Samantha (Corrections Officer)

Our parents always chalked it up to overactive imaginations. But deep down, we knew we'd seen too much to dismiss. I gestured for Nicole to come into my room, and we shut the door quietly. She looked nervous, chewing her lip the way she does when she's stressed. I asked her if she truly remembered seeing those shapes, and she nodded before I even finished the question.

Our parents always chalked it up to overactive imaginations. But deep down, we knew we'd seen too much to dismiss. I gestured for Nicole to come into my room, and we shut the door quietly. She looked nervous, chewing her lip the way she does when she's stressed. I asked her if she truly remembered seeing those shapes, and she nodded before I even finished the question.

She explained she still got nightmares from time to time, always involving tall silhouettes lurking behind warped trees. Hearing it in her voice made my stomach clench. We'd never actually admitted this stuff to each other, not this directly. It was late, so we decided to call it a night, but sleep didn't come easy.

She explained she still got nightmares from time to time, always involving tall silhouettes lurking behind warped trees. Hearing it in her voice made my stomach clench. We'd never actually admitted this stuff to each other, not this directly. It was late, so we decided to call it a night, but sleep didn't come easy.

I kept thinking I might hear something outside or notice a figure gliding past the window. My mind spun with possibilities. Maybe I'd step out in the morning and discover footprints in the wet grass. Or perhaps something else entirely was waiting, hidden just beyond my line of sight. I tried to stay rational, telling myself it was just the heaviness of the past playing tricks.

I kept thinking I might hear something outside or notice a figure gliding past the window. My mind spun with possibilities. Maybe I'd step out in the morning and discover footprints in the wet grass. Or perhaps something else entirely was waiting, hidden just beyond my line of sight. I tried to stay rational, telling myself it was just the heaviness of the past playing tricks.

But that unease kept gnawing at me, and I couldn't relax. Before I crawled under the sheets, I took one last glance at the orchard. The clouds had cleared a bit, and the moonlight gave the trees a ghostly shine. I didn't see anything move, but I sure as hell felt watched. It was as if that entire stretch of land had been anticipating my return.

But that unease kept gnawing at me, and I couldn't relax. Before I crawled under the sheets, I took one last glance at the orchard. The clouds had cleared a bit, and the moonlight gave the trees a ghostly shine. I didn't see anything move, but I sure as hell felt watched. It was as if that entire stretch of land had been anticipating my return.

I shut the curtains, flipped off the light, and slipped into bed, heart-thudding hard enough to keep me awake. Somewhere beyond these walls, the orchard loomed, silent, brooding, and too full of memories neither Nicole nor I wanted to face again. I woke up feeling like I'd barely slept at all, but morning light was filtering through the curtains.

I shut the curtains, flipped off the light, and slipped into bed, heart-thudding hard enough to keep me awake. Somewhere beyond these walls, the orchard loomed, silent, brooding, and too full of memories neither Nicole nor I wanted to face again. I woke up feeling like I'd barely slept at all, but morning light was filtering through the curtains.

After the restless night, I felt a weird determination settle over me. I needed to face that orchard. The plan was simple. Nicole and I would walk past the broken fence, scope out the trees in broad daylight, and put our minds at ease. Except, deep down, I suspected we'd only confirm our worst fears. Nicole was already up, pacing by the back door with a flashlight in her hand.

After the restless night, I felt a weird determination settle over me. I needed to face that orchard. The plan was simple. Nicole and I would walk past the broken fence, scope out the trees in broad daylight, and put our minds at ease. Except, deep down, I suspected we'd only confirm our worst fears. Nicole was already up, pacing by the back door with a flashlight in her hand.

It wasn't even that dark out, but we both clung to the idea of extra light as if it might shield us. We didn't talk much. Maybe we didn't want to voice what we were really thinking. that we were about to step onto ground we should have left alone. I nudged the old fence, testing its stability. Rotten planks gave under my hand, so we crawled through a gap in the boards instead.

It wasn't even that dark out, but we both clung to the idea of extra light as if it might shield us. We didn't talk much. Maybe we didn't want to voice what we were really thinking. that we were about to step onto ground we should have left alone. I nudged the old fence, testing its stability. Rotten planks gave under my hand, so we crawled through a gap in the boards instead.

The orchard greeted us with this damp, overgrown stillness. Weed sprouted near the trunks, and gnarled branches twisted overhead, blocking out patches of sun. The deeper we went, the quieter everything seemed, like the air itself had thickened. After a few minutes, Nicole called my name softly. She pointed to the ground where a strange print marked the soil.

The orchard greeted us with this damp, overgrown stillness. Weed sprouted near the trunks, and gnarled branches twisted overhead, blocking out patches of sun. The deeper we went, the quieter everything seemed, like the air itself had thickened. After a few minutes, Nicole called my name softly. She pointed to the ground where a strange print marked the soil.

It looked like a large hand with elongated fingers, pressed into the mud. And there were more, staggered as if two or three creatures had passed through. Some impressions were bigger, others thinner, but all of them had that unsettling, almost human shape. My stomach churned at how fresh they looked. No leaves, no debris filled them in yet.

It looked like a large hand with elongated fingers, pressed into the mud. And there were more, staggered as if two or three creatures had passed through. Some impressions were bigger, others thinner, but all of them had that unsettling, almost human shape. My stomach churned at how fresh they looked. No leaves, no debris filled them in yet.

We kept going, stepping carefully between the gnarled roots. Broken branches littered the ground, some arranged in odd patterns, like a scatter of bones around a sacrifice site. The hair on my arms prickled when Nicole led me to a half-collapsed lean-to, hidden behind a tangle of branches. At first I thought maybe homeless folks had taken shelter here, until I caught the smell.

We kept going, stepping carefully between the gnarled roots. Broken branches littered the ground, some arranged in odd patterns, like a scatter of bones around a sacrifice site. The hair on my arms prickled when Nicole led me to a half-collapsed lean-to, hidden behind a tangle of branches. At first I thought maybe homeless folks had taken shelter here, until I caught the smell.