Chapter 1
The Call Of The Unknown
On a bright Wednesday morning in the small town of LA (South America), a girl named Rose was born. Rose had always been an academic at heart, a lover of learning, and her passion for studying set her apart from the other kids at school.
To escape the pressures of daily life, Rose found solace in the quiet of the forest. Every day after school, she would head out to a small shed nestled among the trees. There, surrounded by nature, she could study in peace. But one night, during a long study session, she fell asleep in the shed. When she woke up in the dead of night, a strange sound echoed through the woods—something unexplainable, something that chilled her to the core. She never quite figured out what it was, but the incident stayed with her.
(Present Day)On her 15th birthday, Rose set out to celebrate with her family. Her parents, supportive as always, took her on an adventure deep into the forest. Armed with flashlights, cameras, medical kits, phones, and all the necessary gear for an outdoor excursion, they made their way through the woods. It was meant to be a fun, light-hearted day, but things quickly took a dark turn.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, they suddenly heard a scream—one Rose instantly recognized. It was her brother. Panic surged through her as she and her parents rushed toward the sound, their hearts pounding with fear.
But as they ran, they couldn’t shake the whispered stories from town—the rumours of a beast lurking deep in the forest. It wasn’t just a wild animal, people said. It was something else. Something monstrous.
Something dangerous.
Rose’s mind raced. Was it possible that the creature was real? Could it be responsible for her brother’s scream?
Her curiosity, always piqued by mysteries, now burned with an intense fire. She couldn’t let it go. She couldn’t just stand by while her brother was hurt. This wasn’t just about family—this was about uncovering the truth, about getting revenge for the harm done to her loved one.
Determined, Rose made a silent vow: she would investigate the creature herself. No matter what it took. As the scream echoed through the trees, Rose felt her chest tighten. Her parents were already ahead, their flashlights cutting through the dense darkness like swords. The forest felt alive, but not in the comforting way it usually did—there was a pulse, an energy that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
“Rose, stay close!” her father shouted, glancing back to make sure she wasn’t falling behind.
But Rose wasn’t thinking about staying close. Her brother’s scream—sharp and filled with terror—rang in her ears, fuelling her fear and her resolve. She clutched her camera tightly, the light from its built-in flashlight trembling as she pushed forward.
They reached a clearing, and there it was: her brother’s backpack, torn and discarded on the ground. The straps were shredded, the fabric stained with something dark.
“Michael!” her mother screamed, her voice breaking.
Rose’s father picked up the bag and examined it, his face grim. “We need to get help,” he said firmly. “We can’t handle this alone.”
“No!” Rose protested. “We can’t leave him out here! He’s hurt! He’s scared!”
Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. “Rose, listen to your father. We need to call someone…..”
But before she could finish, another sound pierced the silence—a low growl, guttural and menacing. It came from somewhere just beyond the tree line.
Rose’s flashlight flickered as she aimed it toward the sound. The light revealed nothing but swaying branches and shadows, but the growl continued, growing louder, closer.
Her father pulled out his phone, his hands shaking. “I’ll call for help”
The growl turned into a deafening roar. Something moved.
Rose didn’t think; she acted. Gripping her flashlight, she took off toward the sound, her camera swinging wildly against her chest.
“Rose, stop!” her mother cried, but it was too late. Rose’s curiosity—and her desperation to find her brother—drove her forward.
She didn’t stop running until she reached another clearing, smaller this time. The moonlight illuminated the scene, casting an eerie glow over the forest floor. There, standing at the edge of the clearing, was a figure.
It was humanoid but distorted, its limbs too long, its posture hunched. Its eyes—glowing faintly in the dark—locked onto hers, and for a moment, Rose couldn’t breathe.
“Michael!” she shouted, hoping against hope that her brother was nearby, that he could somehow hear her.
The creature tilted its head, as if considering her. Then it turned and disappeared into the trees with inhuman speed, leaving behind a trail of broken branches and deep, clawed footprints.
Rose stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. The scream, the growl, the creature—it was all real. The stories weren’t just rumours.
She knew now what she had to do.
If her brother was still alive, she would find him. And if the creature was responsible for his disappearance, she would confront it—no matter the cost.
Gripping her flashlight tightly, she whispered to herself, “I’ll find you, Michael. I promise.”
And with that, she stepped deeper into the forest, into the unknown. Rose pressed forward, her breath shallow and quick, the damp air of the forest clinging to her skin. The flashlight in her hand illuminated the gnarled roots and moss-covered ground, but every sound—every rustle of leaves, every snapping twig—made her heart skip a beat.
“Michael!” she called again, her voice cracking. The forest seemed to swallow the sound, offering no response but the faint rustling of wind through the treetops.
She stopped to catch her breath, her fingers trembling as she adjusted the camera strap across her chest. She checked her phone—no signal. Typical.
Her parents’ distant voices called after her, but they sounded miles away now. Rose felt a pang of guilt for running off, but she couldn’t shake the image of her brother’s backpack, the claw marks, the creature’s eyes.
She couldn’t turn back. Not yet.
The trail ahead grew narrower, branches clawing at her arms as she pushed through. Her flashlight’s beam danced across the forest floor, catching something that made her stop in her tracks: more clawed footprints, pressed deep into the soft earth.
They led away from the clearing, veering toward the denser part of the forest.
Rose swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at her to go back, to find her parents. But the thought of Michael—hurt, alone, terrified—kept her feet moving forward.
As she followed the trail, a strange sound reached her ears: a soft, rhythmic tapping. It wasn’t like the growl or roar she’d heard before. This was… deliberate.
The sound grew louder as she approached another clearing, this one dominated by an enormous tree, its twisted branches reaching skyward like skeletal hands. At its base was something that made Rose’s stomach lurch.
A crude structure, built from sticks, leaves, and bones.
The tapping was coming from inside.
Rose’s grip tightened on the flashlight as she approached, her heart pounding in her chest. She crouched low, peering through the gaps in the structure.
Inside, the faint glow of a fire revealed something she didn’t expect: her brother’s shoe.
“Michael…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Before she could take another step, the tapping stopped.
A shadow moved.
Rose froze as the creature emerged from the structure, its form even more horrifying in the flickering light. It stood taller than she’d realized, its limbs impossibly thin but strong. Its face—or what passed for a face—was obscured by matted hair and something that looked like a mask made of bark and bone.
It didn’t seem to notice her at first, its attention focused on something inside the structure. But then, it sniffed the air.
Rose’s breath caught.
The creature turned its head slowly, those glowing eyes locking onto hers once more.
She stumbled backward, her flashlight dropping to the ground. The beam rolled across the forest floor, casting wild shadows that only made the creature look more monstrous.
It stepped toward her, its movements slow and deliberate.
“Michael!” she screamed, hoping he was somewhere nearby, hoping he would answer.
The creature let out a guttural growl, its posture shifting as it prepared to lunge.
But before it could, another sound filled the air—a sharp, piercing whistle.
The creature froze, its head snapping toward the sound.
Rose turned to see a figure stepping out of the shadows, carrying a weapon—a long spear with a blade that gleamed in the moonlight.
“Get away from her,” the figure commanded, his voice calm but firm.
The creature hesitated for a moment, then let out a low snarl before retreating into the darkness.
Rose collapsed to her knees, her heart racing as the figure approached.
“Who… who are you?” she managed to ask, her voice trembling.
The figure knelt beside her, offering a hand to help her up.
“Someone who knows what you’re up against,” he said. “Come on. We need to move before it comes back.”
Rose hesitated, her mind reeling with questions, but she knew one thing for certain: if this person could help her find Michael, she had no choice but to trust them.
For now.
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