David

The trees loomed overhead, their branches knitting together in dense canopies. I kept a good pace, the crunch of my boots on the dirt trail echoing in the silence. Too silent now that I think about it. No birds. No rustling leaves. Just me. Two hours in, the sun started to dip below the trees, and everything turned this muted gray.

The trees loomed overhead, their branches knitting together in dense canopies. I kept a good pace, the crunch of my boots on the dirt trail echoing in the silence. Too silent now that I think about it. No birds. No rustling leaves. Just me. Two hours in, the sun started to dip below the trees, and everything turned this muted gray.

I stopped for a quick break, leaning against a mossy boulder to catch my breath and sip some water. I heard something. A soft crunch, like a footstep. My stomach dropped. I froze, the water bottle halfway to my lips and strained to listen. Nothing. Just the quiet hum of insects and the faint rustle of leaves. Probably a deer, I told myself. Maybe a small animal.

I stopped for a quick break, leaning against a mossy boulder to catch my breath and sip some water. I heard something. A soft crunch, like a footstep. My stomach dropped. I froze, the water bottle halfway to my lips and strained to listen. Nothing. Just the quiet hum of insects and the faint rustle of leaves. Probably a deer, I told myself. Maybe a small animal.

But when I swung my flashlight around, the beam cut through the trees like a knife, illuminating absolutely nothing. get a grip i muttered under my breath trying to laugh off the tension it was probably just my imagination i pushed off the boulder and kept moving quickening my pace as the trail grew darker by the third hour it was pitch black

But when I swung my flashlight around, the beam cut through the trees like a knife, illuminating absolutely nothing. get a grip i muttered under my breath trying to laugh off the tension it was probably just my imagination i pushed off the boulder and kept moving quickening my pace as the trail grew darker by the third hour it was pitch black

My flashlight was my only lifeline, casting a narrow beam of light that felt painfully inadequate. The trees were thicker now, their gnarled trunks twisted and blackened in the shadows. Every few minutes I thought I heard something, a faint rustling behind me, the crack of a twig. But every time I stopped and swung the light around there was nothing. The isolation was suffocating.

My flashlight was my only lifeline, casting a narrow beam of light that felt painfully inadequate. The trees were thicker now, their gnarled trunks twisted and blackened in the shadows. Every few minutes I thought I heard something, a faint rustling behind me, the crack of a twig. But every time I stopped and swung the light around there was nothing. The isolation was suffocating.

I kept telling myself it was just the woods playing tricks on me, that my mind was conjuring noises out of the silence. But the feeling that I wasn't alone wouldn't go away. It was this nagging, crawling sensation on the back of my neck, like I was being watched. Then, at the four-hour mark, I heard it again. This time, it wasn't subtle.

I kept telling myself it was just the woods playing tricks on me, that my mind was conjuring noises out of the silence. But the feeling that I wasn't alone wouldn't go away. It was this nagging, crawling sensation on the back of my neck, like I was being watched. Then, at the four-hour mark, I heard it again. This time, it wasn't subtle.

A branch snapped, loud and deliberate, somewhere to my left. My heart shot into my throat as I spun around, the flashlight trembling in my hand. The beam landed on a cluster of trees, their shadows stretching and twisting like skeletal hands. Hello? My voice sounded small, ridiculous even.

A branch snapped, loud and deliberate, somewhere to my left. My heart shot into my throat as I spun around, the flashlight trembling in my hand. The beam landed on a cluster of trees, their shadows stretching and twisting like skeletal hands. Hello? My voice sounded small, ridiculous even.

the woods didn't answer but then out of the corner of my eye i caught a flicker of movement something darting behind a tree hey i shouted more out of instinct than anything else my voice cracked and the forest swallowed it whole My pulse was hammering in my ears, drowning out everything else. I held the flashlight steady, the beam fixed on the tree where I'd seen… something. But nothing moved.

the woods didn't answer but then out of the corner of my eye i caught a flicker of movement something darting behind a tree hey i shouted more out of instinct than anything else my voice cracked and the forest swallowed it whole My pulse was hammering in my ears, drowning out everything else. I held the flashlight steady, the beam fixed on the tree where I'd seen… something. But nothing moved.

Nothing came out. I backed away slowly, my footsteps crunching against the dirt trail. The beam of my flashlight swung wildly back and forth, but the shadows were too thick. too deep my breath came in short panicked gasps the kind you try to control but can't then it happened a scream high-pitched distorted and impossibly loud it tore through the forest like a blade echoing in every direction

Nothing came out. I backed away slowly, my footsteps crunching against the dirt trail. The beam of my flashlight swung wildly back and forth, but the shadows were too thick. too deep my breath came in short panicked gasps the kind you try to control but can't then it happened a scream high-pitched distorted and impossibly loud it tore through the forest like a blade echoing in every direction

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. It didn't sound human. It didn't sound like any animal I'd ever heard either. It sounded wrong. I don't remember deciding to run. One second I was standing there, and the next I was sprinting, my legs burning as I tore down the trail. The flashlight bounced wildly in my hand, illuminating glimpses of roots and rocks that I barely managed to avoid.

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. It didn't sound human. It didn't sound like any animal I'd ever heard either. It sounded wrong. I don't remember deciding to run. One second I was standing there, and the next I was sprinting, my legs burning as I tore down the trail. The flashlight bounced wildly in my hand, illuminating glimpses of roots and rocks that I barely managed to avoid.

Behind me, I heard footsteps, heavy, deliberate, and fast. Something was following me. I didn't dare look back. The trail blurred as I ran, my lungs screaming for air. My mind raced with questions I didn't want answers to. What the hell was out there? What did it want? The footsteps stopped suddenly, but I didn't.

Behind me, I heard footsteps, heavy, deliberate, and fast. Something was following me. I didn't dare look back. The trail blurred as I ran, my lungs screaming for air. My mind raced with questions I didn't want answers to. What the hell was out there? What did it want? The footsteps stopped suddenly, but I didn't.