My name is John and I'd always dreamed of taking my son Danny
on a hunting trip. It had been years since we'd
gone out into the Wilderness together and I was excited to
spend some quality time with my son.
So when Danny's school schedule, cleared up for a week, I knew it
was the perfect opportunity. We packed up our gear and set
out early in the morning eager to make the most of our time in
the woods but as soon as we stepped foot into the forest,
something felt off the animals. Were eerily silent.
And the forest seemed to still it was as if we were being
watched. Danny didn't seem to notice but
I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being followed.
We trudged on trying to ignore the creepy sense of unease that
was growing with each step as the day.
Went on our unease, only grew the forest was too quiet and we
couldn't help the feeling that we were being followed.
We set up camp for the night and started a fire hoping to ward
off. The chill in the air and the
growing sense of fear that was creeping into our minds.
As we sat around the campfire, we started to hear the crunching
of leaves and twigs breaking all around us.
It was, as, if something was moving through the forest
closing in on us. But just as suddenly as the
noise started, they stopped Danny and I looked at each
other, our eyes wide with fear. I grab my weapon, ready to
defend us, if whatever was out there, decided to attack But
after searching the surrounding area, we found nothing exhausted
and on edge, we retreated to our tent for the night but as soon
as we stepped inside, we found a note and a Polaroid picture of
us walking through the woods earlier that day.
The note read, I am watching you Danny and I were now terrified.
We knew that we were not alone in the woods and someone or
something was following us. We didn't sleep that night.
And we knew that the next day would be even more dangerous
than the first. The next morning, we were too
scared to talk much during breakfast.
We just boiled some water for our instant oatmeal and ate in
silence. Both of us lost in her own
thoughts. Eventually, we decided to call
off the hunting trip and head back home.
We knew we wouldn't be able to enjoy ourselves with the
constant fear of something following us.
We quickly packed up our tent and put out the fire Fire, our
eyes constantly scanning the surrounding area for any sign of
danger, but the forest around us was eerily quiet and we couldn't
see anything out of the ordinary once.
Everything was packed up. We filled up our water bottles
from a nearby stream as we were doing so, Cloud started to form
and it began to rain. This was strange because John
had checked the weather before we left on the trip and it had
said there would be clear skies and sun we Quickly, put on our
rain jackets and sought shelter under a nearby tree, but the
rain didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.
It was coming down harder and harder.
Turning the trail, we had taken before into a muddy mess.
We knew we couldn't risk getting injured in the forest with no
cell service. So, we decided to head to Higher
Ground and wait out the storm. The storm continued for the
entire day, and we kept hearing the occasional Twigs snap
throughout the day, but we couldn't tell what or who was
making them by the time, the rain stopped, it was completely
dark outside. We decided to set up camp again,
but this time the ground was too wet for a fire.
We tried our best to enjoy a Cold Mountain House.
Meal of chicken and rice in silence as we drifted off to
sleep, we started to hear some shuffling outside our tent.
I grabbed my weapon, in case we needed to defend ourselves,
whatever was outside the tent, began whispering.
Things in a language. We couldn't understand this
continued for about 10 minutes, but it felt like an eternity
then suddenly there was a howl far off in the distance.
The thing outside, the tent went completely silent.
Not making a move after a few howls off in the distance.
The thing outside, the tent ran off into the forest, we stayed
in the tent and complete Terror until sunrise, too scared to
move. The next morning, I open the
tent in complete shock outside. The tent was footprint
surrounding us. The footprints did not look
normal. Whatever made them was
definitely Barefoot. It looks similar to human tracks
but it only had three toes. We looked around the area and
found two more Polaroids nailed to a tree near us.
One was of Us near the stream and the other was of us sleeping
in our tent. We were shaken to our core and
knew we add to get out of this Forest as soon as possible.
We grabbed our stuff and ran as fast as we could on the muddy
Trail. The forest around us was still
eerily quiet. While we were running I could
hear the whispering from the night before playing over and
over in my head I still could not understand the language or
even begin to describe the sounds that I heard.
It took us a few hours to get back to my truck.
We felt like collapsing, once we arrived to our shock, there were
muddy three-toed Prints all over the truck.
The driver side window was broken.
And inside the seat was a note that read don't come back, we
threw our stuff into the back and got in, we backed up and
spit out of their tires peeling on the gravel road, when I
looked in the rearview mirror, I saw something that will forever
haunt me to humanoid creatures, stood where my truck was parked
guessing from the trees next to it.
They were about eight feet tall slender under and a greyish
green color. They had dark black circles for
eyes that peered into my soul. We made it home after a few
hours, the whole trip. We drove in silence.
