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Speaker 1: What's up and welcome crazy sores to come. Glad you're here.

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But first, before we dive in a reminder, I'm sharing

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these cases straight from Reddit, ride apps, and public infer

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I'm the messenger, not the detective, so don't treat this

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as gospel or a verdict. Just a deep dive into

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some very strange and entertaining stories. Bouguere, I hope you

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enjoy the listen. The helicopter vibrates beneath us, the thundering

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sound of its blades drowning out any attempts of conversation.

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Outside the window. The vast, barren expanse of the remote

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region stretches out before us. We are deep within the

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South American rainforests. My eyes are drawn to the darca

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on my lap, filled with maps, reports, and images of

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the man we're here to save. His name is Marcus Reynolds,

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an extreme cave explorer known for his solo expeditions. The

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cave we're approaching as his last known location, hidden within

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a remote mount in range, miles away from any established

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routs of settlements. I take a deep breath, trying to

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shake off the unsettling feeling that creeps over me. The

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journey ahead of us is uncharted territory, a path taken

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only by the missing explorer. I look out of the

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helicopter window again, watching as the mantains grow larger. A

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jagged peaks clawing at the heavens. Five minutes out, the

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pilot's force crackles through the intercolm, breaking my train of thought.

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The harsh reality settles in my stomach like a stone.

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In a few minutes we will touch down at his

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base camp. The helicopter's descent begins, the rotor blades fighting

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against them, yielding wind pushing a cyclone of dust and

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debris around us. The ground below approaches quickly, a blur

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of rough terrain and sparse vegetation. A final lurch and

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we land, the chopper, skidding slightly before coming to a halt.

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The intense noise of the rotor blades begins to subside,

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giving way to the howling wind and my own racing heartbeat.

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As I step out, my eyes immediately fall on the

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base camp, its early silent, abandoned, like a forgotten monument

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to human curiosity. Tents have spread out, their edges flapping

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in the relentless wind. A small fire pits its cold

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and empty and scattered around o'er a rusting camp stove,

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an open map, and a frayed rope. As I turn around,

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I see the rest of my team. Daniels, our team leader.

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Next is Parker, our technology expert. Then Harper, are medical expert.

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Lastly there is Sanchez, a season cave explorer, and then

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there is me, a cave rescue specialist. My role is

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to guide us safely through the darkness and back to

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ensure we all make it out alive. After landing at

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the base camp, the team immediately sets to work. The

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first priority is to secure the perimeter and establish our

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own campsite. Dixon, our pilot, stays with the helicopter. His

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job is to maintain contact and provide immediate extraction if necessary.

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He's also responsible for monitoring weather conditions. Meanwhile, Parker and

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Sanchez focus on setting up the technical and navigational equipment.

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Parker connects our gear to the satellite link, ensuring we

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have a reliable communications system in real time tracking. Sanchez

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asks Belnke unrolls the topographic maps of the region, cross

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referencing them with Marcus's exploration knows to map out our

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road into the cave. Harper organizes the medical supplies. She

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sets up a makeshift infirmary within one of the tents,

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complete with first aid kits, emergency response gier in a

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variety of medicines. Daniels and our work together to establish

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our living quarters. We pitch the tents and secure them

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with heavy rocks. We unpack the fruit and water supplies,

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rationing them for the duration of our expected stay. After

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the tasks are done, we gather around a portable table,

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marking the transition from day to night with a simple meal.

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Conversation is lay. We speak of past expeditions Downley, back home,

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and of course, our speculations about what might have happened

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to Marcus. As the orange hyo sunset washes over the

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remote landscape, Daniels calls us to gather for the final briefing.

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We huddle around the portable table, lit by the glow

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of a lantern, with maps and gears spread out before us.

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Listen up teen Daniels begins. His voice is firm against

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a wind. Tomorrow we embark on one of the most

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challenging missions any of us have ever faced. He points

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towards the cave marked in our topographic map. His finger,

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tracing the proposed route we enter here, follow up the

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path Marcus is believed to have taken. Sanchez. You're on

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point with nowagation. Sancho's nods in affirmation. Daniels turns to me.

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Your job is ensuring we avoid any Danjurer zones within

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the cave and guiding us back out. I give a

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sharp nod, feeling the weight of the responsibility on my shoulders. Parker,

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you'll be managing our communication systems, ensuring we remain connected

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to Dixon. Daniels continues, shifting his gaze to Parker, who nods,

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adjusting his glasses and acknowledgment. Dixon, you monitor the weather conditions,

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stay on stand by for extraction, and keep each hue informed.

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Dixon's grow voice crackles over the radio roger that Daniel

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then looks at Harper. Harper, we need you ready to

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handle any medical emergencies. Harper gives a solemn nod. We

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have our tasks. We know the mission, Daniel says, leaning back,

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his gaze sweeping over each one of us. This won't

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be easy. We're going into the unknown, potentially against something

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that caused an experience explorer to lose his way. A

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sobering silence follows his words as the reality of our

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mission sinks in. One by one, we we retreat to

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our sleeping quarters. I call into my tent, a small

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space clotted with rescue gear and personal items. Settling into

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my sleeping bag, I close my eyes and let the

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sound of the wind law meet to sleep. Morning greets

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us with a cold crisped on some peaks over the

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jagged mountain tops, splashing the camp with the soft warmth.

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As I unzip my tent, I take a moment to

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breathe in the freshness, letting the quiet morning, I fill

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my lungs, bracing myself for the day ahead. One by one,

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my tea members emerge from their tents. We meet in

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the center of our camp, sharing quiet nods of acknowledgement.

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We gather around the coal firepit for a quick breakfast.

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The mealest bars, dehydrated fruit, cereal bars, and a drink

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of water, but no one complains. As the first rays

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of the sun begin to fully illuminate the desolate landscape,

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we start preparing for the descent. Standing at the entrance

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of the cave, I feel a shiver run down my spine.

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A mixture of anticipation and nervousness. Sanchez approaches first is headlog,

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cutting through the darkness that engulfs the entrance. Slowly, we

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switch on our head lamps, the beams of light piercing

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the darkness. We start our descent, one cautious step at

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a time. The outside world quickly disappears as we dove deeper. Still,

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lactitans to lat mights jut out like teeth in a

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dull glow of our head lamps. They have grown over centuries,

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formed by the patient drip of water on stone. The

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air is dense and cool. The silence is punctuated only

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by the sound of our footsteps and the distant trip

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of water. As we venture deeper, the cave splits into

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a network of tunnels, a maze of pathways that meander

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off into obecurity. Sanches, with a map and compass in hand,

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guides us through. We take the largest tunnel, heading off

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west according to our plan. The terrain inside is as

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treacherous as it is all in spiry. We scramble over

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slippery rocks, squeeze through narrow passages, and repel down vertical drops.

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We follow the course of an underground stream for a

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while every now and then we stop to catch our

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breath to listen to the silence of the cave. Iris

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pass like minutes, and we navigate eastward after encountering a

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rockful blocking our initial path. We have been moving steadily

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deeper into the cave for several iours when Sanches leading

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us comes to a sudden hot what's wrong, Daniels calls

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from a couple of paces back. His voice bounces off

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the stone walls, creating a distorted echo. Sancho's looks back

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at us with a worried look on his face. It's

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the navigation system, he says, holding up the device. The

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screen is flickering. The display of our location now an

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erratic Messa scramble date. My heart sinks. It uses a

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series of satellite relays and signal boosters to keep track

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of our position, even deep within the cave. If it's malfunctioning,

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Parker moves quickly to Sancho's side. His hand's already reaching

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for the device. Let me see, he says. The rest

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of us watch intense silence. Says he works, attempting to

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rebute and recalibrate the system. Minutes turn intolong, dreadful moments.

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As we wait, I can hear the quiet drip of

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water from somewhere deeper in the cave, each drop byching

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ominously around us. Parker curses softly, running a hand through

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his hair. I don't understand, he mutters. It should be working.

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Is there a chance the signals being blocked? Daniels asks,

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is Gaye steady on Parker? It's possible, Parker admits, but

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I can't see why or how we set up the

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boosters correctly, Hawpbird is looking around uneasily, a hand instinctively

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going to the medical back strap at her side. So

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we're blind, she asks, her voice barely a whisper. We're

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not blind, Daniels and the Jacks quickly casting a sharp

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look at Hopper before turning back to the rest of us.

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We're prepared for this. We have the maps, the compass,

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and we've been tracking our path. We stick to the plan.

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Despite the decisive words, I can't shake off the feeling

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of a knees that's stick and hold. We tread to

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a narrower section of the cave. Now the passage twists

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and turns in erratic patterns. Overhead, the ceiling hangs low,

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forcing us to stoop. I keep one hand on the

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jagged wolf for balance, the other clutching my head lump,

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casting my light forward. As we round another sharp bend,

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Sanchez stops abruptly. His lamp shines on something uphead, something

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different from the usual endless expensive rocks. I squint and

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take a few steps forward, and a glint of something

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metallic catches my eye. They are lying haphazardly against the

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stone floor of the cave our items. I move closer

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and crouch down my lamp's light, eliminating what looks like

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and explorer's back back, worn and covered in dust. Daniels

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I call up my voice, echoing I think we've found something.

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The rest of the team comes to a halt. Gathering

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around the spot, Harper reaches out her glove hand, pulling

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the back back open. Among the items inside, we find

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a camera, a water bottle, some rope, and a small notebook.

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Look at this. Harper hands the notebook to Daniels. It's

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Marcus's lug book. Cautiously, Daniels opens the war notebook to

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the first marked page, strinting to read the hastily scribbled words.

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Day one arrived at the base camp. He read aloud,

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his voice echoing off the cave walls. The weather is brutal,

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more so than expected. Set up camp near the mouth

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of the cave, planning to start the descent tomorrow. Day two,

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first day into the cave. The scapegoat. It's far more

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massive than any research indicated. Still lactites and stalagmites as

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big as buildings found in under ground. River followed it west.

