My name's Eric, and let me tell you, life hasn't exactly been a
walk in the park. I'm 25 now and I've been on my
own for as long as I can remember.
My parents, well, they've been in and out of jail and rehab my
whole life. That left me to figure out how
to survive by myself. Right now I've got 2 jobs.
One is a waiter at a local diner and another cleaning offices at
night. Between the long hours and
endless bills, life feels like one big treadmill I can't get
off. 1 evening, after a particularly rough day at the
diner, I was nearing the end of my shift.
All I wanted was to get through the last few tables and go home.
But there was this group of guys, high schoolers by the
looks of them, acting like they owned the place.
They were loud, obnoxious, and making everyone around them
uncomfortable. I'd already asked them once to
keep it down, but of course, they didn't listen.
I walked over, trying my best to stay calm, though I could feel
the frustration building. Hey guys.
I said, putting on a polite but firm tone.
I need you to quiet down a bit, You're disturbing the other
customers. One of them, a tall kid with
messy blonde hair, looked me right in the eye and sneered.
We just came from prom, man. We're trying to have a good
time. Why don't you mind your own
business? His breath reeked of alcohol,
and I knew he wasn't just drinking soda like the rest of
them. I held my ground.
You've been warned. If you don't settle down, I'll
have to ask you to leave. That's when the guy's smirk
turned into something darker. Before I could even react, he
picked up his drink, a large cup of soda, and tossed it in my
face. I stood there, soaked, the
sticky liquid running down my neck.
For a second, everything went red.
I wanted to grab him, to show him he couldn't treat people
like that. But just as I took a step
forward, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
It was Glenn, the owner of the diner, pulling me back.
Let it go, Eric. He said quietly, his voice
steady. I'll handle this in the
backroom. As I wiped the soda from my
face, Glenn shook his head. I've never seen you this upset
before. He said, his eyes studying me.
What's going on? I tried to brush it off, but he
didn't buy it. It's more than the soda, isn't
it? He wasn't wrong.
For the past few months, it felt like everything was piling up.
The long hours, the constant bills, the endless grind.
I was exhausted, burned out, but I didn't want to admit it.
Glenn crossed his arms, leaning against the counter.
Eric, you've been working non-stop.
You need a break before you crack.
I'm taking you off the schedule for a week.
Go home, rest, get your head on straight.
At first I argued I couldn't afford to take time off, but
Glenn wouldn't listen. He was right though, I needed a
break whether I liked it or not. That night I walked back to my
apartment feeling lost, without work to distract me.
What was I supposed to do with myself?
As I opened the door, the silence inside felt suffocating.
It was just me alone with my thoughts, and I didn't like
where they were headed. The next morning, I woke up to a
loud banging on my apartment door.
I wasn't expecting anyone, so I hesitated before opening it.
When I did, there stood Damon, my cousin with his signature
cocky grin. Damon was the kind of guy who
always seemed to have it all together, money, confidence, and
a lifestyle that couldn't be more different from mine.
Hey, Eric. Damon said, pushing past me and
into the apartment. He looked around at the clutter,
raising an eyebrow. Still living the dream, huh?
I ignored his jab and asked. What are you doing here?
Damon clapped a hand on my shoulder.
I rented a cabin in the mountains for a few days,
figured I'd invite you along. You could use a break.
At first I wanted to say no. Damon and I didn't have much in
common. He was into hunting and outdoor
stuff, while I'd rather stay inside, away from bugs and dirt.
But then I remembered Glen forcing me to take time off and
how lost I felt with nothing to do.
Maybe getting out of town for a bit wouldn't be so bad.
I sighed and nodded. Sure, why not?
A few hours later, we were on the road, heading deep into the
mountains. Damon's truck was packed with
all his hunting gear, rifles, ammo, and enough beer to drown
an army. He talked the whole way, mostly
bragging about his latest hunting trips, his job, and the
new expensive rifle he'd brought along.
I mostly tuned him out, staring out the window as the scenery
changed. The trees got taller, the road
narrower, and the sky seemed to close in above us.
By the time we arrived at the cabin, the sun was already low
in the sky. The place was more rundown than
I expected. The wooden structure creaked as
we walked up to it, and the windows were small and dark.
Inside, it was even weirder. The walls were covered with
hunting trophies, deer heads, antlers, and animal pelts.
It felt like we were stepping into some kind of Hunter's
museum. The air smelled musty and the
furniture looked like it hadn't been touched in years.
Damon didn't seem bothered at all.
He threw down his bags, cracked open a beer, and tossed one to
me. This is what you need, man.
Fresh air, cold beer, and some quality hunting.
I took the beer, but my stomach was tight with unease.
The cabin felt too quiet, the forest around it too still.
Something about this place didn't sit right with me, but I
couldn't explain why. As night fell, we sat by the
fireplace drinking. At first Damon was in a good
mood, talking about his hunting plans and how excited he was for
me to finally bag a deer. But the more he drank, the more
his attitude shifted. He started teasing me about my
life, how I worked too much, how I didn't have any friends, and
how I was always stuck in that same old apartment.
His words were like little jabs, each one hitting closer to home.
I tried to shrug it off, but it was getting harder to keep my
cool. Finally, when he made some snide
comment about how pathetic my life was, I'd had enough.
Without saying a word, I grabbed one of his rifles and stood up.
I'm going hunting. I said, needing to get away from
him and clear my head. Damon just laughed.
Good luck man, don't get lost out there.
I stepped outside into the cold, dark forest, the rifle heavy in
my hands. The trees towered over me, and
the air felt thick and damp. I wasn't a hunter, I didn't even
know what I was doing. But right now, being out here
felt better than being in that cabin with Damon's insults
echoing in my ears. I didn't plan to actually shoot
anything. I just wanted some space, some
quiet. But as I ventured deeper into
the woods, a strange sense of dread started to creep over me.
