Jonas

I just stood there, looking at them.

The prints were deep, like the person had been carrying something heavy or just moving with real purpose.

I told myself it had to be another hunter, probably someone taking a shortcut or chasing after something.

I tried not to let it get to me.

Still, I didn't follow.

Instead, I took the long way around the ridge loop thinking the walk would clear my head.

But the whole time, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen something I wasn't supposed to.

It wasn't just the prints.

It was how wrong they felt out there in a place I'd always had to myself.

And then I saw the marker.

It was maybe 20 minutes later.

I'd just come down a slight slope when I saw it off to the right side of the trail.

Five stones stacked neatly, balanced way too precisely, with a small rabbit skull placed carefully on the very top.

It looked recent.

Feline.

I froze.

I hadn't passed it earlier.

I knew that for sure.

There's no way I would have missed something like that.

The trail isn't wide, and I'm always paying attention when I'm up there.