Evan Mallory

Sap blistered from spruce trunks and dripped to the duff with a hiss, as though the trees themselves were cooking from within. I checked my phone to mark the side trail, but the bars dropped to zero before the screen faded to black. Battery dead. I told myself I could navigate by compass just fine, yet something about the phone's abrupt silence felt like a door closing behind me.

Sap blistered from spruce trunks and dripped to the duff with a hiss, as though the trees themselves were cooking from within. I checked my phone to mark the side trail, but the bars dropped to zero before the screen faded to black. Battery dead. I told myself I could navigate by compass just fine, yet something about the phone's abrupt silence felt like a door closing behind me.

Devil's Ladder earned its name with every step. The path pitched downward so steeply I half-skied on loose needles. Around me the air grew thicker, shimmering in waves that made the nearest boulders wobble like mirages. Then I smelled it again, burning hair mixed with scorched cedar, and my pulse pounded high in my throat. I rounded a switchback and halted.

Devil's Ladder earned its name with every step. The path pitched downward so steeply I half-skied on loose needles. Around me the air grew thicker, shimmering in waves that made the nearest boulders wobble like mirages. Then I smelled it again, burning hair mixed with scorched cedar, and my pulse pounded high in my throat. I rounded a switchback and halted.

Five paces ahead, half concealed by rhododendron leaves, stood the man from last night. He faced away, shoulders hunched, blackened skin cracked in flakes that revealed depths of glowing red as if he were forged iron left too long in the coals. His clothes had melted to his flesh.

Five paces ahead, half concealed by rhododendron leaves, stood the man from last night. He faced away, shoulders hunched, blackened skin cracked in flakes that revealed depths of glowing red as if he were forged iron left too long in the coals. His clothes had melted to his flesh.

tatters fluttered in wind that i could not feel smoke curled from his scalp in thin blue threads he turned and those ember eyes fixed on mine without blinking i wanted to scream but the air in my lungs tasted of ash the figure stepped forward every branch he brushed ignited in a brief tongue of flame that vanished the instant he passed

tatters fluttered in wind that i could not feel smoke curled from his scalp in thin blue threads he turned and those ember eyes fixed on mine without blinking i wanted to scream but the air in my lungs tasted of ash the figure stepped forward every branch he brushed ignited in a brief tongue of flame that vanished the instant he passed

leaving needles intact yet smoldering at the tips their green turned ghost white he extended a hand sparks pinwheeled off his fingertips and died before touching the ground as if the fire existed only for him reflex broke the trance i stumbled backward boots skidding on gravel and the sudden movement seemed to startle the thing its head tilted cracking skin along its neck that glowed brighter hotter

leaving needles intact yet smoldering at the tips their green turned ghost white he extended a hand sparks pinwheeled off his fingertips and died before touching the ground as if the fire existed only for him reflex broke the trance i stumbled backward boots skidding on gravel and the sudden movement seemed to startle the thing its head tilted cracking skin along its neck that glowed brighter hotter

Without warning, the image fragmented, my vision wavered in ripples of heat distortion, and the GoPro strapped to my pack beeped an error tone, its display filling with static bands even though it was powered off. My nostrils flooded with the chemical tang of melting circuitry. I turned and ran.

Without warning, the image fragmented, my vision wavered in ripples of heat distortion, and the GoPro strapped to my pack beeped an error tone, its display filling with static bands even though it was powered off. My nostrils flooded with the chemical tang of melting circuitry. I turned and ran.

The grade was so steep I barely controlled each stride, careening off trunks, branches whipping my arms. Behind me came slow, deliberate footsteps, charcoal crunching under burned feet. No matter how wildly I zigzagged, the cadence never quickened, but it never paused either. It sounded patient, inevitable, like the tick of a metronome marking the moment the forest would ignite.

The grade was so steep I barely controlled each stride, careening off trunks, branches whipping my arms. Behind me came slow, deliberate footsteps, charcoal crunching under burned feet. No matter how wildly I zigzagged, the cadence never quickened, but it never paused either. It sounded patient, inevitable, like the tick of a metronome marking the moment the forest would ignite.

by the time dusk bled through the canopy i had lost the tread of devil's ladder and found myself in a narrow hollow choked with hemlock skeletons dead man's draw if the locals warnings were right even here the ground sweated heat I slashed at vines to clear a flat patch no bigger than a coffin and threw up my tent, hands trembling so badly the poles clicked like chattering teeth.

by the time dusk bled through the canopy i had lost the tread of devil's ladder and found myself in a narrow hollow choked with hemlock skeletons dead man's draw if the locals warnings were right even here the ground sweated heat I slashed at vines to clear a flat patch no bigger than a coffin and threw up my tent, hands trembling so badly the poles clicked like chattering teeth.

Night sealed the hollow, and at once the forest began to breathe. A low, rasping inhale, then a bellows, soft exhale, again and again, each breath exuding a faint red glow that rolled over the hillsides like banked coals stirred by wind. Inside the tent, darkness pressed against the nylon. My watch read 92 degrees, though outside it had to be near freezing. Sweat soaked my base layers.

Night sealed the hollow, and at once the forest began to breathe. A low, rasping inhale, then a bellows, soft exhale, again and again, each breath exuding a faint red glow that rolled over the hillsides like banked coals stirred by wind. Inside the tent, darkness pressed against the nylon. My watch read 92 degrees, though outside it had to be near freezing. Sweat soaked my base layers.

Then the footsteps returned, shuffling in a widening spiral, circling. I heard skin crackle with every step, like ice shifting on a thawing lake. The thing whispered my name, drawn out, syllables stretched thin, as if exhaling through shredded vocal cords. Even. Each time it spoke the temperature spiked and my water bladder ballooned with expanding air until seams creaked. Hours dragged past.

Then the footsteps returned, shuffling in a widening spiral, circling. I heard skin crackle with every step, like ice shifting on a thawing lake. The thing whispered my name, drawn out, syllables stretched thin, as if exhaling through shredded vocal cords. Even. Each time it spoke the temperature spiked and my water bladder ballooned with expanding air until seams creaked. Hours dragged past.