Elijah Henderson

Then suddenly we heard whimpering sounds far off.

It grabbed my attention while the others didn't seem to notice.

I leaned against a tree to see who it was and saw a little puppy wagging its tail, crying for help.

I followed it, but unfortunately, I soon lost my way.

I called their names, but there was no sign of them.

Thinking I should leave a trace behind, I tied my shoelace to a pole and moved forward, hoping to find my way.

Suddenly, a heavy wind blew, making me shiver.

My hands froze, my hair stood on end, and goosebumps ran all over me.

My gut screamed that something felt off, but I convinced myself it was just the wind.

That was normal in a forest like this.

To stop my anxiety, I stood still and tried to feel the wind, hoping it would calm me.

It was the worst idea I ever had.

I realized the wind was only touching me, not the trees.

Not even a single leaf was moving.

That's when I understood it wasn't wind at all.

It was someone breathing near me.

Instead of searching, I ran as fast as I could.

Out of breath, I fell into the mud and lost my flashlight.

I couldn't control my tears, but I still searched for it, hoping it hadn't rolled too far away.

Suddenly, a whistling sound echoed in my ears, and I couldn't stand it.