The forest was too quiet. It felt like something was
watching me, hidden in the shadows.
I don't know how long I walked through the woods, but the
further I went, the darker it got.
The trees seemed to close in around me, their branches
twisted like claws. The air was colder now, and an
eerie mist had settled over the forest floor, swirling around my
feet as I moved. I had no real direction, just
trying to put as much distance as I could between me and
Damon's drunken taunts. I stopped for a moment, trying
to catch my breath. The quiet was unnerving.
No birds, no insects, nothing. Just the soft crunch of my boots
on the fallen leaves. My grip tightened on the rifle,
more out of instinct than anything else.
I wasn't really planning to use it, but in that silence, the
weight of the gun felt like my only sense of security.
Suddenly, something caught my eye up ahead, a flash of
movement through the trees. I froze, squinting through the
dim light, trying to make out what it was.
My heart pounded in my chest. Maybe it was just a deer.
Damon had brought me out here to hunt after all.
But something about the way it moved seemed weird.
I took a cautious step forward, my pulse quickening.
That's when I saw it. Antlers sticking out from a Bush
just ahead of me. Relief washed over me.
For a second, it really was just a deer.
But as I moved closer, that relief quickly turned to horror.
The deer wasn't standing. It was lying on the ground,
motionless. And it was torn apart, ripped
open in the most brutal, bloody way I'd ever seen.
Its guts were strewn across the ground, its body mangled beyond
recognition. The stench hit me like a punch
to the gut, and I had to fight the urge to vomit.
I'd never seen anything so violent, so wrong.
That's when I heard it. The sound of something large
moving through the trees behind me.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps. My heart leapt into my throat
and I turned, eyes wide, scanning the darkness.
Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
I couldn't see anything, but I could feel it.
Something was out there, something big, and it wasn't
scared of me. Suddenly, out of the mist, it
emerged. At first, I couldn't process
what I was seeing. It was huge, easily over 8 feet
tall, with dark, matted fur covering its massive body.
Its eyes glowed a deep, unnatural red, and its teeth,
They were long and sharp, stained with blood.
In one of its massive hands, it clutched a chunk of meat, likely
from the deer it had just mutilated.
I stood frozen in terror, my legs refusing to move.
The creature snarled, a deep guttural sound that vibrated
through the trees. My mind screamed at me to run,
but my body was rooted in place. Then, with a horrifying speed,
it lunged toward me. The force of its strike hit me
like a truck. I was knocked off my feet, the
rifle flying out of my hands as I crashed into the dirt.
My head spun, and pain exploded through my body as I scrambled
to get up. But before I could, the creature
was there, towering over me, its red eyes locked on mine.
I was sure I was going to die, but in that moment of pure
panic, my hand found the rifle. Without thinking, I grabbed it
and fired. The gunshot echoed through the
forest and the creature let out a deafening roar, staggering
back as the bullet tore into its shoulder.
I didn't wait to see what would happen next.
I ran. I ran faster than I ever had in
my life, the sound of the beast's furious howls chasing me
through the trees. I had to get back to the cabin.
I had to get away. I didn't stop running, my legs
burned and my lungs felt like they were going to explode, but
I couldn't slow down. Every step felt like it wasn't
fast enough. Behind me the creatures roars
filled the night, getting louder, closer.
Twigs snapped under foot and branches scratched at my face,
but I didn't care. All I could think about was
reaching the cabin. When I finally saw the faint
glow of the cabins windows through the trees, a surge of
relief hit me. I burst through the door,
slamming it behind me, gasping for breath.
Damon looked up from cleaning one of his rifles, a beer still
in his hand. His eyes went wide when he saw
me, covered in dirt, blood, and pure panic.
Eric, what the hell happened to you?
He asked, standing up. We have to get out of here now.
I shouted, my voice shaking. I rushed to the window, peeking
through the blinds. The trees outside swayed, and
the distant thud of heavy footsteps told me the creature
wasn't far behind. Damon frowned, clearly not
understanding the urgency. Calm down, man.
You probably just saw a bear or something.
Relax. No, I snapped, turning to him.
This wasn't a bear. This thing, it's huge, Damon,
and it's coming right now. Before I could explain further,
a loud bang echoed from the side of the cabin.
The whole building shook. Damon's face paled.
He wasn't laughing now. We both stood frozen for a
moment as the sound of something massive circling the cabin
filled the air. It was like the walls themselves
were groaning under the pressure.
Grab the guns. Damon whispered, his voice tight
with fear. He quickly loaded his rifle and
tossed another one to me. I barely caught it, my hands
trembling. The creature pounded on the
walls again, this time harder. The windows rattled.
It was testing the cabin, looking for a way in.
I backed up, heart pounding in my chest.
Damon stood by the door, rifle raised, eyes darting from side
to side, waiting for the inevitable.
Suddenly, there was a crash. The front window shattered and a
giant clawed hand reached through, swiping wildly.
Glass flew everywhere and we both jumped back.
Damon fired, the sound of the gunshot deafening in the small
cabin. The creature let out a monstrous
roar, pulling its hand back, but we knew it wouldn't stop.
It was angry now, desperate to get inside.
We have to get out of here. I yelled, already heading for
the back door. Damon hesitated for a second,
but then nodded, grabbing his gear.
Another crash came from the front as the door began to
buckle under the creature. Strength.
We didn't have time. Without looking back, we burst
out the back door and ran into the dark woods.
I didn't know where we were going, but I knew we couldn't
stay there. The creatures roars echoed
behind us, closer now. Every second felt like it was
about to catch us, like we were running from the very jaws of
death. The forest felt endless, and the
darkness swallowed everything, but we kept running, pushing
through the trees, slipping on rocks and dirt.
The creature's footsteps followed us for what felt like
hours, but finally, mercifully, they began to fade.
