheriff told Eric's parents. But the look in his eyes said otherwise. They all thought he was gone for good. Dead, probably. But I knew better.

One of them, a big German shepherd, yelped and bolted when its handler tugged too close. The handler turned back, pale, muttering something about the air feeling wrong. Eventually, the search was called off. We'll keep looking, the sheriff told Eric's parents. But the look in his eyes said otherwise. They all thought he was gone for good. Dead, probably. But I knew better.

The nightmares started a week later. At first, they were just flashes. Eric's pale face, his lips moving like he was trying to tell me something. But no sound came out. Then the dreams grew worse. I was back in the forest, running through the trees, the whispers all around me. The shadows were alive, reaching for me with long, spindly fingers.

The nightmares started a week later. At first, they were just flashes. Eric's pale face, his lips moving like he was trying to tell me something. But no sound came out. Then the dreams grew worse. I was back in the forest, running through the trees, the whispers all around me. The shadows were alive, reaching for me with long, spindly fingers.

Eric was always ahead of me, just out of reach, his figure flickering like an old TV about to lose its signal. wait i screamed but he never did when i woke up my body felt heavy my chest tight like the forest was still there pressing down on me the whispers followed me into my waking life faint at first just on the edge of hearing but over time they grew louder

Eric was always ahead of me, just out of reach, his figure flickering like an old TV about to lose its signal. wait i screamed but he never did when i woke up my body felt heavy my chest tight like the forest was still there pressing down on me the whispers followed me into my waking life faint at first just on the edge of hearing but over time they grew louder

Ryan, always my name, always the same tone, mocking, laughing like the forest itself was calling me back. I tried to ignore it. I buried myself in school, in chores, in anything that kept me out of my own head. But no matter where I went, the forest was there, lurking at the edge of my mind. Years passed. I never went back to Dagger Ridge. I didn't need to. The forest had come with me.

Ryan, always my name, always the same tone, mocking, laughing like the forest itself was calling me back. I tried to ignore it. I buried myself in school, in chores, in anything that kept me out of my own head. But no matter where I went, the forest was there, lurking at the edge of my mind. Years passed. I never went back to Dagger Ridge. I didn't need to. The forest had come with me.

Following me like a shadow I couldn't drop. The whispers were worse at night. I'd wake up drenched in sweat, my heart racing, convinced I wasn't alone in my room. Once I swear I saw a figure standing in the corner, tall, thin, its limbs too long, its face nothing but darkness.

Following me like a shadow I couldn't drop. The whispers were worse at night. I'd wake up drenched in sweat, my heart racing, convinced I wasn't alone in my room. Once I swear I saw a figure standing in the corner, tall, thin, its limbs too long, its face nothing but darkness.

when i turned on the light it was gone by the time i was twenty-five i'd stopped sleeping entirely the nightmares blurred into reality and i couldn't tell where one ended and the other began that's when i knew i had to go back

when i turned on the light it was gone by the time i was twenty-five i'd stopped sleeping entirely the nightmares blurred into reality and i couldn't tell where one ended and the other began that's when i knew i had to go back

i returned to the rockies in the dead of winter the forest was different now quieter colder more menacing the trailhead to dagger ridge was overgrown nearly hidden beneath snow and underbrush but i found it of course i did the symbols were still there carved into the bark of the trees their jagged lines glowing faintly even in daylight the air felt thicker with every step the whispers louder

i returned to the rockies in the dead of winter the forest was different now quieter colder more menacing the trailhead to dagger ridge was overgrown nearly hidden beneath snow and underbrush but i found it of course i did the symbols were still there carved into the bark of the trees their jagged lines glowing faintly even in daylight the air felt thicker with every step the whispers louder

They weren't faint anymore. They were a chorus, overlapping voices calling my name, laughing, taunting. Ryan. Ryan. At Silver Basin, I saw it again. The tree. Its bark twisted with the same spiraling patterns, its roots clawing into the earth like they were alive. And at the base, a patch of disturbed ground. The snow didn't stick there, like the earth itself was rejecting it.

They weren't faint anymore. They were a chorus, overlapping voices calling my name, laughing, taunting. Ryan. Ryan. At Silver Basin, I saw it again. The tree. Its bark twisted with the same spiraling patterns, its roots clawing into the earth like they were alive. And at the base, a patch of disturbed ground. The snow didn't stick there, like the earth itself was rejecting it.