Jake

In their place were five sets of much larger prints. Barefoot, human-like but impossibly wide. Toes long and splayed like claws. That's when Jess started crying. I saw it, she said, last night. I thought it was a nightmare, but it leaned over my tent. I saw its hand. It had fingers, but they bent backward. We didn't know what to say. Molly hugged her, but it didn't help. Nothing was helping.

In their place were five sets of much larger prints. Barefoot, human-like but impossibly wide. Toes long and splayed like claws. That's when Jess started crying. I saw it, she said, last night. I thought it was a nightmare, but it leaned over my tent. I saw its hand. It had fingers, but they bent backward. We didn't know what to say. Molly hugged her, but it didn't help. Nothing was helping.

Then Aaron's mic picked up something. He'd left the parabolic dish running and stepped away from it earlier. When we listened back, the recording was faint, buried under static, but unmistakable. A voice. A whisper. And it was Molly's. repeating the same phrase over and over. Let them through. Let them through. Let them through. We all looked at her. She looked right back, her face pale.

Then Aaron's mic picked up something. He'd left the parabolic dish running and stepped away from it earlier. When we listened back, the recording was faint, buried under static, but unmistakable. A voice. A whisper. And it was Molly's. repeating the same phrase over and over. Let them through. Let them through. Let them through. We all looked at her. She looked right back, her face pale.

I didn't say that, she whispered. The air went still again. That's when Jess screamed. She'd wandered a few steps off to throw up, and when we rushed over, we found her standing at the edge of a creek, one we hadn't crossed before. Her boots were gone.

I didn't say that, she whispered. The air went still again. That's when Jess screamed. She'd wandered a few steps off to throw up, and when we rushed over, we found her standing at the edge of a creek, one we hadn't crossed before. Her boots were gone.

she was ankle deep in ice-cold water staring down like she was in a trance when i touched her shoulder she flinched like i'd burned her there are faces she muttered in the water they're watching they're underneath us i wanted to believe she was hallucinating dehydrated But when I looked down into that stream, I swear, I swear, I saw something shift beneath the current. Long and pale. Not a fish.

she was ankle deep in ice-cold water staring down like she was in a trance when i touched her shoulder she flinched like i'd burned her there are faces she muttered in the water they're watching they're underneath us i wanted to believe she was hallucinating dehydrated But when I looked down into that stream, I swear, I swear, I saw something shift beneath the current. Long and pale. Not a fish.

Not a fish. We got her back to camp. She was shaking. Wouldn't stop muttering. It's like they're learning us. Like they're studying. Then Aaron disappeared. Just like that. One second he was filming the tree line. The next his camera lay sideways on the forest floor. Lens cracked, still recording. The audio went haywire.

Not a fish. We got her back to camp. She was shaking. Wouldn't stop muttering. It's like they're learning us. Like they're studying. Then Aaron disappeared. Just like that. One second he was filming the tree line. The next his camera lay sideways on the forest floor. Lens cracked, still recording. The audio went haywire.

We found no drag marks, no broken branches, no blood, just his boots, perfectly placed side by side and one of those stacked rock formations beside them. This one had three tooth-like bones on top, small, human-sized. That's when David snapped. He shouted at the trees, threatened to burn the whole forest down.

We found no drag marks, no broken branches, no blood, just his boots, perfectly placed side by side and one of those stacked rock formations beside them. This one had three tooth-like bones on top, small, human-sized. That's when David snapped. He shouted at the trees, threatened to burn the whole forest down.

I tried to stop him, but he shoved me and took off into the trees with the drone controller clutched to his chest. We never saw him again. The drone signal cut out five minutes later. We thought about running, but where would we go? The sun was already low, every path looked the same, and we were down to three. Molly, Jess, me. That night we didn't sleep.

I tried to stop him, but he shoved me and took off into the trees with the drone controller clutched to his chest. We never saw him again. The drone signal cut out five minutes later. We thought about running, but where would we go? The sun was already low, every path looked the same, and we were down to three. Molly, Jess, me. That night we didn't sleep.

jess sat upright against her pack rocking nails chewed to the quick molly was dead silent staring into the fire i sat with the parabolic mike aimed into the trees listening to something low vibrations breathing once i heard laughter

jess sat upright against her pack rocking nails chewed to the quick molly was dead silent staring into the fire i sat with the parabolic mike aimed into the trees listening to something low vibrations breathing once i heard laughter

but not the kind that sounded human at some point past midnight i stepped away to clear my head and i found something in the dirt a notebook old weather-stained leather-bound and wrapped in brittle rope inside were pages covered in frantic handwriting fred beck's name was inside the front cover The last few entries chilled me. They don't speak, but they understand.

but not the kind that sounded human at some point past midnight i stepped away to clear my head and i found something in the dirt a notebook old weather-stained leather-bound and wrapped in brittle rope inside were pages covered in frantic handwriting fred beck's name was inside the front cover The last few entries chilled me. They don't speak, but they understand.

They watch from the trees and below the roots. They hate the sun. The miners broke the covenant. They killed one, the wrong one. Now they come in threes. The final entry was scrawled with what looked like blood.

They watch from the trees and below the roots. They hate the sun. The miners broke the covenant. They killed one, the wrong one. Now they come in threes. The final entry was scrawled with what looked like blood.