Maybe it had lost interest, or maybe it couldn't keep up.
I didn't care. I just knew we were still alive.
Eventually, we found the road, Damon's truck still parked where
we left it. We jumped in and Damon floored
the gas. The tires screeched as we speed
away from the woods, the cabin shrinking in the rear view
mirror. Neither of us spoke the whole
ride back. By the time we reached town, the
sun was starting to rise. I was exhausted, every muscle
aching, but we had made it out. Barely.
As Damon parked the truck, he finally broke the silence.
We're never going back there. He said, his voice low.
I nodded, staring out the window at the rising sun.
Whatever was in those woods, it wasn't something meant to be
found. I didn't know what it was, but I
knew one thing for sure. I was never going near that
cabin or any forest again. My name is Levi and I'll never
forget that night in the woods. It started out like any other
night with my cousins and me playing Manhunt.
We had our own version of the game, hiding in teams and trying
to sneak around without being caught.
My cousin Marty and I were on one team and our cousin Lorelei
and her friend Blaine were on the other.
We always played in the woods near Nana's house in Nebo, LA.
The woods felt different at night though.
There was something about the darkness.
Marty and I were walking deeper into the forest, looking for a
good place to hide. The trees started to look
strange the further we went. They weren't random like normal
trees, they were all lined up in perfect rows.
It gave me the creeps, but I didn't say anything.
We found a spot to hide and turned off our flashlights.
Everything went completely silent except for the sound of
our breathing. We crouched there for what felt
like forever, waiting to hear Lorelei and Blaine coming after
us. That's when we heard it.
The sound of footsteps. At first it was faint, like
someone carefully stepping on dry leaves, but soon the
footsteps got closer and louder. There were no bushes to hide in,
just trees and piles of dead leaves on the ground.
Marty and I exchanged nervous glances.
We were sure it had to be Blaine or Lorelei trying to sneak up on
us. Marty.
I whispered. Did you hear that?
He nodded, his eyes wide. Yeah, but it doesn't sound like
them. I felt a shiver run down my
spine. We hadn't seen anyone, and by
now Blaine or Lorelei should have been close enough for us to
spot them with our flashlights. Marty's hand shook as he raised
his phone and sent a quick text to Lorelei asking where they
were. We sat there in the dark,
waiting for a reply, trying not to panic.
Then I heard it. A soft rustle, like something
moving just beyond the trees. Marty's phone buzzed.
He looked at it, and I saw the colour drained from his face.
Blaine's at the house. He said, his voice barely above
a whisper. Lorelai's on Nana's porch.
My heart skipped a beat. If Blaine and Lorelai were at
the house, then who or what was in the woods with us?
Just then, something darted past us so fast that we could barely
see it. Marty jumped up, shining his
flashlight around, but all we saw were the rows of trees and
the thick shadows between them. Whatever it was, it wasn't
human, and it was fast. I didn't need to say anything.
Marty and I locked eyes, and we both knew what to do.
We bolted out of the woods, running as fast as we could.
My feet pounded the ground, leaves crunching under foot as I
tried not to trip. I didn't dare look back.
By the time we reached Nana's house, we were both out of
breath, hearts racing. We stood there in the safety of
the porch, staring into the dark woods.
Whatever was out there wasn't Lorelai, Blaine, or any of us.
And it wasn't done watching us either.
Something was in those woods that night.
Something fast, something dangerous.
A few years after that creepy night in the woods, I figured I
had moved on. I mean, nothing weird had
happened since, right? But even though I told myself
I'd forgotten about it, the truth is that night never really
left me. Still, life goes on, and as
teenagers, my cousins and I found new ways to have fun.
That usually meant hanging out on the dirt roads near the oil
fields late at night where nobody bothered US1 night it was
me, my cousin Jayden, our friend Gage, and a couple of other
friends, maybe eji, can't remember exactly.
We had this favorite spot on a hill where all the trees had
been cleared out. It gave us a perfect view of the
sky. We'd go out there to smoke and
drink and just relax. Especially on nights like this
one when the stars were bright and the air was cool.
The open sky always felt peaceful.
But there was something about the quiet that night that made
me uneasy. We started walking down the dirt
Rd. toward the hilltop and I was trailing behind as usual.
I was a little buzzed, so I wasn't really in a rush.
The others were ahead of me, laughing and talking, their
voices fading in and out as I lagged behind.
It was kind of calming, but that's when I started to notice
Gage acting strange. He kept glancing back at me, his
face looking tense, like something was bothering him.
I figured he was just high, so I didn't pay much attention.
Finally, we reached our spot. The sky above was wide open,
stars sparkling like glitter. I sat down on the ground,
feeling the cool breeze against my face.
That's when EJ came up to me with this weird look on his
face. Hey Levi, he said Gage is
tripping out. He thinks you're a skinwalker or
something. I laughed.
I thought it was hilarious that Gage was so high he thought I
was a skinwalker. I mean, come on, a skinwalker?
Those are just stories, right? But then Gage spoke up, his
voice dead serious. No, Levi, I didn't think you
were a skinwalker. I saw something behind you.
I froze. What do you mean behind me?
I asked, my voice suddenly not so confident anymore.
Gage stared at me, his eyes wide.
When we were walking back here, I saw something tall, it was
moving behind you, but when I looked again, it was gone.
My stomach dropped suddenly, I wasn't laughing anymore.
Gage wasn't the type to mess around like that, and the way he
looked at me, it wasn't a joke. I swallowed hard, my heart
pounding in my chest. Are you sure you weren't just
seeing things? I asked, hoping that he was just
too high to know what he saw. But Gage shook his head.
No, man, I know what I saw. Something was following you,
Levi. I didn't say anything.
I couldn't. My mind was racing, flashing
back to that night in the woods when Marty and I had run from
something we couldn't explain. Was it possible that whatever
had been out there was still watching us, still following us?
