Unknown Narrator

instinct said keep quiet keep still whoever it was they pulled into the open space maybe fifty feet away not quite facing us my truck's black paint worked like camouflage in the shadows i prayed that was enough my eyes flicked over to her and i could tell she was just as tense her breath coming in shallow spurts

instinct said keep quiet keep still whoever it was they pulled into the open space maybe fifty feet away not quite facing us my truck's black paint worked like camouflage in the shadows i prayed that was enough my eyes flicked over to her and i could tell she was just as tense her breath coming in shallow spurts

i could sense we were both thinking the same thing this was a mistake we never should have come out here and that's where the night lurched from a fun little secret to something i still can't shake from my thoughts we waited hushed and rigid watching those headlights burn through the darkness while time seemed to stretch out painfully

i could sense we were both thinking the same thing this was a mistake we never should have come out here and that's where the night lurched from a fun little secret to something i still can't shake from my thoughts we waited hushed and rigid watching those headlights burn through the darkness while time seemed to stretch out painfully

I forced myself not to move, not to even breathe too loudly, completely unsure of what this stranger would do if they realized we were there. Suddenly, our romantic getaway felt like the worst decision we could have made, and there was no telling what would happen next. I stayed low in the back seat, barely daring to peek over the window's edge.

I forced myself not to move, not to even breathe too loudly, completely unsure of what this stranger would do if they realized we were there. Suddenly, our romantic getaway felt like the worst decision we could have made, and there was no telling what would happen next. I stayed low in the back seat, barely daring to peek over the window's edge.

The headlights illuminated a jagged outline of pine and brush just beyond the clearing. The old truck parked about 50 feet away from us, angling itself so that its own beam swept across the dirt. My ex was crouched beside me, clutching at my arm, and I could practically taste her tension in the stale cabin air.

The headlights illuminated a jagged outline of pine and brush just beyond the clearing. The old truck parked about 50 feet away from us, angling itself so that its own beam swept across the dirt. My ex was crouched beside me, clutching at my arm, and I could practically taste her tension in the stale cabin air.

An eerie stillness settled in, as if the entire forest had paused to see what would happen next. Then I saw him step out. He moved like he had all the time in the world, shutting his door with a muted thud. My heart thudded in my ears. I couldn't tell if he'd spotted us, but he sure didn't act like it. Instead, he walked around to the bed of his truck and reached in for something.

An eerie stillness settled in, as if the entire forest had paused to see what would happen next. Then I saw him step out. He moved like he had all the time in the world, shutting his door with a muted thud. My heart thudded in my ears. I couldn't tell if he'd spotted us, but he sure didn't act like it. Instead, he walked around to the bed of his truck and reached in for something.

when he emerged with a shovel i felt my stomach knot up so tight it hurt he eased himself down on to one knee to test the ground the dull scrape of metal meeting dirt louder than i would have believed possible every scoop felt like a jolt to my system

when he emerged with a shovel i felt my stomach knot up so tight it hurt he eased himself down on to one knee to test the ground the dull scrape of metal meeting dirt louder than i would have believed possible every scoop felt like a jolt to my system

i wanted to whisper to my ex to see if she was handling this any better than i was but i kept my mouth clamped shut every warning in my head was telling me not to make a single sound he continued digging systematically carving out a hole dirt kept piling around him

i wanted to whisper to my ex to see if she was handling this any better than i was but i kept my mouth clamped shut every warning in my head was telling me not to make a single sound he continued digging systematically carving out a hole dirt kept piling around him

creating a ring-like mound i counted each thrust of the shovel one two three like a twisted lullaby that refused to end there was something cold and mechanical about how he worked no hesitation or wasted movement as if he'd done this a hundred times before I silently hoped maybe he was burying tools or some random junk, but my gut told me we'd stumbled onto something far worse.

creating a ring-like mound i counted each thrust of the shovel one two three like a twisted lullaby that refused to end there was something cold and mechanical about how he worked no hesitation or wasted movement as if he'd done this a hundred times before I silently hoped maybe he was burying tools or some random junk, but my gut told me we'd stumbled onto something far worse.

After what felt like an eternity, the stranger stopped. The shovel clanged against something in the ground. Wood, metal, I couldn't tell. A nasty grinding noise made me grit my teeth. He dropped to his knees and began prying at whatever was hidden underneath the surface. My mind spiraled. Could it be a sealed container? A bag of contraband?

After what felt like an eternity, the stranger stopped. The shovel clanged against something in the ground. Wood, metal, I couldn't tell. A nasty grinding noise made me grit my teeth. He dropped to his knees and began prying at whatever was hidden underneath the surface. My mind spiraled. Could it be a sealed container? A bag of contraband?

Or something that would keep me awake for months if I ever found out the truth? He finally tore it free. The shape was heavy enough that he strained to lift it, letting out a ragged breath I caught even through the window's glass. He staggered toward his truck bed, hauling this ominous shape along. When he hoisted it in, the weight landed with a grotesque thump.

Or something that would keep me awake for months if I ever found out the truth? He finally tore it free. The shape was heavy enough that he strained to lift it, letting out a ragged breath I caught even through the window's glass. He staggered toward his truck bed, hauling this ominous shape along. When he hoisted it in, the weight landed with a grotesque thump.