Samantha (Corrections Officer)

Grandma's house always felt a bit strange, with all those Native American masks hanging on the walls and the faint smell of incense or something that hinted at old ceremonies. Whenever I stepped inside, I half expected those masks to whisper warnings I couldn't quite catch. Thanksgiving meant cousins everywhere, piling coats in the hallway and chatting so loud it drowned out any sense of caution.

Grandma's house always felt a bit strange, with all those Native American masks hanging on the walls and the faint smell of incense or something that hinted at old ceremonies. Whenever I stepped inside, I half expected those masks to whisper warnings I couldn't quite catch. Thanksgiving meant cousins everywhere, piling coats in the hallway and chatting so loud it drowned out any sense of caution.

Aunt Sandy was setting the table, Uncle Jim rummaged around in the fridge and everyone else drifted in and out of conversation. I remember glancing out the back window, noticing how dark the woods looked even in daylight, the branches gnarled like they'd been there for centuries. My older cousin Sam caught my stare and raised an eyebrow, like he knew I was thinking about exploring.

Aunt Sandy was setting the table, Uncle Jim rummaged around in the fridge and everyone else drifted in and out of conversation. I remember glancing out the back window, noticing how dark the woods looked even in daylight, the branches gnarled like they'd been there for centuries. My older cousin Sam caught my stare and raised an eyebrow, like he knew I was thinking about exploring.

Once we wolfed down some snacks, Sam nudged me to head outside. Mom gave a half-hearted wave to go have fun, maybe expecting we'd just skip rocks in the creek or pick up arrowheads along the usual path. Instead, Sam wanted to push deeper. He'd heard there was a massive rock ledge somewhere far behind the house, and he was determined to find it. The air in those woods was thicker than I remembered.

Once we wolfed down some snacks, Sam nudged me to head outside. Mom gave a half-hearted wave to go have fun, maybe expecting we'd just skip rocks in the creek or pick up arrowheads along the usual path. Instead, Sam wanted to push deeper. He'd heard there was a massive rock ledge somewhere far behind the house, and he was determined to find it. The air in those woods was thicker than I remembered.

Every footstep sank in damp leaves, and the silence pressed in around us until it felt like we were tiptoeing through someone else's territory. We passed the old sweat lodge structure with rotting hides still clinging to a wooden frame. I'd always been too nervous to peek inside. Even now, I sped up to get away from it.

Every footstep sank in damp leaves, and the silence pressed in around us until it felt like we were tiptoeing through someone else's territory. We passed the old sweat lodge structure with rotting hides still clinging to a wooden frame. I'd always been too nervous to peek inside. Even now, I sped up to get away from it.

Sam didn't say anything, but I saw him glance over his shoulder like he expected someone to emerge from that sagging doorway. After what felt like forever, we saw a rocky ledge jutting out ahead. It towered over a slope filled with broken branches and dead foliage. Sam and I stood there, kind of breathless, scanning the drop below. That's where I noticed something that shouldn't have been there.

Sam didn't say anything, but I saw him glance over his shoulder like he expected someone to emerge from that sagging doorway. After what felt like forever, we saw a rocky ledge jutting out ahead. It towered over a slope filled with broken branches and dead foliage. Sam and I stood there, kind of breathless, scanning the drop below. That's where I noticed something that shouldn't have been there.

It looked like a person standing in ragged clothes, maybe thirty feet down. I remember trying to blink it away. Maybe a scarecrow or some lost hiker who never made it out. But then it moved. I barely breathed. Sam's eyes went wide. The figure turned, letting us see its face. It was long and shaped like a moose's snout, with rough, mottled fur in these eerie, dark eye sockets.

It looked like a person standing in ragged clothes, maybe thirty feet down. I remember trying to blink it away. Maybe a scarecrow or some lost hiker who never made it out. But then it moved. I barely breathed. Sam's eyes went wide. The figure turned, letting us see its face. It was long and shaped like a moose's snout, with rough, mottled fur in these eerie, dark eye sockets.

It gazed straight at us, like it knew exactly who we were and that we'd made a terrible mistake stepping this far into its domain. My insides nearly locked up. I had this wordless instinct screaming to run, but no part of me wanted to make a sound. Sam grabbed my arm. We bolted back the way we came, crashing through undergrowth. Twigs sliced at my cheeks and damp leaves stuck to my clothes.

It gazed straight at us, like it knew exactly who we were and that we'd made a terrible mistake stepping this far into its domain. My insides nearly locked up. I had this wordless instinct screaming to run, but no part of me wanted to make a sound. Sam grabbed my arm. We bolted back the way we came, crashing through undergrowth. Twigs sliced at my cheeks and damp leaves stuck to my clothes.

With every step, I felt a presence behind me, as though the thing below the ledge had silently decided we weren't allowed to leave. The light through the canopy seemed to flicker, and the trees around us twisted into shapes I barely recognized. We stumbled onto a clearing that shouldn't have been there, an open circle of grass and mushrooms arranged in rings.

With every step, I felt a presence behind me, as though the thing below the ledge had silently decided we weren't allowed to leave. The light through the canopy seemed to flicker, and the trees around us twisted into shapes I barely recognized. We stumbled onto a clearing that shouldn't have been there, an open circle of grass and mushrooms arranged in rings.

A weird green glow hung in the air, and a sudden wave of warmth made my head swim. It felt like the whole place was pulling me in, urging me to slow down, to forget why I was running. Sam shook my shoulder, his voice tense. We needed to move, but I couldn't figure out where to go. The brush we'd cut through had simply vanished. Then a shout cut through everything.

A weird green glow hung in the air, and a sudden wave of warmth made my head swim. It felt like the whole place was pulling me in, urging me to slow down, to forget why I was running. Sam shook my shoulder, his voice tense. We needed to move, but I couldn't figure out where to go. The brush we'd cut through had simply vanished. Then a shout cut through everything.

My mother's voice echoed in the distance, calling my name. It snapped me back to reality. We scrambled out of that clearing, following her voice until we burst into our backyard, panting and covered in scratches. Everyone else was just setting the table for dinner, the same old bustle of holiday chaos.

My mother's voice echoed in the distance, calling my name. It snapped me back to reality. We scrambled out of that clearing, following her voice until we burst into our backyard, panting and covered in scratches. Everyone else was just setting the table for dinner, the same old bustle of holiday chaos.