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I marked a path back with fluorescent tags. Day three

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encountered a rock fall. Had to backtrack and find another

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rat may slow progress. There's something off. Can't put my

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finger on it. I feel watched, probably just cave jitters

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Daniel's flits A few pages forward, his brow furrowing. Day seven.

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I'm not alone. Heard whispers in the dark, so shadows moving,

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not animals, in something else. Maybe the isolation is getting

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to me. Day ten. The whispers won't stop, the court

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record in my head. There's something in here with me.

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Need to find a way out. The entrants stop abruptly.

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There The rest of the page is blank. We share

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a heavy silence, the weight of Marcus's words hanging in

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the air. A cold shall permeates the space around us.

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The implications of his logs settling deep in our bones?

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What what do we make of this? Hopper breaks the silence,

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her voice barely a Whisperpa picks up the camera from

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where it lies on its the other discarded items, waving

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off a layer of grime. She presses a button and

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the screen flickers to life. We crowd around her, watching

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as she navigates through the list of recorded videos. The

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most recent one is titled Day ten. She presses play

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and the screen changes to a first person view of

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the cave. The lighting is similar to our head lamps.

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The camera jerks as Marcus's hand comes into view, adjusting

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the lens. His breath comes ragged and there is a

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tremor in his voice as he speaks Day ten. He begins,

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I don't know what's happening. I can hear them, the whispers.

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They're not just sounds any more, there there in my head.

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The screen shakes as Marcus moves the earer, shapes of

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the cave passing by and blowed sweeps. Suddenly, the video

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plunges into darkness in a coal hollow. Silence fills the ear,

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then faint at first, but steadily growing louder. We hear

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it a whispering sound like a wind rustling through dry leaves.

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The screen jolts back to life, Marcus's panic breathing filling

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the cave. He's running now, the light from his lamp

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bouncing off the walls and casting monstrous shadows. I'm not alone,

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he gasps, and the camera feed cuts off abruptly, the

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screen going black. We're left stirring at the dark screen.

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He echoes Marks's desperate voice and those strange whispering sounds,

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chilling us to the core. The cameo slits from Harper's fingers,

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landing with a muffled thud on the cave floor. That

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was Daniel's trails off. Unable to find the words, we

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share a look, understanding passing between us. Marcus wasn't just lost,

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he was afraid, tormented by something we can't fully grasp.

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Harper selects the next one, titled Day eleven. We had

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a close with our breaths held awaiting what comes next.

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Markus's face appears on the screenless tie, his features washed

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in the white light of his head lamp. His eyes

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are wide and wild, dark circles underlining them. His skin

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is pale, almost translucent, and there's a tremority's voice that

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wasn't there in his earlier lock Day eleven. He stops,

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his voice, echoing off the cave walls through the chemists beakers.

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The whispers are growing louder there. They're not just whispers

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any more. They're voices. The camera shakes as Marcus rubs

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his temple, a grimace contorting his face. They're telling me things,

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things I don't want to hear, things I can't escape from.

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He looks straight into the camera, then a desperate plea

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in his eyes. I'm not alone. There's something here in

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the dark. It's watching me, following me. I can feel it.

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The video cuts abruptly to another scene, Marcus running through

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the cave. His frantic panting is loud, the camera shaking

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wildly as he stumbles and crashes through the darkness. I

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can't get out, he cries out, the panic in his voice,

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raw and chilling. It won't let me leave. Then, in

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a moment that ends chills down Osbine's the whispering returns.

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But it's different. This time. It's louder, more discernible, and

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it feels like it's not just a product of the wind,

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of the natural acoustics of the cave. It sounds again inhuman.

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The scream goes black, and all that's left is the

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sound of Marcus's terrified breathing and the alien whispers, an

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unholy symphony that haunts the silence of the cave. The

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video ends abruptly, leaving us in silence. The remaining videos

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on Marcus's camera paned chilling narrative of his spiraling descent

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into madness. In the day twelve in recording, Marcus is

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moving slower. The weight of his situation is evident in

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his sluggish stets. The whispers are constant. Now, marcus dialog

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is most sporatic, and when he speaks, his words are

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punctuated with fear and confusion. By day fourteen, he stopped

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moving entirely, sitting slump against the cave wall. His words

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are disjointed, and the sentences he forms a nonsensical. He

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claims the voices are speaking directly to him, telling him

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terrible things, haunting truce about himself he can't bear to confront.

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Day fifteen in is the most brutal yet. Marcus is sobbing.

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The camera is guarded haphazardly to the side. The angle

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catchures him huddled in a corner, his body shivering. The

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whispers are louder, no longer just background noise. It's a

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a fair cunning from the camera itself. Marcus aubs turn

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into screams and is pleased for the voices to stop,

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become a haunting echo in the cavernous expanse. The camera

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shakes as harp A selects the final video mark day sixteen.

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Our heart beats thunder in our ears as the video

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starts to play. The sight that greets us is haunting.

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Marcus is no longer in the labyrinthine tunnels we've been navigating. Instead,

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he standing in the middle of an expansive cavern of

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vast forwards stretching out all around him. The meager light

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from his head lump fails to pierce the vast darkness,

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and the entire scene is enveloped in a neary sense

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of isolation. Marcus looks into the camera one last time.

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His eyes are wide with a mix of terror and resignation.

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His lurked move, but no sound comes out. He takes

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a deep breath, mouthing a silent goodbye to the camera.

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Then he turns around, facing the endless void in front

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of him. His figure becomes smaller and smaller, until it's

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swallowed by the darkness, leaving the camera to record nothing

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but the unfathomable darkness and the now deafening whispers. The

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video ends with a sudden cut, the screen going blank,

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leaving us in the depth of our thoughts. We sit

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in silence for a moment, the oppressive darkness of the

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cave wrapping around us like a shroud. Finally, Harper breaks

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the silence. What was there, she asks, her voice echoing

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off the cavern walls. She's bail, her usually steady hand,

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shaking slightly. I don't know. Daniels admits, running a hand

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over his face. I've never seen anything like it. Nate Parker, ever,

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the scientist is deep in thought. Could it be some

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kind of psychological response to extreme isolation, auditory hallucinations brought

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on by the oppressive environment, Our shirk, uncertainty gnawing at me? Maybe?

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But those whispers, they were on the videos too, We

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all heard them. That's more than hallucination. A shudder runs

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through Harper. What about the end? Marcus walked into that

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void as if being called by something or someone. We

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have to consider the possibility, I add, pet forming in

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my stomach that there might be something else in here

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with us. Silence descends on us once more, the air

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heavy with our collective fear. We pick up Marcus's belongings,

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carefully shouldering our gear as we prepare to venture deeper

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into the cave. We follow the route Marks seems to

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have taken base on the clues in his videos. We

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progressed a narrow tunnel that fears to the left. The

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only sound is the echo of our footsteps and the

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distant drip of water, and the whispers begin to grow

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louder and more pronounce the deeper we venture. As we

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dell further, our headlands cast lawn moistra shadows on the walls.

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The cave seems to be alive, the shapes moping and

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shifting as we move. It's easy to see how Marcus

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might have started to see things in the darkness, his

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mind playing tricks on him. Yet it's hard to shake

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off the unnerve feeling that we're not alone. The passage

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eventually opens up into a large chamber filled with stalactts

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and still lapmites that tips glistening in the artificial light.

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The chamber is empty save for a discarded water bottle

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and a rip piece of Marcus's map. It seems he

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was here, his journey charted by the fragments he left behind.

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Harper picks up the piece of the map, tracing the

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quickly marked path he was trying to map his way out.

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She murmurs a note of sorrow in her voice. Daniels

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retrieves the water bottle, examining it halfall he must have

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had to ration, it supplies, assuming he was lost. We

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document the findings and cant on our path. We navigate

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a series of twisting tunnels, stuck under low ceilings, and

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scramble over rocky out crops. Every corner we turn, every

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chamber we enter, we expect to find Marcus. Yet we're

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met with nothing but the cold, echoing silence. The deeper

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we delve, the more pronounced the whispers become. Knowing at

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the edges of our sanity, our rational minds tell us

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that it's just the echoes, the trick of the acoustics.

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In is fast underground labyrinth. But it's hard to remain

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logical when your senses are telling you something entirely different.

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The hallucinations start subtly. Harper is the first dimension them.

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Do you see that, she asks, pointing the shadows they're moving.

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I squint, trying to see what she's pointing at. The

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shadows do seem to shift, but it's easy to dismiss

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it as a trick of the light. It's just our

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head lamps, harper, I reassure her, although I'm not entirely

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convinced myself. But then I start to see it two

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phases in the rock formations. I blink hard, shaking my

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head to clear it, but the faces remain. A cold

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shiver runs down us. Soon Parker and Daniel start experiencing

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similar phenomena. Parker stops dead in his tracks as wide

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as he stares at something we can't see. There are

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eyes watching us, he mutters. Daniels tries to laugh it off,

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but I catch the way his gaze darts around the cave,

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his gripe tightening on his gear. The voices aren't just

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whispers anymore. They've grown louder and clearer, as if they're

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right beside us. They murmur in the language we can't understand.

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It's an insistent, invasive presence that burrows into our minds.

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Our senses are assaulted from all directions, the voices in

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our ears, the visions before our eyes, the unsattling feeling

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of being watched fierce starts to take hold, creeping into

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our minds like the very shadows were surrounded by. We

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take a break, trying to collect our thoughts and regain

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our composure. We don't speak of what we're experiencing. Is

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becoming increasingly evident that the terror Markus faced wasn't just

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a result of his isolation. Something in this cave is

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manipulating our senses and preying on our fear, just like

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it did with him. We continue onward and the tunnel

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begins to widen, the space opening up into an expansive cavern.

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It's the same cavern we saw in Marcus's last video log.

