The forest was a world of twisted shadows and tangled branches. The air was thick with damp earth and the faint scent of decay.
Raindrops clung stubbornly to the leaves above, dripping in uneven rhythms that seed louder than they should have been.
The ground was a slick ss of mud, half-rotted leaves, and broken twigs, making every step treacherous.
Mist slithered through the trees, curling like ghostly fingers around trunks and stones.
The air was cold enough to bite, yet sohow still heavy, pressing down on their tired bodies like a weight they couldn’t shake. Athena’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
The forest was eerily quiet, no birds, no insects, only the unsettling sound of distant footsteps, dragging heavily across the earth. Whatever it was, it wasn’t human.
"Climb," Athena whispered, her voice barely audible.
Lisa’s eyes widened, but she obeyed, grabbing the nearest sturdy branch and pulling herself up.
Darren followed, his muscles strained from exhaustion, but he pushed himself upward without complaint.
Marco hesitated, clutching his side, his ribs still ached from his earlier fall, but Athena gave him a firm look, and he forced himself to climb.
Athena moved last, scaling the tree swiftly and silently, her body moving with an ease she didn’t understand but instinctively trusted.
She reached the others, who were huddled closely on the thick branches above.
"Cover yourselves," she instructed quietly. They reached for the dirtproof blankets they had carried from the camp, rough-textured and cold against their skin.
Athena spread hers across her body and face, leaving just enough space for her to see.
"Close your eyes," she told them firmly. "Don’t move, no matter what."
"But..." Lisa started, her voice trembling.
"Don’t," Athena cut her off. "Trust ."
They obeyed, pulling their blankets over their heads and squeezing their eyes shut. Athena, however, kept hers wide open.
The footsteps grew louder, closer, a slow, deliberate pace like sothing dragging itself forward. A dark figure erged from the mist.
The creature was massive, its twisted fra towering nearly twice as tall as a man.
Its body was caked in dried mud and streaked with blood, so old, so fresh. Its skin appeared cracked and hardened, like stone scorched by fire.
Crimson eyes glowed fiercely beneath a tangled ss of hair, their sharp gaze scanning the forest floor.
Its chest rose and fell heavily, with a guttural wheeze that seed to rattle in its throat.
Athena’s heart pounded painfully in her chest. The creature’s enormous hands twitched with each step, fingers tipped with jagged, claw-like nails.
It paused beneath their tree, its head snapping upward. Athena froze. She barely breathed.
The beast’s red eyes scanned the branches, flickering past them once, then twice, as if unsure of what it sensed.
Its snarl revealed crooked, yellowed teeth, each one sharp enough to tear flesh.
For a mont, Athena swore it locked eyes with her. Her fingers twitched around her spear, though she knew attacking now would be suicide.
Then, slowly, the creature turned away. Its heavy footsteps receded into the mist, vanishing into the endless maze of trees.
Athena stayed frozen for several monts longer, her breath caught in her throat. When she was finally sure the beast was gone, she whispered, "It’s safe now."
The others peeked out from beneath their blankets, pale and shivering. Lisa’s eyes were red from suppressed tears.
"What was that?" Darren croaked.
"I don’t know," Athena admitted. "But it’s hunting."
"We can’t stay here," Marco whispered hoarsely. "If it cos back…"
Athena nodded grimly. "We’ll move at first light."
Dawn was cold and gray. The storm had finally ended, leaving the earth slick with mud and the trees dripping with rain.
Athena’s group moved cautiously, weaving between trees and stepping carefully to avoid snapping twigs.
The forest felt unnatural. Every few steps, Athena swore she heard footsteps or glimpsed sothing darting behind the trees. The faint tallic scent of blood lingered in the air.
By noon, they reached a narrow river cutting through the landscape. The water flowed dark and murky, branches and debris bobbing along the surface.
"We should follow this," Athena suggested. "Rivers lead sowhere."
The others agreed, too drained to argue. They trudged along the riverbank, their steps heavy and weary. Hunger gnawed at their stomachs, but none of them dared speak of it.
As they walked, Marco stumbled, slipping in the mud. He let out a quiet curse, clutching his ankle.
"Are you okay?" Darren asked, rushing to his side.
"I’m fine," Marco winced. "Just twisted it."
Athena knelt beside him, checking his injury. "We need to keep moving," she said quietly. "But if you can’t walk..."
"I can," Marco insisted. "I’m not slowing us down."
Athena knew he was in pain, but they couldn’t afford to stop. The longer they lingered, the greater the risk.
By nightfall, they reached a clearing. Athena found a small hollow beneath a rock ledge, enough space for the four of them to squeeze inside.
"We’ll sleep here," Athena said. "No fire tonight."
The others didn’t question her. They huddled together beneath their blankets, their bodies stiff with cold.
In the darkness, Athena remained awake, gripping her spear tightly. The faint sound of distant howls drifted through the trees. Wolves. Or sothing worse.
The next morning brought more misery. Marco’s ankle had swollen overnight, turning an angry shade of purple. He could barely walk, forcing Darren to support him.
The forest seed to close in tighter as they moved. The trees grew twisted and gnarled, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching for them.
Suddenly, Athena stopped. Her eyes locked on the ground, a series of footprints, fresh and deep in the mud. They weren’t alone.
"Stay quiet," Athena warned, her voice barely above a whisper.
They moved slower now, each step asured and silent. The footprints veered off into the trees, but Athena couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing, or soone, was watching.
Hours later, they reached the edge of a rocky hill. A faint glow flickered in the distance.
"Do you see that?" Lisa whispered. Your journey continues at .Côm
Athena narrowed her eyes. "A fire."
"Could it be the crew?" Darren asked hopefully. "There were three crew teams in different locations, hidden from us."
"Or sothing worse," Athena muttered.
They approached carefully. As they drew closer, the faint scent of cooked at filled the air. The fire crackled beneath a makeshift tent.
Athena’s heart leapt when she spotted two familiar faces, crew mbers.
"They’re alive," Darren whispered in relief.
But Athena’s relief was short-lived. Sothing was wrong. The crew mbers were pale, their expressions blank as they sat motionless by the fire.
Then, as Athena stepped closer, she realized, they weren’t breathing.
The crew’s bodies had been propped upright, their eyes glassy and unfocused. The sll of cooked at was stronger now, and Athena knew it wasn’t from an animal.
"Back away," she ordered sharply, her voice low. "Now."
Before they could retreat, footsteps echoed from the trees.
Dark figures erged, their faces twisted with hunger and madness. The tribe had followed them, and they weren’t finished yet.
"Run!" Athena shouted.
They bolted into the trees, adrenaline surging through their veins. The footsteps followed, heavy and fast.
Athena clenched her teeth. If they wanted to survive, they’d have to fight.
Reviews
All reviews (0)