WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.399 Hello everyone. I am Mano Scaling, and I am here 2 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:05.360 to help you to day. I know you use this 3 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:08.919 video to fall asleep, so before that, please like the 4 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.640 video and subscribe to the channel, and also tell me 5 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:14.560 where you are from and what time you are watching. Now, 6 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:23.960 get comfortable and relax. My name is Cassandra right. I'm 7 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.280 thirty two years old. This happened in August of twenty 8 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:31.960 twenty four. Some wounds never heal, not the physical ones, 9 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:36.280 those eventually mend, leaving scabs and scars as proof that 10 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.359 your body fought and survived. I'm talking about the other kind, 11 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:43.920 the invisible gashes that tear through your soul when you 12 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.679 witness something your mind wasn't built to comprehend. It's been 13 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:51.240 nine months since that backpacking trip through Sage Creek Wilderness 14 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:56.920 in bad Lands National Park, South Dakota. Nine months of therapy, medication, 15 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:01.679 and nightmares that jolt me awake, wrenched in sweat, screaming 16 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:05.400 into the darkness of my bedroom. My therapist suggested I 17 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:09.079 write it all down, every horrific detail, as if putting 18 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:12.599 these memories on paper might somehow exercise them from my mind. 19 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.120 I doubt it will work, but I've tried everything else. 20 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:20.040 The trip was supposed to be a celebration. My best 21 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:23.519 friend Eliza had just finished her pH d in geology, 22 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:26.480 and her boyfriend Marcus, suggested we take her on a 23 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:29.799 wilderness adventure before she started her new research position at 24 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:34.239 the University of Minnesota. Marcus invited his childhood friend Trent 25 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:37.680 to round out our group. I'd never met Trent before, 26 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:40.799 but Eliza assured me he was a little intense, but 27 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.760 really dependable in the outdoors. I should mention that I 28 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:49.000 wasn't an experienced hiker. Growing up in suburban Chicago didn't 29 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.159 afford many opportunities to develop wilderness skills. But after my 30 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.640 divorce from Kevin last year, I had promised myself I 31 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:01.799 would start saying yes to new experiences, stop playing it safe. 32 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:05.799 Kevin always said I was too cautious, too afraid to 33 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.599 step outside my comfort zone. I wanted to prove him wrong, 34 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:13.680 even if only to myself. So when Eliza called with 35 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:19.039 the invitation, I agreed without hesitation. It'll be fun. She said. 36 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:22.639 The bad lands have this eerie, almost other worldly beauty, 37 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:25.319 and there's a section where you can back country camp 38 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:30.879 for a few nights. No designated trails just wilderness. Looking back, 39 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:33.800 I should have asked more questions. We met in Rapid 40 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:37.000 City on August tenth. Marcus picked me up from the 41 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:41.240 airport in his weathered Toyota Forerunner, Eliza beaming from the 42 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:46.199 passenger seat. They looked so happy together, Eliza's wild red 43 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.439 curls pulled back in a messy bun, her freckled face 44 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:54.360 flushed with excitement, and Marcus tall and solid, with a 45 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:57.120 kind of calm confidence that immediately put you at ease. 46 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:01.719 Cass Eliza squealed, jumping out, hug me, you're really here. 47 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:05.520 I can't believe you agreed to this new year, knew me, 48 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.000 I laughed, hugging her back tightly. It had been almost 49 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:11.439 a year since we'd seen each other in person, and 50 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:15.520 I'd forgotten how much I missed her infectious energy. Trent's 51 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:18.560 waiting at the camp site, Marcus explained, as he loaded 52 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:21.639 my backpack into the trunk. He went ahead to secure 53 00:03:21.639 --> 00:03:24.439 a good spot before we head into the back country tomorrow. 54 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:28.199 The drive to the park took about an hour, during 55 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:32.400 which Eliza chattered excitedly about the geological formations we'd be seeing. 56 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.840 The bad Lands are basically an enormous fossil bed. She explained, 57 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:42.000 thirty seven million years of history just lying there in 58 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:47.280 the rock layers. Ancient rhinos, camels, even saber toothed cats 59 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.719 used to roam here. No dinosaurs, I asked, wrong time period, 60 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.879 she laughed. But the Native Americans who lived here had 61 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:59.400 plenty of legends about monsters in these lands. The Lakota 62 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:05.080 called this place Makoska bad Lands for a reason. Marcus 63 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.879 glanced at her in the rear view mirror. Maybe save 64 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:11.759 the scary stories for the camp fire, babe. I remember 65 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:15.919 watching the landscape change as we drove, becoming increasingly stark 66 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.639 and alien, rolling prairie giving way to sharply eroded buttes, 67 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.759 jagged spires, and deep ravines in shades of rust, cream 68 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.800 and gray. It was beautiful in a desolate way, like 69 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:32.000 looking at the skeleton of the earth itself. We reached 70 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:35.600 the Cedar Past campground by late afternoon, where we found 71 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:39.360 Trent sitting outside his already assembled tent, whittling a piece 72 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:43.519 of wood with alarming precision. He stood as we approached, 73 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.480 a wiry man in his early thirties with a closely 74 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:49.560 cropped beard and piercing blue eyes that seemed to assess 75 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:54.120 everything with military efficiency. You must be Cassandra, he said, 76 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:59.120 extending a calloused hand. His grip was firm, almost challenging. 77 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.959 Just cass is fine, I replied, trying to match his 78 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:08.600 handshake strength. Trent's an ex park ranger, Marcus explained, worked 79 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:11.759 here for five years before moving to Colorado. He knows 80 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:16.120 these bad lands better than anyone. Trent's mouth twitched slightly. 81 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:20.439 Not better than the locals, he said quietly, never better 82 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:24.040 than them. There was something in his tone that gave 83 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.360 me pause. But Eliza was already organizing our campsite, assigning 84 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:32.360 tasks with her usual efficiency. We spent the evening setting 85 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.199 up tents, preparing dinner on portable stoves, and discussing our 86 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.959 route for the next day. Trent had mapped out a 87 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.480 three day loop through Sage Creek Wilderness, a remote section 88 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.720 of the park where we could truly disconnect, no trails, 89 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:51.720 minimal signs of human presence, he explained, spreading a topographical 90 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.399 map across our folding table. We'll follow the ridge lines 91 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:58.519 here and here, then drop down into this basin where 92 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:02.279 there's a reliable water. So from there we'll head north 93 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:05.439 through deer Haven Valley and loop back around through Sage 94 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:10.079 Creek basin. Any particular wildlife we should be concerned about, 95 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:15.839 I asked, rattlesnakes mostly, Trent answered, without looking up, bison 96 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.639 herds too, but they'll generally leave you alone if you 97 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:22.920 give them space. Mountain lions are around, but rarely seen. 98 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:27.839 What about other people, I pressed, Something about the isolation 99 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:31.199 was starting to make me nervous. Trent finally looked up 100 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:36.360 those blue eyes locking onto mine. That's why we're going there, Cassandra, 101 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:41.560 to not see other people. Marcus must have sensed my discomfort. 102 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.519 It'll be fine, cass Trent's done this route multiple times, 103 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.720 and we'll have the satellite phone for emergencies. As darkness fell, 104 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:54.199 we gathered around the campfire. The night air was cool, 105 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:57.560 the sky impossibly vast and filled with more stars than 106 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:00.120 I'd ever seen in my life. For a while, well, 107 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.000 we just sat in comfortable silence, watching the flames dance 108 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:08.759 and listening to the distant calls of coyotes. Then Eliza, 109 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:12.120 never one to let a silence stretch too long, asked 110 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.839 Trent if he had any good stories from his ranger days. 111 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:20.079 His expression darkened slightly. Nothing suitable for a campfire. The 112 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:24.240 night before a hike. Oh, come on, she prodded. We're 113 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:29.120 all adults here, give us something good. Any rescues missing hikers. 114 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:32.560 Trent took a long pull from his beer before responding. 115 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:37.199 There was one incident five years ago. Family of four 116 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:40.519 went missing in the area. Were heading two tomorrow, parents 117 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:44.720 and two kids, ages seven and nine. Marcus shifted uncomfortably. 118 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:49.439 Maybe we should No, I want to hear it, Eliza interrupted, 119 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:54.800 her eyes gleaming with macob curiosity. Trent shrugged. Not much 120 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:58.360 to tell. They were experienced hikers, had all the right gear. 121 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:02.120 Father was actually a will and a survival instructor from Minnesota. 122 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:06.040 They had permits for five days of backcountry camping. When 123 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:08.639 they didn't check in at the end, search and rescue 124 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.920 went out, and I prompted when he fell silent. We 125 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:17.360 found their campsite. Everything was there, tents still set up, 126 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:21.519 food properly stored, no signs of animal attack or struggle, 127 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.279 but no people, not a trace. It was like they 128 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:28.319 just vanished in the middle of whatever they were doing. 129 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:33.559 Coffee pots still on the portable stove. That's impossible, I said. 130 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:38.559 People don't just disappear in the bad lands. Some things 131 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:43.519 don't follow rules, Trent replied cryptically, the Lakota believed there 132 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:47.159 are thin places here where the barrier between our world 133 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:52.840 and other worlds isn't as solid. Eliza snorted, now you 134 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.720 sound like my crazy aunt Margaret. Next you'll be telling 135 00:08:55.799 --> 00:09:00.399 us about skin walkers and wendigoes. A muscle in Trent's jawed. 136 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.879 The locals don't joke about such things. Do they ever 137 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:09.120 joke about anything? Marcus laughed, trying to lighten the mood. 138 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:13.759 Come on, let's get some sleep early start tomorrow. As 139 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:17.320 we dispersed to our tents, I caught Trent staring out 140 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.440 into the darkness beyond our camp site, his body unnaturally still. 141 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:25.240 He was listening for something, though I couldn't imagine what. 142 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:29.480 That night, I dreamed of endless canyons and a voice 143 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:33.720 calling my name from deep within the earth. Morning came, 144 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:38.720 with merciful brightness, chasing away the lingering unease from Trent's story. 145 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.919 We broke camp efficiently, redistributing the group gear among our packs. 146 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.080 I was relieved to see that Trent seemed more relaxed 147 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.799 in the daylight, methodically checking our supplies and going over 148 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:56.080 the route one final time. Remember, he emphasized We're entering 149 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.440 a part of the park with no cellular service and 150 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:03.200 minimal trail markers. Stay together, conserve water, and speak up 151 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.480 immediately if you're having any issues. The first few hours 152 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.200 of hiking were exhilarating. We followed a faint trail that 153 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:15.519 wound up and along a dramatic ridge line, offering spectacular 154 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:20.240 views of the eroded landscape below. Eliza was in her element, 155 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.080 pointing out different rock layers and occasionally stopping to examine 156 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:30.039 interesting formations. See how these bands change color, she explained, 157 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:34.000 running her hand along a section of striped rock. Each 158 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:38.000 one represents a different period of deposition. The darker bands 159 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:42.240 are ancient soils that formed during wetter periods. I was 160 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:44.960 about to ask a question when Trent, who had been 161 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:48.240 walking ahead, suddenly raised his hand in a sharp gesture 162 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:54.399 that clearly meant stop. We froze bison, he said, quietly, 163 00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:58.440 pointing to a distant slope where several dark shapes were grazing. 164 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.279 We need to give them a wide birth. We altered 165 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.080 our course, adding an extra mile to our journey to 166 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:09.480 avoid the animals. By midday, the temperature had risen considerably 167 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:14.320 and the stark landscape offered little shade. My water supply 168 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:18.919 was depleting faster than I anticipated, and despite the breathtaking scenery, 169 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:21.639 I was beginning to question my decision to come on 170 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:25.159 this trip. How much further to the water source? I 171 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.519 asked during a brief rest, trying to keep the strain 172 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:32.519 out of my voice. Trent consulted his map. Another three miles, 173 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.559 but it's mainly downhill from here. We should reach it 174 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:40.360 by mid afternoon. Marcus gave me an encouraging smile hanging 175 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:45.039 in their cass Absolutely, I lied, not wanting to be 176 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:50.480 the weak link. As we continued, the landscape became increasingly surreal. 177 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.360 Wind sculpted spires rose like ancient monuments, and deep canyons 178 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:59.159 cut through the earth like open wounds. Despite my fatigue, 179 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.559 I couldn't help feeling a sense of awe and increasing 180 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:08.799 smallness in this vast primeval world. We reached the promised 181 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.600 water source around three p m, a clear stream winding 182 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.799 through a protected canyon. While Marcus filtered water for our bottles, 183 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:19.600 Eliza and I soaked our feet in the cool current, 184 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:22.679 and Trent scouted the area for a suitable camp site. 185 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:29.039 He returned looking troubled. What's wrong? Marcus asked, immediately, there's 186 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:32.480 someone else out here. Trent said, his voice low. I 187 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:36.240 found fresh footprints about half a mile up stream. Single person, 188 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.519 heavy boot tread moving in the same direction were headed. 189 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:45.120 Eliza shrugged. So it's a national park. Other people can 190 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:50.320 hike here, Not many do, Trent countered, especially not solo 191 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:56.159 hikers in this section. And there's something else, He hesitated. 192 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:02.320 The stride length is unusual, inconsistent, like they're limping or 193 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:07.960 not walking normally. Maybe they're injured, I suggested, shouldn't we 194 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:12.159 try to find them. They might need help. Trent considered this. 195 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.320 We'll set up camp here for tonight. If they're in trouble, 196 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:19.120 they'll likely follow the water source and come to us. 197 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:24.080 If not, he didn't finish the sentence. We established our 198 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:27.360 campsite in a sheltered area near the stream, surrounded by 199 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:31.559 steep canyon walls that offered protection from the wind. As 200 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:35.639 dusk approached, Marcus and Trent gathered wood for a small fire, 201 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:39.360 while Eliza and I prepared dinner freeze dried meals that 202 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.399 tasted surprisingly good after a full day of hiking. So 203 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:46.919 what do you think of, Trent? Eliza whispered as we worked. 204 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:51.600 He's intense, I admitted, but I feel safe with him 205 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:55.200 out here. He clearly knows what he's doing. She nodded. 206 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:59.159 Marcus says he was in Special Forces before becoming a ranger, 207 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:03.559 though tent never talks about it. Apparently something happened during 208 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.240 his last year here that made him quit suddenly. What 209 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.159 kind of something? No idea? Marcus tried asking once, and 210 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:16.799 Trent shut down completely. Our conversation was interrupted by the 211 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:20.879 men's return with armfuls of firewood. As darkness fell, we 212 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:25.120 again found ourselves circled around the crackling flames, our faces 213 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:30.279 illuminated in the dancing light. The canyon walls created strange acoustics, 214 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:35.360 sometimes amplifying the fires snaps and pops, other times absorbing 215 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:39.440 all sound in an eerie stillness. Anyone else notice how 216 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:44.639 quiet it is? Marcus commented, No birds, no insects. They 217 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.559 know better. Trent said cryptically. I was about to ask 218 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:50.919 what he meant, when a sound echoed from somewhere up 219 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:54.320 the canyon, a dull thud, followed by what might have 220 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:57.639 been a voice too distant to make out words. We 221 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:02.279 all turned toward the sound. The other hiker, Eliza, suggested, 222 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:07.480 Trent stood, reaching for his flashlight. Maybe I'll check it out. 223 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:11.960 You shouldn't go alone, Marcus protested, I'm not going far, 224 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.799 just to the bend in the canyon. If it's someone 225 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:18.399 in trouble, I'll signal with three flashes. He patted the 226 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.159 holstered hunting knife at his hip and disappeared into the 227 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:25.159 darkness beyond our fire's glow. Twenty minutes passed with no 228 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:29.639 sign of him. This isn't right, Marcus finally said, standing, 229 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:34.240 I'm going after him. No, I said firmly, surprising myself. 230 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.240 We shouldn't split up more. Give him until the count 231 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.440 of three hundred. If he's not back, we'll all go together. 232 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.080 We counted silently, the tension building with each passing number. 233 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:48.200 At two hundred and seventy four, a beam of light 234 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.799 appeared at the canyon entrance and Trent emerged, his expression 235 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:57.960 unreadable in the darkness. Well, Eliza prompted as he rejoined us. Nothing, 236 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:02.559 he said, shortly. No sign of anyone. But we all 237 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:07.240 heard something, I insisted. Sound carries strangely out here. Could 238 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.320 have been a rock fall further up the canyon. None 239 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:13.679 of us were entirely convinced, but exhaustion from the day's 240 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:16.399 hike was setting in, and the warmth of the fire 241 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:20.399 was making my eyelids heavy. We agreed to set watches 242 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:24.279 through the night, a precaution Trent insisted on. I took 243 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:28.840 the first shift, then Marcus, Eliza, and finally Trent for 244 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:33.639 the pre dawn hours. My watch passed uneventfully, and I 245 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.720 woke Marcus for his turn before crawling into my tent. 246 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:42.519 Despite my fatigue, sleep came fitfully. I dreamed of footsteps 247 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:46.159 circling our camp, of eyes watching from the canyon rim above. 