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A chill runs through me as I recognize the ominous

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void that swallowed Marcus in the recording. Our lightsweet the cavern,

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the beams are swallowed by the darkness. It's thin that

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Daniel's like catches something figure huddled against the far wall

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of the cavern. As we approach, the figure becomes clear.

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It's Marcus. He's a shadow of its former self. His

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hair is a wild tangle, his beard and matted mess.

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He's swaying slightly, his vacant eyes stirring into the black

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void of the cavern, his lips moving in a silent whisper.

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His skin is pale, but it's the look in his

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eyes that is truly chilling. There hollow, a window to

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a tormented soul. He doesn't seem to recognize us, even

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as we call out him. As we get closer, I

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00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,200
can make out some of what he's saying, disjointed phrases

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and words, fragments of the men as that's consumed him, watching,

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always watching. He whispers, his voice of ghostly echo in

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the vast chain, his trembling fingers clawed the dirt. His

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eyes are wide with fear, can't escape the eyes. Our

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relief at finding Marcus's short lived as the reality of

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our situation sets in. We're deep within this hostile cave,

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haunted by voices and hallucinations, and now faced with the

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daunting task of getting Marcus out safely. We approach Marcus cautiously,

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Marcus dewnos culse gently crouching down next to him, but

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Marcus doesn't respond. His gaze is unfocussed, lost in some

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distant terror Parker moves closer, attempting to assess his physical condition,

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while Harper and I keep a worry eye on our surroundings.

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The voices seem to intensify. Suddenly, Marcus recoils, his voice

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rising to a scream. Ah, they're coming, They're coming, he cries,

404
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scrambling away from us. We try to calm him and

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reassure him, but it's as if we're not there. Harper

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tries next, her voice soothing Marcus. It's says you're safe.

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We're here to help, she says, reaching out to him.

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For a moment, he seems to see her panics. Subsiding slightly.

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He reaches out a shaky hand, clutching host tightly, but

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then a low rumble echoes through the cavern. The ground

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beneath us vibrates, and our head lamps flicker. Our hearts

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sees with fear as the whispers grow into a deafening roar.

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Something invisible moves through the cavern, a presence we can't see,

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but we can feel. It passes through us, intense cold

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that send shivers down our spines. Marcus screams again. When

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it passes, we're left in silence. Our headlamps flicker back

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to life, casting an eerie glow in the cavern. Marcus

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is trembling, but quieter now. He clings to Harper. His

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eyes are wide and pleading. We need to move now,

420
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Daniel's orders, the fear in his voice is barely masked.

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We hastily pack up our gear and help Marcus to

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his feet. He's weak, barely able to stand, but Harper

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supports him with her arm around his waist. We begin

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the long journey back through the cave. Marcus clings to Harper,

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his whispered ramblings a continuous echo in the oppressive silence.

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The whispers we've been hearing since we descended are now constant.

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We retrace our steps, the stalactite, full chamber, the narrow

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cross base, the lawn winding tunnels. However, the cave seems

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different now, as if it's alive, shifting and changing around us.

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Half Ways that were opened before seen to be narrowing,

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and the rock formations are more pronounced. We push the

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unsettling thought away, chalking up to our stress, minds playing

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tricks on us. Suddenly, a loud crack echoes through the cavern.

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We freeze our head lamps, swinging toward the sauce. The

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cave wall to our left is fracturing, a network of

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cracks spurning across its surface. We can only watch in

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horrified anticipation as the cracks widen. Then, with a final

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echoing rumble, a section of the woll collapses. The dust

439
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takes a while to settle, and when it does, we

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find a pathway blocked by a pile of rocks and debris.

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Our path back is cut off. Stake on Daniel's commands,

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his voice cutting through our sheared terror. There's more than

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one way out of here. We'll find another route. Despite

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his confident words, the reality is chilling. The cave is unpredictable,

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hostile even We're not just fighting against time now, we're

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fighting against the cave itself. We continue on an alternate path,

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guided by a mixture of our faltering navigational system and memory,

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but every step takes us deeper into uncharted territory. The

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voices grow louder, the feeling of being watched intensifies, constant

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reminder of the unseen energy that lurks with the knee shadows.

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The manness that took cold of Marcus is now threatening

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to engulf us but we can't give in. We have

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to keep moving. Marcus's condition worsens. He's trembling and his

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eyes are wild. His words are chaotic makes of pleas

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and warnings. We try to soothe him, but our words

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barely register. Marx's condition continues to deteriorate. His ramblings grow quieter,

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is body weaker. We share the weight, alternating between supporting

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him and scouting ahead. We press on our resolve and wavering.

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Every echo, every whisper feels like its growing louder, chasing

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us through the winding tunnels. The cold seems to seep

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into our very bones, sapping our strength. We start seeing

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things in the corners of our eyes, fleeting shadows, moving figures.

463
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,839
It's difficult to distinguish between the madness of the cave

464
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,599
and our own creeping terror. As we trudge along a

465
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,119
narrow ledge, overlooking a deep abyss, a sudden dear splitting.

466
00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,960
The screech echoes through the cavern. We clutch the walls,

467
00:25:13,039 --> 00:25:16,079
the sound vibrating through the rock under our hands. Mock

468
00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:18,960
As screams, thrashing wildly, and Harper struggles to keep him

469
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,079
from toppling over the edge, just as suddenly as it began.

470
00:25:22,759 --> 00:25:25,720
The screech dies down, replaced by a nearer silence that's

471
00:25:25,799 --> 00:25:28,920
just as unnerving. We stand frozen, our breasts hitching in

472
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,680
our throats. That wasn't Daniel starts, but his voice trails off.

473
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,799
We don't need him to finish. That was a sound

474
00:25:35,799 --> 00:25:40,759
a cave makes. That was something else, something living. Let's

475
00:25:40,839 --> 00:25:43,519
keep moving. I managed to whisper am a voice horse.

476
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,319
The others not, Their faces pale under the beams of

477
00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,599
their head lamps. We press on, traversing the ledge with

478
00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,839
increased caution. When we finally make it across, we find

479
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,000
a tunnel that spirals upwards. A feeling of hope surges

480
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,799
within us, an ascent. We could be nearing the surface.

481
00:25:59,519 --> 00:26:02,359
We held more orchestra his feet, his eyes glossed over

482
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,400
but aware. He doesn't fight us, but his fear is palpable.

483
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,759
Too many eyes. He keeps repeating, his voice shaking. The

484
00:26:09,799 --> 00:26:12,400
tunnel is steep and treacherous, and our progress is slowed

485
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,440
by loose gravelent slick damp rocks. We keep a tight

486
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,559
grip on Marcus, pulling him along, reassuring him that we're close.

487
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,720
The voices are almost deafening now the cold gnawing at us,

488
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,240
The hallucinations persist, shadows darting in and out of our vision.

489
00:26:26,759 --> 00:26:29,400
Suddenly there is a low rumble and the ground beneath

490
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,160
the shakes of rockslide. We scramble out of the way,

491
00:26:32,319 --> 00:26:36,240
pulling Marcus along. Rocks tumble down the incline, a cloud

492
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,240
of dust billowing around us. We cough and our eyes

493
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,079
start to water. When the dust clears, we find the

494
00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:46,119
tunnel blocked, the way up cut off. A sense of

495
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,200
despair washes over us, but we can't afford to give in,

496
00:26:49,839 --> 00:26:52,799
not wonder this close. We need to find another way,

497
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,000
Daniel says, his voice determined. We backtrack, searching for a

498
00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,440
branching path away around the rock slide. There's an arrow

499
00:27:00,519 --> 00:27:02,799
opening to our left, barely large enough for a person

500
00:27:02,799 --> 00:27:05,359
to fit through. It's our only option. With a collective

501
00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:09,839
style and agreement, we squeeze through. Eventually we emerge into

502
00:27:09,839 --> 00:27:12,519
another tunnel. This one is wider and the incline is

503
00:27:12,599 --> 00:27:15,359
less steep. We allow ourselves a moment of rest. As

504
00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,920
we navigate the new tunnel, we begin to hear something

505
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,880
else amongst the whispers, a faint but growing roar water.

506
00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:24,279
We pick up our pace, and then we see it.

507
00:27:24,799 --> 00:27:27,279
We run as quickly as we can, dragging Marcus alon.

508
00:27:27,839 --> 00:27:30,240
The tunnel opens up to a large chamber filled with water.

509
00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:32,880
The ceiling is a network of cracks that lead in

510
00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,599
a meager stream of daylight. We found a way out,

511
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,039
but we're not out yet. A whoop, Daniels yells over

512
00:27:40,079 --> 00:27:42,880
the roar of the water. Pocket digs through his pack,

513
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,000
pulling out a coil. We tie one end around Marques.

514
00:27:46,759 --> 00:27:49,559
Then Daniels and I take the plunge, pulling ourselves against

515
00:27:49,559 --> 00:27:52,839
the current. The water is freezing and the current is strong,

516
00:27:53,039 --> 00:27:55,039
but the side of daylight, the promise of escape from

517
00:27:55,079 --> 00:27:58,359
the madness fuels us. We reach the other side, anchoring

518
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,839
the rope and pulling Marcus across. One by one, we

519
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,079
clamber up the rocks toward the cracks in the ceiling.

520
00:28:03,559 --> 00:28:05,839
The whispers rise in volume, then are abruptly cut off

521
00:28:05,839 --> 00:28:08,319
as we break through to the surface. We collapse on

522
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:10,880
the rocky ground, panting and shivering. Our body is aching

523
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,640
and our minds reeling. But we're out. We've escaped the cave.

524
00:28:15,319 --> 00:28:18,039
We lay there under the open skies. Relief washes over us.

525
00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,920
Daniels pulls out our satellite phone. With shaky fingers, he

526
00:28:22,039 --> 00:28:27,319
dials Dixon's number. Dixon is Daniels, he starts. The tension

527
00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,960
around us eases slightly as he listens to Dixon's response.