That night, I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder,
waiting to see something lurking in the shadows.
And from that moment on, I couldn't shake the feeling that
something was still out there, waiting.
One night, not long after Gage's freaky Skinwalker story, I was
hanging out at my parents' house.
We live in an even more remote place now, a spot called Possum
Point. Yeah, I know, funny name, but
the place is anything but. It's quiet, almost too quiet
sometimes. The kind of place where when the
sun goes down, the only sounds you hear are your own footsteps
and maybe the wind rustling through the trees.
It's peaceful during the day, but at night, well, it's
different. My younger sister, Georgia, used
to love walking the dirt roads around our house after dark.
She's like me in that way. We've always enjoyed being out
there, just soaking in the stillness.
But lately, Georgia had stopped taking those walks.
It was weird, and I wanted to know why.
One night, I convinced her to go on a walk with me.
We were going to smoke a blunt, just chill like we used to.
She agreed, but she seemed nervous.
It wasn't like her. As we started walking down the
road, I asked her what's up. You don't seem like yourself.
Georgia hesitated before answering.
I don't really like walking out here at night anymore.
I looked at her surprised. Why not?
You used to love it. She bit her lip and finally said
something happened. Now she had my full attention.
What do you mean something? Georgia sighed and told me about
the night she had gone for a walk with our outdoor cat.
She said everything was normal at first.
The cat was following her, meowing like it always did.
But then out of nowhere, she heard another meow.
Except this one didn't come from the cat that was with her.
It came from somewhere in the woods just ahead of her.
There's only one cat. She said, her voice shaky.
So how could there be two meows? A chill ran down my spine.
You sure it wasn't just an echo or something?
Georgia shook her head. No, it wasn't an echo.
It sounded like like something was copying the cat.
I freaked out and went straight back to the house.
I felt my heart start to race. The thought of something
mimicking sounds, especially animal noises, made me think of
one thing. Skinwalkers.
I had read about them before. They're these creatures from
Native American legend that can mimic animals or even people.
But those were just stories. Or at least I thought they were.
Georgia. I said slowly.
Do you know what skinwalkers are?
She frowned. Not really Why?
I told her everything I knew how skinwalkers were said to imitate
sounds, to lure people in, how they could even mimic voices to
make you think it was someone you knew.
By the time I finished, George's face had gone pale.
You think that's what it was? She whispered.
I don't know. I admitted, but it's starting to
feel like more than just a coincidence.
We stood there for a moment, staring into the woods that
surrounded us. I couldn't shake the feeling
that we weren't alone out here, that something was watching us
from the shadows. We walked back to the house
quickly after that, our heads on a swivel, listening for any
sound that didn't belong that night.
I couldn't stop thinking about the second meow.
If something had been copying the cat, what else could it be
copying, and what would it want with us?
I couldn't stop thinking about what Georgia told me.
The meowing in the woods, Gage's story about something following
me and the thing Marty and I ran from in the forest years ago.
It all seemed connected somehow, like whatever it was hadn't left
us alone. It was still out there,
watching, waiting. The more I thought about it, the
more I felt like I needed to face it.
I couldn't keep running forever. So one night I made-up my mind
to camp out in the woods alone. It was a dumb idea, I know, but
something inside me needed to know if what I feared was real,
If there really was something lurking in the woods around
Nebo. I packed a small bag, just a
flashlight, a blanket, and some snacks, and headed out after
dark. The woods felt different at
night, darker than usual. Every sound seemed louder, every
shadow longer. I tried to shake off the fear
creeping up my spine, but it clung to me, heavy and thick.
I reached the clearing where Marty and I had hidden that
night. The trees were still in perfect
rows, like soldiers standing at attention.
I set up a small fire, the flickering flames casting long,
dancing shadows all around me. I sat there, staring into the
woods, waiting. At first nothing happened, just
the usual night sounds, crickets chirping, wind rustling through
the leaves. But then, after a while, the
crickets went silent. The hairs on the back of my neck
stood up. I scanned the tree line with my
flashlight, my heart pounding in my chest.
The feeling was back, the feeling that I was being
watched. I kept telling myself it was
just my imagination, but deep down I knew it wasn't.
Something was out there, and it was getting closer.
Suddenly I heard it. A soft rustling, like footsteps
moving through the leaves. My heart jumped into my throat.
I shined my light toward the sound, but I didn't see
anything. The footsteps stopped.
Silence. I held my breath, my hands
shaking. Then, from the opposite
direction, I heard it again. Footsteps this time faster, like
something running. I whipped my light around, but
there was still nothing. My pulse was racing now, panic
clawing at my chest. I grabbed my blanket and stood
up, ready to run, but I didn't know which way to go.
That's when I saw it, just for a second.
A flash of movement between the trees, something tall, fast and
watching me. I froze, my mind screaming at me
to run, but my legs wouldn't move.
The thing, it was there, just beyond the reach of my
flashlight, lurking in the darkness.
I took a step back, my heart hammering in my ears.
And then, in the silence, I heard it.
A sound that made my blood run cold.
It wasn't an animal, it wasn't the wind.
It was a voice, a whisper, soft and clear.
My own voice calling out from the woods.
Levi, that was it. I turned and bolted, running as
fast as I could, the voice echoing behind me.
I didn't stop until I reached the house, breathless and
shaking. I don't know what that thing
was, but I know one thing for sure.
It's still out there, watching, waiting.
And one day it might come back for me.
The Utah desert stretched out endlessly in front of us, all
red rocks and dusty trails. I'd never seen anything like it.
Mark was driving, his hands tight on the wheel as the car
bumped along the dirt Rd. Emily sat next to him in the
passenger seat, flipping through the map.
We probably didn't need it. Was the middle of nowhere
exactly what we've been looking for?