248 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:50.120 At one point I jerked awake, certain I'd heard my 249 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:56.000 name being whispered just outside my tent, Cassandra. I lay 250 00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.799 perfectly still, listening intently, but heard only the gentle rustle 251 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:04.079 of wind through the canyon. Morning revealed nothing amiss in 252 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.079 our camp, though Trent seemed more on edge than before. 253 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.319 As we packed up, I noticed him examining the ground 254 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:14.519 around our tents with careful attention. Find anything, I asked, 255 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:19.279 Approaching him. He straightened quickly. No, he said, too, sharply, 256 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:24.160 then moderating his tone. No tracks, Let's get moving. I 257 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:27.559 want to reach deer Haven by mid day. The day's 258 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:29.720 hike took us out of the canyon and a cross 259 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:33.279 more exposed to rain, a moonscape of eroded hoodoos and 260 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:38.480 deep ravines that required careful navigation. The sun beat down mercilessly, 261 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:42.640 and despite our early start, heat exhaustion became a real concern. 262 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:47.000 Trent pushed a relentless pace, stopping only briefly for water 263 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:52.160 and energy bars. Hey can we take five, Eliza finally 264 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:56.119 called out her normally boundless energy flagging. I need to 265 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:00.680 adjust my pack. Trent reluctantly agreed, and we all sank 266 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.160 gratefully to the ground in the meager shade of a 267 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:08.079 large rock formation. As I gulped water, I noticed Marcus 268 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:13.359 studying the map with a furrowed brow. Everything okay, I asked. 269 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:17.519 He lowered his voice. I think we're off course. We 270 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:20.720 should have hit that distinctive butte by now. He pointed 271 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.920 to a formation marked on the map. Before I could respond, 272 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:27.359 a sound cut through the still air, a drawn out, 273 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:30.880 keening wail that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere 274 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:35.200 at once. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard, not 275 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:39.319 quite human, not quite animal, rising and falling in pitch 276 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:44.440 before abruptly cutting off. We all froze. What the hell 277 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:48.599 was that, Marcus whispered. Trent's face had drained of color. 278 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.720 Without answering, he pulled out his compass and swore under 279 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:57.759 his breath what Eliza demanded. The compass is spinning, he said, 280 00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:03.000 his voice tight. It can't find nor that's impossible. She scoffed, 281 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.440 reaching for it, but her expression changed as she watched 282 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:10.920 the needle rotate aimlessly. There must be magnetic deposits in 283 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:14.559 these rocks. My departmental field trips ran into this all 284 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:19.000 the time, right, Trent said, but he didn't sound convinced. 285 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:24.359 Everyone check your phones GPS. We all pulled out our devices. 286 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:28.400 Mine was dead, despite having been fully charged that morning. 287 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:33.240 Marcus and Eliza reported the same. This isn't normal, I said, 288 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:36.799 a cold feeling settling in my stomach. We stick to 289 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:40.680 the original plan, Trent decided, after a moment at North 290 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:44.160 or what should be north, for another two miles will 291 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:48.000 hit the valley or a recognizable landmark eventually. But as 292 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.079 the afternoon wore on, nothing looked familiar, not even to Trent. 293 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:56.359 The landscape seemed to shift around us, landmarks appearing and 294 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.799 disappearing in ways that defied logic. The shadow lengthened at 295 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:04.839 an accelerated rate, as if time itself was behaving strangely. 296 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:09.319 Twice more we heard that chilling whale, each time closer 297 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:13.079 than before. We need to find shelter before dark. Trent 298 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:16.759 finally announced, there's a formation up ahead that might work. 299 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:20.920 The formation turned out to be a shallow cave set 300 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:24.200 into a cliff face, barely more than an indentation in 301 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:27.119 the rock, but it would protect us from three sides, 302 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:31.640 at least. As we approached, I noticed odd markings carved 303 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:35.480 into the stone around the entrance, symbols I didn't recognize, 304 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:41.000 arranged in a deliberate pattern. Are those petroglyphs? I asked, pointing. 305 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:46.200 Trent examined them briefly. No, these are more recent. His 306 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:51.839 jaw tightened. Let's find somewhere else. It's getting dark. Marcus protested, 307 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:56.519 and those clouds don't look friendly. He was right. While 308 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:59.960 we'd been hiking, storm clouds had gathered on the horizon 309 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:05.119 and the wind was picking up, carrying the scent of rain. Fine. 310 00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:09.279 Trent relented, but we sleep in shifts again. No one 311 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:13.559 goes anywhere alone. We set up camp with an efficiency 312 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:17.720 born of growing unease. No one suggested a fire, though 313 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:21.839 the temperature was dropping rapidly. Instead, we huddled together at 314 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:24.920 the back of the shallow cave, sharing energy bars and 315 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:28.240 beef jerky in lieu of a proper meal. None of 316 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:32.519 us had much appetite anyway. Tomorrow we head straight back 317 00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:36.599 to where we started. Trent decided forget the loop. Something's 318 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:41.680 not right here, you think, Eliza said sarcastically. Our phones 319 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:45.200 are dead, compasses don't work, and we're being stalked by 320 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:49.599 whatever's making that god awful noise. We're not being stalked, 321 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:54.720 Marcus said firmly, though he didn't sound convinced. Actually, Trent 322 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:58.640 said quietly, I think we are. We all stared at him, 323 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.079 that's say, he began, then stopped abruptly as a distant 324 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:06.200 rumble of thunder rolled across the landscape. I heard it 325 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:10.400 once before, five years ago, right before that family disappeared. 326 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:13.400 A chill ran through me that had nothing to do 327 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:17.920 with the dropping temperature. What aren't you telling us, I demanded. 328 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:22.279 Trent looked away, his profile sharp against the dimming light outside. 329 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.720 The official report said the family was never found. That's 330 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:31.079 not entirely accurate. We found the father three days later, 331 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:36.359 wandering near sheep a mountain table forty miles from their campsite, alive, 332 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:42.640 Eliza whispered technically, but he wasn't himself any more. He 333 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.599 couldn't speak, couldn't tell us what happened or where his 334 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:50.079 family was, just kept making this sound. Trent imitated a 335 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:54.119 rhythmic clicking with his tongue. The medics sedated him for transport. 336 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:58.240 I rode with him in the helicopter. Right before we landed, 337 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:02.079 he grabbed my wrist strength like you wouldn't believe, and 338 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:05.640 spoke the only coherent thing anyone ever got from him. 339 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:11.119 Thunder crashed again, closer this time. In the brief silence 340 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:14.759 that followed, Trent's words hung in the air, he said, 341 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:19.319 it wears their faces. A flash of lightning illuminated the 342 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:24.359 cave entrance, followed immediately by a deafening thunderclap. The storm 343 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:29.119 was directly overhead. Now, rain began to lash down in sheets, 344 00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:32.839 creating a curtain of water across the cave opening. What 345 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.119 happened to him? Marcus asked, his voice barely audible over 346 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:41.200 the storm. Committed to a psychiatric facility in Rapid City, 347 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.240 killed himself three weeks later, bit through his own wrists, 348 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.559 Trent's face was grim. That's why I quit. Couldn't shake 349 00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:53.599 the feeling that we missed something, that we left something 350 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:58.480 out there. The storm's ferocity increased, wind driving the rain 351 00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:02.000 sideways into our shelter. We had to move deeper into 352 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.680 the cave, which seemed to extend further back than I 353 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.839 had initially realized. Did anyone check how far this goes? 354 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:13.799 I asked, suddenly concerned, it's just a shallow overhang, Trent 355 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:17.839 assured me. I looked when we arrived, but as another 356 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:21.640 lightning flash illuminated our surroundings, I could clearly see that 357 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:25.640 the cave continued into darkness, a narrow passage leading deeper 358 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:30.359 into the cliff. Trent, I said, carefully, that wasn't there before. 359 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:35.200 He followed my gaze, his expression hardening. Everyone pack up. 360 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:40.039 Now we're leaving in this storm, Eliza protested, will be 361 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:44.720 soaked in seconds, better wet than He didn't finish the sentence, 362 00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:48.440 because at that moment we heard it again, that keening 363 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:51.559 wail so close now it seemed to reverberate within the 364 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:55.720 cave itself, and then, impossibly, a voice called from the 365 00:24:55.799 --> 00:25:01.359 darkness of the passage. Help, please, was a child's voice. 366 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:05.880 Marcus jumped to his feet. There's someone back there. Trent 367 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.039 grabbed his arm. That's not a child. We don't know that, 368 00:25:10.440 --> 00:25:13.640 Marcus argued, pulling free. It could be a lost kid 369 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:16.400 caught in the same weird magnetic field or whatever is 370 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:20.559 messing with our equipment. The voice called again, weaker, this time, 371 00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:25.960 please hurt. Before anyone could stop him, Marcus had grabbed 372 00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:29.680 his flashlight and was moving toward the passage. Eliza scrambled 373 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:32.480 after him, leaving Trent and me staring at each other 374 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:37.160 in horror. Stay here, he ordered, drawing his hunting knife. 375 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:40.000 If I'm not back in five minutes, get out and 376 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:43.559 head east. The storm will clear by morning. I'm not 377 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:48.400 splitting up, I insisted, grabbing my own flashlight. We go together, 378 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:51.920 or not at all. He looked like he wanted to argue, 379 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:56.000 but nodded tersely. Together, we followed the bobbing lights of 380 00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:00.440 Marcus and Eliza into the passage. The narrow corridor twisted 381 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:03.880 downward at a steep angle, the rough stone walls pressing 382 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:08.079 in from both sides. The air grew noticeably colder, with 383 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.839 a damp organic smell. That reminded me of mushrooms and decay. 384 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:15.720 Our flashlight beams cut through darkness so complete it seemed 385 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:18.720 to swallow the light. We caught up to Marcus and Eliza, 386 00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:21.960 where the passage opened into a larger chamber, their flashlight 387 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:27.119 scanning the space. Frantically, I heard it right here, Marcus insisted, 388 00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:32.799 a child crying for help. Trent's light revealed crude drawings 389 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:37.519 on the chamber walls, stick figures with elongated limbs, spirals, 390 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:40.640 and more of those strange symbols we'd seen at the entrance. 391 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:47.039 These aren't Lakota, Eliza murmured, her archaeologist's curiosity, momentarily overriding 392 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:51.119 her fear. They don't match any indigenous art style I've studied. 393 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:56.599 We need to leave, Trent said firmly. Now that's when 394 00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:59.799 we heard the shuffling footsteps behind us from the direction 395 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:03.880 of the cave entrance. We turned as one, flashlights converging 396 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:07.240 on the passage we just traversed. A figure stood there, 397 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:11.519 human in general shape, but wrong in ways my mind 398 00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:16.000 initially couldn't process. It was tall, too tall for the 399 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:20.160 low ceiling, forcing it to stoop unnaturally. Its limbs were 400 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:24.200 disproportionately long and jointed in extra places. But worst of 401 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:28.920 all was its face, or rather faces. The creature's head 402 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:33.079 seemed to shift between different human visages, never settling on one, 403 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:37.839 like a twisted slide show of stolen identities. Eliza screamed. 404 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:42.680 The sound jolted us from our paralysis. Run. Trent shouted, 405 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:45.440 pushing me toward a second passage I hadn't noticed before. 406 00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:50.359 Go go. We fled deeper into the cave system, blind 407 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:54.559 with terror, our flashlights casting wild, jumping shadows. As we ran. 408 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:58.960 Behind us, that terrible wailing cry echoed off the walls, 409 00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:02.119 joined now by the sound of too many limbs scuttling 410 00:28:02.119 --> 00:28:06.799 across stone. The passage split, then split again. We made 411 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:10.599 random choices, no plan beyond getting away from the thing 412 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:14.359 behind us. At some point I realized Eliza was no 413 00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:19.839 longer with us. Stop, I gasped, pulling at Marcus's sleeve, Eliza, 414 00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:25.160 we lost her. The three of us froze, listening nothing 415 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:28.960 but our own ragged breathing and distant water trips. We 416 00:28:29.079 --> 00:28:34.039 have to go back, Marcus said, immediately, his face ashen. No. 417 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:39.160 Trent grabbed him. It's suicide. She's my girlfriend, and that 418 00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:41.519 thing will be wearing her face if you go back there, 419 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.519 Trent hissed, We need to find a way out first, 420 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:48.599 then get help. Their argument was cut short by a scream, 421 00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:54.759 Eliza's voice unmistakable echoing from somewhere in the labyrinth. Then silence, 422 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:59.480 more absolute than before. Marcus broke free from Trent's grasp 423 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:03.039 and bolted back the way we'd come. Trent swore viciously, 424 00:29:03.079 --> 00:29:07.039 but didn't follow. We can't just leave them, I pleaded. 425 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:10.480 We're not, he said grimly, But we need a better 426 00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:14.240 plan than running blindly. He swept his flashlight around the 427 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:19.599 chamber we were in, revealing another narrow opening cave. Systems 428 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:23.519 like this usually have multiple exits. Water flows out somewhere. 429 00:29:24.599 --> 00:29:28.359 We followed the new passage, which sloped gently downward. The 430 00:29:28.440 --> 00:29:33.079 sound of running water grew louder, giving us hope. After 431 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:36.880 what seemed like hours but was probably minutes, we emerged 432 00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:40.359 into a larger cavern, with a small underground stream flowing 433 00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:44.039 across the floor and disappearing into a crevice too small 434 00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:46.680 for human to follow. See if you can get any 435 00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:50.039 signal on your phone, Trent suggested, Though we both knew 436 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:53.640 it was futile, Still I pulled out my dead device 437 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:57.599 and was shocked to see it power on. Trent, it's working, 438 00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:02.359 he was at my side instantly try calling nine one one. 439 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:05.880 I did, but the call failed to connect. However, I 440 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:08.160 did have enough signal to see a text message that 441 00:30:08.200 --> 00:30:12.680 had somehow come through from Eliza's number, sent just minutes ago. 442 00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:19.359 Help us cave behind waterfall Not what it seems, I 443 00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:23.799 showed Trent the message. His face paled. There's no waterfall 444 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:27.279 in these caves, as if in response, we heard it 445 00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:30.960 then the distant rush of falling water coming from yet 446 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.720 another passage leading off the chamber. Could she have found 447 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:39.599 another way out? I asked, hopefully. Trent's expression was grim 448 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:43.359 or something's using her phone to lure us deeper. We 449 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:47.720 can't just abandon them, I insisted. After a moment's hesitation, 450 00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:51.240 he nodded, but we go carefully, and at the first 451 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:56.880 sign of that thing, we run. Understand. The new passage 452 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.960 was easier to navigate, Widening as we followed the same 453 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:03.920 sound of rushing water, the air grew misty, confirming that 454 00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:08.160 we were approaching some kind of waterfall. Hope began to build. 455 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:12.519 Perhaps there was indeed a way out the passage opened 456 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:16.759 into a breath taking underground grotto. A shaft of daylight 457 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:20.880 penetrated from some opening far above, illuminating a scene that 458 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:25.279 might have been beautiful under other circumstances. A thin waterfall 459 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:29.160 cascading from the ceiling into a clear pool below, surrounded 460 00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:33.480 by strange pale formations that resembled organic structures more than 461 00:31:33.559 --> 00:31:37.359 typical stalactites. And standing at the edge of the pool 462 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:42.279 was Marcus, his back to us. Marcus, I called in relief. 463 00:31:42.759 --> 00:31:46.880 He turned slowly, too slowly. Even from a distance, I 464 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:50.799 could see something was terribly wrong. His movements were jerky, 465 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:55.640 puppet like, and his eyes, God, his eyes were black 466 00:31:55.799 --> 00:31:59.640 voids with pin pricks of light deep within, like distant 467 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:04.400 stark cars run. Trent whispered so quietly I barely heard 468 00:32:04.480 --> 00:32:08.759 him naught. Marcus opened his mouth, and that keening wail emerged, 469 00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:13.799 echoing off the chamber walls from the pool. Disturbances appeared 470 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:18.960 in the water, things rising from below. We ran behind us. 471 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:24.720 Multiple sets of footsteps gave pursuit. The passages seemed different, now, narrower, 472 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.079 twisting in impossible ways. Several times I was certain we'd 473 00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:32.440 made a wrong turn, but somehow we kept finding new roots, 474 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:36.920 as if the cave itself was changing around us. There, 475 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:40.559 Trent suddenly shouted, pointing ahead, where a faint grayish light 476 00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:44.279 indicated a potential exit. We burst out into the storm 477 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:48.200 washed night, rains still falling, but less intensely than before. 478 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:51.319 We were on a ledge, part way up a cliff face, 479 00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:55.000 the bad land stretching out below us in the darkness down. 480 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:58.880 Trent commanded, already searching for a path. We need to 481 00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:02.119 get as far from here as possible before dawn. I 482 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:04.480 followed him numbly as he picked his way down the 483 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:08.400 treacherous slope, my mind still trying to process what I'd seen. 484 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:14.440 Marcus's empty eyes, those things rising from the pool. Eliza 485 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.640 absent but somehow able to text. Don found us miles away, 486 00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:22.359 huddled in the shelter of an eroded overhang as the 487 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:26.359 storm finally broke. Neither of us had spoken for hours. 488 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:30.799 What was there to say? Trent finally broke the silence. 489 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:35.440 The rangers won't believe us. We have to try. We 490 00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:39.400 can't just leave them there. They're already gone, he said, flatly. 491 00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:44.319 Whatever was wearing Marcus's face, Your friends weren't there anymore. 492 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:48.279 I wanted to argue, but deep down I knew he 493 00:33:48.359 --> 00:33:52.000 was right. Whatever had happened in that cave, Marcus and 494 00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:55.480 Eliza as we knew them were gone. It took us 495 00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:58.000 another full day of hiking to reach a ranger station. 