"If I die out here, I'm haunting every single one of them," I grumbled under my breath, slapping a branch out of my way. The leaves scattered in the air, but the stillness of the forest made the sound feel muffled like the trees themselves were holding their breath.
The air was thick tonight, heavy with something I couldn't name. My steps were slow, hesitant, as if the forest was testing me, waiting for me to make a mistake. Every twig that snapped underfoot felt louder than it should. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
I should've never agreed to this, but it was too late now. A promise was a promise, even if it led me straight into danger.
The clearing eventually appeared, but I hesitated at the edge. The moon hung above, casting long silver streaks across the ground. This place was usually my sanctuary where the world didn't matter, where I could forget about everything for just a moment.
But tonight, the air felt different. Cold. Empty.
"Hello?" I called out, louder than necessary. I wasn't expecting an answer, but I wanted to hear the sound of my voice break the silence. It echoed back at me, but there was no response.
A strange shiver ran down my spine as I stepped further into the clearing.
The quiet was suffocating now no wind, no chirping of insects, nothing. Just me. And the unsettling stillness that surrounded me.
I turned to leave, but then I heard it: the faintest crunch of dry leaves behind me.
My breath hitched in my throat, my heart skipping a beat.
"Who's there?" I snapped, spinning around, every muscle in my body tensed. My voice was sharper than I intended, but I wasn't going to show fear not yet.
The trees shifted. Or maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.
Then it happened something stepped forward. Slowly, as though the figure knew I was watching, and wasn't in any hurry. The air around me seemed to thicken, the shadows growing darker, pulling the moonlight into themselves.
A figure emerged, the shadows bending around them as they stepped into the moonlight. A silhouette too fluid to be human, too solid to be a ghost.
My feet stayed frozen, but every instinct told me to run.
The figure lingered in the clearing, their presence filling the space between us like a suffocating fog. I couldn't see their face, but I could feel their gaze, heavy and unyielding.
And then, nothing. The clearing was still again, but I wasn't alone anymore.