Not knowing what to make of the whole thing.
We haven't told anyone else we know about our terrifying trip,
I doubt anyone would even believe us.
It's now been a few days and every time I lay down at night,
I still hear the whispering in my mind.
I haven't slept much recently I don't know what to do.
I did find one of the Polaroids in my jacket.
The rest must have fallen out. When we were running, it's a
little water damaged from the rain, but I'll do my best to
attach it. One thing is for sure, I will
never forget those things staring back at us in the
rearview mirror. I have no idea what they were or
why they wanted us to leave. I'm just glad we got out of
there with our lives. I'm never going into the woods
again. N.
During my years, as a park ranger, I encountered things
that would terrify the most tenacious trucker.
However, nothing on God's Earth has ever given me as much cause
for existential dread as the under tunnels of the Grand.
Canyon. Those treacherous tunnels were
not carved by human hands and they certainly were not intended
for human eyes. I have heard so many tales of
uncovered underground passages in the Grand.
Canyon, it's not a New Concept, but there's a difference between
a hidden Search and the under tunnels.
I probably should have left this place long ago, but I think I'm
too afraid, like Pandora's Box, one certain things have been
learned, they cannot be unlearned.
I feel I have an obligation to stay here until my dying day
besides no matter how far I might be able to run, it would
never be far enough. There might be under tunnels
beneath all places. I don't actually work as a
ranger anymore but I like to Say that I still perform a service
to the park because I frequent the bars and other Hospitality
attractions of the area. I keep an eye and an ear on
things. I still hear awful Tails.
That's how I know I'm not alone. I know there are others who have
seen, what? I saw several years ago.
Look, I'm not trying to deter you from coming here.
I'm simply saying that you shouldn't ever seek the Terrors
that hide in the hopefuls of the Grand, Canyon that only applies
to those of you. Explore the gorge itself.
If you simply want to admire the vibrant Vistas, atop the edges
of the canyon then go for it book.
A tour. It's well worth the experience,
but I would strongly advised against exploring.
What? Lies in its depths.
Most people never stumble upon an entrance to the under tunnels
but why would you take the chance?
I hope you'll respect my privacy and that's why I'm going to
refer to myself by the nickname that my youngest daughter Eliza
It upon me, mr. Danger, the park ranger and he
goes on adventures with his sidekick Miss Sunshine.
The porcupine Eliza loves her porcupine costume.
I have always marveled at my daughter's boundless creativity,
my wife Riley on the other hand, prefers us to stick to Jolly or
topics. Why do you fill her head with
the idea that you once had such a terrifying job, Riley asked?
Because life, as a financial advisor is so dull in
comparison, Comparison. I replied.
Boo boring. Eliza groaned making a farting
noise. Exactly what I want to say to my
boss every day. I said, before any of you start
panicking that I've been traumatizing, my ten-year-old
daughter, with detailed accounts of horrifying things, that
happen to me. I only tell ghost stories, never
anything real stories of trolls in the rocks and alien visitors.
Perhaps it helps me deal with my trauma to create fictional
horror stories. Can I tell a spooky story?
Next, Eliza asked, I grinned and said, go for it.
Miss Sunshine. It's the story of a witch who
once Eliza began no witches, I firmly stated.
And after that conversation earlier this evening, I was
forced to relive the most haunting night of my entire
life. The night I spent in the belly
of the Grand Canyon tirelessly hunting for two teenagers who
had gone missing. I hoped and prayed for an easy.
Uh, search and rescue job. I feared I would find two
injured hikers and some hard-to-reach crevice.
That was my worst case scenario. I had no concept of the real
worst case scenario. Traversing the rocky terrain of
the Colossal, Chasm that spans, the Grand Canyon National Park.
I found myself looking up at the wondrous walls that Rose like
Earthly skyscrapers above me at first.
I felt soothed and comforted by their presence.
However, as the sun, Into set, and my torch became my new
guide. Those Canyon walls,
shape-shifted into something far more Insidious.
They no longer felt like warm blankets.
They felt like walls of my coffin.
My harrowing thoughts were interrupted by the fluttering
wings of a crow that circled above me, I ignored the creature
pressing on words, but I could feel its black eyes, staring
onto the crown of my head. It was watching me as I walked.
When I was a park ranger, I like to think of myself Myself as a
man who had a strong Affinity with all the animals, but that
calling Crow evoked. A frightful feeling in my heart
even as a whippersnapper on the job.
And one who at this point in my life hadn't personally
experienced, anything terrible, my animal Instinct was
well-honed. Come on, mr.
Danger, I told myself you're not about to be bested by a crow.