496 00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:02.599 We told them sanitized version of events that we'd been 497 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:05.440 separated from our friends in the storm, that they might 498 00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:09.119 be lost or injured in the Sage Creek area. Search 499 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:12.920 and rescue operations began immediately, but I knew they wouldn't 500 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:16.760 find anything, or worse, they would find something wearing our 501 00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:21.400 friends faces. Three days later, the search was officially suspended. 502 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:25.360 No trace of Marcus or Eliza was ever found. Their 503 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:28.800 families still call me sometimes, asking if I remember any 504 00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:32.800 other details, any clue that might help locate them. I've 505 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:37.440 stopped answering their calls. What could I possibly say? Trent 506 00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:42.440 disappeared too, not physically, but in every other way. Last 507 00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:45.559 I heard, he'd gone deep into the mountains of Colorado, 508 00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:50.119 living off grid in some remote cabin, running from memories, 509 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:54.360 just like me. I moved to Seattle after that, as 510 00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:56.719 far from the bad Lands as I could reasonably get. 511 00:34:57.559 --> 00:35:01.239 I changed my phone number, deleted my social media accounts, 512 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:06.039 started therapy, tried to rebuild some semblance of a normal life. 513 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:10.519 But normalcy is an illusion once you've glimpsed what lurks beneath. 514 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:14.159 Last week, something happened that compelled me to finally write 515 00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:17.880 this account. I received a package at my apartment, no 516 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:22.559 return address, no note inside, just a weathered, dirt stained 517 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:27.000 journal that I immediately recognized as Eliza's, the one she'd 518 00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:30.920 been writing in during our trip, documenting the geological formations 519 00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:35.280 we encountered. I should have burned it, instead, I opened it. 520 00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:40.559 Most pages contained exactly what you'd expect, Eliza's neat handwriting, 521 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:45.519 detailing rock compositions and formations, rough sketches of interesting features, 522 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:50.559 time stamps, and coordinates. But the final entry, dated the 523 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:54.480 night she disappeared, was different. The handwriting was erratic, the 524 00:35:54.519 --> 00:35:57.360 pressure so hard it tore through the paper in places. 525 00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:02.920 It's watching us, it's been watching since we arrived. Trent 526 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:06.159 knows more than he's saying. The cave isn't a cave. 527 00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:09.880 It's a mouth. God help us. It's a mouth, and 528 00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:13.639 we're already inside it. If anyone finds this, stay away 529 00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:17.239 from Sage Creek. The things in the water aren't reflections, 530 00:36:17.599 --> 00:36:22.039 they're windows and he stands behind all of them, the 531 00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:26.920 one the Lakota called. The entry ended mid sentence with 532 00:36:26.960 --> 00:36:30.679 a violent stroke that dragged across the page. That night, 533 00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:33.079 for the first time since I moved to Seattle, I 534 00:36:33.159 --> 00:36:35.840 woke to the sound of my phone receiving a text message. 535 00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:39.079 And even though I know it's impossible, her phone was 536 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:45.679 never recovered, her account closed. The notification showed the same name, Eliza. 537 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:52.119 This time, my trembling finger opened it. Three words, come home, cass. 538 00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:57.039 Beneath it a image a perfect, untouched camp site in 539 00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:00.760 a familiar canyon, four tents, a coffee pot on a 540 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:04.519 portable stove, and standing just at the edge of the frame, 541 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:09.320 a figure with my face smiling too widely, blinking too little, 542 00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:13.679 staring directly at the camera. I burned the journal that night, 543 00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:18.239 destroyed my phone. Started writing this account because I know 544 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:21.480 now why the searches never found our friends, why that 545 00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:26.679 family vanished years ago, why locals avoid certain areas after dark. 546 00:37:27.320 --> 00:37:30.719 There are thin places in this world, cracks where something 547 00:37:30.760 --> 00:37:34.159 else seeps through. The Lakota were right to name those 548 00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:39.760 lands Makosika bad lands. Indeed, and whatever came through has 549 00:37:39.880 --> 00:37:43.360 learned new tricks. It doesn't just wear their faces anymore. 550 00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:48.199 It wears their voices, their handwriting, their memories. It can 551 00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:53.360 reach across miles, across years. If you ever find yourself 552 00:37:53.360 --> 00:37:55.880 in Sage Creek Wilderness when the sun is setting and 553 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:58.760 the shadows grow long, and you hear a voice calling 554 00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:04.639 for help voice, even when you recognize, run, run and 555 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:08.519 don't look back, because it wears their faces. It knows 556 00:38:08.559 --> 00:38:13.440 their secrets, and it's patient, very very patient, and it's 557 00:38:13.480 --> 00:38:22.599 coming for me next. My name is Rebecca Warner. I'm 558 00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:25.679 thirty four years old. And this happened in August of 559 00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:28.880 twenty twenty three. It was supposed to be the perfect 560 00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:33.199 wilderness getaway, a chance for three overworked nurses to decompress 561 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:36.800 after the hellish years of the pandemic. Just me, my 562 00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:41.239 colleague Jenehobrook, and our supervisor, Melissa Chen, hiking through the 563 00:38:41.239 --> 00:38:44.679 Black Hills of South Dakota, exploring territory none of us 564 00:38:44.719 --> 00:38:48.480 had seen before. We'd been planning it for months, pouring 565 00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:52.519 over maps of Custer State Park and the surrounding wilderness areas, 566 00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:55.239 plotting roots that would take us off the beaten path. 567 00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:59.159 We deserve this, Melissa had said, as we packed our 568 00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:04.119 gear the night before setting out. Melissa always collected, always 569 00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:09.039 in control. At forty two, she had more backcountry experience 570 00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:12.199 than either Jena or me, having grown up in Montana 571 00:39:12.280 --> 00:39:16.719 before moving east for nursing school. After everything we've been through, 572 00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:21.079 we need to remember what peace feels like. Jenna had 573 00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:27.679 nodded enthusiastically, her honey blonde ponytail bouncing. Just imagine no 574 00:39:27.800 --> 00:39:32.360 beeping monitors, no call buttons, no fluorescent lights, just trees 575 00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:36.719 and sky. At twenty nine, Jenna was the youngest of 576 00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:41.440 our trio, perpetually optimistic despite everything she'd witnessed in the ICU. 577 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:45.360 I remember smiling, feeling a weight lifted from my shoulders 578 00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:48.360 at the mere thought of escaping our sterile hospital environment. 579 00:39:48.880 --> 00:39:52.079 After three years of death and disease and ppe that 580 00:39:52.199 --> 00:39:56.599 left permanent marks on our faces, the wilderness seemed like salvation. 581 00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:59.679 None of us could have imagined what waited for us 582 00:39:59.719 --> 00:40:03.239 in the those remote woods. We started our hike on 583 00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:06.960 a Tuesday morning in perfect weather, entering Custer State Park 584 00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:10.639 through a less traveled trailhead near the ghost town of Spokane. 585 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:12.920 Our plan was to follow a loop that would take 586 00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:16.480 us deep into the wilderness area beyond the regular tourist paths, 587 00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:21.360 camping for four nights before returning to civilization. The first 588 00:40:21.400 --> 00:40:25.480 day was everything we'd hoped for. The late summer wildflowers 589 00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:28.880 painted the meadows and explosions of color, and the ponderosa 590 00:40:28.920 --> 00:40:32.559 pines created cathedral like spaces. As we climbed higher into 591 00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:36.760 the hills, we spotted deer, a distant bison heard, and 592 00:40:36.840 --> 00:40:39.360 even a red tailed hawk that swooped so close we 593 00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:42.679 could hear the whisper of its wings. This is just 594 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:46.559 what the doctor ordered, Jenna said, spreading her arms wide 595 00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:49.840 at an overlook that revealed miles of undulating forest and 596 00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:55.440 distant rocky spires. Melissa took deep, deliberate breaths. Beside me, 597 00:40:56.840 --> 00:41:01.079 The air here is medicine, she agreed, her usually tense 598 00:41:01.159 --> 00:41:04.960 shoulders visibly relaxing. That night, we made camp in a 599 00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.880 small clearing surrounded by towering pines. As darkness fell, we 600 00:41:09.960 --> 00:41:14.199 built a fire, roasted marshmallows, and shared stories not of 601 00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:17.960 work or patience or trauma, but of childhood adventures and 602 00:41:18.039 --> 00:41:21.880 dreams deferred. For the first time in years, I felt 603 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:26.199 completely present, unburdened by the past or anxious about the future. 604 00:41:26.920 --> 00:41:29.559 But as the fire died down, and Melissa and Jenna 605 00:41:29.639 --> 00:41:32.760 drifted off to sleep in their tents. I remained awake, 606 00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:35.880 staring up at the stars visible through the mesh of 607 00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:43.239 my tent roof. Something felt off, not wrong exactly, but unsettled, 608 00:41:43.840 --> 00:41:47.119 like the paws before a thunderclap. I attributed it to 609 00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:50.440 being unused to the profound silence of the wilderness. In 610 00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:55.519 the hospital, there was always noise, machines, humming, intercoms, paging, 611 00:41:56.079 --> 00:42:00.360 feet shuffling on linoleum. Here, the silence had way and 612 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:03.599 presence until it was broken by a sound I couldn't 613 00:42:03.599 --> 00:42:09.480 immediately identify. It was distant, but distinctive, erythmic tapping like 614 00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:15.559 wood against wood. Talk talk talk, then silence, then again, 615 00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:20.719 talk talk talk. I sat up, straining to hear. It 616 00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:24.840 wasn't an animal sound that I recognized, too regular, too deliberate, 617 00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:30.000 talk talk talk closer now, or was that my imagination? 618 00:42:31.199 --> 00:42:34.480 I unzipped my tent as quietly as possible and peered 619 00:42:34.519 --> 00:42:37.960 out The embers of our fire cast just enough light 620 00:42:38.039 --> 00:42:40.480 to make out the shapes of the other tents, But 621 00:42:40.559 --> 00:42:45.039 beyond our small clearing was absolute darkness. I fumbled for 622 00:42:45.159 --> 00:42:48.239 my head lamp and switched it on. Scanning the tree line, 623 00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:51.239 nothing moved in the feeble beam of light, but the 624 00:42:51.280 --> 00:42:54.840 tapping continued, now seeming to come from a different direction. 625 00:42:56.400 --> 00:43:00.280 Talk talk talk. I slipped out of my tent and stood, 626 00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:06.480 turning slowly, trying to pinpoint the source. Hello, I called, softly, 627 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:09.159 not wanting to wake my friends. If this was nothing, 628 00:43:09.639 --> 00:43:13.960 The tapping stopped abruptly. Then came a new sound, a low, 629 00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:18.719 melodic humming. A woman's voice, but distant and strange, the 630 00:43:18.800 --> 00:43:23.360 tune unfamiliar yet somehow disquieting. It rose and fell in 631 00:43:23.400 --> 00:43:26.360 a pattern that made the hair on my arms stand up. 632 00:43:27.199 --> 00:43:31.199 Is someone there? I called louder. This time, the humming stopped. 633 00:43:31.840 --> 00:43:35.000 The forest fell silent again, but now it was a 634 00:43:35.119 --> 00:43:41.639 charged silence, expectant Rebecca. Melissa's voice came from her tent. 635 00:43:42.280 --> 00:43:46.599 What's going on? I heard something, I said, still scanning 636 00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:51.480 the darkness beyond our camp, someone tapping, then humming. Did 637 00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:55.199 you hear it? Melissa emerged from her tent, her own 638 00:43:55.239 --> 00:43:59.199 head lamp creating bizarre shadows as she moved. Probably just 639 00:43:59.199 --> 00:44:02.800 a hiker passed by, she said, but she sounded uncertain. 640 00:44:03.840 --> 00:44:08.519 At this hour, miles from any marked trail, Melissa shrugged. 641 00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:12.679 Sound carries strangely out here. Could be someone camping by 642 00:44:12.679 --> 00:44:15.760 the creek down there. We both knew there was no 643 00:44:15.920 --> 00:44:19.880 creek near by, but I didn't press the point. Maybe 644 00:44:19.880 --> 00:44:23.159 you're right, I conceded. We stood listening for a few 645 00:44:23.199 --> 00:44:27.920 more minutes, but the forest remained silent. Eventually, Melissa patted 646 00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:30.960 my shoulder. Try to get some sleep. We've got a 647 00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:34.760 tough climb tomorrow. I nodded and returned to my tent, 648 00:44:35.360 --> 00:44:40.000 but sleep eluded me. I lay awake for hours, listening, 649 00:44:40.519 --> 00:44:44.480 waiting for the tapping to return. It didn't, but just 650 00:44:44.519 --> 00:44:48.159 as dawn began to lighten the sky, I heard something else, 651 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:54.320 A whisper so close it could have been inside my tent. Rebecca, 652 00:44:54.719 --> 00:45:00.639 I bolted upright heart, hammering, who's there? I hissed silence. 653 00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:03.800 I unzipped the tent and looked out. The clearing was 654 00:45:03.800 --> 00:45:07.320 empty except for our tents. Melissa and Jenna still appeared 655 00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:10.599 to be sleeping. I told myself i'd dreamed it, that 656 00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:12.760 the stress of the past years had followed me into 657 00:45:12.760 --> 00:45:17.719 the wilderness. But deep down I knew better. Something had 658 00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:21.480 called my name. When I mentioned it over breakfast, both 659 00:45:21.519 --> 00:45:26.800 Melissa and Jenna looked concerned. You didn't sleep well, Jenna suggested, 660 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:31.079 first night in a strange place. Your brain plays tricks. 661 00:45:31.960 --> 00:45:35.679 I know what I heard, I insisted. Melissa frowned, stirring 662 00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:38.960 her instant coffee. Was it a man's voice or a 663 00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:44.599 woman's The question caught me off guard. A woman's, I said, why. 664 00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:50.360 Melissa hesitated, then shook her head. No reason, just curious. 665 00:45:51.400 --> 00:45:54.280 But there was something in her expression, a flicker of 666 00:45:54.320 --> 00:46:00.960 recognition quickly suppressed, that made me uneasy. Melissa, do you 667 00:46:01.039 --> 00:46:05.719 know something about this area? Just old stories, she said, dismissively. 668 00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:09.320 Every forest has them. We should break camp if we 669 00:46:09.360 --> 00:46:12.679 want to reach Harney Lake by sunset. I wanted to 670 00:46:12.719 --> 00:46:15.880 press her further, but Jenna was already packing up her tent, 671 00:46:16.119 --> 00:46:19.159 and Melissa made it clear the conversation was over. We 672 00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:22.400 set off under a cloudless sky, following a faint game 673 00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:26.320 trail that wound deeper into the hills. The hiking was 674 00:46:26.360 --> 00:46:29.840 more strenuous than the previous day, with steep climbs and 675 00:46:29.880 --> 00:46:34.079 descents that tested our endurance. By midday, we had traveled 676 00:46:34.079 --> 00:46:37.599 several miles from our first campsite, ascending into an area 677 00:46:37.639 --> 00:46:41.239 of the Black Hills that felt increasingly remote. The forest 678 00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:44.880 changed character as we climbed, the trees more gnarled, the 679 00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:50.039 undergrowth denser. Fewer wild flowers brightened, the landscape, replaced by 680 00:46:50.119 --> 00:46:54.239 twisted shrubs and pale fungi that clustered on rotting logs. 681 00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:58.079 Are we still on the right track, Jenna asked during 682 00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:00.639 a water break. She was studying our map with a 683 00:47:00.679 --> 00:47:04.719 furrowed brow. I don't see this riche we're on. Melissa 684 00:47:04.760 --> 00:47:07.960 took the map from her. We should be here, she said, 685 00:47:08.039 --> 00:47:11.239 pointing to a contour line. Harney Lake should be just 686 00:47:11.280 --> 00:47:15.559 beyond that next peak. I peered at the map. Something 687 00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:18.760 didn't add up. The terrain around us didn't match what 688 00:47:18.880 --> 00:47:21.920 was depicted. Maybe we took a wrong turn at that 689 00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:27.000 last junction. No, Melissa said firmly, I know exactly where 690 00:47:27.079 --> 00:47:30.199 we are. The map is just old, and these game 691 00:47:30.239 --> 00:47:35.159 trails shift over time. We continued climbing, but my unease 692 00:47:35.239 --> 00:47:39.000 grew with each step. The forest had fallen strangely silent, 693 00:47:39.559 --> 00:47:43.119 no birds calling, no squirrels chattering, not even the buzz 694 00:47:43.159 --> 00:47:47.639 of insects, and the air had changed too, becoming heavy 695 00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:52.519 and still with an underlying scent. I couldn't identify something 696 00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:56.880 earthy and organic, like decaying vegetation, but with a sharper 697 00:47:56.960 --> 00:47:59.960 note beneath it. We rounded a bend in the tree 698 00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:04.159 and stopped short Before us stood a massive dead tree, 699 00:48:04.280 --> 00:48:08.480 unlike any I'd seen before. Its trunk was gnarled and split, 700 00:48:08.679 --> 00:48:12.559 forming what eerily resembled a hunched human figure. Hanging from 701 00:48:12.599 --> 00:48:16.199 its twisted branches were dozens of small objects that clattered 702 00:48:16.280 --> 00:48:19.400 gently in the faint breeze. What the hell is that, 703 00:48:19.920 --> 00:48:25.360 Jenna whispered. We approached cautiously. The hanging objects were revealed 704 00:48:25.360 --> 00:48:29.159 to be small animal bones, feathers, and smooth rocks, each 705 00:48:29.239 --> 00:48:32.320 with strange symbols carved into them. At the base of 706 00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:35.000 the tree lay a circle of larger stones arranged in 707 00:48:35.039 --> 00:48:40.400 a pattern. It's a marker, Melissa said quietly, or a warning, 708 00:48:41.440 --> 00:48:46.079 A warning for what I asked. Melissa didn't answer directly. 709 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:49.920 We should go around, she said, give it a wide berth. 710 00:48:51.159 --> 00:48:54.519 Is this some kind of blare witch thing? Jenna asked, 711 00:48:54.800 --> 00:48:59.440 trying for levity but failing to hide her nervousness. Someone's 712 00:48:59.480 --> 00:49:03.639 idea a prank. It's not a prank, Melissa said, flatly. 713 00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:08.599 Let's keep moving Harney Lake can't be far now. We 714 00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:11.760 skirted around the dead tree, careful not to disturb any 715 00:49:11.800 --> 00:49:15.000 of the hanging ornaments. As we passed, I could have 716 00:49:15.039 --> 00:49:20.280 sworn I heard that soft tapping sound again, talk talk talk, 717 00:49:21.199 --> 00:49:25.599 coming from the tree itself, though nothing visibly moved. The 718 00:49:25.639 --> 00:49:29.239 trail beyond the tree grew fainter more difficult to follow. 719 00:49:29.880 --> 00:49:34.599 The landscape became increasingly disorienting, with rock formations that seemed 720 00:49:34.599 --> 00:49:38.000 to shift in my peripheral vision and trees that bent 721 00:49:38.119 --> 00:49:42.239 at impossible angles. The sun, which had been directly overhead, 722 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:45.960 now appeared to be west of us, then south, then 723 00:49:46.039 --> 00:49:49.719 west again, as if the compass points themselves were rotating. 724 00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:54.119 Does anyone else feel like we're walking in circles? Jenna asked, 725 00:49:54.119 --> 00:49:58.360 her voice tight with anxiety. I checked my phone's GPS, 726 00:49:58.360 --> 00:50:01.679 but the screen showed only a flash, no signal message 727 00:50:01.679 --> 00:50:05.400 where the map should have been. Even more concerning, my 728 00:50:05.599 --> 00:50:10.840 fully charged battery was now at seventeen percent. My phone's dying. 729 00:50:11.159 --> 00:50:16.599 I reported, how's yours? Jenna pulled hers out dead completely. 730 00:50:16.960 --> 00:50:21.000 That's weird. I charged it last night. Melissa didn't even 731 00:50:21.119 --> 00:50:25.119 check hers. Let's focus on finding water. We can figure 732 00:50:25.119 --> 00:50:27.440 out our exact location. Once we're settled for the night. 733 00:50:28.559 --> 00:50:33.239 But hours passed and we found no lake. The forest 734 00:50:33.280 --> 00:50:36.119 grew denser, the light dimmer as the sun began to 735 00:50:36.159 --> 00:50:39.159 set behind the hills. We had been hiking for over 736 00:50:39.199 --> 00:50:41.800 eight hours, covering what should have been only a five 737 00:50:41.840 --> 00:50:45.840 hour journey. We need to make camp, I finally insisted, 738 00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:49.079 as dusk gathered around us. It's not safe to keep 739 00:50:49.159 --> 00:50:54.559 hiking in the dark. Reluctantly, Melissa agreed. We found a 740 00:50:54.599 --> 00:50:59.440 small clearing, smaller than ideal, hemmed in closely by looming pines, 741 00:50:59.800 --> 00:51:02.679 but it would have to do. As we set up 742 00:51:02.679 --> 00:51:06.119 our tents, I noticed Melissa scanning the surrounding forest with 743 00:51:06.199 --> 00:51:11.519 an intensity that heightened my unease. Melissa, I said quietly, 744 00:51:11.559 --> 00:51:14.440 while Jenna was occupied with her tent, what aren't you 745 00:51:14.559 --> 00:51:17.920 telling us about this place? She met my eyes for 746 00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:21.400 a long moment. There are stories about this part of 747 00:51:21.440 --> 00:51:25.400 the Black Hills, she finally said, old stories from the 748 00:51:25.440 --> 00:51:29.440 Lakota and newer ones from settlers about a woman who 749 00:51:29.480 --> 00:51:33.760 lives deep in the woods, a woman I remembered the 750 00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:38.280 humming the whisper of my name. Melissa nodded. They call 751 00:51:38.360 --> 00:51:42.639 her Agnes Whitewood. Supposedly She was a settler's wife back 752 00:51:42.639 --> 00:51:45.480 in the eighteen eighties. Her husband was a trapper who 753 00:51:45.519 --> 00:51:48.559 built a cabin in these hills, far from any one else. 754 00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:52.840 The story goes that one harsh winter, he didn't return 755 00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:58.159 from checking his trap lines. Agnes waited and waited, slowly, 756 00:51:58.440 --> 00:52:01.719 running out of food. When they found her in the spring, 757 00:52:02.360 --> 00:52:09.400 she was still alive, but changed changed how Melissa lowered 758 00:52:09.400 --> 00:52:13.119 her voice further. They say she had survived by making 759 00:52:13.159 --> 00:52:16.519 a deal with something that lived in these woods, something 760 00:52:16.679 --> 00:52:21.519 older than the hills themselves. She learned its secrets, its magic, 761 00:52:22.199 --> 00:52:26.239 became something other than human. A chill ran through me 762 00:52:26.320 --> 00:52:30.800 despite the warm evening, and people still see her after 763 00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:35.440 all this time. Hikers report encounters a woman in old 764 00:52:35.480 --> 00:52:40.280 fashioned clothes, singing or humming, strange arrangements of stones and bones, 765 00:52:40.920 --> 00:52:43.920 people who stray off the main trails and get disoriented, 766 00:52:44.400 --> 00:52:49.239 walking for hours without reaching their destination. Melissa glanced around 767 00:52:49.280 --> 00:52:53.360 the darkening forest most of the stories, and with people 768 00:52:53.400 --> 00:52:57.199 finding their way out eventually, but not all of them. 769 00:52:57.559 --> 00:53:02.280 I finished for her, not all of them, she agreed, Hey, 770 00:53:02.639 --> 00:53:05.119 what are you too? Whispering about? Jenna called as she 771 00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:10.639 finished securing her tent, just discussing tomorrow's route, Melissa answered smoothly, 772 00:53:11.239 --> 00:53:14.760 let's get a fire going before it's completely dark. But 773 00:53:15.039 --> 00:53:18.480 despite our best efforts, the fire refused to catch properly. 