Samantha (Corrections Officer)

My immediate instinct was to shout back, but a warning flickered in my mind. She was supposed to be in the house, not out here. I froze, scanning the area. I tried to trace the direction of the sound, but it seemed to dance around me, far away one moment, close the next. My pulse raced. I knew my mom wouldn't be wandering aimlessly in these woods. Not in that tone.

My immediate instinct was to shout back, but a warning flickered in my mind. She was supposed to be in the house, not out here. I froze, scanning the area. I tried to trace the direction of the sound, but it seemed to dance around me, far away one moment, close the next. My pulse raced. I knew my mom wouldn't be wandering aimlessly in these woods. Not in that tone.

A second call echoed and I realized it wasn't just me imagining things. My eyes flickered over to a gap between the trunks. That's where I spotted it. An impossibly tall figure hugging the bark of a wide tree. At first, the details were hard to make out, but as it shifted slightly, the pale color of its skin was unmistakable.

A second call echoed and I realized it wasn't just me imagining things. My eyes flickered over to a gap between the trunks. That's where I spotted it. An impossibly tall figure hugging the bark of a wide tree. At first, the details were hard to make out, but as it shifted slightly, the pale color of its skin was unmistakable.

It wasn't the shade of anything alive and healthy, more like old, cracked leather stretched over a frame too large for it, its head angled to the side, revealing a mouth lined with jagged teeth that glinted in the dim light. Fear tightened every muscle, locking me in place. For a split second, I thought about calling out to it, asking if it was hurt or needed help.

It wasn't the shade of anything alive and healthy, more like old, cracked leather stretched over a frame too large for it, its head angled to the side, revealing a mouth lined with jagged teeth that glinted in the dim light. Fear tightened every muscle, locking me in place. For a split second, I thought about calling out to it, asking if it was hurt or needed help.

But the longer I stared, the more I realized how wrong it looked. It peered back at me with eyes I can only describe as hungry, and a foul smell drifted in the air, like something rotting in the sun. My instincts overrode every other thought, and I stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a tangle of roots.

But the longer I stared, the more I realized how wrong it looked. It peered back at me with eyes I can only describe as hungry, and a foul smell drifted in the air, like something rotting in the sun. My instincts overrode every other thought, and I stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a tangle of roots.

That's when a bizarre, crackling sound filled the silence, like branches snapping in half, but it seemed to come from the creature itself.

That's when a bizarre, crackling sound filled the silence, like branches snapping in half, but it seemed to come from the creature itself.

my mind screamed to run but my legs felt stuck for a moment the sight was so horrifying that part of me refused to believe it was real then the creature took another lurching step in my direction and i finally managed to turn around i bolted through the trees not caring how many branches or thorns scraped my arms my breath came out in ragged bursts and every twig cracking behind me sounded like it could be that thing right on my heels

my mind screamed to run but my legs felt stuck for a moment the sight was so horrifying that part of me refused to believe it was real then the creature took another lurching step in my direction and i finally managed to turn around i bolted through the trees not caring how many branches or thorns scraped my arms my breath came out in ragged bursts and every twig cracking behind me sounded like it could be that thing right on my heels

i forced my way through the undergrowth practically diving over a fallen log that rancid smell seemed to follow lodged in my nose my chest burned and i was convinced i was seconds from being grabbed by the time i reached the edge of the woods my legs were shaking so badly i nearly fell

i forced my way through the undergrowth practically diving over a fallen log that rancid smell seemed to follow lodged in my nose my chest burned and i was convinced i was seconds from being grabbed by the time i reached the edge of the woods my legs were shaking so badly i nearly fell

The yard opened up before me, bathed in the daylight that suddenly felt like the only barrier between me and whatever lurked in those trees. I sprinted to the house, heart pounding. Grandma was in the kitchen window, smiling at something on the counter, completely unaware. I slowed down just enough to look back over my shoulder.

The yard opened up before me, bathed in the daylight that suddenly felt like the only barrier between me and whatever lurked in those trees. I sprinted to the house, heart pounding. Grandma was in the kitchen window, smiling at something on the counter, completely unaware. I slowed down just enough to look back over my shoulder.

the tree line stood silent once again as if it had swallowed the thing whole but i knew it was there watching maybe even waiting for me to come back i slipped inside without a word a surge of nausea hit me and i had to take a minute to steady myself Neither grandma nor grandpa noticed how rattled I was, so I pretended everything was normal. But inside I couldn't calm down.

the tree line stood silent once again as if it had swallowed the thing whole but i knew it was there watching maybe even waiting for me to come back i slipped inside without a word a surge of nausea hit me and i had to take a minute to steady myself Neither grandma nor grandpa noticed how rattled I was, so I pretended everything was normal. But inside I couldn't calm down.

I kept replaying the moment those eyes fixed on me, that twisted version of my mom's voice drifting through the trees. That night, sleep was impossible. Every little sound, a settling floorboard, the old clock chiming, felt like a potential threat. I could practically feel the darkness pressing against the windows.

I kept replaying the moment those eyes fixed on me, that twisted version of my mom's voice drifting through the trees. That night, sleep was impossible. Every little sound, a settling floorboard, the old clock chiming, felt like a potential threat. I could practically feel the darkness pressing against the windows.