Narrator

go back i urged quietly now we began scrambling backward in clumsy terrified bursts the tight pipe making movement difficult my heart hammered painfully trevor cursed rapidly behind me breath shallow i could hear zeke whispering urgently to himself words unintelligible As we reached the mass again, the thing we had crawled over, I paused instinctively. My beam flickered over it once more.

My breath caught sharply, its surface quivered slightly, something shifting just beneath the blackened, matted fur. I pressed against the pipe wall, trying desperately not to touch it again. But the tunnel was too tight, and I felt the sickening sensation of my chest brushing against its warm, twitching surface. A quiet wet sound emerged from it, a rasping guttural hiss.

My breath caught sharply, its surface quivered slightly, something shifting just beneath the blackened, matted fur. I pressed against the pipe wall, trying desperately not to touch it again. But the tunnel was too tight, and I felt the sickening sensation of my chest brushing against its warm, twitching surface. A quiet wet sound emerged from it, a rasping guttural hiss.

My pulse raced as panic surged through me. "'Move faster!' I shouted, voice raw with fear. We burst back into the junction room and scrambled toward the exit pipe, climbing awkwardly toward daylight again. We emerged gasping, choking, and sweating heavily into the fading sunlight." No one spoke for a moment as we lay on the ground, shivering uncontrollably.

My pulse raced as panic surged through me. "'Move faster!' I shouted, voice raw with fear. We burst back into the junction room and scrambled toward the exit pipe, climbing awkwardly toward daylight again. We emerged gasping, choking, and sweating heavily into the fading sunlight." No one spoke for a moment as we lay on the ground, shivering uncontrollably.

That wasn't human, Zeke finally whispered, voice hollow and strained. It wasn't animal either. Trevor stared blankly ahead, visibly trembling. I saw it move, the thing on the floor. It moved, didn't it? I nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the dark pipe entrance, now a gaping hole of dread. Yeah, it did. We stood silently, the fading daylight bringing fresh terror rather than comfort.

That wasn't human, Zeke finally whispered, voice hollow and strained. It wasn't animal either. Trevor stared blankly ahead, visibly trembling. I saw it move, the thing on the floor. It moved, didn't it? I nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the dark pipe entrance, now a gaping hole of dread. Yeah, it did. We stood silently, the fading daylight bringing fresh terror rather than comfort.

None of us knew what we'd disturbed, what had lurked quietly underground. But as we turned away from Wildcat Hollow, one thing was clear. Some places weren't meant to be explored, and some things were better left hidden, forever.

None of us knew what we'd disturbed, what had lurked quietly underground. But as we turned away from Wildcat Hollow, one thing was clear. Some places weren't meant to be explored, and some things were better left hidden, forever.

sleep didn't come easily after wildcat hollow every night i tossed restlessly haunted by the memory of that tunnel replaying the sensation of crawling over something that moved something warm fleshy and alien my dreams twisted into vivid nightmares Dark corridors, muffled breathing, and those distorted limbs we had glimpsed in the shadows.

sleep didn't come easily after wildcat hollow every night i tossed restlessly haunted by the memory of that tunnel replaying the sensation of crawling over something that moved something warm fleshy and alien my dreams twisted into vivid nightmares Dark corridors, muffled breathing, and those distorted limbs we had glimpsed in the shadows.

I'd wake soaked in sweat, gasping in panic, convinced that foul odor lingered faintly in my room. Days passed, but the anxiety didn't fade. Then, about a week after the incident, I got a frantic call from Zeke. I'm sick, man, he whispered over the phone, voice shaking. Really sick. Rash all over my body, burning like hell. You went to the doctor, I asked, my stomach tightening uneasily.

I'd wake soaked in sweat, gasping in panic, convinced that foul odor lingered faintly in my room. Days passed, but the anxiety didn't fade. Then, about a week after the incident, I got a frantic call from Zeke. I'm sick, man, he whispered over the phone, voice shaking. Really sick. Rash all over my body, burning like hell. You went to the doctor, I asked, my stomach tightening uneasily.

They're running tests. Some kind of chemical exposure, infection. No one knows yet. Trevor has it too, but not as bad. His voice faltered. Do you have anything? I glanced at my arms and chest reflexively, noticing nothing yet but suddenly feeling itchy, paranoid. Not yet. Maybe it's because you guys touched it first. God, I hope so, Zeke murmured. Stay safe.

They're running tests. Some kind of chemical exposure, infection. No one knows yet. Trevor has it too, but not as bad. His voice faltered. Do you have anything? I glanced at my arms and chest reflexively, noticing nothing yet but suddenly feeling itchy, paranoid. Not yet. Maybe it's because you guys touched it first. God, I hope so, Zeke murmured. Stay safe.

Whatever that thing was, it wasn't right. I hung up, anxiety thickening inside me. The next day, Trevor messaged about nightmares of his own. Visions of crawling through tunnels that narrowed until the walls pressed tight. and something faceless dragged itself toward him through the dark. My own nightmares intensified, filled with whispers and scratching noises I couldn't escape.

Whatever that thing was, it wasn't right. I hung up, anxiety thickening inside me. The next day, Trevor messaged about nightmares of his own. Visions of crawling through tunnels that narrowed until the walls pressed tight. and something faceless dragged itself toward him through the dark. My own nightmares intensified, filled with whispers and scratching noises I couldn't escape.

After days of trying to ignore it, curiosity won out. I decided to dig deeper, desperate for some kind of explanation. My searches turned up vague references to construction projects around Tioga State Forest in the early 1970s.

After days of trying to ignore it, curiosity won out. I decided to dig deeper, desperate for some kind of explanation. My searches turned up vague references to construction projects around Tioga State Forest in the early 1970s.

i found old articles describing abandoned developments housing projects abruptly halted due to unspecified complications contractors had fled the site reports said mentioning underground issues hazards the county quietly buried no specifics only hints of problems beneath wildcat hollow The dread in me deepened. Was this connected to what we'd found?