528
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,119
There we found him. Marcus is alive or died, but

529
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,880
he's in a bad state. We need medical assistance. There's

530
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,000
appaus as Dixon's bonds. I can't make out the words,

531
00:28:41,119 --> 00:28:43,480
but I can hear the relief in his voice. We're

532
00:28:43,519 --> 00:28:45,960
out of the cave, but we didn't emerge from the

533
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,079
original entrance. We were forced to find another way out.

534
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,160
He looks around, squinting at the unfamiliar landscape. We're on

535
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:54,799
the side of a mountain of a looking of valley

536
00:28:54,839 --> 00:28:58,039
with dense four stretching out below us. There's no discernible

537
00:28:58,119 --> 00:29:01,279
landmark in side, no easy way to describe our location.

538
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,200
It's difficult to say exactly where we are. Dinalds admits,

539
00:29:05,279 --> 00:29:08,319
a note of frustration creeping into his voice. Am On,

540
00:29:09,119 --> 00:29:11,480
he passes pocket the phone, pointing at the GPS app.

541
00:29:12,039 --> 00:29:15,960
You're better with this text stuff. Find our coordinates. Taking

542
00:29:16,039 --> 00:29:19,319
the phone, Poker pulls up the GPS. It takes a

543
00:29:19,359 --> 00:29:22,160
few nerve iracking moments to load but eventually our coordinates

544
00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,119
pop up on the screen. Poker reads them out to Daniels,

545
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:29,880
who repeats them to Dixon. For all that dirt, hurry Dixon,

546
00:29:30,519 --> 00:29:33,559
Marcus needs help. He ends the call, handing me back

547
00:29:33,599 --> 00:29:36,720
the phone. We all exchange looks. Our relief palpable but

548
00:29:36,799 --> 00:29:39,359
tempered by a critical state of our friend. We huddle

549
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,440
around Marcus, doing our best to keep him warm and

550
00:29:41,519 --> 00:29:44,920
comfortable while we wait for help. As the minutes tick by,

551
00:29:45,039 --> 00:29:47,200
turning into an ir then too, we watch the sky.

552
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,480
When the sound of helicopter blades finally reaches us, it's

553
00:29:50,599 --> 00:29:53,640
like music to our ears. The chopper appears over the

554
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,920
tree tops. We wave frantically, our floes painting the sky

555
00:29:57,039 --> 00:30:00,279
with desperate streaks of red. The helicopter circles us once,

556
00:30:00,359 --> 00:30:04,359
then starts its descent. Help us arrived. Finally we've made

557
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,279
it out. Last summer, my friends Ashley, Brandon, Chelsea, and

558
00:30:08,359 --> 00:30:10,160
I decided to go on a camping trip together in

559
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,759
the woods of northern Minnesota. We had been for INDs

560
00:30:12,759 --> 00:30:14,920
since high school and wanted to reconnect out in nature

561
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,759
before going our separate ways for college. We packed up

562
00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:20,559
passles a TV with our tents, sleeping bags, another camp

563
00:30:20,599 --> 00:30:23,160
and gear. We stopped at the grocery store to pick

564
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,759
up food and drinks for the weekend. Then we hit

565
00:30:25,799 --> 00:30:28,480
the road, driving several iOS north to reach the remote

566
00:30:28,519 --> 00:30:32,079
forests of Minnesota's wilderness. Around dusk, we turned off the

567
00:30:32,119 --> 00:30:35,400
main highway onto a narrow, winding back road. The paved

568
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,640
road soon turned to gravel as we ventured deeper into

569
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,759
the woods. After almost an iro bumping down the dirt road,

570
00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:43,400
it opened up to a small clearing Our camps out

571
00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,079
for the weekend. We eagerly set up our two tents

572
00:30:46,079 --> 00:30:48,920
side by side. Brandon and I would share one tent,

573
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,920
while Ashley and Chelsea shared the other. A circle of

574
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,000
stones marked the camp fire pit. With night falling fast,

575
00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:57,519
we skept dinner and decided to start a fire right away.

576
00:30:58,079 --> 00:31:00,200
The crackling fire and blowing ambers lit up the pitch

577
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,960
black waters around us. We laughed and joked, roasting hot

578
00:31:04,039 --> 00:31:07,240
dogs and making us moores over the flames. Sitting around

579
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,359
the fire, we caught up on everything new in our lives,

580
00:31:09,359 --> 00:31:13,799
summer jobs, college plans, new relationships. The conversation flowed easily

581
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,880
between us, long time friends for now the busy life

582
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,640
of waiting back home felt far away. As the fire

583
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,839
died down to glowing coals. One by one my friends

584
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,920
grew tired. We set our good knights and zipped ourselves

585
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,880
into our sleeping bags. The last two of us doused

586
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,319
the fire with water until smoke no longer rose from

587
00:31:31,359 --> 00:31:34,640
the ashes. Soon the clearing was silent and dark, except

588
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,119
for the bright moon overhead. I woke up the next

589
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,599
morning to sunlight streaming and through the nile on tent walls.

590
00:31:40,319 --> 00:31:42,880
Brandon was still softly snoring in his sleeping bag next

591
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,559
to me. I quietly grabbed my watch off the maytrifft

592
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:47,960
nights time we had created from a stump. It was

593
00:31:48,079 --> 00:31:50,799
nearly nine a m. I unzipped the tenth flap and

594
00:31:50,839 --> 00:31:53,720
stepped out into the brisk morning air. The clearing looked

595
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,000
beautiful bad In dawn's light, rays of sunlight filtered down

596
00:31:57,039 --> 00:31:59,839
through the tall pines surrounding our camp. Soon I heard

597
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,880
stirrings from the girl's tenters. Ashley and Chelsea began waking up.

598
00:32:03,599 --> 00:32:05,680
Before long, we were all up and making a quick

599
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,119
breakfast of footmell and coffee over the camp fire coals.

600
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,400
Once fed, we decided to go on a hike to

601
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,079
explore the area. We packed light day packs with some

602
00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,240
water and snacks. Ashley had a trail map that showed

603
00:32:17,279 --> 00:32:20,640
the twisting network of trails. Criscussing the landscape, Let's check

604
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:22,880
out Blue Lake, she suggested, pointing to a blue dot

605
00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:25,480
on the mat about five miles north. We all agreed

606
00:32:25,599 --> 00:32:28,160
and headed out, led by Ashley and her map. The

607
00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:30,799
trails started out wide, but soon narrowed as we hiked

608
00:32:30,839 --> 00:32:34,039
deeper into the woods. Towering pine and spruce tree shaded

609
00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:36,519
us from the morning sun. The scent of pine needles

610
00:32:36,559 --> 00:32:39,039
and moss hung in a crisp bare After a couple

611
00:32:39,079 --> 00:32:41,200
of miles, we stopped in the sunny clearing to catch

612
00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:44,400
our breath and take our water break. Chelsea spotted some

613
00:32:44,519 --> 00:32:46,720
white while blue berries, so we snapped in the tiny

614
00:32:46,759 --> 00:32:50,119
sweet bearers. As we rested. Refreshed, we continued on until

615
00:32:50,119 --> 00:32:52,200
the trail descended down a rocky slope. At the bottom,

616
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,960
we emerged onto the pristine shoreline of Blue Lake. Brendan

617
00:32:56,039 --> 00:32:58,559
let out an impressed whistle at the beautiful scene. As

618
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,119
we emerged from the wooded trail, sparkling expanse of Blue

619
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,400
Lake suddenly came into view. We all stopped short, stunned

620
00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,240
by the incredible sight. The lake was perfect, leaving by

621
00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:10,240
tall pines that jutted into the sky. Their pointed tips

622
00:33:10,279 --> 00:33:12,680
were reflected onto the smooth as glass surface of the water.

623
00:33:13,319 --> 00:33:15,559
The lake stretched out before us, an unbroken blue that

624
00:33:15,599 --> 00:33:18,759
faded into the hazy distance. On the far shore, layers

625
00:33:18,799 --> 00:33:21,400
of bluish purple mountains rose up, framing the pristine scene.

626
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,440
Aside from the trees rustling in the breeze, silence hung

627
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,279
over the lake. It felt like we had stumbled into

628
00:33:27,279 --> 00:33:30,480
a secret corner of wilderness paradise. We slowly made our

629
00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:32,680
way down to the rocky shore, not wanting to disturb

630
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,039
the serene atmosphere. Sitting on the sun warm stones, we

631
00:33:36,119 --> 00:33:38,759
took off our hiking boots and defartees into the refreshing water.

632
00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,279
I trailed by fingers across the surface, sending out ripples

633
00:33:42,279 --> 00:33:44,559
across the deep blue. It was so clear I could

634
00:33:44,559 --> 00:33:47,319
see small mane was darting around below. We sat down

635
00:33:47,359 --> 00:33:49,240
on some large rocks and took off our broots to

636
00:33:49,279 --> 00:33:52,359
depot feet in a crystal clear water. After enjoying the

637
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,960
views for a while, we reluctantly decided we should start

638
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,839
heading back to make it to camp before dusk. Hey, guys,

639
00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,519
wait up, I called after ashes and Brandon. They were

640
00:34:01,559 --> 00:34:03,759
way ahead on the trail, moving fast with the steady

641
00:34:03,799 --> 00:34:07,200
speed controlling their long legs. Chelsea and I tried to

642
00:34:07,279 --> 00:34:09,039
keep up, but were both shorter and had to take

643
00:34:09,119 --> 00:34:12,960
quicker steps. After hurrying around another bend, I saw Ashley

644
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,559
and Brandon come to a sudden stop. Up ahead. They

645
00:34:15,559 --> 00:34:18,960
stood frozen, staring at something. Chelsea and I finally caught

646
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:22,519
up to them, huffing and puffing. What's up, guys, I asked,

647
00:34:22,599 --> 00:34:25,480
leaning over to catch my breath. Without a word, Brandon

648
00:34:25,519 --> 00:34:28,559
simply pointed straight ahead. I followed where he was pointing,

649
00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:31,360
and felt my eyes go wide. There, nestled between the

650
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,679
thick pine trees was a small ancient graveyard. It was

651
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,079
overgrown with wheat and brush. The dozen of so headstones

652
00:34:38,079 --> 00:34:40,320
were cracked and so weather worn that the names engraved

653
00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,840
on them were no longer legible. I felt a chill

654
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,280
go down my spine as we all stood there looking

655
00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,639
at the earside. The graveyard seemed forgotten by tim tucked

656
00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:50,679
away in this remote part of the woods. Chelsea moved

657
00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:54,400
closer to me, also creeped out. After the initial shock

658
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,079
of discovering the hidden graveyard wore off, we slowly walked

659
00:34:57,119 --> 00:34:59,960
through it, carefully weaving between the haphazardly placed grave marker.