774 00:53:19.119 --> 00:53:22.599 The flames struggled weakly, casting barely enough light to see 775 00:53:22.599 --> 00:53:26.559 each other's faces. Despite the dry kindling and Melissa's expertise 776 00:53:27.320 --> 00:53:30.960 and the smoke, it didn't rise naturally, but seemed to 777 00:53:31.000 --> 00:53:34.280 hang in the air, forming shapes that my mind kept 778 00:53:34.360 --> 00:53:37.639 trying to resolve into a human figure. We ate a 779 00:53:37.639 --> 00:53:40.360 cold dinner and retreated to our tents earlier than the 780 00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:45.519 night before. Despite my exhaustion, sleep once again eluded me. 781 00:53:46.199 --> 00:53:50.320 The forest was too quiet, too still. No owls hooted, 782 00:53:50.639 --> 00:53:54.440 no nighttime creatures rustled in the undergrowth, just a profound, 783 00:53:54.679 --> 00:54:00.440 waiting silence until the tapping began again. Talk Talk Talk. 784 00:54:01.400 --> 00:54:04.239 I lay rigid in my sleeping bag, listening as the 785 00:54:04.280 --> 00:54:09.280 sound moved around our camp, circling slowly, Talk talk talk 786 00:54:10.320 --> 00:54:14.719 near Melissa's tent, Talk Talk talk by the dead fire, 787 00:54:15.960 --> 00:54:20.880 Talk talk talk just outside my own tent. Then the 788 00:54:20.960 --> 00:54:24.679 humming started, the same eerie melody i'd heard the night before, 789 00:54:25.239 --> 00:54:27.880 but closer, now clear enough that I could almost make 790 00:54:27.920 --> 00:54:31.320 out words woven into the tune. I wanted to call 791 00:54:31.360 --> 00:54:33.760 out to Melissa or Jenna to see if they heard 792 00:54:33.760 --> 00:54:37.320 it too, but fear froze my voice in my throat. 793 00:54:38.039 --> 00:54:41.480 The humming grew louder, more insistent, and with it came 794 00:54:41.519 --> 00:54:43.960 a smell that seeped through the fabric of my tent, 795 00:54:44.639 --> 00:54:47.880 the same decay and something else older I'd noticed earlier, 796 00:54:48.320 --> 00:54:53.679 but stronger, now overwhelming. Then silence fell again, so abruptly 797 00:54:53.719 --> 00:54:56.559 it felt like a physical pressure. I held my breath, 798 00:54:56.840 --> 00:55:02.400 straining to hear. Rebecca, came the whisper directly above me. 799 00:55:03.639 --> 00:55:08.079 I've been waiting for you, I screamed. Then a raw 800 00:55:08.199 --> 00:55:11.960 sound that tore from my chest. In an instant, headlamp 801 00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:14.960 beams cut through the darkness as Melissa and Jenna emerged 802 00:55:14.960 --> 00:55:20.000 from their tents. Rebecca, what is it? Melissa demanded, rushing 803 00:55:20.039 --> 00:55:23.840 to my tent and unzipping it from outside. I scrambled out, 804 00:55:24.079 --> 00:55:27.920 nearly knocking her over. Some one was here right outside 805 00:55:27.960 --> 00:55:31.519 my tent, she said, my name. Jenna swept her light 806 00:55:31.599 --> 00:55:35.039 across our camp site. There's no one here, Beck, she 807 00:55:35.480 --> 00:55:38.920 was here, I insisted, my voice breaking. I heard her. 808 00:55:39.360 --> 00:55:43.559 She knew my name. Melissa gripped my shoulders, her face 809 00:55:43.719 --> 00:55:47.000 grave in the harsh light of the head lamps. What 810 00:55:47.280 --> 00:55:50.679 exactly did you hear? I told them about the tapping, 811 00:55:50.960 --> 00:55:55.320 the humming, the whisper. As I spoke, Jenna's eyes widened, 812 00:55:55.360 --> 00:55:59.920 but Melissa's expression hardened into something like resignation. We need 813 00:56:00.079 --> 00:56:03.400 to leave, she said, first light, we pack up and 814 00:56:03.519 --> 00:56:06.039 head back the way we came. But what about the 815 00:56:06.079 --> 00:56:10.199 rest of our trip, Jenna asked. It's not safe, Melissa 816 00:56:10.199 --> 00:56:13.400 said flatly. I should never have brought us here. I 817 00:56:13.440 --> 00:56:18.679 thought the stories were just stories. None of us slept 818 00:56:18.760 --> 00:56:22.480 much that night. We sat huddled together by our meager fire, 819 00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:27.719 taking turns, keeping watch. Nothing more happened, no tapping, no humming, 820 00:56:28.199 --> 00:56:32.159 no whispers, but the feeling of being observed never left. 821 00:56:32.639 --> 00:56:35.239 Morning came with a heavy mist that clung to the 822 00:56:35.320 --> 00:56:39.480 trees and reduced visibility to mere yards. We packed quickly, 823 00:56:39.760 --> 00:56:42.960 eager to put this place behind us, But when we 824 00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:46.000 tried to retrace our steps, we found that the trail 825 00:56:46.000 --> 00:56:50.119 we'd followed was no longer visible. This doesn't make sense, 826 00:56:50.480 --> 00:56:54.119 Jenna said, panic edging into her voice. We came from 827 00:56:54.199 --> 00:56:58.400 that direction, through that stand of pines, but where there 828 00:56:58.400 --> 00:57:01.239 should have been a gap between trees. There was now 829 00:57:01.280 --> 00:57:04.559 only dense underbrush, as if no one had passed that 830 00:57:04.639 --> 00:57:09.639 way in years. Let's check the compass, I suggested. Melissa 831 00:57:09.679 --> 00:57:13.400 pulled out her compass and frowned. The needles spun lazily, 832 00:57:14.039 --> 00:57:19.480 refusing to settle on any direction. That's impossible, she muttered. 833 00:57:20.559 --> 00:57:23.440 We picked a direction that seemed right and started walking, 834 00:57:23.840 --> 00:57:27.639 but the forest around us grew only more unfamiliar. Twisted 835 00:57:27.679 --> 00:57:32.039 trees gave way to strange rock formations. The mist thickened 836 00:57:32.119 --> 00:57:34.840 until we could barely see each other, though we stayed 837 00:57:34.840 --> 00:57:40.480 close together, linked by our shared fear. Hours passed, our 838 00:57:40.519 --> 00:57:45.480 water ran low, The terrain grew steadily more difficult, steep slopes, 839 00:57:45.639 --> 00:57:49.000 hidden drop offs, tangles of thorny brush that tore at 840 00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:53.039 our clothing and skin. We need to stop and assess, 841 00:57:53.440 --> 00:57:56.719 Melissa finally said, as we emerged into a small rocky clearing. 842 00:57:57.320 --> 00:58:01.599 This isn't working. We're just getting more law. We sank 843 00:58:01.679 --> 00:58:05.360 down on a fallen log, exhaustion and dread weighing heavily 844 00:58:05.440 --> 00:58:09.639 on us. The mist swirled around us, occasionally parting to 845 00:58:09.679 --> 00:58:14.960 reveal glimpses of unfamiliar landscape. Could we be near a road, 846 00:58:15.480 --> 00:58:18.800 Jenna asked, hopefully, if we just pick a direction and 847 00:58:18.840 --> 00:58:22.400 stick to it, we have to hit civilization eventually. Right 848 00:58:23.280 --> 00:58:28.760 in theory, Melissa agreed, But this fog, it's disorienting, and 849 00:58:28.840 --> 00:58:31.800 these hills are vast. We could walk for days without 850 00:58:31.880 --> 00:58:35.000 hitting a road. I took a sip from my nearly 851 00:58:35.000 --> 00:58:39.519 empty water bottle, trying to think rationally. We need water soon. 852 00:58:40.079 --> 00:58:42.800 Maybe we should try to find higher ground, get above 853 00:58:42.880 --> 00:58:46.000 this mist and see if we can spot any landmarks. 854 00:58:46.920 --> 00:58:52.239 Melissa nodded slowly. That makes sense if we can. A 855 00:58:52.280 --> 00:58:55.920 sharp crack interrupted her, the unmistakable sound of a branch 856 00:58:55.960 --> 00:59:02.480 breaking nearby. We froze, listening talk look, Talk Talk. The 857 00:59:02.559 --> 00:59:05.320 sound came from the mist shrouded trees to our left, 858 00:59:05.800 --> 00:59:11.920 then again from our right, talk Talk Talk Hello, Jenna called, 859 00:59:11.960 --> 00:59:16.760 her voice trembling. Is someone there? The humming began, now, 860 00:59:16.800 --> 00:59:19.440 coming from all around us, as if multiple voices were 861 00:59:19.440 --> 00:59:23.639 singing the same eerie melody from different directions. We need 862 00:59:23.679 --> 00:59:28.280 to move, Melissa said urgently. Now. We grabbed our packs 863 00:59:28.280 --> 00:59:32.239 and started to run, choosing a direction at random. The 864 00:59:32.280 --> 00:59:36.320 mist swirled and eddied around us, sometimes thinning enough to 865 00:59:36.360 --> 00:59:39.639 see a few yards ahead. Sometimes thickening until I could 866 00:59:39.639 --> 00:59:42.400 barely make out Jenna's form right in front of me. 867 00:59:43.480 --> 00:59:47.760 The humming followed us, always just behind, sometimes seeming to 868 00:59:47.800 --> 00:59:52.199 come from directly overhead. My lungs burned, my legs ached, 869 00:59:52.599 --> 00:59:57.400 but terror drove me forward. Then Jenna screamed. Her form 870 00:59:57.559 --> 01:00:01.920 disappeared from in front of me. Jenna, I called, skidding 871 01:00:01.920 --> 01:00:03.559 to a stop at the edge of what I now 872 01:00:03.599 --> 01:00:07.960 saw was a steep ravine below, perhaps fifteen feet down. 873 01:00:08.360 --> 01:00:10.920 Jenna lay on her back, her leg bent at an 874 01:00:11.000 --> 01:00:15.039 unnatural angle. I can't move, she called, up, her voice, 875 01:00:15.079 --> 01:00:20.119 tight with pain. My leg. I think it's broken. Melissa 876 01:00:20.159 --> 01:00:23.400 and I scrambled down to her, sending small avalanches of 877 01:00:23.480 --> 01:00:27.440 loose rock cascading around us. Up close, the injury was 878 01:00:27.519 --> 01:00:31.960 clearly severe, a compound fracture, the bone, visibly distorting the 879 01:00:31.960 --> 01:00:35.119 fabric of her hiking pants. We need to splint this, 880 01:00:35.679 --> 01:00:39.679 Melissa said, immediately, shifting into nurse mode. Then figure out 881 01:00:39.679 --> 01:00:42.679 how to get her out of here. We worked quickly, 882 01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:45.800 using trekking poles and strips torn from a spare shirt 883 01:00:45.800 --> 01:00:49.320 to create a makeshift splint. Jenna bit her lip until 884 01:00:49.360 --> 01:00:52.960 it bled, stifling her cries. As we manipulated her injured leg. 885 01:00:53.519 --> 01:00:55.280 How are we going to get her up that slope, 886 01:00:55.519 --> 01:00:59.480 I whispered to Melissa. As we finished, Melissa surveyed the ravine. 887 01:01:00.280 --> 01:01:03.360 I don't think we can not without making the injury worse. 888 01:01:03.920 --> 01:01:06.400 We need to follow the ravine, see if there's an 889 01:01:06.400 --> 01:01:10.440 easier way out somewhere down stream. The light was already 890 01:01:10.440 --> 01:01:14.519 beginning to fade, another day almost gone. The thought of 891 01:01:14.599 --> 01:01:18.119 spending another night in these woods now with Jenna injured, 892 01:01:18.480 --> 01:01:21.960 filled me with dread. Let's try to find shelter for 893 01:01:22.000 --> 01:01:26.119 the night, Melissa suggested. We can reassess in the morning. 894 01:01:26.960 --> 01:01:30.280 We helped Jenna to her feet or foot rather, and 895 01:01:30.360 --> 01:01:33.159 supported her between us as we picked our way carefully 896 01:01:33.199 --> 01:01:36.360 along the bottom of the ravine. The walls rose steep 897 01:01:36.400 --> 01:01:39.119 on either side, and the sky above had turned a 898 01:01:39.159 --> 01:01:44.039 threatening gray. It's going to rain, Jenna said, through gritted teeth. 899 01:01:44.599 --> 01:01:47.920 We need to find cover. We had gone perhaps a 900 01:01:48.000 --> 01:01:51.480 quarter mile when the ravine widened, and there, nestled against 901 01:01:51.480 --> 01:01:55.039 the far wall stood a cabin. It was old, built 902 01:01:55.079 --> 01:01:58.440 of rough hewn logs, darkened by time and weather. A 903 01:01:58.480 --> 01:02:01.480 small porch sagged across cross the front, and a stone 904 01:02:01.559 --> 01:02:04.960 chimney rose from the far end. No light showed from 905 01:02:05.000 --> 01:02:09.320 the single visible window, no smoke from the chimney. That 906 01:02:09.639 --> 01:02:14.639 can't be real, I whispered. It's real, Melissa said grimly, 907 01:02:15.199 --> 01:02:18.920 and it's our only option right now. Rain began to 908 01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:22.760 fall as we approached the cabin, fat drops quickly turning 909 01:02:22.800 --> 01:02:26.320 to a steady downpour. By the time we reached the porch, 910 01:02:26.360 --> 01:02:30.039 we were soaked through and shivering. The door was unlatched 911 01:02:30.039 --> 01:02:34.280 and swung open at Melissa's touch, revealing a single room interior. 912 01:02:34.960 --> 01:02:38.119 It was sparsely furnished, a rough wooden table with a 913 01:02:38.159 --> 01:02:41.679 single chair, a narrow bed in one corner, a stone 914 01:02:41.719 --> 01:02:44.719 fireplace with an iron cooking pot hanging from a hook. 915 01:02:45.320 --> 01:02:48.000 Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, but 916 01:02:48.119 --> 01:02:51.480 otherwise the cabin appeared to have been abandoned only recently, 917 01:02:52.039 --> 01:02:55.679 not a century ago. This has to be a ranger 918 01:02:55.719 --> 01:02:58.159 cabin or something, Jenna said, as we helped her to 919 01:02:58.239 --> 01:03:01.559 the bed, some kind of emerging and shelter. But I 920 01:03:01.639 --> 01:03:06.079 knew better. The construction was too old, the furnishings too antiquated. 921 01:03:06.679 --> 01:03:11.079 No electric lights, no modern conveniences of any kind, and 922 01:03:11.239 --> 01:03:14.719 on the table barely visible beneath the dust lay a 923 01:03:14.760 --> 01:03:17.920 set of small animal bones arranged in a pattern identical 924 01:03:17.960 --> 01:03:21.000 to what we'd seen hanging from the dead tree. We 925 01:03:21.039 --> 01:03:24.320 shouldn't be here, I said. We don't have a choice, 926 01:03:24.559 --> 01:03:28.960 Melissa replied, already kneeling at the fireplace, Jenna needs warmth 927 01:03:29.000 --> 01:03:32.719 and rest, and we're all exhausted. She managed to get 928 01:03:32.760 --> 01:03:36.400 a fire going, which cast wavering light across the cabin's interior. 929 01:03:37.159 --> 01:03:40.800 In its illumination, I noticed more details, a shelf of 930 01:03:40.840 --> 01:03:46.280 glass jars containing unidentifiable substances, bundles of dried herbs hanging 931 01:03:46.360 --> 01:03:48.840 from the rafters, and scratched into the logs of the 932 01:03:48.880 --> 01:03:51.800 far wall, a symbol that matched one of the carvings 933 01:03:51.800 --> 01:03:56.079 on the bones at the tree. Melissa, I said, quietly, 934 01:03:56.639 --> 01:04:01.559 This is her cabin, isn't it Agnes Whitewood's. Melissa didn't 935 01:04:01.559 --> 01:04:06.639 answer immediately, but her silence was confirmation enough. Who's Agnes Whitewood? 936 01:04:07.000 --> 01:04:10.079 Jenna asked from the bed, her face pale with pain 937 01:04:10.199 --> 01:04:13.320 and fear. I explained what Melissa had told me the 938 01:04:13.400 --> 01:04:17.719 night before, watching Jenna's expression shift from skepticism to horror. 939 01:04:18.800 --> 01:04:23.039 So you're saying we're trapped in some kind of witch's cabin, 940 01:04:23.480 --> 01:04:28.119 she asked, when I'd finished. That's insane. I don't know 941 01:04:28.159 --> 01:04:31.639 what she was, Melissa said, poking at the fire. But 942 01:04:31.719 --> 01:04:34.760 this area has always had a reputation. I just never 943 01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:38.280 believed it was real until now. Then, why did you 944 01:04:38.320 --> 01:04:42.159 bring us here, I demanded, anger suddenly flaring through my fear. 945 01:04:42.960 --> 01:04:46.400 Melissa looked up, her face haggard in the firelight. I 946 01:04:46.440 --> 01:04:49.360 didn't know we'd end up here specifically. I wanted to 947 01:04:49.360 --> 01:04:52.679 see the area. Yes, I've been fascinated by the story 948 01:04:52.679 --> 01:04:56.000 since I was a kid, but I never thought I 949 01:04:56.079 --> 01:04:59.920 never believed. Her voice trailed off as a new sound 950 01:05:00.039 --> 01:05:02.719 cut through the drumming of rain on the roof, the 951 01:05:02.800 --> 01:05:07.719 now familiar talk Talk Talk, this time coming from directly overhead. 952 01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:12.679 We all looked up again, Talk talk Talk, Then a 953 01:05:12.719 --> 01:05:15.800 scraping sound, as if something was being dragged across the roof. 954 01:05:16.679 --> 01:05:20.519 It's just a branch, Jenna said, without conviction, the wind. 955 01:05:21.760 --> 01:05:24.760 But there was no wind, and the sound was too regular, 956 01:05:24.840 --> 01:05:28.559 too deliberate, to be anything natural. It moved across the roof, 957 01:05:29.039 --> 01:05:33.400 then down the wall, circling the cabin. Talk Talk talk 958 01:05:33.519 --> 01:05:38.840 on one wall, talk talk talk on another, then silence. 959 01:05:39.880 --> 01:05:43.639 We stared at the door, barely breathing. The fire crackled, 960 01:05:43.719 --> 01:05:47.360 sending sparks up the chimney. Rain pattered on the roof, 961 01:05:47.880 --> 01:05:51.840 but otherwise there was only silence until footsteps creaked on 962 01:05:51.880 --> 01:05:56.920 the porch, slow heavy steps approaching the door. The latch 963 01:05:57.000 --> 01:05:59.519 lifted on its own, and the door swung open to 964 01:05:59.559 --> 01:06:03.639 reveal a figure silhouetted against the night. She was tall 965 01:06:03.719 --> 01:06:06.880 and gaunt, dressed in a long skirt and high necked 966 01:06:06.880 --> 01:06:09.840 blouse of a style not worn for over a century. 967 01:06:10.559 --> 01:06:12.880 Her gray hair hung loose around a face that was 968 01:06:13.000 --> 01:06:18.079 deeply lined yet strangely ageless. In one hand, she carried 969 01:06:18.079 --> 01:06:21.199 a gnarled walking stick that ended in a knot of wood, 970 01:06:21.760 --> 01:06:25.280 the source of the tapping sound. You've come at last, 971 01:06:25.599 --> 01:06:29.480 she said, her voice like dry leaves rustling. I've been 972 01:06:29.519 --> 01:06:33.280 waiting so long. She stepped into the cabin, and the 973 01:06:33.320 --> 01:06:36.559 door swung shut behind her without her touching it. Water 974 01:06:36.719 --> 01:06:39.400 dripped from her clothes, but she appeared unbothered by the 975 01:06:39.480 --> 01:06:43.960 rain or cold. Who are you, Melissa asked, though we 976 01:06:44.000 --> 01:06:47.400 all knew the answer. You know who I am, the 977 01:06:47.440 --> 01:06:51.400 woman replied, her pale eyes fixing on Melissa. You've been 978 01:06:51.440 --> 01:06:57.480 speaking my name, calling to me, Agnes Whitewood. Melissa whispered 979 01:06:57.880 --> 01:07:02.280 the woman. Agnes smile, revealing teeth that were too sharp, 980 01:07:02.599 --> 01:07:06.639 too numerous to be human. Yes, and you are Melissa 981 01:07:06.719 --> 01:07:11.280 Chen and Rebecca Warner and Jenna Holbrook. She gestured to 982 01:07:11.320 --> 01:07:14.159 each of us in turn. I know all your names. 983 01:07:14.599 --> 01:07:17.320 I've known them for a very long time. What do 984 01:07:17.360 --> 01:07:20.960 you want from us? I managed to ask. Agnes moved 985 01:07:21.000 --> 01:07:25.719 to the table and set down her walking stick. Want nothing. 986 01:07:25.760 --> 01:07:32.000 You haven't already offered your curiosity, your fear, your companionship. 987 01:07:32.760 --> 01:07:35.960 She looked directly at me. It gets so lonely in 988 01:07:36.039 --> 01:07:40.719 these woods. We didn't offer anything, Jenna protested from the bed. 989 01:07:41.159 --> 01:07:45.320 We were just hiking. We got lost, Agnes laughed, a 990 01:07:45.400 --> 01:07:49.280 sound like bones rattling. No one gets lost in my 991 01:07:49.280 --> 01:07:53.679 woods by accident. You were called here, She turned to Melissa, 992 01:07:54.239 --> 01:07:57.320 Especially you. You've been listening to my call for years, 993 01:07:57.360 --> 01:08:00.119 haven't you, even before you brought your friends to me. 994 01:08:00.119 --> 01:08:05.519 Melissa shook her head, but her denial lacked conviction. I 995 01:08:05.719 --> 01:08:09.400 just heard stories, stories I made sure would reach you, 996 01:08:09.920 --> 01:08:14.519 Agnes said, little breadcrumbs to lead you home. A horrible 997 01:08:14.559 --> 01:08:20.000 suspicion dawned on me, Melissa, I said, slowly. Did you 998 01:08:20.079 --> 01:08:24.720 know did you bring us here on purpose? No, Melissa protested, 999 01:08:25.039 --> 01:08:28.159 but her eyes slid away from mine. I mean, I 1000 01:08:28.239 --> 01:08:30.720 wanted to see if the stories were true, but I 1001 01:08:30.760 --> 01:08:35.159 never thought you never thought I was real. Agnes finished 1002 01:08:35.159 --> 01:08:39.199 for her. You do until they're standing before me. But 1003 01:08:39.479 --> 01:08:44.399 you hoped, didn't you? Deep down? You hoped. She moved 1004 01:08:44.439 --> 01:08:47.840 closer to Melissa, reaching out one long fingered hand to 1005 01:08:47.840 --> 01:08:51.520 touch her cheek. You've always felt it that you don't 1006 01:08:51.560 --> 01:08:54.560 quite belong in the world of men, that you're meant 1007 01:08:54.640 --> 01:09:00.000 for something older. Melissa didn't pull away from the touch. Instead, 1008 01:09:00.319 --> 01:09:04.640 to my horror, she leaned into it, her eyes closing momentarily. 1009 01:09:05.640 --> 01:09:09.359 Don't listen to her, Melissa, I urged. Whatever she's promising, 1010 01:09:09.600 --> 01:09:14.319 it's a lie. Agnes's head snapped toward me, her movements 1011 01:09:14.439 --> 01:09:20.159 unnaturally quick. I never lie, Rebecca Warner, unlike your friend here, 1012 01:09:20.319 --> 01:09:23.479 who brought you into my woods, knowing the legends, knowing 1013 01:09:23.520 --> 01:09:27.720 the risks. Is that true? Jenna asked, struggling to sit 1014 01:09:27.800 --> 01:09:30.720 up straighter on the bed. Did you know what might happen? 1015 01:09:31.600 --> 01:09:36.720 Melissa's face crumpled. I didn't believe it, she insisted, not really. 1016 01:09:37.000 --> 01:09:40.560 I thought they were just stories, ghost stories to scare tourists. 1017 01:09:41.479 --> 01:09:44.600 But you wanted them to be true, Agnes said softly. 1018 01:09:45.159 --> 01:09:48.000 Part of you has always wanted that. Why else have 1019 01:09:48.079 --> 01:09:50.199 you been dreaming of me since you were a child, 1020 01:09:50.760 --> 01:09:55.119 Why else do you recognize my song? To demonstrate, Agnes 1021 01:09:55.159 --> 01:09:58.600 began to hum the same eerie melody we'd been hearing 1022 01:09:58.600 --> 01:10:02.479 in the woods, and to my shock and horror, Melissa 1023 01:10:02.520 --> 01:10:05.920 began to hum along, her voice blending with Agneses in 1024 01:10:06.039 --> 01:10:11.000 perfect harmony. Stop it, I shouted, breaking the spell. Melissa 1025 01:10:11.039 --> 01:10:14.840 blinked rapidly, as if waking from a trance. What's happening 1026 01:10:14.880 --> 01:10:19.319 to me, she whispered. Agnes smiled again, cruel and knowing. 1027 01:10:20.079 --> 01:10:23.479 You're remembering who you really are. What blood runs in 1028 01:10:23.520 --> 01:10:28.079 your veins? What is she talking about? I demanded. Melissa 1029 01:10:28.079 --> 01:10:31.039 looked at me with tears in her eyes. My grandmother, 1030 01:10:31.920 --> 01:10:35.720 she was from here, from the Black Hills. She used 1031 01:10:35.720 --> 01:10:37.640 to tell me stories about a woman in the woods 1032 01:10:37.640 --> 01:10:40.840 who taught her mother secrets. I always thought they were 1033 01:10:40.880 --> 01:10:45.880 just family legends, but but they weren't, Agnes finished. Your 1034 01:10:45.880 --> 01:10:49.079 great grandmother was one of my students. She strayed back 1035 01:10:49.119 --> 01:10:52.439 to the world of men. But the blood remains, the 1036 01:10:52.479 --> 01:10:56.960 connection remains. She turned back to me and Jenna, as 1037 01:10:56.960 --> 01:11:01.199 for you two. Every teacher needs students, every family needs 1038 01:11:01.239 --> 01:11:05.439 new blood. The implication of her words sent ice through 1039 01:11:05.479 --> 01:11:10.039 my veins. We're not staying here, I said firmly. As 1040 01:11:10.039 --> 01:11:12.640 soon as its light, We're leaving, all three of us. 1041 01:11:13.560 --> 01:11:17.560 Agnes laughed again. No one leaves my woods without my permission, 1042 01:11:17.920 --> 01:11:20.840 and I'm not inclined to give it. She tapped her 1043 01:11:20.920 --> 01:11:26.079 walking stick on the floor, toktoktok, and the fire suddenly flared, 1044 01:11:26.319 --> 01:11:30.520 sending shadows dancing across the walls. In those shadows, I 1045 01:11:30.560 --> 01:11:35.199 could have sworn I saw figures moving, writhing, reaching. What 1046 01:11:35.279 --> 01:11:41.800 will you do, Jenna asked, voice quavering, kill us, kill you. 1047 01:11:42.720 --> 01:11:46.359 Agnes looked genuinely surprised. Why would I kill what I've 1048 01:11:46.359 --> 01:11:49.399 worked so hard to bring here. She moved to the 1049 01:11:49.439 --> 01:11:52.760 shelf of glass jars and selected one, holding it up 1050 01:11:52.800 --> 01:11:56.279 to the firelight. Inside was a dark liquid that seemed 1051 01:11:56.279 --> 01:11:59.680 to move of its own accord. I have much greater 1052 01:11:59.720 --> 01:12:05.479 plan for you, she approached Jenna, uncorking the jar, starting 1053 01:12:05.520 --> 01:12:09.439 with you, my injured bird. That leg must be so painful. 1054 01:12:09.760 --> 01:12:14.159 Let me help don't touch her, I warned, stepping between them. 1055 01:12:14.479 --> 01:12:19.319 Agnes regarded me with something like amusement. Brave Rebecca, she said, 1056 01:12:19.880 --> 01:12:25.039 always protecting others, But who protects you? I wonder. Before 1057 01:12:25.079 --> 01:12:29.079 I could react, Melissa grabbed my arm, pulling me aside 1058 01:12:29.119 --> 01:12:34.199 with unexpected strength. Let her help, Rebecca, she said, her 1059 01:12:34.279 --> 01:12:39.640 voice oddly flat, Jenna's in pain. I stared at Melissa 1060 01:12:39.680 --> 01:12:44.319 in disbelief. Her eyes had changed, the pupils expanded until 1061 01:12:44.359 --> 01:12:47.600 almost no iris was visible, and her face held an 1062 01:12:47.640 --> 01:12:51.960 expression of serene certainty that was utterly unlike her. Melissa. 1063 01:12:52.279 --> 01:12:55.319 Snap out of it, I shouted, shaking her by the shoulders, 1064 01:12:55.720 --> 01:12:58.000 but her only response was to grab my other arm, 1065 01:12:58.279 --> 01:13:01.000 holding me in place. As Agnes approached Jenna with the 1066 01:13:01.039 --> 01:13:06.800 open jar, No, Jenna, don't. I struggled against Melissa's grip, 1067 01:13:06.880 --> 01:13:10.800 but she was unnaturally strong. Now. Jenna pressed herself against 1068 01:13:10.840 --> 01:13:13.800 the wall, trying to get away from Agnes, but with 1069 01:13:13.920 --> 01:13:17.920 her broken leg, she had nowhere to go. Please, she begged, 1070 01:13:18.199 --> 01:13:21.720 I don't want this. What you want doesn't matter anymore, 1071 01:13:22.079 --> 01:13:26.319 Agnes said, gently, dipping two fingers into the jar. Only 1072 01:13:26.399 --> 01:13:30.399 what you need, only what you'll become. She pressed her 1073 01:13:30.399 --> 01:13:33.760 wet fingers to Jenna's forehead, leaving a dark smear that 1074 01:13:33.840 --> 01:13:38.000 seemed to sink into her skin. Jenna gasped, her eyes 1075 01:13:38.119 --> 01:13:42.079 flying wide, then her entire body went rigid. What are 1076 01:13:42.119 --> 01:13:45.680 you doing to her? I cried, still struggling against Melissa's hold. 1077 01:13:46.439 --> 01:13:51.399 Helping her, Agnes replied, changing her, making her one of us. 1078 01:13:51.880 --> 01:13:55.359 Jenna's back arched, her mouth opening in a silent scream. 1079 01:13:55.880 --> 01:13:59.920 The darkness from Agnes's touch was spreading visible beneath her skin, 1080 01:14:00.399 --> 01:14:05.359 like black veins crawling down her neck her arms. Stop it, 1081 01:14:05.880 --> 01:14:11.000 I pleaded, you're killing her. No, Agnes said, calmly, quite 1082 01:14:11.039 --> 01:14:15.880 the opposite. As I watched in horror, Jenna's leg, the 1083 01:14:15.880 --> 01:14:20.520 broken one, began to straighten, the unnatural angle, correcting itself. 1084 01:14:20.960 --> 01:14:24.119 She let out a long, shuddering breath, and when she 1085 01:14:24.159 --> 01:14:28.079 opened her eyes again, they were like Melissa's, all pupil, 1086 01:14:28.560 --> 01:14:34.239 no iris there, Agnes said, Satisfied better now, isn't it? 1087 01:14:34.920 --> 01:14:39.800 Jenna nodded slowly. I can feel, she paused, seeming to 1088 01:14:39.840 --> 01:14:44.479 search for words, everything, the earth beneath the cabin, the 1089 01:14:44.520 --> 01:14:50.800 trees breathing, the stars watching. She smiled a strange, dreamy expression. 1090 01:14:51.439 --> 01:14:56.079 It's beautiful. This isn't happening, I whispered, ceasing my struggle 1091 01:14:56.119 --> 01:15:01.119 as shock overwhelmed me. This can't be real. It's very real, 1092 01:15:01.560 --> 01:15:04.760 Agnes assured me, as real as life and death and 1093 01:15:04.840 --> 01:15:07.960 the old powers that govern both. She set down the 1094 01:15:08.039 --> 01:15:12.640 jar and selected another, and now for you, Rebecca. Fear 1095 01:15:12.800 --> 01:15:16.560 jolted me back to action. I twisted violently in Melissa's 1096 01:15:16.600 --> 01:15:20.039 grasp and managed to break free, stumbling backward toward the door. 1097 01:15:20.960 --> 01:15:24.560 You can't run, Agnes said, mildly. Where would you go 1098 01:15:25.039 --> 01:15:29.439 into the night the storm, my woods, I'm everywhere out there, 1099 01:15:30.039 --> 01:15:32.960 but I had to try. I lunged for the door, 1100 01:15:33.199 --> 01:15:36.239 yanking it open and throwing myself out into the driving rain. 1101 01:15:37.039 --> 01:15:40.720 Behind me, I heard Agnes laugh, a sound that seemed 1102 01:15:40.720 --> 01:15:43.920 to come from the storm itself rather than a human throat. 