Did you guys know that this area is full of ancient Native
American legends? Mark said, glancing at us in the
rearview mirror. They say skinwalkers used to
roam these canyons. I rolled my eyes from the back
seat. Seriously, Mark, we're here to
camp, not listen to ghost stories.
Emily smiled but didn't say anything.
I could tell she was already a little freaked out.
Mark had a habit of spouting off weird facts whenever we went on
these trips, and this one was no different.
Still, something about the way he said skinwalkers made me
uneasy. I shoved the feeling down and
focused on the scenery outside the window.
The canyons were beautiful, with towering red walls and narrow
crevices that looked like they had been carved out over
centuries. It was peaceful, but lonely.
After what felt like hours, we finally found a spot to set up
camp. It was perfect.
No other campers, no sign of civilization.
Just us and the wild. We pitched our tents in a small
clearing by a rocky ledge. The sun was beginning to set,
casting long shadows across the Canyon.
I watched as the colors shifted from orange to deep purple, the
sky slowly darkening. We gathered around the fire,
eating dinner and laughing about how we were going to survive
without cell service for a whole week.
Mark told us more about the area, but this time I didn't
feel like joking around. The air had changed, it was
cooler, and a slight breeze picked up, rustling the bushes
around us. There was something in that
breeze, a faint sound like whispering, but I couldn't make
out what it was. You guys hear that?
I asked, my eyes scanning the darkness beyond the firelight.
Emily shook her head, looking a little pale.
Probably just the wind. She said, but her voice was
unsure. Mark shrugged.
It's the desert, it can mess with your senses.
I nodded, trying to convince myself it was nothing, but I
couldn't shake the feeling that we weren't alone.
The shadows seemed to move just at the edge of the light, like
something or someone was watching.
I kept telling myself it was my imagination.
I mean, we were miles away from anyone else, right?
Later, when we crawled into our tents, I tried to sleep, but my
mind wouldn't let me. Every time I closed my eyes, I'd
hear something. A branch, snapping, footsteps,
or maybe just the wind. I didn't know any more than I
heard it. My name whispered softly from
somewhere outside. Ryan.
My heart jumped into my throat. It was Emily's voice, but when I
peeked out of my tent, she was still zipped up in hers, fast
asleep. I blinked into the darkness, my
breath caught in my chest. I couldn't see anything, but I
knew what I heard. It was impossible, but it was
real. I laid back down, pulling the
sleeping bag tight around me, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Something wasn't right. As the fire died down outside, I
couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of
something much worse. By morning, the strange feeling
from the night before hadn't gone away.
The air was heavy, like something was lurking just
beyond the camp. I shook off the thought and
helped Mark and Emily pack up our gear for the day's hike.
We planned to explore one of the deeper canyons nearby, a place
we were sure no one else would be.
As we started hiking, the sun was already beating down on us.
The heat bounced off the Canyon walls, making everything feel
hotter. The path was narrow, with cliffs
towering on either side. It was beautiful, but something
about it made me feel small, like we were being swallowed up
by the landscape. Every sound echoed, and it made
me jumpy. Mark was up ahead, rattling off
more facts about the area. These canyons have been here for
millions of years. People say they hold secrets no
one's ever uncovered. He laughed, but his voice didn't
have the usual ease it did. I think he was feeling it too,
the sense that something was off.
As we move deeper into the Canyon, I started noticing
things. The rustling in the bushes that
I'd heard last night came back, but this time it wasn't the
wind. I could hear it, something
moving, following us. Every now and then I'd look
back, but there was nothing there.
My stomach tightened with dread. I didn't want to freak out, but
I couldn't help it. I could feel it in my bones.
We weren't alone. You guys hear that?
I finally asked, stopping in my tracks.
Emily and Mark turned. Emily's eyes were wide, and I
knew she heard it too. Probably an animal, Mark said,
but even he didn't sound convinced.
Coyotes, maybe. No way, Emily muttered.
Coyotes don't sound like that. We kept walking, but now the
mood had changed. None of us said it, but we were
all listening for the sound. It came again, closer this time.
Footsteps. I swear I saw something out of
the corner of my eye, something dark and fast, but when I
turned, it was gone. We reached a narrow part of the
Canyon where the walls closed in and the trail was barely wide
enough to walk single file. That's when the noises got
louder, a rustling behind us, then the sound of rocks tumbling
down a slope. We spun around, flashlights out,
searching the shadows. Nothing.
Ryan stopped looking so paranoid.
Mark said, but his voice shook. He was trying to keep it
together, but I could tell he was scared.
We pushed on, the tension building.
The Canyon seemed to go on forever, and every step we took
felt heavier. My heart was racing, and I
couldn't shake the feeling that something was right behind us,
watching. Suddenly we heard it, loud and
clear, this time a voice. Mark.
It was Emily's voice, but she was right next to me.
She froze, her face pale as a ghost.
What was that? She whispered.
I didn't answer, I couldn't. We all stood there, frozen,
staring into the dark Canyon ahead.
Let's go back. I said, my voice shaking.
But before we could turn around, the voice came again.
This time it was mine. Ryan.
Chills ran down my spine. Something was playing with us,
Something was out there, and it was getting closer.
By the time we got back to camp, the sun was already setting.
None of us spoke the whole way back.
The air felt thicker, heavier, and even the wind seemed like it
was whispering something we couldn't understand.
I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being hunted.
Emily's face was pale and she kept glancing over her shoulder.
Mark, usually the confident leader, had gone quiet too.
His jokes had dried up and now he just looked tired, like the
weight of everything was pressing down on him.
I think we should leave tomorrow.
Emily said quietly as we sat around the fire that night.
This doesn't feel right. Mark shook his head.
We can't just leave, we're miles from the main road and we'd
never make it back before dark. Then let's leave at first light.
I said, my voice sounding more desperate than I meant it to.