660
00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,400
The ground was uneven and rocky, with thorny wheat sprouting

661
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,599
up everywhere. The gravestones were in various states of decay.

662
00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:11,039
Some were intact with engravings still partly visible. Others had

663
00:35:11,079 --> 00:35:12,880
cracked down the middle, while were so well worn that

664
00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,559
the writing was entirely gone. There seemed to be no

665
00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,599
order or arrangement to the placement of the stones. I

666
00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:20,719
paused by one tilting stone and tried to make out

667
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,239
the faded lettering. All I could gleam was a last

668
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,199
name ending in enough In to Stey, to Burgh, and

669
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,199
about the year from the l eighteen hundreds. These people

670
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,360
had been forgotten by time, with no one left attend

671
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,360
their final resting places. The pine trees surround in the

672
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:36,960
graveyard added to the gloomy atmosphere. The shadowy branches stretched

673
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,519
over head, blocking out the afternoon sunlight. Everything was eerily

674
00:35:40,559 --> 00:35:43,119
still and quiet among the gravestones, as if frozen in time.

675
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,000
Chelsea knelt by one of the few intact headstones, gently

676
00:35:47,079 --> 00:35:50,480
wiping away. The moster revealed the engraved name Margaret Wilson

677
00:35:51,039 --> 00:35:55,280
eighteen sixty seventy eighteen ninety two. She read aloud. She

678
00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,079
was only twenty five years old when she died. I

679
00:35:58,159 --> 00:36:00,119
wondered what Margaret's life had been like, and how was

680
00:36:00,159 --> 00:36:03,039
cut so tragically short. There must have been at least

681
00:36:03,079 --> 00:36:05,840
twenty graves, maybe more, hidden under layers of dead pine

682
00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,960
needles and leaves. As we picked our way carefully among

683
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,199
the graves, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of invading

684
00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:15,480
someone's resting place. The graveyard felt hauntingly isolated and attended.

685
00:36:16,159 --> 00:36:19,239
I kept glancing around, almost expecting ghostly figures to appear.

686
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,639
This place is weird. Ashley finally sad voicing what we

687
00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,079
were all thinking, we should probably get out of here.

688
00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,880
We all murmured in agreement something about the neglected old

689
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,000
graveyard gave me the creeps. We turned and hurried back

690
00:36:32,039 --> 00:36:34,840
the way we had come. Suddenly eager to get back

691
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:36,960
to our camps at before nightfull eager to leave the

692
00:36:37,039 --> 00:36:40,000
unsettling graveyard behind, we hurried back on to the hiking trail.

693
00:36:40,599 --> 00:36:44,039
The surrounding would suddenly seem darker and denser. After our discovery.

694
00:36:44,639 --> 00:36:47,639
We walked closely together, glancing nervously over our shoulders every

695
00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:51,199
so often. The hike back felt longer than before. With

696
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,199
every bend in the trail, I hoped to see the

697
00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:55,679
camps a clear and come inter view, but the forest

698
00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:58,760
seemed endless. Shadows stretched over the path As the sun

699
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:01,800
sank glorer in the sky. We eventually stopped talking and

700
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:05,400
focused intently on navigating the winding trail. The only sounds

701
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,760
were our footsteps crunching on the dirt path and branches

702
00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,199
rustling in the breeze. I strained my ears irrationally, listening

703
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,400
for any strange noises behind us. Just as the creeping

704
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,320
our knees was becoming too much, we finally reached a

705
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,280
ridge and saw our camp site down below. Relief washed

706
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,920
over me. The sun had almost fully set by the

707
00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:24,760
time our feet hit the soft grass of the clearing chelsea.

708
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,880
Wasted no time getting a fire going again. We gladly

709
00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,320
shut our packs and crowded close to the crackling warmth

710
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,199
and light. After dinner, we let the fire burn down

711
00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:35,519
to glowing embers. As dark as fully enveloped our camp.

712
00:37:36,119 --> 00:37:38,480
The moon was just a thin crescent, providing little light

713
00:37:38,559 --> 00:37:41,400
Beyond the narrow ring of firelight, the dense woods were

714
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,039
a pitch black void. No one wanted to wander far

715
00:37:44,119 --> 00:37:46,360
from the fire, so we passed the time telling stores

716
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,639
and roasting marshmallows for us Moores. Brandon tried to lighten

717
00:37:49,679 --> 00:37:52,159
the mood by telling funny camphi tales, but our laughed

718
00:37:52,199 --> 00:37:55,360
always faded quickly. The surrounding darkness seemed to close in

719
00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,599
on us. I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder, half

720
00:37:58,679 --> 00:38:00,800
expecting to see a pale face peering back at me

721
00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,960
from the trees. The fire crackled and cast flickering shadows

722
00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:07,079
across our faces. Every little noise made me jump, the

723
00:38:07,079 --> 00:38:10,199
snap of a burning lock, an owl hooting in the distance.

724
00:38:11,039 --> 00:38:14,039
Even my friends seemed subdued as the night dragged on.

725
00:38:14,679 --> 00:38:18,159
Remember that creepy old graveyard we found, as Lee said,

726
00:38:18,199 --> 00:38:21,840
with a nervous laugh, breaking the uneasy silence, We all nodded.

727
00:38:22,519 --> 00:38:24,719
Can you imagine if those ghosts are wandering the woods

728
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:28,679
right now looking for us? Not funny, ash Chelsea said,

729
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,039
her voice quivering slightly. She scooted her lawn chair even

730
00:38:32,079 --> 00:38:35,360
closer to the fire. I tried to shrug off Ashle's comment,

731
00:38:35,519 --> 00:38:37,679
but I couldn't ignore the shiver running down my spine,

732
00:38:38,199 --> 00:38:41,599
the surrounding which suddenly seem full of sinister shadows. I

733
00:38:41,679 --> 00:38:44,880
thought about all those nameless graves left neglected and forgotten

734
00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:49,039
for decades deep in the forest. Let's talk about something else,

735
00:38:49,119 --> 00:38:52,400
Brandon said firmly, but the conversation remained sporadic and stilted.

736
00:38:53,119 --> 00:38:55,440
One by one we started drifting off to our tents

737
00:38:56,159 --> 00:38:59,960
as exhaustion overcame the creepy atmosphere. I changed quickly into

738
00:39:00,039 --> 00:39:02,880
sweatpins in the sweatshirt, wanting as much coverage as possible.

739
00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,800
While I slept, I left my cap on for good measure,

740
00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:08,599
sipping up my sleeping bag. I felt like I kid

741
00:39:08,639 --> 00:39:11,639
at the slumber party after hearing a scary story. Every

742
00:39:11,679 --> 00:39:14,760
little sound made me jerk in my sleeping bag. Brandon

743
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,840
soft snores from the neighboring tent were at least a

744
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:21,559
small comfort. Eventually, sheer tiredness upweighed my irrational fear. Just

745
00:39:21,639 --> 00:39:24,159
as I finally drifted off, I thought I heard the

746
00:39:24,199 --> 00:39:27,400
crunching of footsteps somewhere out of millwoods. That sleep pulled

747
00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:29,760
me under before I could think to be alarmed. I

748
00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,639
woke slowly blinking against the sunlight filtering into our tent.

749
00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:36,079
For a brief moment, I forgot where I was. Then

750
00:39:36,119 --> 00:39:40,280
it came rushing back the camping trip, telling goes stories

751
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,239
round the fire, finding that creepy hidden graveyard. I sat

752
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:47,800
up quickly, looking around. Some off mine and Brandon's things

753
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:49,880
had been moved in the night. My watch was in

754
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,920
a different spot, and our shoes weren't lined up neatly

755
00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,880
by the door any more. Brandon, wake up, I said,

756
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:57,440
shaking his shoulder. I think some one was messing with

757
00:39:57,519 --> 00:40:00,360
our stuff last night. He lifted his head, grows ugly

758
00:40:00,559 --> 00:40:04,559
and looked around. What the hell, he said, noticing the changes.

759
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,440
Did one of the girls come in here siding? I

760
00:40:08,519 --> 00:40:12,119
don't think so, I said uneasily. I felt a chill

761
00:40:12,199 --> 00:40:15,000
thinking about the eerie graveyard we had found. Could those

762
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,920
ghosts be haunting us? We hurriedly put on our shoes

763
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:21,039
and zipped the tent flap. Ashley and Chelsea were already

764
00:40:21,159 --> 00:40:24,719
up standing around the ashes of last night's fire. They

765
00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:27,480
looked freaked out. Did you guys come into our tent

766
00:40:27,599 --> 00:40:31,719
last night? Brandon asked them, No way, Ashley said, shaking

767
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,960
her head. But I think something was in IROs all

768
00:40:35,039 --> 00:40:37,159
my stuff got moved around, and a barely slut because

769
00:40:37,159 --> 00:40:40,599
it felt like someone was standing right over me. Chelsea nodded,

770
00:40:40,639 --> 00:40:42,960
looking pale. I woke up and thought I saw this

771
00:40:43,079 --> 00:40:45,079
dark figure by the tent door, but when I sat up,

772
00:40:45,159 --> 00:40:47,840
it disappear. A heavy silence fell over the four of

773
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,800
us As we surveyed the two tents. Objects had clearly

774
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,360
been disturbed and both overnight. This didn't seem like a prank.