1103 01:15:44.800 --> 01:15:48.279 I ran blindly through the ravine, slipping on wet stones, 1104 01:15:48.640 --> 01:15:55.079 crashing through underbrush. Lightning flashed momentarily illuminating the narrow passage ahead, 1105 01:15:55.439 --> 01:15:59.880 followed immediately by deafening thunder. The rain fell in sheets, 1106 01:16:00.119 --> 01:16:03.920 soaking me instantly, plastering my hair to my face and neck. 1107 01:16:04.640 --> 01:16:08.079 I had no plan beyond putting distance between myself and 1108 01:16:08.159 --> 01:16:11.800 that cabin, between myself and whatever Agnes was doing to 1109 01:16:11.840 --> 01:16:15.479 my friends, friends who were no longer themselves, who had 1110 01:16:15.479 --> 01:16:20.119 been transformed into something other. Behind me came the sound 1111 01:16:20.159 --> 01:16:25.159 of pursuit, not running footsteps, but that rhythmic tapping talktoc 1112 01:16:25.239 --> 01:16:29.840 took impossibly keeping pace with me despite my headlong flight 1113 01:16:30.960 --> 01:16:35.000 talk talk tuk. The humming began again, carried on the 1114 01:16:35.039 --> 01:16:38.439 wind and rain, seeming to come from everywhere at once. 1115 01:16:39.159 --> 01:16:43.319 Not just Agnes's voice now, but Melissa's and Jenna's joined 1116 01:16:43.319 --> 01:16:46.880 with it, the three voices twining together in that eerily 1117 01:16:47.079 --> 01:16:51.359 beautiful melody. I stumbled over a fallen branch, crashed to 1118 01:16:51.399 --> 01:16:55.279 my knees, then scrambled up again, ignoring the pain. The 1119 01:16:55.359 --> 01:17:00.960 ravine was narrowing, the walls squeezing in on either side. Ahead, 1120 01:17:01.119 --> 01:17:03.560 in a flash of lightning, I glimpsed what appeared to 1121 01:17:03.600 --> 01:17:06.720 be a dead end, a sheer rock face blocking any 1122 01:17:06.720 --> 01:17:11.800 further progress. I was trapped. Desperate, I began searching for 1123 01:17:11.880 --> 01:17:15.279 hand holds away to climb out of the ravine. The 1124 01:17:15.359 --> 01:17:17.520 rock was slick with rain, but I managed to pull 1125 01:17:17.560 --> 01:17:20.199 myself up a few feet before slipping and falling hard 1126 01:17:20.239 --> 01:17:23.840 onto the stony ground below. Pain shot through my ankle 1127 01:17:23.840 --> 01:17:31.600 as I landed awkwardly. Tok tok, tok. Closer, now much closer. 1128 01:17:32.640 --> 01:17:35.399 I dragged myself into a small recess in the rock wall, 1129 01:17:35.720 --> 01:17:39.399 hoping the darkness would hide me. Through the curtain of rain, 1130 01:17:39.680 --> 01:17:43.479 I could make out a figure approaching, tall and impossibly thin, 1131 01:17:43.840 --> 01:17:47.960 gliding rather than walking, the walking stick tapping a counterpoint 1132 01:17:47.960 --> 01:17:53.600 to the thunder, Agnes. She stopped several yards away, her 1133 01:17:53.640 --> 01:17:58.359 head tilting as she scanned the ravine. Rebecca, she called, 1134 01:17:58.359 --> 01:18:02.359 her voice carrying easily over the storm. This is foolish. 1135 01:18:02.720 --> 01:18:06.640 You're only making things harder for yourself. I pressed deeper 1136 01:18:06.640 --> 01:18:10.479 into my inadequate hiding place, trying to control my breathing, 1137 01:18:10.880 --> 01:18:13.199 trying not to whimper from the pain in my ankle. 1138 01:18:14.159 --> 01:18:18.119 I can feel your fear, Agnes continued, taking another step forward. 1139 01:18:18.640 --> 01:18:21.479 I can hear your heart beating. I can smell your blood. 1140 01:18:22.439 --> 01:18:26.800 She inhaled deeply. You're injured. Let me help you. As 1141 01:18:26.840 --> 01:18:31.279 I helped Jenna stay away from me, I whispered, though 1142 01:18:31.279 --> 01:18:34.399 I knew she couldn't hear me over the storm. Yet 1143 01:18:34.560 --> 01:18:38.119 she turned directly toward my hiding spot, smiling that too 1144 01:18:38.159 --> 01:18:42.479 many teeth smile, there you are. I broke a cover, 1145 01:18:42.960 --> 01:18:46.479 limping as fast as my injured ankle would allow, angling 1146 01:18:46.560 --> 01:18:48.760 toward a narrow crevice in the rock face that I'd 1147 01:18:48.760 --> 01:18:52.680 spotted during another lightning flash. It looked barely wide enough 1148 01:18:52.680 --> 01:18:55.119 for a person to squeeze through, but it was my 1149 01:18:55.199 --> 01:18:59.920 only chance. Agnes didn't hurry after me. She didn't need to. 1150 01:19:00.600 --> 01:19:05.399 She simply continued her measured approach, tapping her stick talk 1151 01:19:05.840 --> 01:19:09.680 talk talk. I reached the crevice and found it was 1152 01:19:09.680 --> 01:19:14.239 indeed narrow, painfully so I turned sideways and began forcing 1153 01:19:14.279 --> 01:19:17.760 myself into the gap, feeling the rough stone scrape against 1154 01:19:17.760 --> 01:19:21.760 my back and chest. My backpack made it almost impossible, 1155 01:19:22.199 --> 01:19:25.520 but I couldn't spare the time to remove it. Rebecca, 1156 01:19:26.079 --> 01:19:29.840 Agnes called again, now just yards away. Don't you want 1157 01:19:29.840 --> 01:19:32.560 to know what I offered your friends? What I can 1158 01:19:32.560 --> 01:19:36.680 offer you. I continued squeezing through the crevice, feeling my 1159 01:19:36.880 --> 01:19:41.119 clothes tear, feeling skin abraid from my palms and elbows. 1160 01:19:41.960 --> 01:19:44.920 The gap narrowed further, and for a terrifying moment, I 1161 01:19:44.920 --> 01:19:50.319 thought I was stuck, wedged permanently in the stone. Immortality, 1162 01:19:51.000 --> 01:19:53.800 Agnes said, her voice. Now just on the other side 1163 01:19:53.840 --> 01:19:58.159 of the rock, knowledge of the old ways, power beyond 1164 01:19:58.279 --> 01:20:02.479 human understanding. I offered them an end to pain, an 1165 01:20:02.600 --> 01:20:07.239 end to fear, a pause, an end to being alone. 1166 01:20:08.359 --> 01:20:10.920 I gave a final desperate push and broke through to 1167 01:20:10.960 --> 01:20:13.720 the other side of the crevice, Falling onto a muddy 1168 01:20:13.760 --> 01:20:18.560 slope beyond. Without pausing, I scrambled up and ran, heedless 1169 01:20:18.560 --> 01:20:22.159 of direction, driven purely by the need to escape. The 1170 01:20:22.239 --> 01:20:26.239 terrain changed around me, the ravine giving way to dense 1171 01:20:26.279 --> 01:20:30.600 forest once more. The trees loomed, their branches twisting in 1172 01:20:30.640 --> 01:20:34.359 the wind like reaching arms. Roots seemed to rise from 1173 01:20:34.359 --> 01:20:37.479 the ground specifically to trip me, and more than once 1174 01:20:37.560 --> 01:20:41.399 I fell, each time taking longer to rise again. My 1175 01:20:41.479 --> 01:20:45.640 lungs burned, my ankle throbbed, my whole body trembled with 1176 01:20:45.680 --> 01:20:50.159 exhaustion and cold and fear. But I kept going, pushing 1177 01:20:50.199 --> 01:20:52.960 deeper into the woods, hoping to lose agnes in the 1178 01:20:53.079 --> 01:20:57.399 vastness of the forest. How long I ran, I couldn't say. 1179 01:20:58.239 --> 01:21:02.640 Time seemed to stretch and press in strange ways. Eventually 1180 01:21:03.000 --> 01:21:06.279 I collapsed against the trunk of a massive pine, unable 1181 01:21:06.359 --> 01:21:09.840 to go any further. The rain had lessened to a 1182 01:21:09.840 --> 01:21:13.319 steady drizzle, and the thunder had moved off into the distance. 1183 01:21:14.359 --> 01:21:18.239 I sat there, shivering, trying to think through my options. 1184 01:21:19.199 --> 01:21:23.039 My friends were lost to me, transformed by Agnes into 1185 01:21:23.039 --> 01:21:29.199 something inhuman. I was alone, injured, without supplies, hopelessly lost 1186 01:21:29.239 --> 01:21:32.039 in a wilderness that seemed to obey Agnes's will rather 1187 01:21:32.079 --> 01:21:34.800 than the laws of nature. My only hope was to 1188 01:21:34.840 --> 01:21:38.760 find my way back to civilization, to a trail, a road, 1189 01:21:39.159 --> 01:21:42.399 any sign of human presence. But I had no compass, 1190 01:21:42.720 --> 01:21:46.479 no map, no idea which direction to take. My phone 1191 01:21:46.760 --> 01:21:50.079 was long dead, and even if I picked a direction 1192 01:21:50.159 --> 01:21:53.640 and started walking, I had no guarantee that Agnes's woods 1193 01:21:53.640 --> 01:21:56.720 would let me leave. As if in response to my thoughts, 1194 01:21:56.920 --> 01:22:02.000 the humming began again, distant but unmistad three voices in 1195 01:22:02.159 --> 01:22:06.880 perfect inhuman harmony. They were hunting me. With a groan, 1196 01:22:07.159 --> 01:22:09.680 I pulled myself to my feet and started moving again, 1197 01:22:10.199 --> 01:22:14.319 choosing a direction purely at random. The forest had grown darker, 1198 01:22:14.399 --> 01:22:17.920 if that was possible, The spaces between trees filled with 1199 01:22:17.960 --> 01:22:22.279 a blackness that seemed almost solid. The path ahead twisted 1200 01:22:22.319 --> 01:22:27.439 and turned unpredictably, forcing me to constantly change direction. I 1201 01:22:27.479 --> 01:22:31.520 became aware of shapes moving in my peripheral vision, darting 1202 01:22:31.560 --> 01:22:34.319 from tree to tree, always just out of direct sight. 1203 01:22:35.039 --> 01:22:41.159 The humming continued, sometimes fading almost to inaudibility, sometimes swelling, 1204 01:22:41.239 --> 01:22:44.680 until it seemed to come from directly behind me. Then 1205 01:22:44.720 --> 01:22:47.600 I saw a light. At first I thought it was 1206 01:22:47.680 --> 01:22:52.199 another lightning flash, but it remained steady, A warm yellow 1207 01:22:52.279 --> 01:22:56.600 glow shining through the trees ahead. Hope surged through me. 1208 01:22:57.520 --> 01:23:02.880 A camp sight, a cabin, some sign of normal human presence. 1209 01:23:03.960 --> 01:23:07.000 I altered my course toward the light, moving as quickly 1210 01:23:07.039 --> 01:23:10.479 as my injured ankle would allow. As I drew closer, 1211 01:23:10.720 --> 01:23:14.159 I saw that it was indeed a cabin, but not Agnes's. 1212 01:23:15.039 --> 01:23:18.479 This one was larger, more modern, with a metal roof 1213 01:23:18.680 --> 01:23:21.800 rather than wood shingles, and a proper porch with chairs, 1214 01:23:22.239 --> 01:23:26.720 a ranger station perhaps, or a hunting lodge. Whatever it was, 1215 01:23:27.119 --> 01:23:31.359 it represented safety. I stumbled the last few yards to 1216 01:23:31.399 --> 01:23:35.560 the porch and pounded on the door, HULLO, please, I 1217 01:23:35.640 --> 01:23:39.439 need help, let me in. No response came from within, 1218 01:23:40.000 --> 01:23:42.840 but the door swung open at my touch, just as 1219 01:23:42.920 --> 01:23:48.039 Agneses had. I hesitated on the threshold, suddenly wary, but 1220 01:23:48.119 --> 01:23:50.920 the humming was growing louder behind me, and I could 1221 01:23:50.920 --> 01:23:53.119 see shapes moving among the trees at the edge of 1222 01:23:53.159 --> 01:23:57.399 the small clearing. I had no choice. I entered the 1223 01:23:57.439 --> 01:24:00.399 cabin and quickly shut the door behind me, growing the 1224 01:24:00.439 --> 01:24:04.560 dead bolt. The interior was warmly lit by several kerosene 1225 01:24:04.640 --> 01:24:07.479 lanterns and a cheerful fire in a stone fireplace, much 1226 01:24:07.560 --> 01:24:11.520 like the one in Agnes's cabin, but unlike her sparse dwelling, 1227 01:24:12.000 --> 01:24:15.560 this place was comfortably furnished, with a sofa, rocking chairs, 1228 01:24:15.880 --> 01:24:19.159 a large wooden dining table, and shelves lined with books. 1229 01:24:19.920 --> 01:24:22.199 A doorway led to what appeared to be a kitchen, 1230 01:24:22.800 --> 01:24:26.439 and another to what I assumed was a bedroom. Hello, 1231 01:24:26.880 --> 01:24:31.359 I called again, is anyone here? No answer came. The 1232 01:24:31.439 --> 01:24:34.960 cabin appeared empty of people, though it showed every sign 1233 01:24:35.000 --> 01:24:38.560 of current habitation. A book lay open on the sofa, 1234 01:24:38.840 --> 01:24:42.399 a half eaten meal on the table, the fire burning strong. 1235 01:24:43.279 --> 01:24:46.159 I moved to the window, peering out into the darkness. 1236 01:24:46.800 --> 01:24:50.560 The humming had stopped. No shapes moved among the trees. 1237 01:24:51.199 --> 01:24:55.000 For the moment, at least, I seemed to be safe. 1238 01:24:55.039 --> 01:24:58.520 I sank onto the sofa, the adrenaline draining from my system, 1239 01:24:58.960 --> 01:25:03.079 leaving me shaky and nauseated. My ankle had swollen to 1240 01:25:03.119 --> 01:25:06.640 nearly twice its normal size, and various cuts and scrapes 1241 01:25:06.640 --> 01:25:11.199 from my desperate flight stung fiercely. Whoever owned this cabin 1242 01:25:11.239 --> 01:25:15.319 would surely return soon. I told myself all I had 1243 01:25:15.319 --> 01:25:19.239 to do was wait, explain my situation, ask for help. 1244 01:25:20.039 --> 01:25:23.159 In the meantime, I needed to tend to my injuries. 1245 01:25:24.359 --> 01:25:26.880 I found a bathroom off the kitchen, complete with a 1246 01:25:26.960 --> 01:25:31.439 medicine cabinet containing basic first aid supplies. I cleaned and 1247 01:25:31.560 --> 01:25:34.399 bandaged the worst of my cuts, then wrapped my ankle 1248 01:25:34.399 --> 01:25:36.960 as best I could with an elastic bandage. I found 1249 01:25:37.399 --> 01:25:40.239 the pain ebbed somewhat, but I knew I wouldn't be 1250 01:25:40.319 --> 01:25:44.399 running again anytime soon. Returning to the main room, I 1251 01:25:44.479 --> 01:25:47.960 finally allowed myself to really look at my surroundings. The 1252 01:25:48.000 --> 01:25:51.199 books on the shelves caught my eye first, leather bound 1253 01:25:51.279 --> 01:25:55.640 volumes with titles and languages I didn't recognize. Interspersed with 1254 01:25:55.680 --> 01:26:01.319 them were jars containing herbs, crystals, and other substances. My 1255 01:26:01.640 --> 01:26:04.920 unease growing, I moved to the dining table and examined 1256 01:26:04.920 --> 01:26:08.399 the half eaten meal. The plate contained what looked like 1257 01:26:08.600 --> 01:26:11.760 ordinary stew, but beside it lay a small bowl of 1258 01:26:11.800 --> 01:26:15.239 what appeared to be the same dark, viscous liquid Agnes 1259 01:26:15.279 --> 01:26:18.479 it used on Jenna. With mounting horror, I looked more 1260 01:26:18.479 --> 01:26:22.119 closely at the seemingly normal cabin. The fireplace stones were 1261 01:26:22.199 --> 01:26:24.439 arranged in patterns similar to those at the base of 1262 01:26:24.479 --> 01:26:27.600 the dead tree. The beams of the ceiling were carved 1263 01:26:27.600 --> 01:26:30.279 with the same symbols I had seen on Agnes's wall, 1264 01:26:31.079 --> 01:26:33.640 and hanging above the mantel was an old photograph in 1265 01:26:33.680 --> 01:26:38.520 an ornate frame, a photograph of Agnes Whitewood, looking exactly 1266 01:26:38.560 --> 01:26:41.319 as she had appeared to me, though the picture had 1267 01:26:41.319 --> 01:26:45.359 to be well over a century old. This wasn't a refuge. 1268 01:26:45.760 --> 01:26:49.720 This was another of Agnes's places, perhaps her real home, 1269 01:26:50.079 --> 01:26:52.680 while the crude cabin in the ravine was meant for 1270 01:26:53.199 --> 01:26:57.520 you other purposes. I had walked right into her web 1271 01:26:58.359 --> 01:27:01.199 as if on que. I heard the now familiar sound 1272 01:27:01.239 --> 01:27:06.159 outside the door, talk talk talk, Panic flooded through me. 1273 01:27:06.680 --> 01:27:09.239 I looked frantically for a weapon, Grabbing a heavy iron 1274 01:27:09.279 --> 01:27:13.159 poker from beside the fireplace, I backed toward the bedroom door, 1275 01:27:13.399 --> 01:27:16.760 hoping to find another exit. The dead bolt slid open 1276 01:27:16.800 --> 01:27:20.239 on its own and the door swung wide, but it 1277 01:27:20.319 --> 01:27:24.319 wasn't Agnes who stood there. It was Melissa. She looked 1278 01:27:24.359 --> 01:27:28.159 almost like her old self, except for her eyes still 1279 01:27:28.199 --> 01:27:31.199 those expanded pupils that seemed to absorb light rather than 1280 01:27:31.239 --> 01:27:34.520 reflect it. She wore dry clothes that must have come 1281 01:27:34.520 --> 01:27:38.520 from the cabin, her hair neatly brushed, her expression serene. 1282 01:27:39.520 --> 01:27:42.199 There you are, she said, her voice both familiar and 1283 01:27:42.279 --> 01:27:47.000 somehow not. We've been so worried about you, Rebecca. Stay back, 1284 01:27:47.279 --> 01:27:50.920 I warned, brandishing the poker. You're not Melissa any more. 1285 01:27:51.479 --> 01:27:53.960 I don't know what you are, but you're not my friend. 1286 01:27:54.960 --> 01:27:59.760 Melissa smiled sadly. I'm more myself than i've ever been, 1287 01:28:00.279 --> 01:28:04.600 she said, Stepping into the cabin. Behind her, came Jenna, 1288 01:28:04.920 --> 01:28:12.439 similarly transformed similarly calm, Where is she? I demanded? Where's Agnes? 1289 01:28:13.239 --> 01:28:17.199 She'll be here soon, Melissa replied. She's giving us time 1290 01:28:17.239 --> 01:28:19.800 to talk to you first. She thought you might listen 1291 01:28:19.840 --> 01:28:23.399 to us more easily than to her. There's nothing to 1292 01:28:23.479 --> 01:28:27.880 talk about, I insisted, though my voice trembled. I'm not 1293 01:28:27.960 --> 01:28:29.760 letting her do to me what she did to you. 1294 01:28:30.800 --> 01:28:34.760 Jenna laughed softly. You think this was done to us? 1295 01:28:35.439 --> 01:28:40.119 This was a gift, Rebecca. One we accepted willingly. She 1296 01:28:40.279 --> 01:28:43.439 moved with fluid grace, no sign of her broken leg, 1297 01:28:43.520 --> 01:28:45.640 except a slight tear in her pant leg where the 1298 01:28:45.680 --> 01:28:50.720 bone had pierced the fabric. Willingly. You were terrified, Jenna, 1299 01:28:51.239 --> 01:28:54.439 you begged her to stop. I was afraid of the unknown, 1300 01:28:54.840 --> 01:28:58.640 Jenna admitted. But now I understand, and so will you. 1301 01:28:59.680 --> 01:29:02.960 They were advancing on me, slowly moving to either side, 1302 01:29:03.079 --> 01:29:06.239 trying to flank me. I backed further into the bedroom, 1303 01:29:06.279 --> 01:29:09.880 searching desperately for an exit. There was a window, but 1304 01:29:09.960 --> 01:29:13.279 it was small and appeared to be sealed shut. What 1305 01:29:13.359 --> 01:29:15.720 did she do to you? I asked, partly out of 1306 01:29:15.760 --> 01:29:19.640 genuine horror, partly to buy time. What are you now? 1307 01:29:20.760 --> 01:29:23.920 We're what we were always meant to be, Melissa said, 1308 01:29:24.520 --> 01:29:28.119 what all humans once were, before they forgot the old ways, 1309 01:29:28.520 --> 01:29:31.880 the old powers, before they cut themselves off from the 1310 01:29:31.920 --> 01:29:36.279 earth and sky and the spaces between. You're talking nonsense, 1311 01:29:36.640 --> 01:29:40.840 I said, am I. Melissa gestured, and one of the 1312 01:29:40.920 --> 01:29:43.760 kerosene lamps floated from its place on a side table, 1313 01:29:44.119 --> 01:29:47.399 drifting through the air to hover between us. Does this 1314 01:29:47.439 --> 01:29:51.039 seem like nonsense to you? I stared in disbelief as 1315 01:29:51.039 --> 01:29:56.680 the lamp hung in mid air, defying gravity. That's that's 1316 01:29:56.720 --> 01:30:01.319 not possible. All things are possible, Jenna said, when you 1317 01:30:01.439 --> 01:30:05.640 understand the true nature of reality. Agnes has shown us 1318 01:30:05.760 --> 01:30:08.680 just the beginning. There's so much more to learn, Rebecca, 1319 01:30:09.239 --> 01:30:13.439 so much more to become. I was cornered now, backed 1320 01:30:13.479 --> 01:30:16.880 against the bedroom wall. The poker in my hands suddenly 1321 01:30:16.880 --> 01:30:21.119 seemed pathetically inadequate. Let me ask you something, Melissa said, 1322 01:30:21.199 --> 01:30:24.439 taking another step toward me. What are you fighting so 1323 01:30:24.600 --> 01:30:28.199 hard to return to a world of pain and loss, 1324 01:30:28.720 --> 01:30:32.960 of meaningless routine, of slow decline into old age and death. 1325 01:30:33.720 --> 01:30:39.680 We spent years watching people die, Rebecca, young, old, deserving, undeserving. 1326 01:30:40.239 --> 01:30:44.560 Death took them all, but it doesn't have to take us. 1327 01:30:45.039 --> 01:30:49.039 Her words stirred something in me, a deep exhaustion, a 1328 01:30:49.119 --> 01:30:52.039 recognition of the truth in what she said. We had 1329 01:30:52.079 --> 01:30:55.520 seen so much death in our careers, so much suffering, 1330 01:30:56.119 --> 01:30:59.880 and for what to delay the inevitable by days, weeks, 1331 01:31:00.399 --> 01:31:05.319 years at most? But I pushed the thought away. Whatever 1332 01:31:05.359 --> 01:31:09.199 she's offering, there's a price, I insisted, There always is. 1333 01:31:10.079 --> 01:31:14.199 Of course, there's a price. Jenna agreed readily. Everything worth 1334 01:31:14.239 --> 01:31:17.520 while has a cost, but it's one we're willing to pay. 1335 01:31:18.439 --> 01:31:23.279 She gestured to herself to Melissa, look at us, Rebecca, really, 1336 01:31:23.359 --> 01:31:28.479 look are we suffering? Are we diminished? They weren't. That 1337 01:31:29.000 --> 01:31:32.880 was the terrible thing. They looked more alive, more vibrant 1338 01:31:32.920 --> 01:31:37.079 than I'd ever seen them. Jenna's face, usually pinched with anxiety, 1339 01:31:37.199 --> 01:31:40.880 was smooth and confident. Melissa, who had carried the weight 1340 01:31:40.960 --> 01:31:45.039 of her responsibilities like a physical burden, stood straight and strong, 1341 01:31:45.439 --> 01:31:50.640 radiating a calm power. The price is your humanity, I said, finally, 1342 01:31:51.239 --> 01:31:57.560 your soul. Melissa laughed. Such small thinking, such limited understanding. 1343 01:31:58.199 --> 01:32:02.039 Humanity is just one way of being, Rebecca, We've evolved 1344 01:32:02.079 --> 01:32:07.039 beyond it. And souls, she shook her head. Souls are 1345 01:32:07.079 --> 01:32:12.279 not lost in this transformation. They're expanded, connected to something greater. 1346 01:32:12.760 --> 01:32:15.720 I didn't want to listen any more. Their words were 1347 01:32:15.800 --> 01:32:19.319 like a drug seeping into my mind, making terrible sense. 1348 01:32:19.960 --> 01:32:23.560 I had to act with a sudden movement. I lunged forward, 1349 01:32:23.600 --> 01:32:26.960 swinging the poker at the floating lamp. It shattered, spraying 1350 01:32:27.039 --> 01:32:30.800 kerosene and burning oil across the floor and walls. Flames 1351 01:32:30.920 --> 01:32:35.079 erupted instantly, racing along the wooden floorboards. Melissa and Jenna 1352 01:32:35.159 --> 01:32:39.800 jumped back momentarily surprised by my action, I used their 1353 01:32:39.800 --> 01:32:42.640 distraction to push past them back into the main room 1354 01:32:42.720 --> 01:32:46.800 of the cabin, but Agnes stood there, blocking my path 1355 01:32:46.880 --> 01:32:51.359 to the door. That was unwise, she said, her pale 1356 01:32:51.399 --> 01:32:55.600 eyes reflecting the rapidly spreading fire around us. The cabin 1357 01:32:55.680 --> 01:32:59.680 was beginning to burn in earnest, the dry timber catching quickly. 1358 01:33:00.479 --> 01:33:03.720 Smoke billowed, making my eyes water and my lungs burn. 1359 01:33:04.760 --> 01:33:08.319 Let me go, I demanded, still clutching the poker, or 1360 01:33:08.319 --> 01:33:12.760 we all burn. Agnes smiled, unperturbed by the flames that 1361 01:33:12.840 --> 01:33:17.000 were now licking at the ceiling. Fire cannot harm me, child, 1362 01:33:17.479 --> 01:33:21.680 I've survived much worse in my long years, she gestured, 1363 01:33:22.039 --> 01:33:25.000 and the flames nearest her retreated, creating a circle of 1364 01:33:25.039 --> 01:33:30.039 calm around her. But you, you're still mortal, still fragile. 1365 01:33:30.640 --> 01:33:34.239 The fire will consume you if you stay. She was right. 1366 01:33:34.720 --> 01:33:39.199 Already the heat was becoming unbearable, the smoke thickening. I 1367 01:33:39.199 --> 01:33:43.199 could hear Melissa and Jenna behind me, apparently as unconcerned 1368 01:33:43.239 --> 01:33:47.479 by the inferno as Agnes. Then let me leave, I pleaded, 1369 01:33:48.119 --> 01:33:51.960 Just let me go. I can't do that, Agnes said, 1370 01:33:51.960 --> 01:33:55.760 with what sounded like genuine regret. You know too much now, 1371 01:33:56.199 --> 01:33:58.680 and you're part of this, whether you accept it or not. 1372 01:33:59.319 --> 01:34:01.840 You were called here just as your friends were, just 1373 01:34:01.880 --> 01:34:05.199 as all my children are. I'm not your child. I spat, 1374 01:34:05.840 --> 01:34:09.680 not yet Agnes agreed. But you will be. Through fire 1375 01:34:09.800 --> 01:34:13.399 or water, through pain or love, through acceptance or force, 1376 01:34:13.880 --> 01:34:16.800 you will be transformed. The only choice you have is 1377 01:34:16.840 --> 01:34:20.640 how difficult you make the process. The flames had reached 1378 01:34:20.680 --> 01:34:23.279 the bedroom now, and I could feel the scorching heat 1379 01:34:23.319 --> 01:34:27.319 on my back. I couldn't go backward, and Agnes blocked 1380 01:34:27.359 --> 01:34:31.760 the way forward. I was truly trapped. Then I remembered 1381 01:34:31.800 --> 01:34:35.239 the kitchen. There had to be another door, a back entrance. 1382 01:34:36.159 --> 01:34:39.560 I darted sideways, racing through the doorway i'd seen earlier 1383 01:34:40.239 --> 01:34:43.520 behind me. I heard Agnes call out, but I didn't stop. 1384 01:34:44.079 --> 01:34:46.680 The kitchen was already filling with smoke. But I spotted 1385 01:34:46.720 --> 01:34:49.800 what I was looking for, a door in the far wall. 1386 01:34:50.399 --> 01:34:53.000 I reached it in three strides and yanked it open, 1387 01:34:53.319 --> 01:34:57.520 expecting to find myself outside once more. Instead, I found 1388 01:34:57.520 --> 01:35:02.680 myself staring into Agnes's ravine cabin. Impossible. The two buildings 1389 01:35:02.680 --> 01:35:06.079 had been nowhere near each other, and yet there it 1390 01:35:06.319 --> 01:35:09.880 was the single room with its stone fireplace and narrow bed, 1391 01:35:10.399 --> 01:35:14.039 exactly as I'd left it. The doors in my domain 1392 01:35:14.119 --> 01:35:17.239 do not always lead where you expect, Agnes said from 1393 01:35:17.239 --> 01:35:21.000 directly behind me. I whirled to face her, finding her 1394 01:35:21.000 --> 01:35:24.359 standing calmly amid the smoke and flames of the burning kitchen. 1395 01:35:25.479 --> 01:35:29.720 Space bends to my will here, as does time. You 1396 01:35:29.800 --> 01:35:34.399 cannot escape what is meant to be? Rebecca. She extended 1397 01:35:34.399 --> 01:35:37.239 her hand, holding a small clay cup filled with the 1398 01:35:37.279 --> 01:35:42.000 same dark liquid she'd used on jenna drink. She commanded, 1399 01:35:42.399 --> 01:35:46.000 accept my gift willingly, and the transformation will be painless. 1400 01:35:46.720 --> 01:35:51.439 Fight and it will be agony beyond imagination. The smoke 1401 01:35:51.600 --> 01:35:54.640 was choking me now, making it impossible to think clearly. 1402 01:35:55.199 --> 01:35:59.880 My lungs burned, my eyes streamed, the heat was blistering 1403 01:36:00.039 --> 01:36:02.920 against my skin, and before me stood a creature who 1404 01:36:03.000 --> 01:36:08.039 offered escape from all of it, from pain, from mortality itself. 1405 01:36:08.840 --> 01:36:12.079 For a moment, just a moment, I was tempted to 1406 01:36:12.159 --> 01:36:15.239 give in, to join Melissa and Jenna in whatever they 1407 01:36:15.319 --> 01:36:19.119 had become, to never again feared death or suffering. But 1408 01:36:19.239 --> 01:36:23.720 some last spark of defiance flared within me. No, I 1409 01:36:23.800 --> 01:36:27.319 croaked through my smoke, raw throat. I choose to remain human, 1410 01:36:27.880 --> 01:36:33.119 whatever that means, whatever it costs. Agnes's face hardened, so 1411 01:36:33.319 --> 01:36:37.399 be it. She lunged toward me with inhuman speed, the 1412 01:36:37.479 --> 01:36:42.079 cup still extended. I reacted purely on instinct. Swinging the 1413 01:36:42.119 --> 01:36:46.000 poker I still clutched it connected solidly with her arm, 1414 01:36:46.319 --> 01:36:50.000 knocking the cup from her grasp. The dark liquid splashed 1415 01:36:50.039 --> 01:36:53.840 across the burning floor, where it sizzled and bubbled like acid. 1416 01:36:54.800 --> 01:36:58.520 Agnes hissed in pain or rage, I couldn't tell which, 1417 01:36:58.520 --> 01:37:02.000 and lunged again. This time I was ready, ducking under 1418 01:37:02.000 --> 01:37:04.399 her outstretched arms and darting through the door that still 1419 01:37:04.399 --> 01:37:09.119 stood open, leading impossibly back to her original cabin. I 1420 01:37:09.199 --> 01:37:11.640 slammed the door shut behind me and frantically looked for 1421 01:37:11.720 --> 01:37:15.039 something to barricade it with. The single chair would have 1422 01:37:15.159 --> 01:37:18.079 to do. I wedged it under the doorknob, just as 1423 01:37:18.119 --> 01:37:21.000 something heavy slammed against the other side, making the wooden 1424 01:37:21.039 --> 01:37:25.279 frame creak ominously. The ravine cabin was as I remembered it, 1425 01:37:25.840 --> 01:37:29.279 a single room with a fireplace, a bed, and little else. 1426 01:37:30.039 --> 01:37:33.279 The front door stood open, rain still visible beyond it. 1427 01:37:33.920 --> 01:37:37.760 Freedom if I could reach it. Another impact shook the 1428 01:37:37.840 --> 01:37:41.119 door I'd barricaded. The chair, legs scraped a few inches 1429 01:37:41.119 --> 01:37:44.640 across the floor. It wouldn't hold for long. I limped 1430 01:37:44.640 --> 01:37:47.439 toward the front door as quickly as my injured ankle 1431 01:37:47.479 --> 01:37:51.520 would allow. Behind me, wood splintered as a third impact 1432 01:37:51.640 --> 01:37:54.720 hit the barricaded door. I was half way across the 1433 01:37:54.760 --> 01:37:58.079 cabin when a figure appeared in the open doorway, silhouetted 1434 01:37:58.119 --> 01:38:02.359 against the night, Jenna. Her transformed eyes gleamed in the 1435 01:38:02.439 --> 01:38:05.800 darkness as she blocked my escape. Don't make this harder 1436 01:38:05.840 --> 01:38:08.560 than it needs to be, she said, you can't win 1437 01:38:08.600 --> 01:38:12.720 against what we've become. The barricaded door finally gave way 1438 01:38:12.760 --> 01:38:15.960 with a crash. I turned to see Agnes standing in 1439 01:38:16.000 --> 01:38:19.279 the doorway, with Melissa right behind her. We were all 1440 01:38:19.359 --> 01:38:21.920 once more in the small ravine cabin, as if the 1441 01:38:21.920 --> 01:38:27.600 burning lodge had never existed. By was surrounded. It ends here, Rebecca, 1442 01:38:28.119 --> 01:38:34.159 Agnes said, advancing slowly. Your resistance, your fear, your limited existence, 1443 01:38:34.840 --> 01:38:38.520 all of it ends tonight. I backed away until I 1444 01:38:38.600 --> 01:38:41.039 hit the edge of the bed. There was nowhere left 1445 01:38:41.079 --> 01:38:44.600 to go, no more tricks to try. My friends, the 1446 01:38:44.640 --> 01:38:47.279 people I had trusted most in the world, were now 1447 01:38:47.439 --> 01:38:52.520 Agnes's creatures strange and unknowable, and I was about to 1448 01:38:52.600 --> 01:38:56.279 join them. Agnes reached into her pocket and produced another 1449 01:38:56.359 --> 01:39:00.039 small cup, identical to the one I'd knocked away. The 1450 01:39:00.079 --> 01:39:03.039 dark liquid inside seemed to absorb what little light there 1451 01:39:03.159 --> 01:39:05.960 was in the cabin, creating a void in the shape 1452 01:39:05.960 --> 01:39:11.319 of a cup. Last chance, she said, willingly or unwillingly, 1453 01:39:11.640 --> 01:39:14.880 the result is the same. But one path is pain, 1454 01:39:15.479 --> 01:39:20.159 the other is transcendence. I looked from Agnes to Melissa 1455 01:39:20.319 --> 01:39:23.159 to Jenna, searching for any hint of the women they 1456 01:39:23.159 --> 01:39:26.359 had been. There was nothing human left in their eyes, 1457 01:39:26.880 --> 01:39:31.800 nothing I recognized. That's when I noticed the fireplace, specifically 1458 01:39:32.159 --> 01:39:34.920 the iron cooking pot that hung from a hook above 1459 01:39:34.920 --> 01:39:38.399 the cold hearth. In the back of my nurse's mind, 1460 01:39:38.840 --> 01:39:43.279 something clicked the dark liquid, the way Agnes had applied 1461 01:39:43.319 --> 01:39:46.479 it to Jenna's forehead, the way it had spread beneath 1462 01:39:46.479 --> 01:39:50.199 her skin like a living thing. It wasn't magic. It 1463 01:39:50.239 --> 01:39:54.039 was something organic, something that could be destroyed. With my 1464 01:39:54.159 --> 01:39:57.960 last burst of strength, I lunged past Agnes toward the fireplace. 