Evan Mallory

i pulled her up and we kept moving somewhere around late afternoon if that even means anything in that place we reached a small rocky clearing it looked like a dried-up creek bed maybe twenty feet wide there was a tree in the center completely stripped of bark around it were piles of bones big bones

i pulled her up and we kept moving somewhere around late afternoon if that even means anything in that place we reached a small rocky clearing it looked like a dried-up creek bed maybe twenty feet wide there was a tree in the center completely stripped of bark around it were piles of bones big bones

some looked like deer but others others looked human long pale femurs ribcages jaws but not fresh these had been picked clean arranged even laid in spirals patterns some were buried upright in the dirt like markers anna whispered This isn't random. And she was right. Something had put them here. Something had made this. That's when we heard it again. The clicking. Not from one direction.

some looked like deer but others others looked human long pale femurs ribcages jaws but not fresh these had been picked clean arranged even laid in spirals patterns some were buried upright in the dirt like markers anna whispered This isn't random. And she was right. Something had put them here. Something had made this. That's when we heard it again. The clicking. Not from one direction.

From all around us. Then the shriek. Only this time it was louder. Closer. And it didn't echo. It just hit us. Like a pressure wave that made our ears ring and our stomachs flip. Anna clutched my arm and screamed, and I grabbed her and ran. We didn't look back, we just bolted. Branches clawed at our faces. Mud sucked at our shoes. Somewhere behind us, I heard another shriek.

From all around us. Then the shriek. Only this time it was louder. Closer. And it didn't echo. It just hit us. Like a pressure wave that made our ears ring and our stomachs flip. Anna clutched my arm and screamed, and I grabbed her and ran. We didn't look back, we just bolted. Branches clawed at our faces. Mud sucked at our shoes. Somewhere behind us, I heard another shriek.

Then another, and another. Higher and higher, all overlapping. They were calling to each other. We tore through the woods until the fog broke and the trees thinned. And suddenly, we were standing on a rocky overlook. Below us, winding like a ribbon through the valley, was the trail. The real trail. Switchbacks and all, and far down near the base of the ridge, was the goddamn parking lot.

Then another, and another. Higher and higher, all overlapping. They were calling to each other. We tore through the woods until the fog broke and the trees thinned. And suddenly, we were standing on a rocky overlook. Below us, winding like a ribbon through the valley, was the trail. The real trail. Switchbacks and all, and far down near the base of the ridge, was the goddamn parking lot.

We didn't even stop to breathe. We just scrambled down, sliding, grabbing branches, half falling the whole way. At the last switchback, I looked back.

We didn't even stop to breathe. We just scrambled down, sliding, grabbing branches, half falling the whole way. At the last switchback, I looked back.

And there it was, standing alone at the edge of the treeline, tall, gaunt, its limbs too long for its frame, legs bent backward, hooves sunk into the dirt, its torso heaved slowly like it was panting, the skin was so thin I could see its ribs rising and falling, and its face, still twisted into that horrific almost human snarl, looked straight at me.

And there it was, standing alone at the edge of the treeline, tall, gaunt, its limbs too long for its frame, legs bent backward, hooves sunk into the dirt, its torso heaved slowly like it was panting, the skin was so thin I could see its ribs rising and falling, and its face, still twisted into that horrific almost human snarl, looked straight at me.

The eyes were clouded, like cataracts, but I felt them lock with mine. Then it opened its mouth, and in my voice it said, Don't leave me. Anna heard it too. I felt her grip my hand tighter. Then more of them stepped out from the trees. Five. Six. Maybe more. All identical, yet slightly off. Wrong in different ways. One with a crooked neck. One with broken antlers. One missing a jaw entirely.

The eyes were clouded, like cataracts, but I felt them lock with mine. Then it opened its mouth, and in my voice it said, Don't leave me. Anna heard it too. I felt her grip my hand tighter. Then more of them stepped out from the trees. Five. Six. Maybe more. All identical, yet slightly off. Wrong in different ways. One with a crooked neck. One with broken antlers. One missing a jaw entirely.

All of them watching. We ran. We reached the car, shaking and filthy, and I barely got the keys in the ignition. As we drove away, I glanced in the rearview mirror. They were still standing there, just watching. We didn't stop driving until we hit Asheville. I didn't sleep for two days. Anna hasn't spoken about it since. She dropped the class we shared and hasn't returned my texts.

All of them watching. We ran. We reached the car, shaking and filthy, and I barely got the keys in the ignition. As we drove away, I glanced in the rearview mirror. They were still standing there, just watching. We didn't stop driving until we hit Asheville. I didn't sleep for two days. Anna hasn't spoken about it since. She dropped the class we shared and hasn't returned my texts.

I tried reporting it. The ranger I spoke to looked at me like I was insane. said that section of trail had been closed years ago after a wildfire no maintained shelters up there no known campsites i asked him if he'd heard of walker's hollow he paused said that name hadn't been used in decades Then he told me, quietly, that the last time someone reported going up there, it was a rescue mission.

I tried reporting it. The ranger I spoke to looked at me like I was insane. said that section of trail had been closed years ago after a wildfire no maintained shelters up there no known campsites i asked him if he'd heard of walker's hollow he paused said that name hadn't been used in decades Then he told me, quietly, that the last time someone reported going up there, it was a rescue mission.

A couple of hikers had gone missing. Their gear was found. Their boots were found. But not them. No bodies, just bones. Arranged in spirals. I'm not saying you have to believe me. But if you're ever on the Appalachian Trail and you see a tree marked with a triangle and a circle inside, turn around. Don't answer the call. And if you hear your own voice echoing from the woods, it's already too late.

A couple of hikers had gone missing. Their gear was found. Their boots were found. But not them. No bodies, just bones. Arranged in spirals. I'm not saying you have to believe me. But if you're ever on the Appalachian Trail and you see a tree marked with a triangle and a circle inside, turn around. Don't answer the call. And if you hear your own voice echoing from the woods, it's already too late.