775
00:40:55,039 --> 00:40:57,599
A nervous chill went through me. Let's just make some

776
00:40:57,679 --> 00:41:00,679
breakfast and pack up, I finally said, trying to shake

777
00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:03,760
off the creepy feeling. I started gathering kindling for a

778
00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:06,480
fire while the others went through their tents. They were

779
00:41:06,559 --> 00:41:09,159
kept glancing round, swearing he was seeing things move out

780
00:41:09,199 --> 00:41:10,880
of the corner of his eye, but every time he

781
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:14,079
turned there was nothing except trees. We quickly layed some

782
00:41:14,119 --> 00:41:16,960
eggs and bacon before taking down our tents. No one

783
00:41:17,039 --> 00:41:18,960
wanted to linger at this campsite any more. As we

784
00:41:19,039 --> 00:41:21,800
packed everything into the car, I couldn't shake the uneasy

785
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,360
feeling that we were being watched from the woods. A

786
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,960
few hours later, we had left the winding dirt road

787
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,840
and creepy camp site far behind. I breathed a deep

788
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:31,880
sigh of relief as Ashley drove her. As you v

789
00:41:32,039 --> 00:41:35,119
down the smooth highway into Biggertown, the familiar sites of

790
00:41:35,159 --> 00:41:38,199
gas stations, shopping centers, and people milling about on sidewalks

791
00:41:38,199 --> 00:41:41,599
were comforting. After spending two days isolated in remote woods,

792
00:41:41,719 --> 00:41:43,840
we decided to find a nice public lake to relax

793
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:46,639
out for the afternoon. After stopping for a quick fast

794
00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:49,639
through lunch, we followed signs leading to a large recreational

795
00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,480
lake just outside of town. Ashley pulled into a pat

796
00:41:52,559 --> 00:41:56,119
parking lotful families and loading collars and launch aers. This

797
00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:58,800
place looks perfect, said David, as we stepped out into

798
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,880
the hot, sunny days st chretched our legs. The sparkling

799
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,039
blue lake stretched out before us, dotted with people swimming, boating,

800
00:42:05,119 --> 00:42:08,400
and lounging on the sandy beach. After the quiet loneliness

801
00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:10,880
of the woods, the cheerful buzz of activity felt reassuring.

802
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,199
We found an open spot on the beach to roll

803
00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:16,119
out our towels and stripped down to our swimsuits. I

804
00:42:16,159 --> 00:42:18,760
saghed happily as I immediately waded into the refreshing water.

805
00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:21,679
It was the perfect temperature after baking in the sun.

806
00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,760
Chelsea and Ashley joined me, and we swam leisurely around,

807
00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:26,920
chatting and floating on our backs to gaze up at

808
00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,360
the few fluffy white clouds drifting across the bright blue sky.

809
00:42:30,079 --> 00:42:32,199
The normalcy of laughing with friends in a crowded the

810
00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:35,000
lake was just what I needed after the weekend strangeness.

811
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:37,920
After a while, we climbed back onto the beach to

812
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:39,880
lay out and let the warm sun dry us off.

813
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:43,000
David and Brandon were tossing a football back and forth

814
00:42:43,079 --> 00:42:45,920
near by. I tilted my face up, part enjoying the

815
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:47,840
heat on my skin after being in the shady woods.

816
00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,000
But even with the hot sun and the buzz of

817
00:42:50,039 --> 00:42:53,320
people around us, I couldn't fully relax. When I closed

818
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,039
my eyes, I kept imagining the creepy hidden graveyard deep

819
00:42:56,039 --> 00:42:58,000
in the forest, and the prickly feeling of being watched

820
00:42:58,039 --> 00:42:59,800
wouldn't leave me. I sat up and scanned the tree

821
00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,159
line around the lake, half expecting to see a dark

822
00:43:02,199 --> 00:43:05,400
figure looking there, but there was only families laughing together

823
00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:09,119
on pittic blankets and kids building sandcustles. Still and nagging

824
00:43:09,199 --> 00:43:11,719
unease lingered in my gut want to go hit the

825
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:15,159
snack bar. Brandon ass flopping down on his towel beside

826
00:43:15,199 --> 00:43:18,519
me and pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I readily agreed,

827
00:43:18,599 --> 00:43:21,599
needing the distraction. We bought cold sodas and hot French

828
00:43:21,639 --> 00:43:23,920
fries dripping in ketchup, and found a pictic table in

829
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:27,280
the shade to enjoy our snack. Brandon kept the conversation light,

830
00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:30,960
talking about our upcoming freshman year of college. I tried

831
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:32,880
my best to focus on his words rather than peering

832
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,320
suspiciously at the people around us. The afternoon passed quicker

833
00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:39,199
than I hoped. Before long, the sun was getting low,

834
00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,639
casting a golden glow over everything. The crowd started thinning

835
00:43:42,679 --> 00:43:44,519
out as people packed up to head home for dinner.

836
00:43:45,199 --> 00:43:48,159
None of us wanted this day to end. Walking slowly

837
00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,320
back to the car, I glanced over my shoulder one

838
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:52,760
last time at the glistening lake, surrounded by trees just

839
00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:55,519
starting to be tinged with sunset's light. That night, we

840
00:43:55,559 --> 00:43:58,000
found a busy campground with plenty of other people around.

841
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:01,719
Safety in numbers, we figured we picked a sight right

842
00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:03,679
in the middle of everything and got a fire going

843
00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:06,840
as dusk fell, but sitting around the crackling flames, no

844
00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:09,280
one felt much like telling girls stories of staying up late.

845
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,840
The usual camping merriman just wasn't there. We were all

846
00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,480
exhausted from the previous nights of disturbed sleep, plagued by

847
00:44:15,519 --> 00:44:19,119
strange occurrences. One by one, my friends turned in early,

848
00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:22,719
until only dying embers remained alone in my tent. I

849
00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,639
changed quickly and zipped into my sleeping bag, but sleep

850
00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:29,599
felt far off. I couldn't relax, still shaken by the

851
00:44:29,679 --> 00:44:32,320
feeling of being watched and followed from our lost camp site.

852
00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:35,920
Every tiny noise put me on alert and now hooded,

853
00:44:36,079 --> 00:44:38,800
making me jowled Upright next, I heard us gittering in

854
00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:40,880
the lees outside the tent. That set my heart racing.

855
00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:45,079
Get a grip, I told myself, you're being ridiculous, But

856
00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:48,800
rational thought was losing out to creeping fear. Somewhere near by,

857
00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,239
I twig snapped ludly, like a branch breaking under foot.

858
00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:53,599
This time, I couldn't chalk it up to wild life.

859
00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:57,039
It sounded like a heavy footstep. I held my breath,

860
00:44:57,239 --> 00:45:00,599
listening hard. Then so faintly I thought, maybe I imagined

861
00:45:00,639 --> 00:45:03,639
it came the crunch of more slow footsteps around the tent.

862
00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,920
I shook Brandon's shoulder urgently, but he was dead asleep.

863
00:45:07,599 --> 00:45:10,840
My pulse pounded in my ears. The footsteps seemed to continue,

864
00:45:11,039 --> 00:45:14,199
pacing steady circle around where we lay. I thought about

865
00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:16,719
yelling out, but the words caught in my tetdrope. I

866
00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,639
woke with a start, my heart already racing. Something had

867
00:45:19,679 --> 00:45:22,079
disturbed my rustle asleep, but I wasn't sure what. I

868
00:45:22,199 --> 00:45:24,719
lay still straining to hear any noise over the pounding

869
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:28,440
of blood in my ears. Beside me, Brandon was softly snoring,

870
00:45:28,599 --> 00:45:31,519
dared to the world outside. The night was deathly quiet.

871
00:45:32,119 --> 00:45:34,239
The darkness in the tent was stifling, like it was

872
00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:36,679
slowly smothering me. I blindly reached for my phone and

873
00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:39,440
flipped in the flashlight. That's when I heard it again,

874
00:45:40,039 --> 00:45:43,519
a rustling ride outside the ten flaps. Adrenaline spiked through

875
00:45:43,559 --> 00:45:46,559
my veins. I shoved brand In urgently until he woke

876
00:45:46,599 --> 00:45:49,360
with the grunt blinking against the bright flashlight beam. This

877
00:45:49,519 --> 00:45:51,639
some one outside the tent. I whispered harshly, as if

878
00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:54,119
on hue. A shadow passed in front of the light,

879
00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:58,000
blocking it briefly. A dark figure was standing directly outside.

880
00:45:58,639 --> 00:46:02,440
Brandon's eyes widened as we scrambled backward. My mind reeled

881
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:07,199
bare murder ghost. Before I could scream a blood curdling

882
00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,960
cry aim from the neighboring tent, Chelsea. We burst from

883
00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:13,039
the tent, and Chelsea came flying out of hers, colliding

884
00:46:13,079 --> 00:46:16,559
into us with his street cheeks. I gripped her shaky shoulders,

885
00:46:16,639 --> 00:46:20,840
panking what happened? Are you okay that there was someone

886
00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:23,920
right there? She cried, pointing a trembling finger at her

887
00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,760
tent entrance. The adrenaline course through me. As we scanned

888
00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:30,280
the dark camp site, a neary silence had returned. I

889
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,559
woke up and saw the shadowy things standing over me.

890
00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:36,519
Chelsea stammered through panted breaths. I screamed, and it was

891
00:46:36,599 --> 00:46:39,159
just gone. We need to get out of here, Brandon

892
00:46:39,199 --> 00:46:43,119
said urgently. Ashley emerged from the tent, white eyed, without

893
00:46:43,159 --> 00:46:45,960
a word. We hastily crowned into one tent, huddling together

894
00:46:46,039 --> 00:46:50,360
in terror. Sleep did not return. Morning life finally appeared

895
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,239
after the longest night of our lives. As soon as

896
00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:55,760
it was bright enough, we hurried out to pack everything up.