1465 01:39:58.560 --> 01:40:00.800 I grabbed the heavy iron pot and swung it with 1466 01:40:00.840 --> 01:40:03.840 all my might at the cup in Agnes's hand. The 1467 01:40:03.960 --> 01:40:07.359 impact sent the dark liquid flying, not onto the floor 1468 01:40:07.359 --> 01:40:11.840 this time, but directly into Agnes's face. She screamed a 1469 01:40:11.920 --> 01:40:15.720 sound unlike anything I'd ever heard, more animal than human. 1470 01:40:16.439 --> 01:40:18.800 The liquid seemed to cling to her skin like tar, 1471 01:40:19.239 --> 01:40:23.119 spreading rapidly across her features. She clawed at her face, 1472 01:40:23.359 --> 01:40:27.159 but only succeeded in spreading it further. What have you done, 1473 01:40:27.479 --> 01:40:31.720 she shrieked, What have you done? The liquid was moving 1474 01:40:31.760 --> 01:40:36.159 with purpose, now flowing into her eyes, her nose, her mouth, 1475 01:40:36.680 --> 01:40:40.720 Wherever it touched her skin began to wither, to age, 1476 01:40:40.920 --> 01:40:46.279 to decay, years, decades, centuries of suspended time catching up 1477 01:40:46.279 --> 01:40:51.119 in seconds. Melissa and Jenna stood frozen in shock, watching 1478 01:40:51.159 --> 01:40:55.359 as their mistress writhed in agony. Then, to my amazement, 1479 01:40:55.399 --> 01:40:58.119 the black veins that had spread beneath Jenna's skin began 1480 01:40:58.199 --> 01:41:02.880 to recede, Her eyes cleared, the unnatural darkness draining away 1481 01:41:03.760 --> 01:41:07.960 beside her. Melissa underwent a similar transformation, Gasping as if 1482 01:41:08.039 --> 01:41:12.199 waking from a dream. Agnes fell to her knees, still 1483 01:41:12.199 --> 01:41:17.319 clawing at her rapidly aging face. My children, she rasped, 1484 01:41:17.520 --> 01:41:21.920 reaching toward Melissa and Jenna helped me, but they stared 1485 01:41:21.960 --> 01:41:25.600 at her with growing horror and recognition, backing away from 1486 01:41:25.640 --> 01:41:30.359 her grasping hands. What did she do to us, Jenna whispered, 1487 01:41:30.399 --> 01:41:32.640 looking down at her heeled leg, as if seeing it 1488 01:41:32.680 --> 01:41:36.840 for the first time. I don't know, Melissa answered, her 1489 01:41:36.920 --> 01:41:40.880 voice shaking. But it's wearing off whatever hold she had 1490 01:41:40.920 --> 01:41:46.199 its breaking. Agnes gave one final terrible cry, and then 1491 01:41:46.239 --> 01:41:50.199 her body seemed to collapse in on itself, aging centuries 1492 01:41:50.239 --> 01:41:52.840 in moments, until all that remained was a pile of 1493 01:41:53.000 --> 01:41:57.560 dust and ancient cloth on the cabin floor. Her walking stick, 1494 01:41:58.000 --> 01:42:01.800 the source of that terrible tapping, rolled away, coming to 1495 01:42:01.880 --> 01:42:06.000 rest against the fireplaced stones. For a long moment, none 1496 01:42:06.000 --> 01:42:09.119 of us moved or spoke. The only sound was the 1497 01:42:09.199 --> 01:42:14.439 rain still falling steadily outside. Then Jenna began to sob 1498 01:42:15.000 --> 01:42:19.600 deep racking cries that shook her entire body. Melissa went 1499 01:42:19.640 --> 01:42:22.119 to her, wrapping her arms around her, though she too 1500 01:42:22.239 --> 01:42:27.239 was trembling violently. Is she is it over? I finally 1501 01:42:27.279 --> 01:42:30.479 managed to ask. Melissa looked at the pile of dust, 1502 01:42:31.079 --> 01:42:35.560 then at me. I think so, she said. I can 1503 01:42:35.560 --> 01:42:38.680 feel her influence fading. The things she showed me, the 1504 01:42:38.680 --> 01:42:42.720 things she made me believe, they're becoming like dreams hard 1505 01:42:42.760 --> 01:42:47.159 to hold on to. We need to leave, I said, now, 1506 01:42:47.800 --> 01:42:52.279 before anything else happens. No one argued. We gathered what 1507 01:42:52.359 --> 01:42:55.680 supplies remained and stumbled out into the night. The rain 1508 01:42:55.760 --> 01:42:58.640 had stopped, and breaks in the clouds revealed a sky 1509 01:42:58.880 --> 01:43:02.399 brilliant with stars. For the first time since we'd entered 1510 01:43:02.399 --> 01:43:07.000 these woods, the air felt clean, the silence natural rather 1511 01:43:07.079 --> 01:43:10.960 than watchful. We made our way slowly back up the ravine, 1512 01:43:11.239 --> 01:43:15.399 supporting each other over the difficult terrain. My ankle throbbed 1513 01:43:15.439 --> 01:43:19.199 with each step, but the pain was almost welcome, a 1514 01:43:19.279 --> 01:43:24.000 reminder that I was still human, still myself. I'm so sorry, 1515 01:43:24.399 --> 01:43:27.600 Melissa said, as we paused to rest. I should never 1516 01:43:27.680 --> 01:43:30.399 have brought us here. I should have known the stories 1517 01:43:30.399 --> 01:43:35.079 were real. You couldn't have known, I said, Though part 1518 01:43:35.119 --> 01:43:37.479 of me wanted to blame her, to be angry at 1519 01:43:37.479 --> 01:43:40.119 the danger she'd put us in. I think I did 1520 01:43:40.239 --> 01:43:43.800 know on some level, she admitted, I've been drawn to 1521 01:43:43.840 --> 01:43:47.439 these hills my whole life, to the stories about Agnes. 1522 01:43:48.039 --> 01:43:53.560 Something in me recognized something in her. She shuddered. If 1523 01:43:53.600 --> 01:43:57.479 you hadn't been so strong, Rebecca, we'd all be whatever 1524 01:43:57.560 --> 01:44:02.279 she was making us into. Was she Jenna asked, her 1525 01:44:02.359 --> 01:44:07.159 voice small, What did she want with us? I don't 1526 01:44:07.199 --> 01:44:09.960 think we'll ever know for sure, I said, But she 1527 01:44:10.119 --> 01:44:14.600 was lonely. She wanted a family, disciples. She'd been alone 1528 01:44:14.640 --> 01:44:18.560 in these woods for so long. We fell silent, each 1529 01:44:18.680 --> 01:44:21.920 lost in our own thoughts. By the time dawn broke, 1530 01:44:22.119 --> 01:44:24.520 we had reached the ridge where we'd first encountered the 1531 01:44:24.560 --> 01:44:28.800 dead tree with its hanging ornaments. It still stood, twisted 1532 01:44:28.920 --> 01:44:32.840 and ominous, but as we watched, the bones and feathers 1533 01:44:32.880 --> 01:44:36.239 and carved stones that hung from its branches began to fall, 1534 01:44:36.840 --> 01:44:40.119 one by one, clattering to the ground, as if cut 1535 01:44:40.239 --> 01:44:46.560 by invisible hands. The forest was reclaiming itself, shedding Agnes's influence. 1536 01:44:47.560 --> 01:44:49.680 We found our way back to the main trail by 1537 01:44:49.760 --> 01:44:54.800 mid morning, exhausted but alive. Jenna's leg showed no sign 1538 01:44:54.840 --> 01:44:57.960 of having been broken, though she walked with a slight limp, 1539 01:44:58.279 --> 01:45:03.239 a psychosomatic reminder of trot rather than physical injury. Melissa's 1540 01:45:03.279 --> 01:45:07.640 eyes were clear again, but haunted, and I knew mine 1541 01:45:07.720 --> 01:45:10.680 must look the same. None of us spoke much on 1542 01:45:10.760 --> 01:45:13.520 the long hike back to our car. What was there 1543 01:45:13.560 --> 01:45:18.399 to say? We had glimpsed something beyond human understanding, something 1544 01:45:18.479 --> 01:45:22.520 ancient and terrible and almost seductive in its power, and 1545 01:45:22.680 --> 01:45:26.479 we had rejected it, chosen humanity with all its frailty 1546 01:45:26.520 --> 01:45:31.359 and limitation. But sometimes in my dreams I still hear it. 1547 01:45:31.760 --> 01:45:36.439 Talk took took, And sometimes just before waking, I catch 1548 01:45:36.520 --> 01:45:39.880 myself humming a melody I shouldn't remember, with words in 1549 01:45:39.920 --> 01:45:43.800 a language I've never learned. And on those mornings I 1550 01:45:43.920 --> 01:45:46.720 wake with the taste of earth and copper on my tongue, 1551 01:45:47.039 --> 01:45:50.199 and the certainty that something of Agnes Whitewood still exists 1552 01:45:50.199 --> 01:45:52.880 in the dark woods of the Black Hills, waiting for 1553 01:45:52.960 --> 01:45:56.079 someone else to hear her call, waiting for me to return. 1554 01:46:01.520 --> 01:46:04.960 My name is Eli Morgan. I'm thirty four years old. 1555 01:46:05.600 --> 01:46:09.159 This happened in September twenty twenty four. The thing about 1556 01:46:09.199 --> 01:46:12.239 spending your entire life in cities is that you forget 1557 01:46:12.279 --> 01:46:16.399 what true silence sounds like. That's what Maggie always said. Anyway, 1558 01:46:17.319 --> 01:46:20.439 my girlfriend had been trying to convince me to disconnect 1559 01:46:20.800 --> 01:46:23.920 for years, claiming that a week end without cell service 1560 01:46:23.920 --> 01:46:27.560 would somehow reset our brains and save our relationship. I 1561 01:46:27.600 --> 01:46:32.920 always found excuses, deadlines, meetings, family obligations, until I ran 1562 01:46:32.960 --> 01:46:36.479 out of them. So there we were, driving our rented 1563 01:46:36.600 --> 01:46:39.640 SUV through the winding roads of bad Lands National Park 1564 01:46:39.720 --> 01:46:44.199 in South Dakota, windows down, breathing in the crisp autumn air. 1565 01:46:45.239 --> 01:46:48.199 Maggie's auburn hair whipped around her face as she leaned 1566 01:46:48.239 --> 01:46:52.399 out the window, pointing excitedly at the stark limestone formations 1567 01:46:52.520 --> 01:46:57.520 rising like ancient monuments against the sky. She'd planned everything, 1568 01:46:58.039 --> 01:47:01.560 our three day hike through Sage Creek Wilderness Area, one 1569 01:47:01.600 --> 01:47:04.680 of the most remote parts of the park. No one 1570 01:47:04.720 --> 01:47:07.159 else will be out there this time of year, she said, 1571 01:47:07.479 --> 01:47:11.680 her green eyes gleaming with excitement, just us in the buffalo. 1572 01:47:12.239 --> 01:47:15.479 I forced a smile, but my stomach nodded. I'd always 1573 01:47:15.520 --> 01:47:19.520 been a city guy, Manhattan born and raised. The most 1574 01:47:19.680 --> 01:47:23.960 wilderness I'd experienced with Central Park. But Maggie, with her 1575 01:47:24.000 --> 01:47:27.640 outdoor education background and spirit for adventure, had been planning 1576 01:47:27.680 --> 01:47:30.680 this trip for months. It was her last attempt to 1577 01:47:30.720 --> 01:47:34.680 inject some life into our failing relationship, though neither of 1578 01:47:34.760 --> 01:47:38.000 us had said those words out loud. We arrived at 1579 01:47:38.000 --> 01:47:41.720 the ranger station mid afternoon. Inside A tall man with 1580 01:47:41.920 --> 01:47:44.960 leathery skin and a gray mustache looked up from his desk, 1581 01:47:45.960 --> 01:47:50.720 You folks headed into Sage Creek. Ranger Matthews, according to 1582 01:47:50.760 --> 01:47:55.600 his name tag, asked, eyeing our expensive gear with skepticism. Yes, 1583 01:47:56.000 --> 01:48:00.159 Maggie answered, confidently. We've got our backcountry permit all set up, 1584 01:48:00.560 --> 01:48:04.479 three nights hiking from Deerhaven to the northwest section. The 1585 01:48:04.560 --> 01:48:09.520 ranger frowned. That's mighty isolated territory. Haven't had many hikers 1586 01:48:09.560 --> 01:48:13.399 out that way lately. That's the idea, Maggie said, with 1587 01:48:13.439 --> 01:48:17.439 a smile. As the ranger reviewed our permits, a younger 1588 01:48:17.479 --> 01:48:20.359 man in a similar uniform entered, dropping a stack of 1589 01:48:20.439 --> 01:48:23.840 papers on the counter. He had a deep scar running 1590 01:48:23.880 --> 01:48:28.640 from his left eye to his jaw. Oh, Jim, Matthew said, 1591 01:48:28.880 --> 01:48:31.960 these folks are heading to Sage Creek. Didn't you say 1592 01:48:32.000 --> 01:48:36.319 something about strange tracks out that way? The younger ranger, Jim, 1593 01:48:36.560 --> 01:48:41.439 glanced at us, his expression darkening. Yeah, found some odd 1594 01:48:41.479 --> 01:48:45.279 prints last week, probably just a mountain lion, though his 1595 01:48:45.359 --> 01:48:50.680 eyes lingered on me. You two experienced hikers, I am, 1596 01:48:51.079 --> 01:48:54.680 Maggie said, Eli, here's a beginner, but I've been leading 1597 01:48:54.720 --> 01:48:59.680 wilderness trips for years. Jim nodded slowly. Just stick to 1598 01:48:59.720 --> 01:49:03.680 the mark to trails, and if you see anything unusual, 1599 01:49:03.960 --> 01:49:07.640 head back this way. Self service is non existent out there. 1600 01:49:08.439 --> 01:49:13.399 Unusual like what I asked. Jim and Matthew's exchanged glances. 1601 01:49:14.640 --> 01:49:19.760 Just wild life, Matthew said, dismissively. Buffalo can be dangerous 1602 01:49:19.800 --> 01:49:22.439 if you get too close, and there's been reports of 1603 01:49:22.479 --> 01:49:25.560 a drifter in the area. Nothing to worry about, but 1604 01:49:25.720 --> 01:49:29.199 best to be cautious. As we walked back to our car, 1605 01:49:29.399 --> 01:49:33.359 I caught Maggie's arm a drifter. Maybe we should pick 1606 01:49:33.399 --> 01:49:37.840 somewhere else, she laughed. Don't tell me you're scared. The 1607 01:49:37.960 --> 01:49:40.399 rangers have to warn everyone about every little thing for 1608 01:49:40.479 --> 01:49:44.199 liability reasons. Trust me, the biggest danger out there is 1609 01:49:44.239 --> 01:49:49.239 forgetting the bug spray. If only she'd been right. We 1610 01:49:49.359 --> 01:49:52.199 left our car at the designated trailhead and set off 1611 01:49:52.239 --> 01:49:55.880 with our backpacks. Within an hour, the world had changed 1612 01:49:55.920 --> 01:49:59.119 around us. The formations of the bad Lands looked like 1613 01:49:59.199 --> 01:50:03.439 something from another planet, Spires and buttes and shades of red, 1614 01:50:03.760 --> 01:50:06.880 orange and white carved by millions of years of wind 1615 01:50:06.960 --> 01:50:10.680 and water. Prairie grasses swayed in the breeze, and the 1616 01:50:10.760 --> 01:50:15.319 vast blue sky stretched endlessly above. Maggie walked ahead of me, 1617 01:50:15.640 --> 01:50:19.680 her stride, confident she'd dressed the part in her hiking pants, 1618 01:50:20.119 --> 01:50:23.960 moisture wicking shirt, and wide brimmed hat. I followed in 1619 01:50:24.039 --> 01:50:26.760 my brand new boots that were already giving me blisters. 1620 01:50:27.319 --> 01:50:31.399 Isn't this glorious? She called over her shoulder. No emails, 1621 01:50:31.640 --> 01:50:37.279 no texts, no social media, just us and nature. Glorious, 1622 01:50:37.600 --> 01:50:41.319 I echoed, not entirely convinced, as I swatted away a mosquito. 1623 01:50:42.000 --> 01:50:45.199 By sunset, we'd hiked about eight miles into the wilderness. 1624 01:50:45.840 --> 01:50:48.800 Maggie found a flat area protected by rock formations for 1625 01:50:48.880 --> 01:50:52.239 our campsite. As she expertly set up our tent, I 1626 01:50:52.399 --> 01:50:55.319 tempted to start a fire with the fancy waterproof matches 1627 01:50:55.359 --> 01:51:00.640 i'd purchased for the trip. You need smaller kindling, Maggie instructed, 1628 01:51:00.920 --> 01:51:04.960 taking over after watching me struggle. Within minutes, she had 1629 01:51:04.960 --> 01:51:08.520 a crackling fire going. We ate freeze dried beef stew 1630 01:51:08.560 --> 01:51:12.239 for dinner, which tasted better than I expected after hours 1631 01:51:12.239 --> 01:51:17.359 of hiking. As darkness fell, the temperature dropped dramatically. We 1632 01:51:17.439 --> 01:51:20.760 huddled near the fire and Maggie pointed out constellations I'd 1633 01:51:20.800 --> 01:51:25.239 never been able to see through New York's light pollution. See, 1634 01:51:26.000 --> 01:51:28.760 this is what we've been missing, she said, leaning her 1635 01:51:28.800 --> 01:51:32.560 head on my shoulder. I had to admit it was beautiful. 1636 01:51:33.159 --> 01:51:36.079 The stars looked like someone had spilled diamond dust across 1637 01:51:36.199 --> 01:51:41.720 black velvet. The silence was profound. No car horns, no sirens, 1638 01:51:42.039 --> 01:51:46.000 no neighbors arguing through thin apartment walls, just the occasional 1639 01:51:46.079 --> 01:51:48.880 rustle of wind through grass and the soft crackling of 1640 01:51:48.880 --> 01:51:52.920 our fire. That's when we heard it, a long, low 1641 01:51:53.159 --> 01:51:56.319 howl that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. 1642 01:51:57.239 --> 01:52:01.840 Maggie sat up straight. Wolf. No, there shouldn't be wolves 1643 01:52:01.840 --> 01:52:06.760 in this part of the bad lands. Coyote, I suggested, maybe, 1644 01:52:06.800 --> 01:52:12.279 she said, but she sounded uncertain. It sounded bigger. The 1645 01:52:12.319 --> 01:52:16.680 howl came again, closer. This time, it didn't sound like 1646 01:52:16.760 --> 01:52:19.680 any animal I'd ever heard, more like a human voice 1647 01:52:19.680 --> 01:52:22.359 trying to imitate an animal, but getting it wrong in 1648 01:52:22.439 --> 01:52:27.239 some fundamental way. Let's get in the tent, Maggie said, 1649 01:52:27.399 --> 01:52:31.439 kicking dirt onto the fire. Inside our tent, we zipped 1650 01:52:31.439 --> 01:52:35.159 our sleeping bags together and lay close. Despite the strangeness 1651 01:52:35.159 --> 01:52:38.439 of the howl, Exhaustion from the day's hike soon pulled 1652 01:52:38.479 --> 01:52:42.399 me towards sleep. Just before I drifted off, Maggie whispered, 1653 01:52:43.000 --> 01:52:47.880 did you hear that? I listened footsteps circling our tent. 1654 01:52:48.439 --> 01:52:53.039 Too heavy for a coyote, too deliberate for a buffalo, 1655 01:52:53.399 --> 01:52:57.560 Probably just deer, I whispered back, though I didn't believe it. 1656 01:52:58.479 --> 01:53:00.640 Maggie unzipped her side of the sleep keeping bag and 1657 01:53:00.680 --> 01:53:04.520 reached for the flashlight. What are you doing, I hissed, 1658 01:53:04.760 --> 01:53:08.760 I'm going to check. Are you crazy? Stay here? But 1659 01:53:08.840 --> 01:53:11.880 Maggie had already unzipped the tent flap and stepped outside, 1660 01:53:12.399 --> 01:53:15.800 flashlight beam cutting through the darkness. I counted to ten, 1661 01:53:16.159 --> 01:53:19.399 waiting for her to return or call out. When she didn't, 1662 01:53:19.600 --> 01:53:23.359 I scrambled out after her. The moonlight bathed the landscape 1663 01:53:23.439 --> 01:53:27.920 in an eerie silver glow. Our campsite looked untouched, no 1664 01:53:28.039 --> 01:53:33.079 signs of animals or intruders, and no sign of Maggie. Maggie, 1665 01:53:33.359 --> 01:53:38.399 I called, my voice, sounding small in the vast silence. Nothing, Maggie, 1666 01:53:38.600 --> 01:53:43.159 I shouted, panic rising in my chest over here. I 1667 01:53:43.239 --> 01:53:46.640 turned toward her voice. She stood about twenty yards away 1668 01:53:46.680 --> 01:53:48.760 at the edge of a drop off, her back to me. 1669 01:53:49.640 --> 01:53:52.640 What is it? Did you see something? I asked, walking 1670 01:53:52.680 --> 01:53:55.520 toward her. When I reached her side, I saw she 1671 01:53:55.600 --> 01:53:59.359 was staring down into a narrow ravine. Her flashlight illuminated 1672 01:53:59.399 --> 01:54:02.760 something at the bottom what looked like a pile of bones, 1673 01:54:03.800 --> 01:54:09.239 animal carcass. She said, recent something's been eating out here. Great, 1674 01:54:09.600 --> 01:54:13.159 I muttered, let's get back to the tent. As we 1675 01:54:13.319 --> 01:54:17.399 turned to go, Maggie's flashlight caught something else. A symbol 1676 01:54:17.439 --> 01:54:20.640 scratched into the rock face beside us. It looked like 1677 01:54:20.720 --> 01:54:23.920 a crude stick figure with too many limbs, surrounded by 1678 01:54:23.920 --> 01:54:28.800 smaller figures that might have been animals native American petroglyph, 1679 01:54:29.079 --> 01:54:33.960 I suggested. Maggie shook her head. No, this is fresh. 1680 01:54:34.439 --> 01:54:37.199 See how the scratch marks are still light colored. This 1681 01:54:37.399 --> 01:54:41.359 was done recently. An uneasy feeling crept up my spine. 1682 01:54:41.960 --> 01:54:45.880 Kids playing pranks. We're fifteen miles from the nearest road. 1683 01:54:45.960 --> 01:54:49.520 Eli back in the tent, neither of us slept well. 1684 01:54:50.199 --> 01:54:54.039 Every sound, the wind, distant animal calls, the fabric of 1685 01:54:54.079 --> 01:54:58.720 our tent moving sent my heart racing. Sometime near dawn, 1686 01:54:59.039 --> 01:55:02.319 I finally drifted off, only to be jolted awake by 1687 01:55:02.359 --> 01:55:07.720 Maggie's scream. I sat up, disoriented. Morning light filtered through 1688 01:55:07.720 --> 01:55:11.640 the tent walls. Maggie was sitting up, staring at her phone. 1689 01:55:12.319 --> 01:55:15.680 What what is it? She turned to me, her face pale. 1690 01:55:16.319 --> 01:55:21.439 My photos from yesterday, they're all gone. Maybe you accidentally 1691 01:55:21.479 --> 01:55:26.079 deleted them. No, they've been replaced. Look. She handed me 1692 01:55:26.119 --> 01:55:29.159 her phone. Where there should have been pictures of landscapes 1693 01:55:29.199 --> 01:55:32.319 and selfies of us on the trail, there were now dark, 1694 01:55:32.479 --> 01:55:35.159 blurry images that looked like they'd been taken at night. 1695 01:55:35.920 --> 01:55:38.119 In one, I could make out what seemed to be 1696 01:55:38.159 --> 01:55:42.439 our tent from outside. In another, what looked disturbingly like 1697 01:55:42.479 --> 01:55:48.840 a sleeping figure. Me. This isn't funny, Eli, It wasn't me. 1698 01:55:49.560 --> 01:55:52.680 How could I have taken these? She grabbed the phone back, 1699 01:55:52.760 --> 01:55:56.399 checking the time stamps. These were taken at three seventeen 1700 01:55:56.439 --> 01:56:01.000 a m. We were both asleep, I felt, despite the 1701 01:56:01.039 --> 01:56:05.880 warming tent. Maybe your phone glitched or someone hacked it remotely. 1702 01:56:06.760 --> 01:56:09.760 There's no signal out here, remember that was the whole point. 1703 01:56:10.600 --> 01:56:14.920 She scrolled through more photos, then suddenly stopped her breath 1704 01:56:15.000 --> 01:56:20.880 catching Eli, she showed me the last photo. It was 1705 01:56:21.000 --> 01:56:23.720 clearer than the others, a close up of what appeared 1706 01:56:23.720 --> 01:56:27.279 to be a face, but not quite human. The proportions 1707 01:56:27.279 --> 01:56:31.000 were wrong somehow, the eyes too large and widely spaced, 1708 01:56:31.479 --> 01:56:34.840 the mouth stretched in an impossible grin, with teeth that 1709 01:56:34.960 --> 01:56:38.600 looked filed to points. The skin had a grayish cast 1710 01:56:38.720 --> 01:56:42.159 and seemed to be peeling in places. This has to 1711 01:56:42.199 --> 01:56:44.800 be some kind of joke, I said, my mouth dry. 1712 01:56:45.279 --> 01:56:49.079 Someone messing with us. Maggie deleted all the photos with 1713 01:56:49.159 --> 01:56:52.520 shaking hands. Let's pack up. I don't want to stay 1714 01:56:52.520 --> 01:56:57.920 here anymore, I agreed wholeheartedly. As we emerged from the tent, 1715 01:56:58.520 --> 01:57:01.000 I noticed something that hadn't been there the night before. 1716 01:57:01.640 --> 01:57:04.960 A circle of small stones placed around our campsite, each 1717 01:57:05.000 --> 01:57:07.880 one topped with what looked like tufts of animal fur. 1718 01:57:08.920 --> 01:57:12.920 Did you do this, Maggie asked, her voice tight. I 1719 01:57:12.920 --> 01:57:17.880 shook my head. Maybe it was animals, pack rats, or something. 1720 01:57:18.840 --> 01:57:21.680 Even as I said it, I knew it was ridiculous. 1721 01:57:22.359 --> 01:57:26.640 No animal would create such a deliberate pattern. We packed quickly, 1722 01:57:26.760 --> 01:57:32.399 barely speaking. As Maggie rolled up the tent, she suddenly stopped. ELI, 1723 01:57:32.680 --> 01:57:36.079 come look at this. On the outside of the rain fly. 1724 01:57:36.359 --> 01:57:39.000 Someone had drawn the same stick figure symbol we'd seen 1725 01:57:39.039 --> 01:57:41.359 on the rock face. We need to get out of 1726 01:57:41.399 --> 01:57:45.720 here now, I shouldered my pack, not bothering to organize 1727 01:57:45.760 --> 01:57:51.000 it properly. Maggie checked her GPS device. If we head southeast, 1728 01:57:51.039 --> 01:57:53.720 we can cut across a sheep mountain table. There's a 1729 01:57:53.800 --> 01:57:58.079 ranger station there. It's only about ten miles lead the way. 1730 01:57:59.239 --> 01:58:01.520 We set off at a brisk pace, both of us 1731 01:58:01.520 --> 01:58:05.319 glancing over our shoulders every few minutes. The beautiful landscape 1732 01:58:05.439 --> 01:58:09.079 now seemed menacing, too many places for someone to hide 1733 01:58:09.359 --> 01:58:14.720 watching us. After about two hours of hiking, Maggie stopped abruptly. 1734 01:58:15.920 --> 01:58:19.680 This isn't right, she said, checking her GPS. We should 1735 01:58:19.680 --> 01:58:22.680 have hit a marked trail by now. She frowned at 1736 01:58:22.680 --> 01:58:26.960 the screen. That's weird. According to this, we've been walking 1737 01:58:26.960 --> 01:58:30.800 in circles. How is that possible? We've been walking straight? 1738 01:58:31.520 --> 01:58:35.680 I don't know. She tapped the device. Maybe it's malfunctioning. 1739 01:58:36.359 --> 01:58:39.319 She pulled out her paper map and compass. After a 1740 01:58:39.359 --> 01:58:43.079 few minutes of comparing landmarks to the map, her frown deepened. 1741 01:58:43.720 --> 01:58:47.159 This doesn't make any sense. According to the map, that 1742 01:58:47.279 --> 01:58:50.600 formation over there is a castle butte, which means we've 1743 01:58:50.640 --> 01:58:54.920 somehow gone northwest instead of southeast. I looked up at 1744 01:58:54.920 --> 01:58:59.159 the sun. That's impossible. The sun rises in the east. 1745 01:58:59.560 --> 01:59:03.119 We've been heading toward it all morning. Maggie looked at 1746 01:59:03.119 --> 01:59:08.359 me strangely. Eli, it's almost noon. The sun is overhead. 1747 01:59:09.000 --> 01:59:12.439 I checked my watch. It read eight seventeen a m. 1748 01:59:12.760 --> 01:59:16.880 Maggie's watch said eleven forty three. A M. Something's wrong 1749 01:59:16.920 --> 01:59:20.880 with your watch, I said, or yours? She looked around, 1750 01:59:20.920 --> 01:59:24.920 anxiety clear on her face. Let's try again. The ranger 1751 01:59:24.960 --> 01:59:27.880 station at Sheep Mountain should be that way, she pointed. 1752 01:59:28.199 --> 01:59:30.520 We'll lame for it directly and check the compass every 1753 01:59:30.520 --> 01:59:35.520 few minutes. We walked for another hour, stopping frequently to 1754 01:59:35.560 --> 01:59:40.000 confirm our direction. Despite our best efforts, we somehow ended 1755 01:59:40.079 --> 01:59:43.159 up back at our original campsite, a circle of stones 1756 01:59:43.279 --> 01:59:48.039 still in place. This is impossible, Maggie whispered. Are we 1757 01:59:48.119 --> 01:59:53.119 losing our minds? A twig snapped behind us. We both 1758 01:59:53.239 --> 01:59:58.079 whirled around. A man stood about thirty yards away, watching us. 1759 01:59:58.760 --> 02:00:02.079 He was tall and aunt, dressed in dirty jeans and 1760 02:00:02.119 --> 02:00:06.039 a flannel shirt. Despite the warm day. Even from this distance, 1761 02:00:06.079 --> 02:00:09.880 I could see his eyes were unnaturally pale. Hello, there, 1762 02:00:10.319 --> 02:00:15.600 he called, his voice, oddly cheerful. You folks lost. Maggie 1763 02:00:15.640 --> 02:00:19.039 and I exchanged glances, part of me was relieved to 1764 02:00:19.039 --> 02:00:22.640 see another human being, but something about the man set 1765 02:00:22.640 --> 02:00:27.399 off alarm bells. We're fine, Maggie called back, just taking 1766 02:00:27.399 --> 02:00:31.239 a break before heading out. The man approached, his movements 1767 02:00:31.279 --> 02:00:34.840 fluid but somehow wrong, as if his joints worked differently 1768 02:00:34.920 --> 02:00:38.720 than they should. Names Jeremiah Blackwood, he said as he 1769 02:00:38.800 --> 02:00:43.079 drew closer. His smile revealed yellowed teeth. I live out 1770 02:00:43.079 --> 02:00:47.079 these ways, don't get many visitors. You live out here, 1771 02:00:47.399 --> 02:00:51.920 I asked, In the national park? He gestured vaguely behind him. 1772 02:00:52.520 --> 02:00:54.840 Got a cabin a few miles that way. Been in 1773 02:00:54.920 --> 02:00:58.159 my family for generations before this was a park. You 1774 02:00:58.279 --> 02:01:02.319 understand it didn't sound right. The bad Lands had been 1775 02:01:02.359 --> 02:01:06.039 a National Park since the nineteen thirties. Well, nice to 1776 02:01:06.039 --> 02:01:09.199 meet you, Maggie said, clearly, trying to end the conversation. 