Samantha (Corrections Officer)

The gravel crunched under the tires, giving off an unsettling echo in the quiet. With each small dip, the headlights bounced, briefly illuminating the thick canopy overhead. Everything beyond that circle of light vanished into shadows. About half a mile in, my friend turned off the radio.

The gravel crunched under the tires, giving off an unsettling echo in the quiet. With each small dip, the headlights bounced, briefly illuminating the thick canopy overhead. Everything beyond that circle of light vanished into shadows. About half a mile in, my friend turned off the radio.

It was almost comical, like we thought if the music was gone, we'd hear a clue that might lead us to the trail. But no such luck. Instead, we were greeted by silence so profound it made me uneasy. I kept telling myself we were just in the backwoods, but something about the hush felt unnatural, like the world was on pause. We must have crawled along that road for a good two miles.

It was almost comical, like we thought if the music was gone, we'd hear a clue that might lead us to the trail. But no such luck. Instead, we were greeted by silence so profound it made me uneasy. I kept telling myself we were just in the backwoods, but something about the hush felt unnatural, like the world was on pause. We must have crawled along that road for a good two miles.

Every so often, tree branches reached across the path. scraping against the car with these shrill noises that raised the hair on my arms. The headlights did their best to cut through the gloom, but it seemed like the darkness out here swallowed every bit of brightness. I was thankful the car's heater was blasting full force, or I might have been tempted to head straight home.

Every so often, tree branches reached across the path. scraping against the car with these shrill noises that raised the hair on my arms. The headlights did their best to cut through the gloom, but it seemed like the darkness out here swallowed every bit of brightness. I was thankful the car's heater was blasting full force, or I might have been tempted to head straight home.

Eventually the lane ended in a small clearing. The road just stopped, as if someone had abandoned the project mid-build. I put the car in park, letting the engine idle. My friend flashed our phone's flashlight around, searching for any sign of a marker that might indicate the trail's entrance. Nothing. Only masses of brambles and fallen branches.

Eventually the lane ended in a small clearing. The road just stopped, as if someone had abandoned the project mid-build. I put the car in park, letting the engine idle. My friend flashed our phone's flashlight around, searching for any sign of a marker that might indicate the trail's entrance. Nothing. Only masses of brambles and fallen branches.

I rolled down the window for a moment, hoping to catch any hint of running water or footsteps, anything that might prove we weren't just stranded. All I heard was the soft hum of the engine, and beyond that, an eerie stillness. We climbed out for a moment, boots sinking into loose gravel. The cold stung my face, and I couldn't see more than a few feet without the flashlight.

I rolled down the window for a moment, hoping to catch any hint of running water or footsteps, anything that might prove we weren't just stranded. All I heard was the soft hum of the engine, and beyond that, an eerie stillness. We climbed out for a moment, boots sinking into loose gravel. The cold stung my face, and I couldn't see more than a few feet without the flashlight.

My breath felt louder than it should have. like every exhale exposed how unsettled I was becoming. My friend aimed the phone's beam at the tree line, swearing they saw a faint path, but when we shuffled over, all we found were dense bushes that'd take a machete to get through. Disappointment hit hard. We'd driven all this way, and we were nowhere closer to an actual trail.

My breath felt louder than it should have. like every exhale exposed how unsettled I was becoming. My friend aimed the phone's beam at the tree line, swearing they saw a faint path, but when we shuffled over, all we found were dense bushes that'd take a machete to get through. Disappointment hit hard. We'd driven all this way, and we were nowhere closer to an actual trail.

My friend mumbled something about feeling watched, but tried to laugh it off. neither of us stuck around long enough to confirm that suspicion heading back felt like the only sane decision at that point i spun the car around being extra careful not to slide into a ditch and started retracing our route oddly enough the path felt different like it had stretched somehow

My friend mumbled something about feeling watched, but tried to laugh it off. neither of us stuck around long enough to confirm that suspicion heading back felt like the only sane decision at that point i spun the car around being extra careful not to slide into a ditch and started retracing our route oddly enough the path felt different like it had stretched somehow

every branch overhead seemed gnarled and the more i stared the more they resembled claws instead of ordinary limbs my friend said nothing and i was too on edge to make conversation so we just listened to the tires crunching on gravel and the low rumble of the heater As we eased forward, I caught myself glancing in the rearview mirror, half expecting something to appear behind us.

every branch overhead seemed gnarled and the more i stared the more they resembled claws instead of ordinary limbs my friend said nothing and i was too on edge to make conversation so we just listened to the tires crunching on gravel and the low rumble of the heater As we eased forward, I caught myself glancing in the rearview mirror, half expecting something to appear behind us.

The tension was suffocating. My pulse thudded in my ears, and I found myself gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual. I silently promised that if we made it back to the main road, we'd stick to daylight hikes for the foreseeable future. We still had no idea what was waiting further down that dark lane. We only knew we needed to get out, and the sooner, the better.

The tension was suffocating. My pulse thudded in my ears, and I found myself gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual. I silently promised that if we made it back to the main road, we'd stick to daylight hikes for the foreseeable future. We still had no idea what was waiting further down that dark lane. We only knew we needed to get out, and the sooner, the better.

My friend was hunched in the seat, eyes scanning the blackness just beyond our limited headlight range.

My friend was hunched in the seat, eyes scanning the blackness just beyond our limited headlight range.