897
00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,480
Thus when we noticed the symbols. Some sort of ancient

898
00:46:59,519 --> 00:47:02,440
ruins moved into the dirt around our tent. They hadn't

899
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:06,039
been there yesterday. What the hell? David muttered as we

900
00:47:06,119 --> 00:47:09,320
stared down at the unsettling morkings. I followed the distinct

901
00:47:09,320 --> 00:47:12,760
footprints that circled where we had slept. Whoever or whatever

902
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,480
had visited us was not shy about leaving its chilling mark.

903
00:47:16,239 --> 00:47:19,719
Let's just go, Ashley said, shakily. We threw everything haphazardly

904
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,199
into the car, not even bothering to take down the tents.

905
00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:25,519
I felt nauses as I imagined their shadowy presents, looking

906
00:47:25,599 --> 00:47:28,159
unseen in a bright morning light, watching us flee. But

907
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:30,480
when Brandon turned a key in the ignition, the engine

908
00:47:30,519 --> 00:47:34,199
just clicked and sputtered. The battery was completely dead. He

909
00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:37,239
slammed his hands against the steering wheel. Are you kidding me?

910
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:40,719
We were trapped, forced to spend another night in this nightmare.

911
00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:43,559
I wanted to cry, but panic had hardened inside me.

912
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:47,000
We had to prepare. We need to apply, as I said,

913
00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:53,280
fied feud weapons. The others nodded grimly as we hurred

914
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:55,719
to gather what we could. I noticed the woods had

915
00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:58,880
gone silent and still not one bird chirped. It seemed

916
00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:01,880
the force itself was holding out breath, waiting. The thing

917
00:48:01,920 --> 00:48:03,719
that had tormented us was nowhere to be seen in

918
00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:06,079
the harsh sunlight, but its presence still chirked the air

919
00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:09,360
like smoke. As the sun sank lowdra crept over us.

920
00:48:10,199 --> 00:48:11,840
We had to prepare as best we could for another

921
00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:15,039
night in these cursed woods. First we gathered all the

922
00:48:15,079 --> 00:48:17,639
fire which we could find, building up a formidable stack.

923
00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,360
We arranged the logs in a tight circle around where

924
00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,679
we would sleep, creating a barrier between us and the

925
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:27,199
encroaching darkness. Next, we took stock of potential weapons. The

926
00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:29,880
small hatchet and hunting knife from Brandon's camping gear were

927
00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:33,039
sharp into fine edge. Holding the knife's coal handle, I

928
00:48:33,159 --> 00:48:36,559
felt only marginally safer man made weapons would be little

929
00:48:36,639 --> 00:48:39,360
use against the vengeful spirit, but they brought some comfort. Nonetheless,

930
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,760
we scoured the camp site for anything else useful. A

931
00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:45,199
coll of rope, a flare gun with one precious flare,

932
00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:47,960
and a flush lad ridded to our arsenal. We fell

933
00:48:48,039 --> 00:48:50,960
pots and conteens with water, anticipating a long cold night.

934
00:48:51,039 --> 00:48:53,880
Head trapped in a tent before darkness fell, we packed

935
00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:55,719
our bags with the essentials in case we needed to

936
00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:59,559
abandon camp and flee on foot, heavy jackets, boots. Lighter

937
00:48:59,639 --> 00:49:03,000
is a compus. He prepared for every scenario, like wolderness

938
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:05,639
survival experts, but nothing could really prepare us for what

939
00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:08,440
light dot there. When the final light had faded, we

940
00:49:08,519 --> 00:49:11,880
crawled into the tent, sipping it up tightly. We sat rigid,

941
00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:15,599
straining our ears against the silence. The crackling fire outside

942
00:49:15,679 --> 00:49:18,960
cast flickering shadows across the nile on walls. I nearly

943
00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:21,480
screamed when a moth battered loudly against the tent ceiling

944
00:49:22,119 --> 00:49:25,639
nerves were freed to their very edges. Eventually we laid down,

945
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,960
leaving the flasklight on its brightest beam. Even bundled up

946
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,199
in my sleeping bag, a boned, deep chill had settled

947
00:49:31,239 --> 00:49:34,559
into my body. No one bothered trying to sleep. We

948
00:49:34,719 --> 00:49:38,000
lay tents as drawn bow strings, waiting. The small hatchet

949
00:49:38,079 --> 00:49:40,679
lay within reach should I need to slash my way

950
00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:43,559
out of the tent. But escaping into the pitch blackwood

951
00:49:43,599 --> 00:49:46,119
seemed just as dangerous as staying put. We had no

952
00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:48,079
choice but huddle in the small halo of light and

953
00:49:48,159 --> 00:49:51,199
pray for sunrise time, crackt by at a torturous pace.

954
00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:54,840
Every tiny noise outside amplified tenfold in my heightened senses,

955
00:49:55,559 --> 00:49:58,519
a owl, a squirrel, or something more sinister. There was

956
00:49:58,559 --> 00:50:00,800
no way to know I. As we lay captive in

957
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:04,360
the tent, every tiny noise from outside caused us to flinch.

958
00:50:05,239 --> 00:50:08,039
Fortified now on shell amplified, each kracker snap into shot

959
00:50:08,119 --> 00:50:12,239
bursts of sound. Even my own shaky breath seemed deafening. Finally,

960
00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:15,719
Chelsea's whisper sliced the thick silence. Do you guys hear that?

961
00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:19,760
We listened closer. The crackle of footsteps on leaves circled

962
00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:22,679
just outside the tent was back for us. Then whispers

963
00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:25,199
floated around us, but they were too gobbled to decipher

964
00:50:25,199 --> 00:50:28,960
our words. Next, pale, shadowy shapes drifted between the trees,

965
00:50:29,199 --> 00:50:31,920
only glimpsed from the corners of our eyes before vanishing again.

966
00:50:32,599 --> 00:50:35,199
Brandon gasped and pointed to a dark mass passing through

967
00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:37,840
the tent that brought an icy chill inside. Huddling shoulder

968
00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:41,079
to shoulder for some semblance of bravery, we braced ourselves

969
00:50:41,119 --> 00:50:44,599
as the sounds continued. The malevolent presence was toying with us,

970
00:50:44,639 --> 00:50:47,760
taking sadistic pleasure in our terror. I had never felt

971
00:50:47,760 --> 00:50:51,760
so small and powerless. As the whispers resumed, circling closer outside,

972
00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:55,000
Chelsea buried her head against my shoulder, sobbing softly. I

973
00:50:55,079 --> 00:50:58,880
didn't bother, offering hollow words of reassurance. The temperature inside

974
00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:01,480
the tent plummeted rapidly, cutting through our layers of clothing

975
00:51:01,559 --> 00:51:05,000
and making a shiver uncontrollably. Then the walls began billowing

976
00:51:05,039 --> 00:51:07,880
and contorting in patterns manipulated by other woldly gusted air

977
00:51:08,559 --> 00:51:11,039
or was it an inhuman hand grasping at the nilon shell.

978
00:51:11,679 --> 00:51:14,199
I'm not sure. There was nowhere to run, and nothing

979
00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:16,320
left to do but huddle together in the small halo

980
00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,239
of land in light as the unrelenting supernatural assault continued.

981
00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:22,599
Exhausted and trembling with primal fear, we could only pray

982
00:51:22,679 --> 00:51:26,519
we'd make it to sunrise, but scape seemed doubtful. Huddled

983
00:51:26,559 --> 00:51:28,480
together in the small tent, we gasped as an icy

984
00:51:28,599 --> 00:51:31,480
chul suddenly pierced the air. Our breath came out in

985
00:51:31,559 --> 00:51:34,960
white paths. As the temperature plummeted rapidly. Something was coming

986
00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:37,760
without warning, the tent began bucking and swaying violently, as

987
00:51:37,760 --> 00:51:40,480
if caught in storm. We screamed and clutched each other

988
00:51:40,559 --> 00:51:44,000
against the chaos. A dark shadow swooped overhead, blotting out

989
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:47,840
the London light for at blood second. It's here, Chelsea cried.

990
00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:52,000
As quickly as it started, the commotion ceased. We pented

991
00:51:52,039 --> 00:51:55,000
into the stillness, peering wide eyed around the tent. A

992
00:51:55,119 --> 00:51:58,559
lingering cold permeated everything. Then I felt Chelsea's grip on

993
00:51:58,599 --> 00:52:00,920
my arm tightened and her finger nails dug into my forearm.

994
00:52:01,519 --> 00:52:04,119
It's got me, she shrieked. I walled to see her

995
00:52:04,159 --> 00:52:06,480
being dragged across the tent floor by an invisible force.

996
00:52:07,199 --> 00:52:09,239
We for her flailing arms and legs as she slid

997
00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,079
towards the door. Don't let it take me, Chelsea begged,

998
00:52:12,119 --> 00:52:15,199
tears streaking her cheeks. WE straining to hold on, but

999
00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:19,239
some dark energy yanked back harder, grabbed the stakes. Brandon yelled.

1000
00:52:19,920 --> 00:52:22,320
We desperately clutched at the metal stakes anchoring the tent.

1001
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:25,880
As Chelsea's torso slipped outside. She howled in pure terror,

1002
00:52:26,159 --> 00:52:29,559
fighting the supernatural pull. I can't hold on, I yelled,

1003
00:52:29,599 --> 00:52:32,360
as the force wrench my hands free, we could only watch,

1004
00:52:32,559 --> 00:52:34,840
horrified as she was sucked out into the waiting darkness.