Are you what would Miss Sunshine's?
Say if she could see you now. I clenched my torch tight.
In my right hand and started waving it around in a manic,
frantic motion attempting to shoot the bird away.
At that moment, I was starting to get frightened.
I was startled by the sudden sound of footsteps from the
darkness ahead of me with lightning fast reflexes.
I shown the torch of light, in the direction of the sound,
somebody emerged from the side of a rock, and their flashlight
came into view steady. It's me.
Jack cried. I thought you might want some
help. With the search any luck, I
found something quite promising, Jack, as I've named him for the
purpose of this story was a fellow park ranger.
He was a wizened old fellow and I always viewed him as a second,
Father Figure. He was a little old, and his
jokes often elicited I roles, but I've never been so relieved
to see his goofy. Grin hand, still trembling my
light erratically danced, and darted across the Rocks between
us. No sign of them.
You scared the absolute crap out of me, Jack.
I sighed, it's a good thing. I wore my brown trousers Jack
laughed and beckon for me to follow him.
So what you're promising find? I asked.
Well, let's just say we should be home and putting our feet up
and no time at all. I think I found a cave system
that the two girls must have explored.
He explained leading the way. It's not one that I recognize
truth be told but I Cause I might be getting forgetful in my
old age. Anyway, I'm almost certain they
entered it. There was a camp fire by the
entrance recently, burned out must be them.
Crap, I groaned. Last thing, I wanted to do at
nine o'clock on a Saturday evening, is to fish.
Some dumb unprepared injured people out of a cave better than
fishing. Some dumb unprepared passed
away. Bodies out of the cave, a jack
pointed out. Let's hope your version of the
events ends. Up being the true one.
I solemnly nodded my head thinking of the countless lives
that have been lost in the canyon.
Whenever I had cause to moan or groan.
I reminded myself of the people I was trying to protect it was
on nights like those that are Ranger had to prove their worth.
I prayed that we would find to live hikers.
Huh, Jack said what I asked as we rounded a tall stack of
rocks, my friend scratched, his chin, thoughtfully casting, his
Light onto the smoldering pile of sticks.
I was looking at the burned-out campfire as promised but there
was no sign of the mysterious cave entrance, just a solid
Canyon wall. As there had always been in that
spot. As far as I could recall, I was
certain that Jack who was 30 years, my senior at started to
lose his marbles, but none of the park rangers had the heart
to tell him to hang up the Hat. It was what he loved.
The park was the thing that kept him alive.
I know you're going to laugh Jack side, but I'm telling you,
there was a cave entrance, right?
In that very spot kiddo. I mean, I was right about the
campfire, wasn't I? I wasn't going to accuse you of
lying Jack. I replied it's dark and neither
of us can see anything out here. Even with these flashlights, the
human mind is a Fickle thing. It loves to play tricks, you
should know that, but let's not despair.
We must be on the right track, you're right about that.
That the campfire is a good sign.
Yeah. I suppose your 00 Jack stopped
looking to the side of my head. What I asked he chuckled got a
little something on your shoulder partner.
I swiveled my head to the left and screamed there, staring back
at me with Hollow eyes, was the black crow that had been
stalking me. It was silently, perching on my
shoulder, I hadn't felt. It was their it hadn't so much,
as made a sound or Into my field of vision, it was a gaunt
ghastly statue posing with such Stillness that it might as well
have been in Taxidermy bird Jack cackles until he wheezed and
sputtered. He continued to be of no use
whatsoever. Whilst I flailed around in a mad
Panic, striving to release the creature from my shoulder.
Eventually thankfully, it flew away to my park ranger friend.
It was an amusing incident to me.
It was something much worse. I didn't like the Erie
situation, The Disappearing cave, entrance, the eerily
Serene bird, none of it, not one bit.
As I said, I have good instincts and I don't fear animals for the
record. I never have.
I care deeply, even for Nature's Most ominous and overlooked
creatures. Crows had never bothered me
before that fateful night, but that Crow was unlike anything
I'd ever seen before. I didn't know what was wrong
with it, but I knew the mere sight of it filled me with Men's
horror it was dangerous and I'm not talking about fun and
Mischief that mr. Danger and Miss Sunshine, love.
This was real danger, danger, that I'd forgotten all about
until Eliza reminded me of something that had been hiding
in the dark and recesses of my fractured forlorn mind.
Wait, Jack said it moved, suddenly my park ranger friend
was sprinting past me, so I turned to see what had stirred
him and that I saw it on the canyon wall.
All opposite to the one that we had been facing.
There was a cave entrance. It was one.
I was certain, I'd never seen in that area before, and that made
me truly start to question everything.
