Liam took charge, his voice shaking slightly. "We need to find help. Let's go back to the house and call for emergency services."
But as they turned to head back, they realized they were lost. The darkness seemed to have shifted around them, and the familiar path was now uncertain.
"I thought you knew the way," Sophia said, her voice trembling.
"I did...I mean, I thought I did," Liam replied, looking around frantically.
Panic set in as they stumbled through the darkness, desperate to find their way back. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made them jump.
"We have to keep moving," Liam said, trying to sound calm. "We can't stay here."
As they walked, the shadows seemed to grow longer and darker, like grasping fingers. They couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
Suddenly, Mia stopped in her tracks. "Do you hear that?" she whispered.
They listened, and then they heard it too - footsteps, heavy and deliberate, coming from the darkness ahead.
The group froze, their hearts racing. What do they do now?