Something's out there, Mark, you can't pretend you don't feel it
too. Mark poked at the fire, not
looking at either of us. It's probably just wildlife,
coyotes or something. But I could hear the doubt in
his voice. He didn't believe what he was
saying, and neither did I. The fire crackled, but it didn't
make me feel safe. It only made the shadows bigger,
deeper, like something could be hiding just outside the light,
watching us. My skin crawled with the
thought. I kept glancing toward the edges
of the camp, where the trees and rocks blurred into blackness.
Every time the fire popped, I jumped, half expecting to see
something standing there. Maybe we're just spooking
ourselves. Mark said, trying to sound
casual. People hear things when they're
scared. Emily shook her head, staring
into the flames. That wasn't my voice calling
your name, Mark. It wasn't me.
No one had a response for that. The silence that followed was
suffocating. I didn't want to admit it, but
she was right. What we had heard out there
wasn't something we could explain.
It was something else, something old, something evil.
The hours dragged by and the fire started to die down.
We didn't talk much after that, just sat there listening to the
sounds of the night. I kept hearing rustling in the
bushes, but every time I shined my flashlight there was nothing
there. My heart pounded in my chest and
I felt like a rabbit trapped in a cage, waiting for the predator
to strike. Then Mark disappeared.
It happened so fast I barely even registered it.
One moment he was sitting by the fire, and the next he was gone.
His chair was empty, his flashlight lying in the dirt.
Emily gasped, jumping to her feet.
Mark. I called out, my voice breaking.
Mark, where are you? No answer, just the wind and the
whispering sounds that seemed to circle around us.
Ryan, we need to find him. Emily said, her voice shaking.
We grabbed our flashlights and searched the campsite, but there
was no sign of him. Panic surged in my chest.
Where could he have gone? There was nowhere to go, just
endless darkness and the feeling of being watched.
Then, after what felt like hours, Mark came stumbling back
into the light. But something was wrong.
His eyes looked glassy and his movements were slow, stiff, like
he wasn't sure how to move his own body.
Mark, what happened? Emily asked, rushing over to
him. He didn't answer right away.
He just stared at her with this strange, distant look on his
face. I got lost.
He finally muttered, but his voice didn't sound right.
It was slower, like it was someone else trying to imitate
him. I took a step back, my stomach
twisting with fear. Something wasn't right.
That wasn't the Mark we knew. We didn't sleep that night, not
after what happened to Mark. Emily and I sat close to the
dying fire, our flashlights gripped tightly in our hands.
Mark was back, but something was wrong.
He hadn't said much after stumbling into camp, just sat
there, staring into the darkness.
His eyes looked distant, like he wasn't really with us anymore.
Every time he spoke, his voice sounded just a little off.
Emily leaned in close to me. Ryan, I don't think that's Mark.
Her words sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn't disagree.
I had been thinking the same thing ever since he returned.
The way he moved, the way he talked, it didn't feel right.
But what could we do? If that wasn't Mark, where was
he and what was sitting next to us?
We need to get out of here, I whispered back at first light.
We run, we don't stop. Emily nodded, her face pale with
fear. But as the minutes ticked by,
the sky still dark and endless, I realized we couldn't wait
until morning. The feeling of being watched was
growing stronger, the sounds of movement in the bushes creeping
closer. Whatever was out there, whatever
had taken Mark, was closing in. Suddenly, Mark stood up.
His movements were slow, stiff, like he was learning how to use
his body all over again. I need to go for a walk.
He said in that strange dragging voice.
Emily's hand tightened around my arm.
Don't let him go. But before I could say anything,
Mark turned and walked into the darkness.
My heart pounded in my chest. I knew we couldn't let him out
of our sight, but at the same time, I was terrified of
following him. What if we weren't just dealing
with a skinwalker? What if it had already taken
Mark and we were next? We have to go.
I whispered urgently to Emily. Now.
She nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
We grabbed our backpacks and flashlights, not even bothering
to pack everything. As quietly as we could, we
started to move away from the camp, our footsteps soft on the
dirt. The fire had died completely,
and the night was so dark that every sound seemed amplified.
The crunch of gravel under our feet, the wind whistling through
the Canyon, and that awful low whispering that seemed to follow
us. We had barely made it a few
steps when we heard it, Mark's voice calling from the shadows.
Emily, Ryan, where are you going?
I froze. It wasn't him, it couldn't be
him. My heart raced as I glanced at
Emily. Don't look back, I whispered.
Just run. We took off down the Canyon, our
flashlights bouncing wildly in the dark.
I could hear something chasing us, it's footsteps unnaturally
fast, it's breath ragged and close.
My lungs burned as I ran, but I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop. The narrow walls of the Canyon
closed in around us, and suddenly we were trapped, Dead
end. I spun around, my flashlight
shaking as I pointed it into the dark.
I could hear it, whatever it was, getting closer.
We have to hide. Emily gasped, her voice barely
above a whisper. There was a small crevice in the
Canyon wall, just big enough for us to squeeze into.
We shoved ourselves into the crack, holding our breath as we
heard the thing, the skinwalker, approach.
Its footsteps slowed, like it knew we were nearby but couldn't
see us. For what felt like hours, we
stayed hidden, not daring to move or even breathe.
Finally, the footsteps faded and the whispers stopped.
We need to move, I whispered now.
We crawled out of the crevice and kept moving, slower this
time, making our way through the Canyon as dawn's light started
to creep over the horizon. We saw it.
The road. We had made it.
But as we stumbled toward the edge of civilization, something
didn't feel right. I glanced at Emily, her face
covered in dirt and sweat, and then I looked at Mark, who was
following close behind us, his expression blank.
The road wasn't the end. Something had followed us out of
the Canyon. It all started the day Maya told
me about the Path of the Forsaken.