Maybe Jack hadn't lost his marbles that could only mean
something more unsettling was happening either.
We were both incompetent Park Rangers or something unnatural
happened in Jack. I started let's talk about this
for a moment. Jack had already reached the
mouth of the cave and he was jubilant lead.
Sing in the entrance before I even had the chance to talk
about the horrible feeling in the center of my chest.
I spotted something that snapped me out of my feverish stupor
Jack. I warned wolf Jack immediately
Stop Dancing in the entrance and cast.
His torch light onto a large grey wolf.
That was slinking toward him. It did not growl, it did not
make a sound. In fact it's simply took long
purposeful strides toward my frozen friend.
Easy buddy. D Jack calmly said I don't have
any treats for you and I'm not as tasty as I look I promise now
ordinarily I'd scare you off with rubber bullets but I'm a
little unprepared this evening. I have to admit so I'm warning
you not to get too close otherwise you'll get the back of
this torch Jack. I said speaking with the same
air of calmness, keep your cool. I've been doing this a lot
longer than you kid. Don't worry about the Moved up
normally quick pouncing towards Jack, who slammed his torch into
the animals, face, the creature along with Jack's torch went
flying to the ground. It did not whimper or even
falter more than a second. It was calm to calm, the wolf
simply got back to its feet and I bawled the now torch list
Jack. I shown my light onto the cave
entrance Illuminating, my defenseless friend and the wolf
that had started to prowl towards him once more Jack Okay,
just let me. I started, I have to head into
the cave. Jack cried in a flash, my
reckless Ranger companion. Had sprinted into the cave, the
darkness swallowed him. And the wolf that was hot on his
tail. I ran after the pair of them.
Lighting the way with my shaky, torch entering The Passage
through the canyon wall. I tried to focus all of my
attention on Jack, on the wolf who were already out of sight in
The Labyrinth of tunnels, but I couldn't help fixating on the
particular noises. That engulfed me rocks.
Were shifting as if the canyon were continuously reshuffling
and restructuring itself, Jack. I screeched, I tumble through a
hole and cut my elbow on a rocky slope.
I slid down to a sprawling. Cavernous opening, I stumbled to
my feet quickly and picked up my torch fearing.
What I might see in the center of the underground space in the
center of the cave. I expected to see the wolf
tearing up my friend what I actually saw.
Saw was far worse because it couldn't be explained.
Jack was there, but he was not facing a wolf.
He was facing something indescribably horrible, a gangly
creature towered over him, skin decaying and limbs twice as long
as those of an ordinary human. It was a monstrous lie magnified
version of a person. No, not a person.
A skinwalker, as the Native Americans would no doubt call
it. The stuff of Legends, a monster
that I had only Ever seen in frightening, fables, not
something real. And yet my eyes were telling me
a different truth. I could see the thing with my
own eyes. The thing that goes by so many
different names in so many different places, still, no
matter what name, it's given everybody agrees that it is an
Unholy thing and Abomination. Not meant for our world death
incarnate. Jack I near soundlessly gasped,
my friend began to levitate his Ascension.
Tension orchestrated, by the gnarled brittle, fingers of the
inhuman thing before it the, which a silent and Serene
Puppeteer continue to raise her hand, utilizing some unseen evil
force. She moved my friend higher and
higher, into the air, watching his illuminated form.
In my torch light, I could see the creature was as still an
unwavering as the crow and wolf and that was when I piece the
parts of the puzzle together. I remember that feeling of being
stalked by the crow. Those creepy black guys.
A sudden snapping sound broke me from my disturbing Daydream.
Instead, putting me into a much more deeply disturbing state of
reality, Jack released a scream that ricocheted off the walls of
the enclosed space. As his legs, bent the wrong way.
They broke one by one, his jaw started to drop and I realized
that he was moments away from losing Consciousness as morbid
as it sounds, I prayed that he would faint.
I prayed that he would not be conscious during this as the
which Began to pop his arms Inward, and contoured him into a
box shape looking at his compressed form.
I realized that he wasn't unconscious, he was gone at that
moment. The rocks on the walls crumbled
away, revealing a stack of boxes and surprisingly, a red wooden
door. As the witch open, one of the
boxes and began to put my friend into it, I crept around the back
of her. She busied herself with the act
of packing, her latest victim into a wooden golden line,
treasure box. And she did not Seem to notice
the Torchlight that was moving around her, as I inch closer and
closer to the red door on the far wall, stealthily, I made it
across the cave and placed my hand on the door handle.
The creature screeched in a blind panic.
I swung the door open and closed it behind me to my utter
surprise. I was facing a long dark tunnel.