1777 02:01:10.119 --> 02:01:14.800 We should get going. Where you headed, Jeremiah asked sheep 1778 02:01:14.840 --> 02:01:19.239 Mountain Ranger station, I said. Jeremiah's smile flickered for just 1779 02:01:19.279 --> 02:01:23.279 an instant. You don't want to go that way. Trails 1780 02:01:23.399 --> 02:01:26.840 washed out from the spring floods dangerous. I can show 1781 02:01:26.840 --> 02:01:29.720 you a better route, he pointed, in the opposite direction 1782 02:01:29.840 --> 02:01:32.720 from where we'd been trying to go. Thanks, but we 1783 02:01:32.800 --> 02:01:35.920 have a GPS, Maggie said, patting her pocket where the 1784 02:01:35.960 --> 02:01:41.079 device was stored. Jeremiah chuckled. Technology doesn't work right out here. 1785 02:01:41.600 --> 02:01:44.800 Something about the minerals in the soil plays havoc with 1786 02:01:44.880 --> 02:01:49.000 compasses too, He tapped his temple. Better to trust someone 1787 02:01:49.039 --> 02:01:52.239 who knows the land. I glanced at Maggie, who gave 1788 02:01:52.279 --> 02:01:56.319 an almost imperceptible shake of her head. We appreciate the offer, 1789 02:01:56.600 --> 02:02:00.199 I said, but we'll stick to our route. Jeremiah eye 1790 02:02:00.199 --> 02:02:04.479 as a friendly demeanor changed instantly, his pale eyes hardened 1791 02:02:04.800 --> 02:02:09.960 and his mouth twisted into a grimace. Suit yourselves, he said, coldly. 1792 02:02:10.520 --> 02:02:13.479 But these lands don't take kindly to outsiders who don't 1793 02:02:13.520 --> 02:02:18.000 listen to advice. He turned and walked away, disappearing behind 1794 02:02:18.039 --> 02:02:23.119 a rock formation. Okay, that was creepy as hell, I whispered, 1795 02:02:23.119 --> 02:02:26.000 once he was out of earshot. He's trying to lead 1796 02:02:26.079 --> 02:02:29.479 us away from the ranger station, Maggie said. There's no 1797 02:02:29.600 --> 02:02:33.840 cabin out here. The whole park is federal land. Do 1798 02:02:33.920 --> 02:02:37.399 you think he's the drifter the rangers mentioned? Maybe or 1799 02:02:37.439 --> 02:02:40.760 a poacher? She hesitated, But how did he know we 1800 02:02:40.760 --> 02:02:43.800 were using a compass and what he said about technology 1801 02:02:43.880 --> 02:02:47.880 not working coincidence, I said, though I didn't believe it. 1802 02:02:48.520 --> 02:02:52.199 Let's go and keep an eye out for him. We 1803 02:02:52.319 --> 02:02:56.399 set off again, this time using only natural landmarks for navigation. 1804 02:02:57.199 --> 02:02:59.800 If we kept the distinctive formation called the castle to 1805 02:03:00.039 --> 02:03:02.680 a right and headed toward the tallest butte visible to 1806 02:03:02.760 --> 02:03:06.399 the east, we should eventually hit a marked trail. The 1807 02:03:06.479 --> 02:03:09.760 sun beat down mercilessly as we hiked across the rugged terrain. 1808 02:03:10.279 --> 02:03:14.600 Despite drinking regularly from our water bottles, I felt increasingly thirsty. 1809 02:03:15.319 --> 02:03:18.279 My new boots had rubbed raw spots on both heels, 1810 02:03:18.560 --> 02:03:23.239 and each step was becoming painful. Need a break, Maggie asked, 1811 02:03:23.279 --> 02:03:27.600 noticing my limp. I'm fine, I lied. She stopped anyway, 1812 02:03:27.880 --> 02:03:29.800 pulling out the first aid kit to give me some 1813 02:03:29.880 --> 02:03:32.720 moleskin for my blisters. As she knelt to help me 1814 02:03:32.760 --> 02:03:36.359 apply it, she suddenly grabbed my arm, her fingers digging 1815 02:03:36.399 --> 02:03:41.960 in painfully. Don't move, she whispered. I followed her gaze. 1816 02:03:42.840 --> 02:03:45.880 About fifty yards ahead of us, partially hidden behind a 1817 02:03:45.960 --> 02:03:50.000 rock out cropping was Jeremiah. He appeared to be talking 1818 02:03:50.000 --> 02:03:53.239 to someone else, a smaller figure I couldn't make out clearly. 1819 02:03:53.840 --> 02:03:56.560 How did he get ahead of us, I whispered, I 1820 02:03:56.600 --> 02:04:01.359 don't know, but let's change direction. Veered west, hoping to 1821 02:04:01.399 --> 02:04:04.840 circle around without being spotted. For the next hour, we 1822 02:04:04.880 --> 02:04:08.279 picked our way carefully through the landscape, staying low and 1823 02:04:08.479 --> 02:04:11.640 using the natural features for cover. Just as I was 1824 02:04:11.680 --> 02:04:14.560 beginning to think we'd lost him, we crested a small 1825 02:04:14.640 --> 02:04:17.840 rise and found ourselves looking down into a shallow valley. 1826 02:04:18.520 --> 02:04:21.680 In the center stood a small, dilapidated cabin that looked 1827 02:04:21.680 --> 02:04:25.039 like it had been there for a century. Smoke rose 1828 02:04:25.079 --> 02:04:30.279 from a crooked stone chimney. That's impossible, Maggie said, there 1829 02:04:30.279 --> 02:04:32.680 are no private residences in this part of the park. 1830 02:04:33.560 --> 02:04:37.359 Yet there it was, and outside, hanging from a clothing 1831 02:04:37.399 --> 02:04:41.439 line were pieces of fabric that looked disturbingly like hiking clothes, 1832 02:04:42.000 --> 02:04:45.720 similar to what we were wearing. Let's go back, I said, 1833 02:04:46.199 --> 02:04:52.760 try another direction. Before Maggie could respond, a sound reached us, singing. 1834 02:04:53.399 --> 02:04:56.640 A woman's voice, high and clear, singing a melody that 1835 02:04:56.680 --> 02:04:59.720 made my skin crawl. It seemed to be coming from 1836 02:04:59.720 --> 02:05:04.800 the care cabin. Hello, A voice called Jeremiah's voice. I 1837 02:05:04.920 --> 02:05:08.079 see you up there, Come on down and meet the missus. 1838 02:05:08.560 --> 02:05:13.239 I grabbed Maggie's arm run. We turned and fled back 1839 02:05:13.279 --> 02:05:16.399 the way we'd come, Scrambling over rocks and through patches 1840 02:05:16.439 --> 02:05:20.239 of prairie grass. We ran until our lungs burned, then 1841 02:05:20.399 --> 02:05:23.159 finally stopped in the shelter of a large rock formation. 1842 02:05:24.439 --> 02:05:28.439 Did he follow us, Maggie gasped. I peered back the 1843 02:05:28.439 --> 02:05:32.439 way we'd come. No sign of pursuit. I don't think 1844 02:05:32.479 --> 02:05:37.199 so that cabin, Maggie said, it can't be there. I 1845 02:05:37.239 --> 02:05:39.880 studied the maps for weeks. There are no structures in 1846 02:05:39.920 --> 02:05:43.520 this part of the park. Obviously your maps are outdated, 1847 02:05:43.840 --> 02:05:46.920 I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. 1848 02:05:47.920 --> 02:05:51.159 And those clothes on the line, I didn't want to 1849 02:05:51.199 --> 02:05:53.720 think about what they might mean that we weren't the 1850 02:05:53.760 --> 02:05:58.479 first hikers to encounter Jeremiah. Let's just focus on finding 1851 02:05:58.520 --> 02:06:01.359 our way out, I said. The sun will be setting 1852 02:06:01.359 --> 02:06:05.520 in a few hours. We consulted the map again, trying 1853 02:06:05.600 --> 02:06:09.399 a new approach. If we headed directly south, we would 1854 02:06:09.399 --> 02:06:13.520 eventually hit the park road no matter what. As we walked, 1855 02:06:13.760 --> 02:06:17.359 I couldn't shake the feeling we were being watched. Occasionally, 1856 02:06:17.600 --> 02:06:19.960 I thought I caught glimpses of movement from the corner 1857 02:06:19.960 --> 02:06:23.000 of my eye, but when I turned to look, nothing 1858 02:06:23.079 --> 02:06:26.000 was there. The light was beginning to fade when Maggie 1859 02:06:26.079 --> 02:06:31.439 suddenly stopped listen. She said, at first I heard nothing. 1860 02:06:32.039 --> 02:06:35.560 Then I caught it. The woman's singing again, But now 1861 02:06:35.600 --> 02:06:37.760 it seemed to be coming from ahead of us instead 1862 02:06:37.760 --> 02:06:43.000 of behind. How is that possible, I whispered, before Maggie 1863 02:06:43.039 --> 02:06:46.600 could answer. Another sound cut through the air, A scream, 1864 02:06:47.159 --> 02:06:52.560 high and desperate. Abruptly cut off. Someone's in trouble, Maggie said, 1865 02:06:52.600 --> 02:06:55.960 already moving toward the sound. Wait, I grabbed her arm. 1866 02:06:56.359 --> 02:06:59.399 It could be a trap, she shook me off. Or 1867 02:06:59.399 --> 02:07:02.000 it could be another hiker. We can't just ignore it. 1868 02:07:02.600 --> 02:07:05.640 She was right, of course, but everything in me screamed 1869 02:07:05.640 --> 02:07:09.079 that we should run in the opposite direction. Reluctantly, I 1870 02:07:09.199 --> 02:07:12.239 followed as Maggie moved cautiously toward where the scream had 1871 02:07:12.239 --> 02:07:16.319 come from. We crested another rise and found ourselves looking 1872 02:07:16.399 --> 02:07:21.560 down at impossibly the same cabin we'd seen earlier. This 1873 02:07:21.720 --> 02:07:26.279 can't be happening, Maggie whispered. We've been walking south. That 1874 02:07:26.399 --> 02:07:30.119 cabin was north of us. As we watched, the door 1875 02:07:30.159 --> 02:07:34.079 of the cabin opened, a woman stepped out rail thin, 1876 02:07:34.239 --> 02:07:37.159 with long gray hair hanging in matted clumps around a 1877 02:07:37.199 --> 02:07:40.199 face that was deeply lined. She wore a dress that 1878 02:07:40.359 --> 02:07:42.920 might once have been white but was now a dingy gray. 1879 02:07:43.640 --> 02:07:46.000 In her hand she carried what looked like a large 1880 02:07:46.039 --> 02:07:50.640 hunting knife. Martha Jeremiah's voice called from inside the cabin. 1881 02:07:51.159 --> 02:07:55.479 We got company coming. The woman Martha looked up directly 1882 02:07:55.520 --> 02:07:58.840 at our position, though we were well hidden. A smile 1883 02:07:58.880 --> 02:08:02.199 spread across her face, revealing gaps where teeth should have been. 1884 02:08:03.199 --> 02:08:05.560 I see them, she called back, her voice, the same 1885 02:08:05.560 --> 02:08:08.600 one we'd heard, singing two of them, just like you said. 1886 02:08:09.439 --> 02:08:12.560 My blood ran cold. There was no way she could 1887 02:08:12.600 --> 02:08:15.880 see us from that distance, hidden as we were behind rocks. 1888 02:08:16.680 --> 02:08:21.399 We need to go, I whispered to Maggie. Now. For once, 1889 02:08:21.600 --> 02:08:25.640 she didn't argue. We backed away slowly, then turned and ran. 1890 02:08:25.720 --> 02:08:28.000 Once we were out of sight of the cabin. The 1891 02:08:28.039 --> 02:08:31.359 sun was setting rapidly, now, casting long shadows that seemed 1892 02:08:31.399 --> 02:08:34.720 to reach for us like grasping hands. We ran until 1893 02:08:34.760 --> 02:08:38.760 we couldn't any more, then walked quickly, changing direction frequently 1894 02:08:38.800 --> 02:08:42.960 in hopes of throwing off any pursuit. Darkness fell completely, 1895 02:08:43.319 --> 02:08:46.319 and we were forced to use our flashlights. We found 1896 02:08:46.319 --> 02:08:48.920 a small cave like opening in a rock face and 1897 02:08:49.119 --> 02:08:52.439 decided to take shelter for the night. We'll rest for 1898 02:08:52.439 --> 02:08:56.840 a few hours, Maggie said, her voice steady despite everything. 1899 02:08:57.840 --> 02:09:01.239 Then start again before dawn. If we keep heading south, 1900 02:09:01.680 --> 02:09:05.439 we have to hit the road. Eventually, I nodded, too 1901 02:09:05.479 --> 02:09:08.920 exhausted to speak. We didn't bother setting up the tent, 1902 02:09:09.359 --> 02:09:11.479 just unrolled our sleeping bags at the mouth of the 1903 02:09:11.520 --> 02:09:15.359 small cave. Neither of us suggested a fire. The less 1904 02:09:15.359 --> 02:09:19.640 attention we drew to ourselves, the better we ate energy 1905 02:09:19.640 --> 02:09:24.039 bars in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, 1906 02:09:24.159 --> 02:09:28.399 Maggie spoke, this doesn't make any sense. That cabin can't 1907 02:09:28.439 --> 02:09:31.880 be in two places at once. Maybe there are two 1908 02:09:31.920 --> 02:09:36.359 cabins twins. Even as I suggested it, I knew how 1909 02:09:36.399 --> 02:09:40.119 ridiculous it sounded, and that woman knew where we were 1910 02:09:40.159 --> 02:09:45.720 without seeing us. Maggie continued, ignoring my comment. And how 1911 02:09:45.760 --> 02:09:49.520 did Jeremiah get ahead of us this morning? I don't know. 1912 02:09:50.560 --> 02:09:53.199 I took her hand, but we'll figure it out in 1913 02:09:53.199 --> 02:09:56.399 the morning. For now, let's try to get some sleep. 1914 02:09:57.439 --> 02:10:01.159 We decided to take turns keeping watch. Maggie took the 1915 02:10:01.199 --> 02:10:04.319 first shift while I tried to sleep, but rest wouldn't come. 1916 02:10:04.760 --> 02:10:08.720 Every sound from outside, the wind, the occasional call of 1917 02:10:08.760 --> 02:10:12.880 a night bird sent my heart racing. When it was 1918 02:10:12.920 --> 02:10:16.159 my turn to watch, Maggie fell into an uneasy sleep. 1919 02:10:16.279 --> 02:10:19.680 Beside me. I sat at the mouth of our small shelter, 1920 02:10:20.279 --> 02:10:23.920 staring out into the darkness, my flashlight off to preserve 1921 02:10:23.960 --> 02:10:27.039 the batteries, but close at hand, the night was clear, 1922 02:10:27.439 --> 02:10:32.239 Stars scattered like dust across the sky. Under different circumstances, 1923 02:10:32.560 --> 02:10:35.479 it would have been beautiful. Now, it just made me 1924 02:10:35.520 --> 02:10:40.199 feel exposed around what I guessed was midnight. I heard 1925 02:10:40.199 --> 02:10:45.560 it footsteps approaching our shelter, slow deliberate steps that no 1926 02:10:45.760 --> 02:10:50.199 animal would make. I shook Maggie awake, pressing my hand 1927 02:10:50.239 --> 02:10:53.760 over her mouth to keep her quiet. Her eyes flew open, 1928 02:10:54.159 --> 02:10:58.720 instantly alert. I pointed outside and mouthed, some one's coming. 1929 02:10:59.760 --> 02:11:02.760 We press ourselves against the back wall of the small cave, 1930 02:11:03.119 --> 02:11:08.199 hoping that darkness would hide us. The footsteps stopped just outside. 1931 02:11:08.960 --> 02:11:13.239 I know you're in there, came Jeremiah's voice, silky and amused. 1932 02:11:14.159 --> 02:11:17.479 No sense in hiding. Neither of us moved or made 1933 02:11:17.479 --> 02:11:21.640 a sound. The Missus has dinner almost ready venisons. Do 1934 02:11:22.439 --> 02:11:25.000 you two must be hungry after all that running around today. 1935 02:11:26.039 --> 02:11:30.239 When we still didn't respond, he sighed loudly, have it 1936 02:11:30.359 --> 02:11:33.399 your way, But these lands play tricks on those who 1937 02:11:33.479 --> 02:11:37.039 don't know them. You'll never find your way out without help. 1938 02:11:37.600 --> 02:11:41.399 The Blackwoods have lived here for generations. We know the secrets. 1939 02:11:42.279 --> 02:11:46.760 A pause, then we'll be waiting when you change your minds. 1940 02:11:46.880 --> 02:11:50.760 The footsteps retreated, and soon the night was silent again, 1941 02:11:51.279 --> 02:11:54.720 save for the pounding of my heart. How did he 1942 02:11:54.800 --> 02:11:58.680 find us, Maggie whispered, when enough time had passed. I 1943 02:11:58.720 --> 02:12:02.520 don't know, but we we need to leave now. We 1944 02:12:02.600 --> 02:12:05.039 packed our few belongings and slipped out of the cave. 1945 02:12:05.720 --> 02:12:08.640 The night was still and clear, the moon providing just 1946 02:12:08.760 --> 02:12:12.600 enough light to see by which way I asked? Maggie 1947 02:12:12.640 --> 02:12:17.720 pointed south, Always south. We walked through the night, stumbling 1948 02:12:17.760 --> 02:12:22.840 over unseen obstacles, picking our way across the alien landscape. 1949 02:12:22.920 --> 02:12:26.399 Neither of us suggested using our flashlights, better to risk 1950 02:12:26.439 --> 02:12:30.600 a twisted ankle than alert Jeremiah to our location. As 1951 02:12:30.720 --> 02:12:35.560 dawn approached, an eerie fog rolled in, reducing visibility to 1952 02:12:35.640 --> 02:12:39.600 a few feet. The air felt unnaturally cold and damp 1953 02:12:39.680 --> 02:12:42.479 for the bad lands, which were typically dry even in 1954 02:12:42.520 --> 02:12:46.960 the early morning. This isn't right, Maggie murmured. Fog like 1955 02:12:47.039 --> 02:12:50.000 this is rare out here, especially this time of year. 1956 02:12:50.960 --> 02:12:54.600 We pressed on, using the compass to maintain our southerly direction. 1957 02:12:55.359 --> 02:12:58.800 The fog seemed to deaden all sound, creating a cocoon 1958 02:12:58.920 --> 02:13:03.399 of silence around us us. It was disorienting, like walking 1959 02:13:03.479 --> 02:13:06.600 through a dream. That's when we heard the singing again, 1960 02:13:07.319 --> 02:13:10.600 Martha's voice, somehow coming from all directions at once, in 1961 02:13:10.680 --> 02:13:14.239 that eerie, a tonal melody that set my teeth on edge. 1962 02:13:15.079 --> 02:13:20.000 Just keep walking, Maggie said, gripping my hand tightly. Don't stop. 1963 02:13:20.760 --> 02:13:24.000 The singing grew louder, and now I could make out 1964 02:13:24.039 --> 02:13:28.079 words an old folk song about death and burial. As 1965 02:13:28.079 --> 02:13:31.600 we walked, dark shapes appeared in the fog, just at 1966 02:13:31.640 --> 02:13:35.600 the edge of visibility, tall thin figures that might have 1967 02:13:35.640 --> 02:13:39.880 been trees or rocks, or people standing perfectly still watching 1968 02:13:39.960 --> 02:13:43.800 us pass. The fog began to thin as the sun 1969 02:13:43.920 --> 02:13:47.119 rose higher, revealing that we were walking through a section 1970 02:13:47.199 --> 02:13:50.119 of bad lands I hadn't seen before. A forest of 1971 02:13:50.199 --> 02:13:53.880 stone pillars rising like petrified trees from the earth. The 1972 02:13:53.960 --> 02:13:57.800 door of hell Maggie whispered, checking the map. That's what 1973 02:13:57.880 --> 02:14:03.199 this area is called comforting, I muttered. As the last 1974 02:14:03.199 --> 02:14:06.000 of the fog burned away. I saw something that made 1975 02:14:06.000 --> 02:14:10.000 my heart sink, the now familiar shape of Jeremiah's cabin 1976 02:14:10.239 --> 02:14:13.239 sitting in a small clearing ahead of us. How is 1977 02:14:13.279 --> 02:14:17.800 this possible, I said, stopping in my tracks. We've been 1978 02:14:17.800 --> 02:14:21.640 walking south all night. Maggie looked as bewildered as I felt. 1979 02:14:22.359 --> 02:14:26.840 I don't know. The compass can't be wrong unless she 1980 02:14:26.960 --> 02:14:29.880 looked up at the sun, then down at her compass again. 1981 02:14:30.840 --> 02:14:35.279 Unless south isn't south anymore? What does that even mean? 1982 02:14:36.319 --> 02:14:41.199 Before she could answer, the cabin door opened, Martha stepped out, 1983 02:14:41.279 --> 02:14:44.279 waving cheerfully as if we were expected guests arriving for 1984 02:14:44.319 --> 02:14:50.439 Sunday dinner. There you are, she called. Breakfast is almost ready, run, 1985 02:14:50.720 --> 02:14:54.239 I said, turning away from the cabin, but Maggie caught 1986 02:14:54.279 --> 02:14:59.760 my arm. Wait. Look, I followed her gaze. In the distance. 1987 02:14:59.800 --> 02:15:03.000 Be behind the cabin, clearly visible in the morning light 1988 02:15:03.600 --> 02:15:06.560 was a road and what looked like the ranger station 1989 02:15:06.680 --> 02:15:10.439 at Sheep Mountain table. We've been going in the right direction, 1990 02:15:10.600 --> 02:15:14.199 after all, Maggie said. The ranger station is just beyond 1991 02:15:14.279 --> 02:15:19.039 the cabin. So we what walk straight past the cabin 1992 02:15:19.079 --> 02:15:22.000 of the creepy people who've been stalking us? Do you 1993 02:15:22.039 --> 02:15:25.479 have a better idea? We can't keep wandering in circles. 1994 02:15:26.000 --> 02:15:29.279 We're running out of water and food. She was right. 1995 02:15:29.640 --> 02:15:32.079 My water bottle was nearly empty and we had only 1996 02:15:32.079 --> 02:15:35.960 a few energy bars left between us. Fine, but we 1997 02:15:36.039 --> 02:15:40.840 stay together and we don't stop for anything. We approached cautiously. 1998 02:15:41.760 --> 02:15:45.760 Martha remained on the porch, still smiling that gap toothed smile. 1999 02:15:46.199 --> 02:15:48.840 As we drew closer, I noticed something I hadn't been 2000 02:15:48.840 --> 02:15:51.520 able to see from a distance. Her eyes were the 2001 02:15:51.520 --> 02:15:57.199 same unnatural pale color as Jeremiah's, almost white. Don't be shy, 2002 02:15:57.560 --> 02:16:02.399 she called. We don't get many visitors, do Jeremiah. Jeremiah 2003 02:16:02.399 --> 02:16:05.920 appeared in the doorway behind her. Not many that stay 2004 02:16:05.960 --> 02:16:09.319 for dinner, at least, he said, then laughed as if 2005 02:16:09.359 --> 02:16:12.600 he'd made a joke. We kept walking, aiming to pass 2006 02:16:12.640 --> 02:16:16.479 the cabin at a safe distance. Now, don't be like that, 2007 02:16:17.079 --> 02:16:21.079 Martha called, We're just being neighborly. Ain't no cell service 2008 02:16:21.119 --> 02:16:23.720 out here, and the rangers don't come this way much. 2009 02:16:24.199 --> 02:16:27.000 Folks need to look out for each other. We were 2010 02:16:27.039 --> 02:16:29.760 almost past the cabin when I noticed something hanging from 2011 02:16:29.760 --> 02:16:33.360 a hook on the porch, A familiar looking red backpack, 2012 02:16:33.760 --> 02:16:38.280 identical to the one Maggie was carrying. Maggie saw it too. 2013 02:16:38.600 --> 02:16:43.360 Her step faltered. Keep going, I whispered, But that's I know. 2014 02:16:43.879 --> 02:16:47.680 Keep walking. We were just past the cabin when Jeremiah 2015 02:16:47.719 --> 02:16:52.920 called out, you left something behind last time, Margaret. Maggie froze. 2016 02:16:53.239 --> 02:16:56.680 I hadn't told him her name. She turned slowly. What 2017 02:16:56.799 --> 02:17:01.840 did you say? Jeremiah grinned, revealing those he bellowed teeth, said, 2018 02:17:01.840 --> 02:17:05.120 you left something behind when you were here before. Your 2019 02:17:05.200 --> 02:17:09.680 journal got some real interesting writings in it. I've never 2020 02:17:09.760 --> 02:17:13.440 been here before, Maggie said, but her voice wavered. Sure 2021 02:17:13.520 --> 02:17:17.520 you have, don't you remember? You and that fellow what 2022 02:17:17.680 --> 02:17:23.399 was his name? Martha? David? Martha supplied, nice boy, didn't 2023 02:17:23.399 --> 02:17:28.520 scream much. A cold horror washed over me. David had 2024 02:17:28.559 --> 02:17:31.959 been Maggie's boyfriend before me, the one who had disappeared 2025 02:17:32.000 --> 02:17:35.559 during a solo camping trip two years ago. You're lying, 2026 02:17:35.959 --> 02:17:39.959 Maggie said, but there were tears in her eyes. Jeremiah 2027 02:17:39.959 --> 02:17:42.760 disappeared into the cabin and returned holding a small leather 2028 02:17:42.799 --> 02:17:48.120 bound book. Even from this distance, I recognized it Maggie's journal, 2029 02:17:48.479 --> 02:17:51.040 the one she'd been devastated to lose around the time 2030 02:17:51.239 --> 02:17:56.040 David vanished. Come and get it, Jeremiah said, waving the journal. 2031 02:17:56.520 --> 02:17:59.639 It's got some mighty personal things in here. Wouldn't want 2032 02:17:59.719 --> 02:18:02.799 just an anyone reading it. Maggie took a step toward 2033 02:18:02.840 --> 02:18:07.000 the cabin. Don't, I said, grabbing her arm. It's a trick. 2034 02:18:07.719 --> 02:18:11.079 She shook me off. That's my journal. It disappeared with 2035 02:18:11.200 --> 02:18:16.319 David exactly. They're admitting they did something to David. But 2036 02:18:16.399 --> 02:18:19.200 Maggie was already walking toward the cabin, as if pulled 2037 02:18:19.200 --> 02:18:23.520 by an invisible string. Maggie stop. I ran after her. 2038 02:18:24.120 --> 02:18:26.959 She was halfway to the porch when Martha disappeared inside 2039 02:18:26.959 --> 02:18:30.319 the cabin and came back holding something else, a knife, 2040 02:18:30.680 --> 02:18:34.879 the blade crusted with what looked like dried blood. I 2041 02:18:34.959 --> 02:18:37.360 caught up to Maggie and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her 2042 02:18:37.360 --> 02:18:42.360 to look at me. We need to go now. Something 2043 02:18:42.479 --> 02:18:46.040 moved in the windows of the cabin, faces pressing against 2044 02:18:46.040 --> 02:18:50.280 the glass, pale gaunt faces with those same strange eyes. 2045 02:18:51.399 --> 02:18:55.559 How many people are in there? I whispered, five six. 2046 02:18:56.360 --> 02:18:59.399 Maggie's voice was distant, her gaze still fixed on the 2047 02:18:59.440 --> 02:19:04.760 journal in Eremia's hand. Too many come on? I tugged 2048 02:19:04.760 --> 02:19:07.639 her arm, and this time she came with me. We 2049 02:19:07.680 --> 02:19:10.920 backed away from the cabin, then turned and ran toward 2050 02:19:10.959 --> 02:19:14.680 where we'd seen the ranger station behind us. Martha's singing 2051 02:19:14.760 --> 02:19:20.520 started again, louder, now almost celebratory. We ran until the 2052 02:19:20.559 --> 02:19:23.600 cabin was out of sight, then slowed to a jog, 2053 02:19:24.159 --> 02:19:27.639 both of us gasping for breath. That was my journal, 2054 02:19:28.079 --> 02:19:31.559 Maggie said, between breaths, the one I lost when David 2055 02:19:32.360 --> 02:19:35.760 I know, I said, which means they probably had something 2056 02:19:35.760 --> 02:19:38.520 to do with his disappearance. We need to get to 2057 02:19:38.520 --> 02:19:43.159 the rangers, tell them about the cabin. We continued toward 2058 02:19:43.200 --> 02:19:46.280 where we'd seen the ranger station, moving as quickly as 2059 02:19:46.280 --> 02:19:50.520 our exhausted bodies would allow. The terrain became steeper, the 2060 02:19:50.559 --> 02:19:54.600 path winding up toward a plateau. Just as we crested 2061 02:19:54.600 --> 02:19:58.760 the rise, I heard a voice behind us, leaving so 2062 02:19:58.760 --> 02:20:03.479 soon I whirled around. Jeremiah stood about twenty feet away. 2063 02:20:03.799 --> 02:20:07.639 Though I hadn't heard him approach, he still held Maggie's journal. 2064 02:20:08.639 --> 02:20:12.879 How did you? I began, told you Jeremiah said, with 2065 02:20:12.920 --> 02:20:18.440 that unsettling grin. These lands played tricks, especially on outsiders. 2066 02:20:18.840 --> 02:20:22.239 Stay back, I warned, picking up a rock. It was 2067 02:20:22.280 --> 02:20:27.000 a pathetic weapon, but it was all I had. Jeremiah laughed, 2068 02:20:27.639 --> 02:20:30.280 No need for that. Just wanted to return something to 2069 02:20:30.319 --> 02:20:34.000 the lady. He tossed the journal to the ground between us. 2070 02:20:34.559 --> 02:20:39.040 Maggie stared at it but didn't move. Go ahead, Jeremiah urged, 2071 02:20:39.520 --> 02:20:43.319 it's yours, ain't it. Don't touch it, I said, smart boy, 2072 02:20:43.559 --> 02:20:48.920 Jeremiah said, still smiling, Smarter than the last one. He 2073 02:20:49.000 --> 02:20:53.040 never figured it out. He took a step closer. You 2074 02:20:53.120 --> 02:20:56.479 know what we are, don't you. Something about the way 2075 02:20:56.520 --> 02:20:59.639 he said it sent ice through my veins. I'd been 2076 02:20:59.680 --> 02:21:03.040 assumed they were some kind of backwoods killers, people who 2077 02:21:03.079 --> 02:21:05.799 lived off the grid and preyed on hikers. But the 2078 02:21:05.799 --> 02:21:09.399 way things didn't add up. The cabin appearing in different places, 2079 02:21:09.879 --> 02:21:14.719 the confusion with directions, the unnatural fog. You're not human, 2080 02:21:15.159 --> 02:21:18.159 I said, the words, sounding ridiculous even as they left 2081 02:21:18.200 --> 02:21:23.479 my mouth. Jeremiah's grin widened, showing too many teeth, not anymore. 2082 02:21:24.360 --> 02:21:27.840 A wind picked up, hot and dry, carrying with it 2083 02:21:27.879 --> 02:21:32.319 a smell like rotting meat. Jeremiah's form seemed to flicker, 2084 02:21:32.840 --> 02:21:36.799 like bad reception on an old TV. For just an instant, 2085 02:21:37.200 --> 02:21:41.319 I saw something else standing where he was, something tall 2086 02:21:41.399 --> 02:21:44.040 and gaunt, with two long limbs and a face that 2087 02:21:44.200 --> 02:21:49.559 was mostly mouth run. I screamed, Grabbing Maggie's hand, we 2088 02:21:49.639 --> 02:21:52.920 fled up the path toward the ranger station behind us. 2089 02:21:53.120 --> 02:21:57.040 Jeremiah's laughter turned into something else, a howl like the 2090 02:21:57.040 --> 02:22:00.600 one we'd heard that first night, but now I recognized 2091 02:22:00.600 --> 02:22:05.840 it for what it was, hunger. The ranger station came 2092 02:22:05.879 --> 02:22:09.000 into view, a small building with a flagpole out front. 2093 02:22:09.559 --> 02:22:13.440 A park Service truck was parked outside. Hope surged through me. 2094 02:22:14.239 --> 02:22:17.840 We made it, I gasped, pulling Maggie toward the building, 2095 02:22:18.360 --> 02:22:21.280 but something was wrong. The closer we got, the more 2096 02:22:21.319 --> 02:22:25.159 details seemed off. The flag hung limp in the windless air. 2097 02:22:25.719 --> 02:22:27.959 The truck was covered in a fine layer of dust, 2098 02:22:28.360 --> 02:22:30.959 as if it hadn't been moved in weeks, and no 2099 02:22:31.000 --> 02:22:34.639 one responded to our shouts. We reached the station door. 2100 02:22:35.159 --> 02:22:40.000 It was unlocked. I pushed it open, calling out hello, 2101 02:22:40.200 --> 02:22:45.959 park Service. Silence. The interior was dim illuminated only by 2102 02:22:46.000 --> 02:22:50.360 what sunlight filtered through dusty windows. The place looked abandoned. 