I'd never even heard of it before, but I guess that's
because I wasn't from around here.
I'd only been living with my Aunt Laura for a few months,
ever since my dad disappeared. Mom couldn't handle everything
after the accident, so she shipped me off to this tiny,
creepy town in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains.
My aunt was nice enough, but the house was old and smelled like
dust and mothballs, and I felt alone all the time.
The town felt even worse, quiet, with too many dark corners and
fog that never seemed to go away.
Maya, Caleb, and Jordan were the only kids who talked to me at
school. They weren't bad, but they had
all known each other forever. I always felt like an outsider,
like I was trying to break into some secret club.
Still, they let me hang out with them most days after school.
That's when Maya first brought up the legend.
You haven't heard about the path?
Maya asked one afternoon as we sat on the rusted swings at the
old playground. It was chilly, and the wind kept
blowing the dead leaves around in little circles.
I shrugged. Nope, what is it?
Caleb leaned in, his eyes wide. It's an old trail that only
shows up during a blood moon. He whispered like it was some
big secret. If you walk it, you can make a
wish, any wish. But he paused dramatically.
If you step off the path, the Forsaken will get you.
I raised an eyebrow. The Forsaken?
Jordan, who usually didn't talk much, nodded.
Spirits of people who walked the path and didn't follow the
rules. They're stuck there forever, and
if you make a mistake, they twist your wish into something
terrible. My stomach did a little flip.
It sounded like one of those ghost stories meant to freak
people out, but I could tell they believed it.
Caleb's older brother had supposedly done it, and he swore
it was real. I didn't want to seem like a
scared little kid, so I tried to act cool.
So when does this blood moon happen?
I asked, keeping my voice steady.
Tonight. Maya said, her eyes gleaming
with excitement. We're going to try it.
For a second I thought about saying no.
Something about the way they talked about the path gave me
the creeps, but I didn't want to be the only one who chickened
out. I'd already been feeling out of
place since I moved here, and if I backed out now, they'd
probably never let me forget it. I'm in, I said, forcing a smile.
My heart thudded a little too hard in my chest, but I told
myself it was just a story. Nothing was going to happen.
Meet us by the old signpost in the woods, Caleb said at
midnight. As I walked home that evening,
the clouds were thick, but I could still see the edges of the
blood moon starting to rise in the sky.
The air felt colder than usual, and the trees lining the road
seemed to loom closer, their branches like skeletal hands
reaching for me. That night, I lay in bed,
staring at the ceiling, my stomach churning with a mix of
nerves and excitement. The house creaked around me, and
every time I closed my eyes I imagined shadows creeping
through the hall. Finally, I couldn't take it
anymore. I grabbed my jacket and my
flashlight. It was time.
Midnight felt a lot scarier than I thought it would.
I crept out of my aunt's house as quietly as I could, closing
the door behind me without a sound.
The night air was freezing, colder than it should have been
for early fall, and the thick fog that seemed to constantly
surround this town was heavier tonight, almost suffocating.
The full blood moon hung low in the sky, glowing a deep red
through the mist, casting everything in an eerie light.
It didn't feel real. It felt like something out of a
nightmare. I made my way down the road
toward the old signpost in the woods where we were supposed to
meet. My flashlight flickered as I
walked, and for a second I thought about turning back, but
I wasn't about to back out now. I was already this far, and I
wasn't going to be the only one too scared to go through with
it. When I got there, Maya, Caleb,
and Jordan were already waiting for me.
Their flashlights cast long, thin beams of light that cut
through the fog like knives. Caleb was grinning like he'd
just won a prize. Ready for the Path of the
Forsaken? He asked, his voice filled with
excitement. I swallowed hard and nodded, not
trusting myself to speak. All right, Maya said, stepping
up to the old weathered signpost.
It looked ancient, with faded lettering and a wooden arrow
pointing into the dark forest. This is where it starts.
Jordan, quiet as ever, pulled out his phone and checked the
time. It's midnight, he said.
We have to do it now. Caleb explained the ritual
again, even though we already knew it.
Turn off your flashlights, close your eyes, and think of your
wish. If we're worthy, the path will
appear. I hesitated, my thumb hovering
over the button on my flashlight.
My mind raced. Did I really want to do this?
But before I could change my mind, the others turned off
their lights, plunging us into complete darkness.
The fog was so thick I could barely make out their shapes in
the moonlight. close your eyes. Caleb whispered.
I closed them, even though it made my heart # harder in my
chest. I didn't want to be here, I
didn't want to do this, but what choice did I have?
I couldn't back out. Now, in the darkness behind my
eyelids, I thought about my dad, how he disappeared on that boat
months ago, how no one ever found his body.
The ache in my chest grew stronger as I made my wish.
I wanted him back. I wanted to see him again, alive
and well, like nothing had ever happened.
The silence around me was deafening.
No one said a word. The air felt heavy, like it was
pressing down on me. And then, without warning, the
feeling changed. The ground beneath my feet
seemed to shift. I opened my eyes, my heart
racing. The others were gone.
Instead of the old signpost and the familiar woods, there was a
path, a narrow, winding trail stretching out in front of me,
illuminated by the blood moon's Crimson light.
The trees were closer now, their branches gnarled and twisted,
reaching toward the path like long, Bony fingers.
I swallowed hard and clicked my flashlight, but it didn't work.
I hit it against my hand a few times, but it stayed dead.
I looked around, hoping to see Maya, Caleb, or Jordan, but
there was no sign of them. It was just me, alone.
I took a shaky breath, the cold air burning my throat.
There was only one way to go, so I started walking.
I kept walking, the eerie red light of the blood moon casting
strange shadows along the path. Every step I took made the air
feel heavier, colder. The trees on either side of the
trail seem to press in closer, they're twisted branches
reaching toward me like they wanted to pull me off the path.
The silence was thick, too thick.
