a strange sound in the bushes,» Jake instructed, pointing the camera at Mark.
He feigned fright, eyes wide and shotgun clutched to his chest. A flash illuminated the clearing, revealing the silhouettes of trees for a moment.
Later, sitting around the burning fire, the friends unwittingly returned to the subject of their journey.
– The closer we get to his territory, the more I get a strange feeling,» Mark admitted. – It’s like someone’s watching us.
Jake nodded:
– I understand. But remember, we’re here for a great discovery. Imagine what a sensation our pictures will make if we do find him.
– Or her.
Mark raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtfully at the dark wall of the forest:
– I hope you’re right. And I hope our curiosity doesn’t take us too far.
Night had fallen thickly on the forest, shrouding it in a dense blanket of darkness. Mark and Jake, tense and wary, walked around the camp, peering into the blackness between the trees.
– Jake, look! – Mark whispered, pointing off in the distance. – Are there… eyes?
Jake squinted, looking in that direction.
– Relax, buddy. They’re just fireflies or glowing mushrooms. Don’t get any more scared than you are.
Returning to the fire, the friends continued their conversation about the mysteries of the world, gradually moving into the tent. Lying in their sleeping bags, they talked quietly, preparing for sleep.
– You know, Mark,“ Jake said thoughtfully, „sometimes I think we know so little about the world…
– Yeah,“ Mark agreed, yawning, „maybe that’s why we’re drawn to places like this.
Gradually the forest quieted, and the noise of the animals faded, and there was an unusual calm. The friends, lulled by the silence, began to doze off, and by midnight they were fast asleep.
Jake awoke to the subtle crunching of brushwood against the tent. His heart raced and a chill ran down his spine. He gingerly reached for Mark, shook him awake, and quickly clamped a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.
– Shh,» Jake whispered, barely audible. – Someone’s walking around the camp.
Mark’s eyes widened with fear.
– What kind of footsteps? – He asked with only his lips as Jake pulled his hand away.
– I don’t know, but they’re heavy,» Jake answered. – And we’re too far from civilization. This is the middle of nowhere.
Suddenly Mark heard a branch crunch under someone’s foot. Fear gripped his body, and his heart seemed ready to jump out of his chest.
With trembling hands, his friends grabbed their shotguns.
– I’ll go out and check it out,» Jake whispered. – Maybe it’s a moose.
– No!» Mark hissed in panic. – Let’s stay here and wait.
The minutes dragged on for an agonizingly long time. Every rustle, every sound made them flinch. An hour passed, but nothing happened. The forest was silent, as if silent.
Tiredness began to take its toll, and without noticing, the friends dozed off. But an hour later, Mark woke Jake again.
– Look,“ he whispered, „that’s not a moose. Whatever it was, it scared the whole forest. Remember when we were taking pictures around the campfire? The forest was silent even then. The birds were gone, the animals were quiet.
Jake swallowed nervously:
– What if it’s a bear?
Fear came in a new wave. Mark tried to lighten the mood:
– You know, if I get eaten by a bear, I’ll get you from the dead for this idea of coming here.
He laid back down, clutching the shotgun to his chest.
– I don’t like it here anymore.
Not twenty minutes later, there was heavy sniffling and hoarse breathing outside the tent.
– What’s that? – Mark whispered in horror.
Jake gestured for him to be quiet.
– We should go out and check it out,» he said quietly. – Chase whoever’s in there away. You stay in the tent.
With those words, Jake, gathering all his courage, slowly unzipped the tent and stepped out into the darkness of the night, leaving Mark alone, trembling with fear and the unknown.
Jake stepped out of the tent, shining the narrow beam of his flashlight into the space in front of him. The dark forest around him seemed to hold its breath, only the faint crackle of the fire breaking the ominous silence. The smoldering embers cast reddish reflections on the tree trunks, creating a bizarre play of shadows.
The guide walked cautiously around the tent in a circle, feeling a chill run down his spine. The shotgun in his hands felt like a heavy weight. The cold night air burned his lungs, and clouds of vapor escaped from his mouth, disappearing into the darkness.
– Jake! – Mark called softly from the tent, his voice barely breaking the silence of the forest.
Mark sat inside, clutching his shotgun tightly in one hand and his leather-strapped knife in the other. The last embers of the fire barely illuminated the tarpaulin walls of his shelter.
Jake walked seventy paces deeper into the woods, looking around carefully. He mentally cursed when Mark’s voice came again, breaking the silence.
Suddenly his gaze fell on a strange structure of sticks and stones not far from the tent. It had clearly been made by someone’s hands – too right to be accidental. Jake frowned: he and Mark couldn’t have built it; they’d been fishing all day.
Who, then? A human? Impossible, they were too far from civilization. A bear? But bears don’t build such elaborate structures.
The guide moved slowly back toward the tent, clutching his shotgun tightly. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the bushes behind the tent. Turning sharply, he pointed the flashlight beam in that direction. A shadow flashed in the light of the flashlight.
Before he could take a step, something heavy came out of the darkness and knocked him to the ground. Jake fell, unconscious.
Mark, hearing the noise, flinched. He jumped to his feet, pointing the shotgun in the direction of the sound. But he saw nothing but impenetrable darkness. Panic came in waves, and he wanted to jump out of the tent and run for his life.
Suddenly something huge came crashing down on the tent, grabbing it with Mark. He felt himself being dragged along the ground. Struggling desperately, Mark tried to free himself, but in vain.
– Ahhhh!» he screamed, panicking and firing his shotgun.
The creature let go of him as suddenly as it had grabbed him. Mark lay on the ground, feeling pain throughout his body. The acrid smell of gunpowder stung his nostrils. He tried to get up, but couldn’t. There was pitch blackness all around.
Gathering his last strength, Mark decided to crawl to the fire. He clutched the knife, a gift from his brother Joseph. Every movement was painful, but he persevered.
When he was only a short distance from the fire, he heard heavy footsteps behind him. He turned around, but saw only a huge shadow looming over him. The next moment the world around him was dark.
Chapter 2: Ghosts of the Forest
Dawn had barely touched the horizon when Joseph opened his eyes. He rose slowly from the bed, stretched, and began his daily exercises. Each movement had been honed by years of practice,