A tunnel constructed of red bricks on the walls floor and
ceiling. The real under tunnels, this was
more than just a A cave system. It was I realized the witch's
Lair. There was no way I could survive
by going backwards. So I had to push forwards,
lighting the way with my torch. I ran blindly through the red
brick tunnel not knowing what I might find around every Bend
suddenly there were multiple forking passageways.
I had no idea which way to go. I just knew that I had heard the
red door open behind me and I heard a slow steady still Serene
padding footsteps of the Thing that had taken, Jack help the
voice, cried from the tunnel to my left.
So, I immediately followed the sound cowering.
In the end of the fork of the tunnel was a girl.
She must have been 18 or 19 fully knitted out and hiking
gear and coated head to toe in a crimson liquid.
Oh, thank God. She whispered we have to get out
of here. That thing is coming for us.
Where's your friend? I asked the girls lip trembled
Elise. Shh.
She's she's gone Alicia. So you're a Daniela, right?
I asked she nodded. I'm sorry about your friend
Daniela. I lost someone too but we're
going to make it out of here. I promised I think we should go
back to the red door. Daniela said we know the way
back from here. I shook my head helping Daniela
to her feet and pointed a finger to my ear indicating her to
listen. I was trying to show the That it
wasn't safe to go back the way we came, but I could hear the
which has padding footsteps. I suddenly realized that not
hearing her was far worse, where was she?
What Daniela asked? I don't hear her.
That doesn't mean she's not there.
Come on. I said, I let a begrudging
Daniela farther into the depths of the tunnels shaking as we
rounded every corner. Every time I saw the coast was
clear, it was both a relief and a fright, not knowing where she
Might be hiding was a scare like no other.
And then from the depths of the brick tunnels, we heard a sound
crying. It's a trick Daniela protested.
Don't go towards it. It sounds like a girl.
I said maybe Alicia is still alive.
I followed the sound of crying thankful.
For the fact that the tunnel no longer seem to be forming off in
two different directions, I was relatively certain that it was
more of an interconnected Circuit of tunnels rather than a
maze. All routes would have led to the
same place eventually a wooden colorless door and there was
crying on the other side, Daniela sobbed and said, don't
go in there. I ignored her motivated by a
sense of Duty. And perhaps a smidge of
stupidity. I burst through the door and
found myself in a cavern much larger than the last one.
And thankfully, there was a cave entrance at the far side, I
could see the outside world. It was a horribly Dark Knight
but it looked Like a glowing Beacon of Hope.
Anything was lighter than the hellish under tunnels of the,
which casting the light around the cave.
I eventually found Alicia pinned down by rocks tauntingly close
to Freedom. She was staring blankly ahead
and bawling her eyes out when she saw my flashlight, she
screamed help Alicia wailed. I'm trapped, it definitely felt
like a trap, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I
hadn't tried. Moreover yet again.
My instinct was telling me that I was looking at Alicia.
It wasn't the, which I could just feel it in my bones.
I darted over to the girl and heat the Rocks off of her arms.
There were cuts and bruises along her limbs.
So I hoisted Alicia to her feet. She screeched when she saw
Daniela get her away from me. Alicia cried Alicia, it's me,
Daniela replied, Alesia shook her head and gently nodded at
the far wall of the cave. I turned my head to see See what
the girl had been eyeballing. When I first entered, the
cavernous room I was horrified to see someone on the ground.
Lifeless in an unimaginable shape not just anyone Daniela
there were two of them. As I turned my torch light back
to Daniela who had just followed me from the under tunnels.
She nonchalantly through smile our way and yet as calm as she
may have been, it was the most unhinged and malicious smile.
I had ever seen Alicia and I slowly back towards the cave.
Sit watching as the fake 10 yellow started to grow in
height. Her limbs started to elongate
and her hair fell out within seconds.
I was staring at the horrific creature that had got my friend
Jack run. I screamed as we sprinted for
the exit, it began to close the rock shifted around it.
Slowly shrinking, the spot that was our only path to Freedom
within seconds to spare. Alicia dive through the opening.
And I followed turning to face the closing spot.
But I caught one final glimpse of the inhuman creature.
Before it was entombed in the wall of the Grand Canyon.
I had never told anyone that tail and I was a park ranger for
many years after that. If anything, understanding,
that, such things existed was. My reason for continuing.
There are other reasons that I eventually abandoned that line
of service, but my duty has never really went away.
And when Eliza reminded me of witches, I realized it was
finally time to tell my My story be you may or may not choose to
believe me. None of that matters.
But please, I beg you do not enter the under tunnels of the
Grand. Canyon