I could hear my own breathing, loud and shaky, echoing in the
cold night air. Then came the footsteps.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination.
I stopped to listen, but when I did, the footsteps stopped too.
I held my breath, heart pounding in my chest, and waited.
Silence again. Maybe it was nothing, I told
myself, just the wind or something.
But when I started walking again, there it was, Soft but
steady, like someone was walking just behind me.
I spun around, shining my flashlight into the dark trees,
but there was no one there, only more twisted branches and
shadows. I gripped the flashlight
tighter, my hands starting to sweat despite the cold.
Hello. I called out, my voice shaky.
No response, just the stillness of the forest around me.
I kept walking, but this time faster.
The path seemed to stretch on forever, winding through the
woods like it was leading me somewhere I didn't want to go.
Closer this time. They followed me.
No matter how quickly I moved, I could feel something watching
me, lurking just beyond the edge of the trees.
My throat felt tight, and panic started to claw its way up my
spine. After what felt like hours of
walking, I saw something up ahead, a flicker of light.
I hurried toward it, hoping it was Caleb, Maya, or Jordan.
But when I got closer, I realized it wasn't them.
It was a small cabin, barely standing, with a weak fire
burning in a pit outside. The cabin looked like it had
been abandoned for years, the wood rotting and covered in
Moss. But the fire was new, crackling
in the stillness of the night. I hesitated at the edge of the
clearing, every instinct telling me to turn around and run.
But where would I go? The path behind me seemed darker
than ever, and the footsteps they'd stopped, but I knew
whatever had been following me was still out there.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.
You came to walk the path, didn't you?
I spun toward the fire and saw him, a boy about my age,
standing next to the fire pit. He was pale, way too pale, and
his clothes were old, tattered. His eyes were black, like there
was nothing inside him. He smiled, but it didn't reach
his eyes. You want your wish, right?
He asked, his voice low and strange.
I made my wish too, but I stepped off the path.
I took a step back, my pulse racing.
What do you mean? He pointed to the trees behind
me. They're waiting for you to make
the same mistake. Step off the path and the
Forsaken will get you, just like they got me.
Before I could respond, the ground beneath him seemed to
open up, like a mouth swallowing him whole.
One second he was there, and the next he was gone.
The fire went out, plunging the clearing into total darkness.
My heart pounded in my chest, and I stumbled back, my breath
coming in sharp, panicked bursts.
I turned, staring at the path ahead, my legs trembling.
I didn't want to keep going, but I had no choice.
So I ran, my legs burning with every step.
The darkness around me felt alive, like the trees themselves
were shifting, closing in on me. The wind picked up, howling
through the twisted branches, and I could swear I heard
whispers in the gusts, low, menacing voices calling my name.
But I didn't stop. I couldn't.
The path seemed to stretch on forever, and every second I
stayed on it, the pressure in the air grew thicker, heavier.
I could hear the footsteps again, no longer soft, but
pounding now, like something massive was chasing me.
It wasn't just one set anymore. It was many.
Whatever the Forsaken were, they were close, and I knew if I
stopped they would catch me. Suddenly the path took a sharp
turn, leading me down a steep hill.
My feet stumbled over the rocks and roots, and I almost fell,
but I caught myself just in time.
At the bottom of the hill, the trees thinned out, revealing a
wide ravine, and in the center of it, a black, swirling river.
The water looked wrong. It wasn't like any river I'd
ever seen. It moved too fast, churning like
a Whirlpool, and the sound it made wasn't natural.
It sounded like something deep and ancient, like a monster
roaring beneath the surface. My stomach dropped.
The path LED straight to the river's edge, but there was no
bridge, no way across. I was trapped.
I looked back up the hill. The footsteps were getting
louder, closer. The whispers in the wind turned
into a growl, deep and hungry. My breath came out in ragged
gasps as I scanned the area, searching for any way out.
But the only way forward was the river.
As I stood there, frozen in fear, the water began to ripple.
Dark shapes started to rise from the riverbed, skeletal hands,
black and twisted, clawing their way out of the water.
They stretched toward me, their fingers long and Bony, reaching
for my ankles. Panic shot through me and
without thinking, I backed away. My foot slipped off the path,
hitting the muddy ground, and suddenly the voices in the wind
screamed. The Forsaken were coming, I
could feel it. No, I shouted, scrambling back
onto the path. My heart was racing so fast I
thought it would burst. I had to do something or I was
going to die. Desperately, I pulled out my
flashlight, even though it had been dead for hours.
My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped it, but I flicked
the switch anyway, hoping for a miracle.
The flashlight flickered just once, and a thin beam of light
shot out. It wasn't much, but it was
enough. The beam hit the river, and to
my shock, the water parted. A narrow glowing path appeared
across the river, leading to the other side.
I didn't think, I just ran. The skeletal hands tried to grab
at my legs, but I dodged them, leaping onto the glowing path.
My feet hit the solid ground, and I sprinted across, not
daring to look back. The air around me was filled
with screams, and I could feel the Forsaken reaching for me,
their icy breath on my neck. But I didn't stop.
The moment I reached the other side of the river, the path
behind me vanished, swallowed by the darkness.
I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, my entire
body trembling. For a second, everything was
still. Then, slowly, the fog around me
began to lift. The whispers faded, and the air
lightened, like the weight that had been pressing down on me was
finally gone. I stood up shakily, clutching my
cracked flashlight. In front of me was the edge of
the forest. I could see the town just beyond
it. And there, waiting at the old
signpost, were Maya, Caleb, and Jordan.
They were laughing, talking like nothing had happened, like they
hadn't disappeared. I stumbled toward them, my heart
still racing. Guys.
Caleb turned, grinning. Nothing happened, huh?
He said. Guess the legend's just a story.
I didn't say anything. I couldn't, but I knew the
truth. I had barely escaped.