2103 02:22:50.799 --> 02:22:55.079 Papers scattered across the floor, a chair overturned, a half 2104 02:22:55.120 --> 02:22:57.280 empty coffee mug on the desk with a film of 2105 02:22:57.360 --> 02:23:01.360 green mold on the surface. What happened here, Maggie whispered. 2106 02:23:01.840 --> 02:23:04.760 I moved toward the desk, looking for a radio or phone, 2107 02:23:05.120 --> 02:23:08.200 anything to call for help. The land line was dead, 2108 02:23:08.600 --> 02:23:12.120 the radio nothing but static. On the wall, a large 2109 02:23:12.159 --> 02:23:15.440 map of the park was marked with red pins. Several 2110 02:23:15.479 --> 02:23:18.719 were clustered in the area where we'd been hiking. Beneath 2111 02:23:18.719 --> 02:23:21.440 the map, scrawled in what looked like marker on the 2112 02:23:21.479 --> 02:23:28.719 wall itself, Blackwood Territory. Do not enter, Eli, Maggie called 2113 02:23:28.719 --> 02:23:32.479 from across the room. Look at this. She stood by 2114 02:23:32.520 --> 02:23:36.120 a bulletin board covered with missing persons flyers. There were 2115 02:23:36.159 --> 02:23:40.680 dozens of them, going back years, young hikers, mostly couples. 2116 02:23:41.120 --> 02:23:45.040 Some of the faces looked vaguely familiar, people whose disappearances 2117 02:23:45.040 --> 02:23:48.600 had made the national news briefly before being forgotten. And 2118 02:23:48.680 --> 02:23:52.319 there in the center a face I knew well, David, 2119 02:23:52.520 --> 02:23:56.639 Maggie's ex boyfriend, smiling in the photo. No idea what 2120 02:23:56.760 --> 02:24:00.959 awaited him? They've been doing this for years, Maggie said, 2121 02:24:01.280 --> 02:24:05.600 her voice hollow. How has no one stopped them? A 2122 02:24:05.680 --> 02:24:09.399 thought occurred to me, A terrible one. What if the 2123 02:24:09.479 --> 02:24:13.719 rangers know? What if they can't stop them? That's ridiculous. 2124 02:24:14.079 --> 02:24:18.639 They're park rangers, not supernatural experts. I looked around at 2125 02:24:18.639 --> 02:24:22.879 the abandoned station. Then where are they? Why did they 2126 02:24:22.920 --> 02:24:26.520 warn us about a drifter but not about the Blackwoods. 2127 02:24:27.040 --> 02:24:30.239 Maybe they didn't know, I pointed to the writing on 2128 02:24:30.280 --> 02:24:34.440 the wall. They knew something. A sound from outside caught 2129 02:24:34.440 --> 02:24:38.159 our attention. A vehicle approaching. We rushed to the window. 2130 02:24:38.639 --> 02:24:41.719 A park service jeep was pulling up, a uniformed ranger 2131 02:24:41.719 --> 02:24:46.760 at the wheel. Thank god, Maggie breathed. We hurried outside, 2132 02:24:46.840 --> 02:24:50.280 waving our arms. The ranger, a middle aged woman with 2133 02:24:50.360 --> 02:24:53.760 short gray hair, looked surprised to see us. What are 2134 02:24:53.760 --> 02:24:56.399 you folks doing out here, she asked, climbing out of 2135 02:24:56.440 --> 02:25:01.079 the jeep. Her name tag read Collins. We need help, 2136 02:25:01.399 --> 02:25:04.600 I said, there are people in the park, the Blackwoods. 2137 02:25:05.040 --> 02:25:10.520 They're dangerous. Ranger Collins's expression changed, her eyebrows drawing together. 2138 02:25:11.559 --> 02:25:15.079 Where did you hear that name? We met them? Maggie said, 2139 02:25:15.520 --> 02:25:18.920 they have a cabin. They've been following us, stalking us. 2140 02:25:19.520 --> 02:25:22.319 I think they killed my ex boyfriend two years ago. 2141 02:25:22.920 --> 02:25:25.200 The ranger's hand moved to the gun at her hip. 2142 02:25:25.840 --> 02:25:30.079 Get in the vehicle now, we didn't argue, Climbing into 2143 02:25:30.120 --> 02:25:33.440 the back of the jeep. Collin's got on her radio. 2144 02:25:33.879 --> 02:25:37.479 This is Collins at Sheep Mountain. I've got two hikers here. 2145 02:25:38.040 --> 02:25:44.159 Say they encountered the Blackwoods, requesting immediate evacuation static. Then 2146 02:25:44.159 --> 02:25:48.040 a voice copy that stay put back up on route. 2147 02:25:48.959 --> 02:25:53.000 Collins turned to us, When exactly did you see them? 2148 02:25:53.399 --> 02:25:57.000 First time was yesterday afternoon, I said, But they've been 2149 02:25:57.000 --> 02:26:02.840 stalking us ever since. Their cabin keeps moving. Collin's nodded, 2150 02:26:02.879 --> 02:26:06.440 as if this made perfect sense. The cabin doesn't move 2151 02:26:06.959 --> 02:26:12.159 the land does. What does that mean, Maggie asked. Colin's sighed, 2152 02:26:12.920 --> 02:26:17.000 the Blackwoods are. Well, we don't know exactly what they are. 2153 02:26:17.559 --> 02:26:19.920 They've been in this area since before it was a park, 2154 02:26:20.719 --> 02:26:25.360 before white settlers. Even the local tribes had stories about them, 2155 02:26:25.879 --> 02:26:30.479 people who weren't people any more. When it goes, I suggested, 2156 02:26:30.520 --> 02:26:34.559 remembering something I'd read about Native American folklore, something like 2157 02:26:34.600 --> 02:26:38.639 that the tribes avoided this whole area, called it the 2158 02:26:38.680 --> 02:26:43.120 thin place where the barrier between Worlds was weak, and 2159 02:26:43.319 --> 02:26:47.440 the Park Service just lets them exist here, killing people. 2160 02:26:48.159 --> 02:26:52.840 Maggie's voice rose in anger. It's not that simple, Colin said, 2161 02:26:53.200 --> 02:26:57.000 We've tried removing them multiple times over the decades. They 2162 02:26:57.040 --> 02:26:59.719 always come back. The best we can do is warn 2163 02:26:59.719 --> 02:27:02.600 people away from that sector of the park, which is 2164 02:27:02.600 --> 02:27:05.280 why I'm surprised you were there. That area is supposed 2165 02:27:05.319 --> 02:27:08.319 to be close to the public. Our permits were for 2166 02:27:08.399 --> 02:27:11.959 Sage Creek. I said, we met a ranger named Matthews 2167 02:27:12.000 --> 02:27:16.159 who approved them. Collin's frowned. There's no ranger Matthews in 2168 02:27:16.239 --> 02:27:21.799 this park. A chill ran through me. Tall guy, gray mustache, 2169 02:27:22.239 --> 02:27:26.159 had a younger ranger with him named Jim. No rangers 2170 02:27:26.200 --> 02:27:29.920 by those names here. Colin's hand moved back to her gun. 2171 02:27:30.559 --> 02:27:34.600 What exactly did these rangers look like? As I described them? 2172 02:27:35.000 --> 02:27:39.719 Colin's face grew increasingly grim. The scar on Jim's face, 2173 02:27:40.040 --> 02:27:44.159 she said, from eye to jaw. I nodded, that wasn't 2174 02:27:44.159 --> 02:27:48.319 a ranger. That was Jeremiah Blackwood, the younger one, but 2175 02:27:48.440 --> 02:27:52.319 we saw him at the cabin. Maggie protested, much older. 2176 02:27:52.959 --> 02:27:56.680 They appear differently to different people. Colin said, they show 2177 02:27:56.719 --> 02:27:59.639 you what they think will gain your trust or fear. 2178 02:28:00.840 --> 02:28:04.879 So Jeremiah was at the ranger station. That's impossible. We 2179 02:28:05.000 --> 02:28:08.680 left him at the cabin, I said. Collins shook her head. 2180 02:28:09.600 --> 02:28:12.879 There's more than one of them, a whole family, or 2181 02:28:12.920 --> 02:28:17.399 what looks like a family. How many, Maggie asked, We 2182 02:28:17.440 --> 02:28:20.680 don't know for sure. At least six that we've documented, 2183 02:28:21.319 --> 02:28:26.120 but they can split themselves somehow, be in multiple places 2184 02:28:26.159 --> 02:28:30.159 at once. This was too much to process. But what 2185 02:28:30.280 --> 02:28:35.040 do they want? I asked. Collins didn't answer immediately. When 2186 02:28:35.040 --> 02:28:39.760 she did, her voice was flat. Food. The word hung 2187 02:28:39.760 --> 02:28:43.200 in the air between us. I remember to Jeremiah's comment 2188 02:28:43.239 --> 02:28:48.239 about dinner, Martha's remark about David not screaming much. The 2189 02:28:48.280 --> 02:28:52.479 missing hikers, Maggie said, quietly, that's why there are so many. 2190 02:28:53.479 --> 02:28:56.639 Collins nodded. We've tried to keep people out of that area, 2191 02:28:56.959 --> 02:29:01.479 but somehow permits keep getting approved, Records get altered, maps 2192 02:29:01.559 --> 02:29:04.639 show trails where there aren't any. So they have someone 2193 02:29:04.639 --> 02:29:08.600 on the inside, I asked, Not exactly. It's more like 2194 02:29:09.120 --> 02:29:12.959 they influence things, bend reality a bit, make you see 2195 02:29:13.000 --> 02:29:16.200 what they want you to see. She gestured at the radio. 2196 02:29:16.879 --> 02:29:19.799 Backup should be here soon. We'll get you safely out 2197 02:29:19.799 --> 02:29:23.639 of the park. We sat in tense silence for several minutes. 2198 02:29:24.280 --> 02:29:28.280 I kept scanning the surroundings, half expecting to see Jeremiah 2199 02:29:28.360 --> 02:29:32.799 or Martha materialize from behind a rock. Finally, the radio 2200 02:29:33.000 --> 02:29:36.879 crackled to life Collins, this is Peters, We're about five 2201 02:29:36.920 --> 02:29:42.440 minutes out. Over copy that, Collins replied, be advised. Subjects 2202 02:29:42.440 --> 02:29:46.360 appear unharmed but disoriented. May have been in Blackwood territory 2203 02:29:46.399 --> 02:29:52.879 for over twenty four hours. Understood bringing medical out. Collins 2204 02:29:52.879 --> 02:29:55.840 turned to us. Just to be safe, We're going to 2205 02:29:55.840 --> 02:29:59.159 have you checked out at the hospital and wall. We're fine, 2206 02:29:59.440 --> 02:30:05.680 Maggie and said, just tired and dehydrated, standard procedure, Colins said, 2207 02:30:05.799 --> 02:30:09.920 not meeting our eyes. People who interact with the Blackwoods 2208 02:30:10.000 --> 02:30:15.040 sometimes developed symptoms later, symptoms of what I asked. Before 2209 02:30:15.079 --> 02:30:18.440 Collins could answer, the sound of approaching vehicles reached us. 2210 02:30:18.920 --> 02:30:22.799 Two park service SUVs pulled up, followed by an ambulance. 2211 02:30:23.360 --> 02:30:27.479 A balding ranger with a thick beard approached our jeep. Peters. 2212 02:30:27.799 --> 02:30:30.680 He introduced himself, Let's get you folks out of here. 2213 02:30:31.760 --> 02:30:35.360 Everything happened quickly after that. We were ushered into one 2214 02:30:35.399 --> 02:30:39.440 of the SUV's given water and energy bars. A paramedic 2215 02:30:39.479 --> 02:30:42.120 did a quick check of our vital signs. Asked if 2216 02:30:42.159 --> 02:30:48.280 we'd experienced any unusual symptoms, hallucinations, lost time, inexplicable wounds, 2217 02:30:49.440 --> 02:30:53.440 just confusion with directions. Maggie told him no, matter which 2218 02:30:53.479 --> 02:30:55.879 way we walked, we kept ending up back at the cabin. 2219 02:30:56.760 --> 02:30:59.600 The paramedic nodded, as if this was a common complaint. 2220 02:31:00.159 --> 02:31:05.799 Classic Blackwood tactics. They disorient their prey, wear them down, pray, 2221 02:31:06.239 --> 02:31:09.600 I repeated, The word left a sour taste in my mouth. 2222 02:31:10.440 --> 02:31:15.559 Poor choice of words, the paramedic said quickly. Victims not 2223 02:31:15.680 --> 02:31:19.760 much better. As we prepared to leave, I noticed Collins 2224 02:31:19.760 --> 02:31:22.840 in deep conversation with Peters, both of them glancing our 2225 02:31:22.879 --> 02:31:27.920 way periodically. They're worried about us, Maggie said, following my gaze, 2226 02:31:28.719 --> 02:31:32.680 or about something we might do. I said the thought 2227 02:31:32.760 --> 02:31:35.040 had been forming in my mind for the past few 2228 02:31:35.079 --> 02:31:38.799 minutes that the rangers seemed almost as concerned about containing 2229 02:31:38.879 --> 02:31:42.520 us as they were about rescuing us. What do you mean, 2230 02:31:43.639 --> 02:31:48.079 I'm not sure, but they know more than their telling us. 2231 02:31:48.479 --> 02:31:51.879 The SUV's engine started and we began the journey out 2232 02:31:51.879 --> 02:31:54.760 of the park. I watched through the window as the 2233 02:31:54.799 --> 02:31:59.159 stark landscape rolled by. It was beautiful in its alien way, 2234 02:31:59.479 --> 02:32:03.440 but now all I saw were hiding places, ambush points, 2235 02:32:03.479 --> 02:32:06.920 the suggestion of watching eyes in every shadow. We'd been 2236 02:32:07.000 --> 02:32:09.840 driving for about fifteen minutes when the ranger at the wheel, 2237 02:32:10.159 --> 02:32:15.360 a young woman named Garcia, suddenly breaked hard. What the hell, 2238 02:32:15.760 --> 02:32:19.280 she muttered. Ahead a figure stood in the middle of 2239 02:32:19.360 --> 02:32:23.680 the road, Martha Blackwood, still in her grimy gray dress, 2240 02:32:23.719 --> 02:32:28.680 still smiling that gap toothed smile. Drive around her, Peters 2241 02:32:28.680 --> 02:32:32.399 commanded from the passenger seat. Garcia shifted to steer wide 2242 02:32:32.399 --> 02:32:35.520 of Martha, but as she did, more figures appeared at 2243 02:32:35.520 --> 02:32:39.840 the roadside. Jeremiah, the fake ranger, Matthews, the fake Jim, 2244 02:32:40.239 --> 02:32:44.000 and others I hadn't seen before, all with those same pale, 2245 02:32:44.159 --> 02:32:49.600 almost white eyes. Don't stop, Peter said, drawing his side arm. 2246 02:32:49.840 --> 02:32:54.959 No matter what, Garcia accelerated, giving Martha a wide berth. 2247 02:32:55.639 --> 02:32:59.920 As we passed. Martha turned, still smiling and spoke directly 2248 02:33:00.079 --> 02:33:04.120 to me through the closed window. See you soon, Eli, Morgan. 2249 02:33:05.200 --> 02:33:08.360 Then we were past her, the Blackwoods growing smaller in 2250 02:33:08.399 --> 02:33:12.680 the rear view mirror. No one spoke for several minutes. Finally, 2251 02:33:12.760 --> 02:33:15.879 Peters holstered his weapon and radioed the vehicles behind us 2252 02:33:16.360 --> 02:33:19.479 be advised, we have blackwood activity on the main road. 2253 02:33:19.959 --> 02:33:25.479 Proceed with caution static. Then Colin's voice copy that we 2254 02:33:25.559 --> 02:33:30.280 see them too. That's unusual, Garcia said quietly to Peters. 2255 02:33:30.719 --> 02:33:35.319 They don't typically show themselves so openly. They're getting bolder, 2256 02:33:35.600 --> 02:33:41.280 Peters replied, or desperate. Why would they be desperate? I asked. 2257 02:33:41.440 --> 02:33:46.879 The rangers exchanged glances, food shortage. Peters said bluntly, they 2258 02:33:46.920 --> 02:33:49.719 typically take a couple of hikers a year, but the 2259 02:33:49.799 --> 02:33:52.079 drought has driven away a lot of the wild life 2260 02:33:52.120 --> 02:33:55.760 they supplement with, and last year's search for those missing 2261 02:33:55.799 --> 02:33:59.200 boy scouts put that whole area under scrutiny. They couldn't 2262 02:33:59.239 --> 02:34:04.079 hunt without being noticed, so they're hungry, Maggie said, her 2263 02:34:04.200 --> 02:34:09.879 voice hollow. Peters nodded, and you two wandered right into 2264 02:34:09.920 --> 02:34:13.719 their territory because someone gave us permits for that area, 2265 02:34:14.040 --> 02:34:17.680 I said, anger, rising someone who looked like a park ranger. 2266 02:34:18.479 --> 02:34:22.399 We'll investigate that, Peters assured us. Check the records, see 2267 02:34:22.440 --> 02:34:25.360 how this happened. But I could tell from his tone 2268 02:34:25.360 --> 02:34:29.159 that he expected to find nothing or worse to find 2269 02:34:29.239 --> 02:34:33.280 records that wouldn't match what we remembered, the Blackwoods bending 2270 02:34:33.319 --> 02:34:38.479 reality again, covering their tracks. We drove in silence after that, 2271 02:34:38.959 --> 02:34:42.600 each lost in our own thoughts. I kept replaying the 2272 02:34:42.639 --> 02:34:45.319 events of the past two days, trying to make sense 2273 02:34:45.360 --> 02:34:49.280 of them. The cabin appearing in different places, the confusion 2274 02:34:49.360 --> 02:34:55.040 with directions, Martha knowing Maggie's name. Something still didn't add up. 2275 02:34:55.799 --> 02:34:59.399 The rest of the journey passed without incident. We reached 2276 02:34:59.440 --> 02:35:02.559 the parkhead quarters, where we were debriefed by more rangers 2277 02:35:02.600 --> 02:35:05.639 and asked to provide detailed statements about our encounters with 2278 02:35:05.719 --> 02:35:09.239 the Blackwoods. Everyone treated us with a mixture of sympathy 2279 02:35:09.319 --> 02:35:14.479 and clinical detachment, like we were simultaneously victims and specimens. 2280 02:35:15.280 --> 02:35:19.319 Throughout it all, Maggie remained unusually quiet. When I caught 2281 02:35:19.319 --> 02:35:23.520 her eye, she'd smile reassuringly, but it didn't reach her eyes. 2282 02:35:24.200 --> 02:35:28.680 Something was bothering her beyond the obvious trauma of our experience. Finally, 2283 02:35:28.879 --> 02:35:30.920 as we waited for transport to take us to the 2284 02:35:30.959 --> 02:35:34.559 hospital and wall for a more thorough examination, I pulled 2285 02:35:34.559 --> 02:35:38.479 her aside. What is it? I asked, There's something you're 2286 02:35:38.520 --> 02:35:42.280 not saying. She hesitated, glancing around to make sure no 2287 02:35:42.399 --> 02:35:47.600 rangers were within earshot. David, she said, Finally, when he disappeared, 2288 02:35:48.000 --> 02:35:52.280 I wasn't entirely truthful about what happened. My stomach nodded, 2289 02:35:53.000 --> 02:35:56.280 what do you mean he didn't go hiking alone. I 2290 02:35:56.440 --> 02:35:59.959 was with him in the bad lands. I stared at her, 2291 02:36:00.680 --> 02:36:03.639 But you said, I know what I said. She cut 2292 02:36:03.680 --> 02:36:06.760 me off, her voice tight. I said he went alone 2293 02:36:06.840 --> 02:36:09.520 because I didn't want to be investigated. I didn't want 2294 02:36:09.559 --> 02:36:13.040 to explain why I came back and he didn't. What happened, 2295 02:36:13.319 --> 02:36:15.399 I asked, though part of me didn't want to know. 2296 02:36:16.360 --> 02:36:19.879 Maggie took a shuddering breath. We got lost, like we 2297 02:36:19.959 --> 02:36:23.360 did yesterday, kept going in circles, ending up at the 2298 02:36:23.360 --> 02:36:26.680 same spots, no matter which direction we walked. Then we 2299 02:36:26.760 --> 02:36:30.879 found the cabin. A cold feeling settled over me. You've 2300 02:36:30.920 --> 02:36:34.959 seen the blackwoods before, she nodded. They invited us in, 2301 02:36:35.440 --> 02:36:37.319 said they'd show us the way back to the trail. 2302 02:36:37.879 --> 02:36:41.200 David wanted to go with them. I didn't, we argued. 2303 02:36:41.600 --> 02:36:45.319 He went with them and I her voice faltered. I 2304 02:36:45.479 --> 02:36:50.520 ran just left him there because you sensed something was wrong, 2305 02:36:50.920 --> 02:36:55.600 I said, trying to understand yes, but I should have 2306 02:36:55.639 --> 02:36:59.959 tried harder to stop him, or gone for help immediately. Instead, 2307 02:37:00.239 --> 02:37:03.120 I panicked, hiked out on my own and told every 2308 02:37:03.159 --> 02:37:07.200 one he'd gone missing during a solo trip. Tears welled 2309 02:37:07.200 --> 02:37:10.760 in her eyes. I've been living with that guilt for 2310 02:37:10.799 --> 02:37:13.680 two years. That's why I wanted to come back here 2311 02:37:14.079 --> 02:37:16.280 to face it, to try to find out what happened 2312 02:37:16.319 --> 02:37:19.360 to him, And you brought me into it, I said, 2313 02:37:19.719 --> 02:37:24.639 the realization dawning without telling me the danger, I'm sorry, 2314 02:37:24.920 --> 02:37:28.399 she whispered. I didn't think they'd still be here, or 2315 02:37:28.559 --> 02:37:31.879 that they'd remember me. I felt a surge of anger, 2316 02:37:32.079 --> 02:37:36.079 but it faded quickly. Looking at Maggie's tear streaked face. 2317 02:37:36.520 --> 02:37:40.840 I couldn't bring myself to add to her guilt. We survived, 2318 02:37:41.120 --> 02:37:45.879 I said, Finally, that's what matters. She nodded, gratefully, wiping 2319 02:37:45.920 --> 02:37:50.680 her eyes. Arranger approached Collins from the Sheep Mountain Station. 2320 02:37:51.520 --> 02:37:55.600 Transport's ready, she said, we'll take you to Wall Medical Center. 2321 02:37:55.840 --> 02:37:58.399 Have you checked out, then you can make arrangements to 2322 02:37:58.440 --> 02:38:02.840 get home. What about our car, I asked, it's still 2323 02:38:02.879 --> 02:38:06.760 at the trailhead. We'll have it brought to you, Collin's assured, 2324 02:38:06.840 --> 02:38:11.200 us all your belongings too. As we followed her outside 2325 02:38:11.200 --> 02:38:14.360 to a waiting van, I asked, what's going to happen 2326 02:38:14.440 --> 02:38:19.200 about the Blackwoods? They're still out there. Colin's expression hardened. 2327 02:38:19.920 --> 02:38:23.159 We'll increase patrols close that entire section of the park 2328 02:38:23.200 --> 02:38:26.959 if necessary, but honestly, they'll probably just go quiet for 2329 02:38:27.040 --> 02:38:30.719 a while, then resurface when attention dies down. It's a 2330 02:38:30.719 --> 02:38:35.840 cycle we've seen before, and you just accept that. People 2331 02:38:35.879 --> 02:38:39.879 disappearing in a national park. The anger I hadn't directed 2332 02:38:39.920 --> 02:38:43.520 at Maggie found a new target. Colin stopped, turning to 2333 02:38:43.520 --> 02:38:46.600 face me. We do everything we can with the resources 2334 02:38:46.639 --> 02:38:50.479 we have, but we're park rangers, not an army, and 2335 02:38:50.760 --> 02:38:55.319 the Blackwoods they're not something you can fight with conventional methods. 2336 02:38:56.040 --> 02:39:01.280 Then what are they, Maggie asked, really. Collins hesitated, then 2337 02:39:01.360 --> 02:39:06.639 said there's a Lakota word for them, joachinyan sappa, the 2338 02:39:06.639 --> 02:39:10.319 black spirits, beings that were once human but chose to 2339 02:39:10.360 --> 02:39:14.000 feed on their own kind and became something else. The 2340 02:39:14.079 --> 02:39:17.799 land itself protects them now, or maybe they've become part 2341 02:39:17.799 --> 02:39:20.799 of it. Either way, they've been here a lot longer 2342 02:39:20.840 --> 02:39:23.719 than we have, and they'll probably be here long after 2343 02:39:23.760 --> 02:39:28.239 We're gone. With that sobering thought, we were loaded into 2344 02:39:28.319 --> 02:39:31.719 the van and driven to wall. The medical check revealed 2345 02:39:31.799 --> 02:39:36.559 nothing unusual, just dehydration, minor scrapes and blisters from my 2346 02:39:36.680 --> 02:39:39.600 new boots. We were given something to help us sleep 2347 02:39:39.680 --> 02:39:42.239 and a referral for counseling to deal with the trauma. 2348 02:39:42.879 --> 02:39:46.159 Our car was delivered as promised, along with our belongings. 2349 02:39:46.639 --> 02:39:50.559 Everything seemed untouched, though I couldn't shake the feeling something 2350 02:39:50.639 --> 02:39:54.079 was different. We spent one night in a local motel, 2351 02:39:54.479 --> 02:39:57.760 then began the long drive back to Manhattan the following morning. 2352 02:39:58.440 --> 02:40:01.399 We didn't speak much during the ja ernie. What was 2353 02:40:01.440 --> 02:40:05.479 there to say. Our relationship, already strained before the trip, 2354 02:40:05.879 --> 02:40:11.239 had been fundamentally altered by what we'd experienced. Not broken exactly, 2355 02:40:11.719 --> 02:40:15.239 but changed into something neither of us fully recognized yet. 2356 02:40:16.319 --> 02:40:19.799 As South Dakota fell away behind us, I thought about 2357 02:40:19.799 --> 02:40:24.239 the Blackwoods, their two wide smiles, their hunger, the way 2358 02:40:24.239 --> 02:40:27.840 they bent reality around them. I wondered how many other 2359 02:40:27.920 --> 02:40:31.000 hikers would encounter them in the years to come, lured 2360 02:40:31.040 --> 02:40:34.760 by falsified permits or manipulated maps into that pocket of 2361 02:40:34.799 --> 02:40:39.479 twisted space the locals called a thin place. On our 2362 02:40:39.520 --> 02:40:42.159 second night on the road, we stopped at a motel 2363 02:40:42.200 --> 02:40:45.840 in Ohio. As I was unpacking my bag, I found 2364 02:40:45.840 --> 02:40:50.079 something I didn't recognize, A small, leather bound journal tucked 2365 02:40:50.120 --> 02:40:54.479 between my clothes, Maggie's journal, the one Jeremiah had been 2366 02:40:54.520 --> 02:40:59.440 holding with trembling hands. I opened it. Most of the 2367 02:40:59.440 --> 02:41:05.000 pages were filled with Maggie's familiar handwriting, trip plans, personal reflections, 2368 02:41:05.520 --> 02:41:10.479 sketches of plants and animals. But the last entry was different. 2369 02:41:11.120 --> 02:41:15.159 The handwriting was spidery and unfamiliar. See you next time, 2370 02:41:15.159 --> 02:41:18.360 he lie, Morgan. The land remembers, and so do we. 2371 02:41:19.399 --> 02:41:22.399 I closed the journal and set it aside, my hands shaking. 2372 02:41:23.000 --> 02:41:25.879 I didn't show it to Maggie. She'd been through enough. 2373 02:41:26.719 --> 02:41:30.520 We reached New York three days after escaping the bad Lands. 2374 02:41:30.639 --> 02:41:33.000 Maggie moved out of our shared department a week later. 2375 02:41:33.639 --> 02:41:37.840 We both needed space, she said, time to process what 2376 02:41:37.879 --> 02:41:42.399 had happened. I didn't argue. Sometimes at night I dream 2377 02:41:42.440 --> 02:41:46.479 of the bad Lands, those alien spires and buttes, the 2378 02:41:46.559 --> 02:41:50.600 vast silence, the circle of stones around our tent. And 2379 02:41:50.799 --> 02:41:55.360 in the dreams, I'm always walking, walking, trying to find 2380 02:41:55.399 --> 02:41:59.440 my way out, while behind me Martha's singing drifts on 2381 02:41:59.479 --> 02:42:03.239 the wind, and sometimes just as I wake, I catch 2382 02:42:03.280 --> 02:42:05.959 a glimpse of pale eyes watching me from the corner 2383 02:42:05.959 --> 02:42:09.280 of my bedroom, or hear a soft chuckle that sounds 2384 02:42:09.319 --> 02:42:14.399 like Jeremiah. The doctors call it PTSD. They've given me 2385 02:42:14.399 --> 02:42:18.239 medication that helps most of the time. But occasionally I'll 2386 02:42:18.239 --> 02:42:21.159 find small stones arranged in a circle on my window sill, 2387 02:42:21.680 --> 02:42:24.520 or catch the scent of prairie grass in a Manhattan 2388 02:42:24.520 --> 02:42:28.079 apartment where no such plants exist. And I know that 2389 02:42:28.200 --> 02:42:31.600 Collins was right about one thing. The blackwoods have become 2390 02:42:31.719 --> 02:42:35.760 part of the land, and the land remembers. It remembers, 2391 02:42:36.079 --> 02:42:39.920 and it waits, and sometimes when you're not looking, it 2392 02:42:39.959 --> 02:42:44.280 follows you home. My name is Eli Morgan. I'm thirty 2393 02:42:44.280 --> 02:42:52.760 four years old, and I'm never going hiking again. My 2394 02:42:53.000 --> 02:42:57.159 name is Marcus Thorne. I'm thirty four years old. This 2395 02:42:57.319 --> 02:43:00.680 happened in October twenty twenty three, and I still struggled 2396 02:43:00.719 --> 02:43:03.399 to sleep through the night. Looking back, I should have 2397 02:43:03.440 --> 02:43:08.000 seen the warning signs. The way Eliza's dog, Rusty, refused 2398 02:43:08.000 --> 02:43:10.280 to leave the car when we arrived at the trailhead, 2399 02:43:10.799 --> 02:43:14.000 the strange silence in the forest not a single bird 2400 02:43:14.079 --> 02:43:18.440 call or insect chirp. The subtle unease that settled over 2401 02:43:18.479 --> 02:43:21.159 our group like a fine mist as we ventured deeper 2402 02:43:21.200 --> 02:43:25.879 into the Black Hills wilderness of South Dakota. We're almost 2403 02:43:26.000 --> 02:43:29.079 to the lookout point, I said, consulting the trail map 2404 02:43:29.440 --> 02:43:33.239 should be another mile or so. Our hiking group consisted 2405 02:43:33.280 --> 02:43:35.840 of four co workers from the marketing agency where we 2406 02:43:35.879 --> 02:43:41.639 all worked in Minneapolis, myself, my girlfriend Eliza Chen thirty two, 2407 02:43:42.120 --> 02:43:45.840 creative director and owner of an overly protective Australian shepherd 2408 02:43:45.920 --> 02:43:50.799 named Rusty. Devon Wallace twenty nine, our social media specialist 2409 02:43:50.879 --> 02:43:55.879 and self proclaimed survival expert, and Naomi Blackwell, thirty five, 2410 02:43:56.319 --> 02:43:59.479 account manager and the one who'd suggested this particular trail 2411 02:43:59.520 --> 02:44:01.879 in the first place. Are you sure this is the 2412 02:44:01.959 --> 02:44:04.920 right way, Eliza asked, brushing her dark hair from her 2413 02:44:04.920 --> 02:44:07.959 face as she squinted at the increasingly narrow path ahead. 2414 02:44:08.799 --> 02:44:12.559 Rusty whined softly at her side, pressing against her leg. 2415 02:44:13.559 --> 02:44:16.799 The trail markers stopped a while back. I checked the 2416 02:44:16.840 --> 02:44:21.280 GPS on my phone, signals weak, but yeah, this should 2417 02:44:21.360 --> 02:44:26.639 be it. Custard peak trail. Devon adjusted his backpack straps 2418 02:44:27.440 --> 02:44:30.399 well the map says there's a gorgeous view at the summit, 2419 02:44:30.479 --> 02:44:34.120 and we've already hiked four miles. I'm not turning back now. 2420 02:44:35.079 --> 02:44:38.079 He'd always been stubborn that way. Once Devin set his 2421 02:44:38.159 --> 02:44:41.319 mind on something, there was no changing it. His confidence 2422 02:44:41.360 --> 02:44:46.879 could be reassuring, but sometimes it veered into recklessness. I've 2423 02:44:46.920 --> 02:44:50.520 hiked these hills before, Naomi said, though something in her 2424 02:44:50.600 --> 02:44:54.799 voice sounded off, but not this specific trail. The ranger 2425 02:44:54.840 --> 02:44:57.280 at the station said it was less traveled, but worth 2426 02:44:57.319 --> 02:45:00.520 it for the views. The early all right,