Derek

I pressed the power button desperately, but the phone remained stubbornly dark. Glancing nervously around the cabin once more, the hair on my neck rose as I heard something faint yet distinct outside. A crunching sound, the snapping of twigs beneath weight. I stepped out, scanning rapidly with my flashlight beam. Nothing visible moved.

I pressed the power button desperately, but the phone remained stubbornly dark. Glancing nervously around the cabin once more, the hair on my neck rose as I heard something faint yet distinct outside. A crunching sound, the snapping of twigs beneath weight. I stepped out, scanning rapidly with my flashlight beam. Nothing visible moved.

But on the muddy ground, clearly outlined in the faint light, was a fresh print. It was barefoot, impossibly large, the elongated toes spaced unnaturally far apart. Panic surged through my limbs. My compass spun erratically in my palm, useless. I quickly shoved it back into my pocket, turning away from the cabin and sprinting through the undergrowth.

But on the muddy ground, clearly outlined in the faint light, was a fresh print. It was barefoot, impossibly large, the elongated toes spaced unnaturally far apart. Panic surged through my limbs. My compass spun erratically in my palm, useless. I quickly shoved it back into my pocket, turning away from the cabin and sprinting through the undergrowth.

Branches scraped at my face, thorns snagged my clothing, but adrenaline fueled my escape. Still, no matter how fast I moved, I heard faint footfalls paralleling my route, echoing my every step from the shadowed forest around me. It was dusk by the time I stumbled breathlessly back to cabin 11, heart hammering violently in my chest.

Branches scraped at my face, thorns snagged my clothing, but adrenaline fueled my escape. Still, no matter how fast I moved, I heard faint footfalls paralleling my route, echoing my every step from the shadowed forest around me. It was dusk by the time I stumbled breathlessly back to cabin 11, heart hammering violently in my chest.

Locking the door tight I barred it with a wooden chair and drew curtains tightly over windows. I lit every lantern casting jittery shadows against walls. Sleep was impossible. Outside silence grew thick and oppressive. Hours later, long after darkness settled fully around the cabin, it came again. Three slow, steady knocks, punctuating the night air like hammer blows. Then silence.

Locking the door tight I barred it with a wooden chair and drew curtains tightly over windows. I lit every lantern casting jittery shadows against walls. Sleep was impossible. Outside silence grew thick and oppressive. Hours later, long after darkness settled fully around the cabin, it came again. Three slow, steady knocks, punctuating the night air like hammer blows. Then silence.

Seconds dragged on agonizingly until a low, rasping voice hissed through the cabin window, barely above a whisper. Lanterns out. The knocks echoed in my mind long after they had ceased. I stayed motionless, frozen in the middle of cabin 11, eyes fixed on the door I'd barricaded. Every muscle in my body strained with tension, waiting for something, anything, to break through. But nothing came.

Seconds dragged on agonizingly until a low, rasping voice hissed through the cabin window, barely above a whisper. Lanterns out. The knocks echoed in my mind long after they had ceased. I stayed motionless, frozen in the middle of cabin 11, eyes fixed on the door I'd barricaded. Every muscle in my body strained with tension, waiting for something, anything, to break through. But nothing came.

The silence returned, pressing heavier than before. Hours dragged slowly toward dawn. As pale gray light seeped through the curtains, I cautiously stepped outside, bracing myself. The porch bore fresh gouges, deep splinters torn from the wood. The doorframe itself had cracked. The hinges warped slightly inward as if something had tried, forcefully and persistently, to enter.

The silence returned, pressing heavier than before. Hours dragged slowly toward dawn. As pale gray light seeped through the curtains, I cautiously stepped outside, bracing myself. The porch bore fresh gouges, deep splinters torn from the wood. The doorframe itself had cracked. The hinges warped slightly inward as if something had tried, forcefully and persistently, to enter.

My hands trembled as I raised the radio, desperate for contact. Static crackled through the speaker, obscuring most of what I heard. I shouted urgently, This is Derek at cabin 11. Something attacked last night. I found cabin 27. It's real. I need immediate assistance. Static again. Then through the distorted haze, a voice finally responded, clipped and urgent. Leave. Now. That was enough for me.

My hands trembled as I raised the radio, desperate for contact. Static crackled through the speaker, obscuring most of what I heard. I shouted urgently, This is Derek at cabin 11. Something attacked last night. I found cabin 27. It's real. I need immediate assistance. Static again. Then through the distorted haze, a voice finally responded, clipped and urgent. Leave. Now. That was enough for me.

i hastily gathered what little i could carry a map compass flashlight and burst from the cabin pushing toward the main trail back to the ranger station each footstep crunched over twigs and leaves my breathing rapid and shallow pulse hammering relentlessly in my ears Less than half a mile down the familiar path, I halted abruptly.

i hastily gathered what little i could carry a map compass flashlight and burst from the cabin pushing toward the main trail back to the ranger station each footstep crunched over twigs and leaves my breathing rapid and shallow pulse hammering relentlessly in my ears Less than half a mile down the familiar path, I halted abruptly.

A cluster of pine trees, trunks snapped cleanly and freshly splintered, sprawled like matchsticks across the trail. This wasn't the storm's doing, nor a natural collapse. My heart sank. It would take hours to clear this barrier, hours I didn't have. Desperation forced me toward the riverbed, a more dangerous but direct route leading around the obstruction.

A cluster of pine trees, trunks snapped cleanly and freshly splintered, sprawled like matchsticks across the trail. This wasn't the storm's doing, nor a natural collapse. My heart sank. It would take hours to clear this barrier, hours I didn't have. Desperation forced me toward the riverbed, a more dangerous but direct route leading around the obstruction.

Rain began falling, quickly thickening into a downpour. I moved swiftly, soaked through, slipping often on the moss-slicked rocks, the noise of rushing water masking the sound of my progress. Then I heard it again, the same three taps. Distinct, rhythmic knocks, resonating through the trees on my left. I spun, flashlight shaking in my grip, beam searching wildly among shadows and rain. Nothing.

Rain began falling, quickly thickening into a downpour. I moved swiftly, soaked through, slipping often on the moss-slicked rocks, the noise of rushing water masking the sound of my progress. Then I heard it again, the same three taps. Distinct, rhythmic knocks, resonating through the trees on my left. I spun, flashlight shaking in my grip, beam searching wildly among shadows and rain. Nothing.