1005
00:52:35,519 --> 00:52:38,840
Her chilling screams echoed, then faded to silence. Shaking violently,

1006
00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,079
we unentangled ourselves and stumbled out of the tent, screaming

1007
00:52:42,159 --> 00:52:46,199
Chelsea's name. Chelsea's chilling screams faded, leaving us paralyzed in

1008
00:52:46,239 --> 00:52:49,360
the sudden stillness. The darkness pressed him from all sides,

1009
00:52:49,519 --> 00:52:52,239
full of gnawing horrors. We could no longer deny. Back

1010
00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:55,320
in the tent now, David ordered, voice quaking, we scrambled

1011
00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:59,480
inside and zipped the entrance back up. Oh God, Chelsea

1012
00:53:00,199 --> 00:53:04,239
ashleyg whimpered, breaking down. David gripped her shoulder firmly. We

1013
00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:06,360
have to hold it together, he urged, eyes wide with

1014
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:10,679
primal fear. No one slept another moment that endless night,

1015
00:53:11,360 --> 00:53:13,920
minutes stretched out interminably as we waited for the unseen

1016
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:16,599
evil to take us one by one. Any fleeting herpe

1017
00:53:16,599 --> 00:53:18,519
of escape or rescue had vanished with Chelsea into the

1018
00:53:18,559 --> 00:53:21,719
hungry darkness. The thing taunting us would not be satisfied

1019
00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:24,719
until we were all consumed. Time lost meaning As we

1020
00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:27,559
sat paralyzed, listening acutely. Every creak of the trees took

1021
00:53:27,599 --> 00:53:32,039
on mortal implications. The lantern battery slowly faded, casting flickering

1022
00:53:32,039 --> 00:53:34,599
shadows across the tent would have finally died, plunging us

1023
00:53:34,599 --> 00:53:38,719
into total darkness. Ashley yelpt in panic. It's all right,

1024
00:53:39,599 --> 00:53:42,599
just stay calm, Brandon said, shakily, holding her as she trembled.

1025
00:53:43,199 --> 00:53:44,920
But we could all since the end drawing near, with

1026
00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:47,360
the dying light. Soon we would be utterly at the

1027
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:50,800
mercy of the revenous darkness. Finally, after an eternity, the

1028
00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:53,920
faint disglobe permeated the tent fabric. I nearly wept at

1029
00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:56,079
the sight of the tense interior, illuminating as the first

1030
00:53:56,119 --> 00:53:59,039
tim rays of sunrise filtered through the tent walls. We

1031
00:53:59,159 --> 00:54:02,000
finally worked up the courage to unsip the entrance. The

1032
00:54:02,079 --> 00:54:04,599
fresh morning ere felt chilling after being sealed up all night.

1033
00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:07,440
For a brief moment, the stillness of dawn lent an

1034
00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:10,400
illusion of peace to the camp site. Then reality came

1035
00:54:10,440 --> 00:54:14,320
crashing down. Chelsea was gone, violently, roped away into the darkness.

1036
00:54:15,079 --> 00:54:18,280
Ires before Chelsea, Brandon called up gruffly, his voice echoing

1037
00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:22,400
against the trees, no reply came. The surrounding forest looked

1038
00:54:22,400 --> 00:54:25,159
exactly as it had yesterday morning before everything went wrong.

1039
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:28,360
Fueled by a tiny flicker of impossible hope, we found

1040
00:54:28,400 --> 00:54:30,320
out the sky, or the campsite and surrounding woods for

1041
00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:34,000
any trace of Chelsea. I checked inside her tent again, irrationally,

1042
00:54:34,079 --> 00:54:36,360
thinking I might find her sleeping bag, still zipped up

1043
00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:38,360
with her inside. But the tiny tent held only her

1044
00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:42,519
belongings and disturbed from yesterday. Anything over there, I shouted

1045
00:54:42,559 --> 00:54:45,280
to Ashley, who was searching the tree line. She just

1046
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:48,159
shook her head grimly. The surrounding forest was quiet and

1047
00:54:48,239 --> 00:54:52,079
unremarkable in the dawn stillness. Expanding farther out, I surveyed

1048
00:54:52,079 --> 00:54:54,079
the leaf blankety ground for any newly turned to earth

1049
00:54:54,159 --> 00:54:56,400
or clues, but the previous night's rain had washed away

1050
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:59,159
any footprints or marks. It was as if nothing had

1051
00:54:59,199 --> 00:55:02,480
disturbed these woods for years. David voice echoed among the

1052
00:55:02,519 --> 00:55:05,360
trees as he continued shouting Chelsea's name, and no response

1053
00:55:06,079 --> 00:55:07,880
here in the growing anguish in his coals made tis

1054
00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:10,840
prick at my eyes. It was becoming horribly clear she

1055
00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:14,840
was just gone. We reconverted back at camp, comparing useless notes.

1056
00:55:15,559 --> 00:55:18,480
Brandon had found no traces of Chelsea's clothing or belongings.

1057
00:55:19,119 --> 00:55:21,440
If she had fled blindly into the woods, there would

1058
00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:24,039
be some signs. Instead, it was like she had simply

1059
00:55:24,079 --> 00:55:26,679
ceased to exist. As they stood the staring at the

1060
00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:29,719
empty camp site, the surrounding force seemed to take on

1061
00:55:29,840 --> 00:55:33,280
a malignant energy. The shadows between the pines of piadocer

1062
00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:36,880
almost hungry. It was time to leave this place. We

1063
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,360
worked fast and quite to date down our camp. That

1064
00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:41,760
his small tents were barely standing after the rough night.

1065
00:55:42,480 --> 00:55:44,480
We have collapsed them and crowned the damp knillon into

1066
00:55:44,519 --> 00:55:47,760
their bags without care. All Chelsea's clothes and items were

1067
00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:51,039
still scattered about. We went through her tent gently, gathering

1068
00:55:51,079 --> 00:55:54,039
everything up felt like packing up the life she had lost.

1069
00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:57,559
Brandon stamped out the fire's last embers, while David and

1070
00:55:57,599 --> 00:55:59,760
Ash put a little remaining food and water into two

1071
00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:02,800
bads eggs. I grabbed the dusty cans and ropes around

1072
00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:05,880
camp would shaky hands and called them up. Within minutes,

1073
00:56:06,079 --> 00:56:08,159
we had a race the signs of being here, but

1074
00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:09,920
the echoes of what we went through would stay with

1075
00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:12,760
us much longer. I looked around at the empty side

1076
00:56:12,760 --> 00:56:15,079
and shuddered. It was like we had never been here

1077
00:56:15,159 --> 00:56:17,480
at all. As we got ready to got it felt

1078
00:56:17,519 --> 00:56:20,000
wrong to just leave with no trace of Chelsea. I

1079
00:56:20,119 --> 00:56:22,079
found a long stick and carved it into a tree

1080
00:56:22,079 --> 00:56:25,519
at the edge of camp. It said, Chelsea forever in

1081
00:56:25,599 --> 00:56:29,440
our hearts. You guys ready, David asked gently, With one

1082
00:56:29,480 --> 00:56:31,960
final look at my carving. I turned away from the

1083
00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:35,159
quite side. What weeded us out in these woods? I

1084
00:56:35,239 --> 00:56:37,320
did not know, but we could not stay a moment more.

1085
00:56:38,039 --> 00:56:40,039
Our legs already ached as we hiked deeper into the

1086
00:56:40,079 --> 00:56:44,119
ominous forest with no trail to follow, we pushed through

1087
00:56:44,159 --> 00:56:46,360
thick and a brush and close to trees, heading up hill,

1088
00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:48,760
where we hooked the ridge would lead us out. The

1089
00:56:48,760 --> 00:56:52,480
heavy pack strained our exhausted bodies. I could feel eyes

1090
00:56:52,519 --> 00:56:55,280
watching from the gloom. The entity was letting us flee

1091
00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:56,880
from now, but it would not let it pray go

1092
00:56:57,039 --> 00:57:00,639
so easily. Glancing back often, I saw nothing besides shadows

1093
00:57:00,639 --> 00:57:03,960
shifting between the trunks. Still, the pricking sense of proceed

1094
00:57:04,039 --> 00:57:06,920
needled my spine. By mid day, my lungs burned and

1095
00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:09,719
my feet throbbed. But stopping could mean death if the

1096
00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:12,599
unseen menace called up to us. So we pressed on

1097
00:57:12,719 --> 00:57:15,079
silently through the pane, the trees never seeming to thin

1098
00:57:15,199 --> 00:57:18,639
or change, spare crept in as I accepted, we may

1099
00:57:18,719 --> 00:57:22,760
wander these woods forever. The watcher toying with us, suddenly

1100
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:26,440
David froze, Do you guys hear that? We all halted,

1101
00:57:26,599 --> 00:57:29,880
listening at first only silence, then the distinct crack and

1102
00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,880
crunch of footsteps over leaves. I felt the color drain

1103
00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:36,199
from my face. It was on our trail. We took off,

1104
00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:39,599
running blindly, crashing through branches that whipped our skin. No

1105
00:57:39,800 --> 00:57:43,599
use being quiet now The heavy footsteps followed steadily, somehow,

1106
00:57:43,679 --> 00:57:46,599
never seeming to gain all loose ground. My heart pounded

1107
00:57:46,599 --> 00:57:48,280
at a gulp fray air, clowing my way up the

1108
00:57:48,360 --> 00:57:51,960
rocky incline. Still the ominous sound stayed right at our backs.

1109
00:57:52,679 --> 00:57:54,679
I risked a frantic glance behind, and felt us in

1110
00:57:54,719 --> 00:57:58,280
my veins. Something dark weave between the distant trunks, only

1111
00:57:58,360 --> 00:58:01,119
visible as the shadows shifted. The blood roared in my

1112
00:58:01,199 --> 00:58:04,360
ears as a bushed harder. No matter how fast we scrambled,

1113
00:58:04,880 --> 00:58:08,119
the echo of pricip persisted, always the exact same distance away.

1114
00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:10,639
I couldn't tell if it was hurting us like prey,

1115
00:58:10,960 --> 00:58:14,480
or merely toying with its catch. Ahead the suntep lower,

1116
00:58:14,599 --> 00:58:16,639
threatening to plunge the forest into night while we were

1117
00:58:16,679 --> 00:58:19,719
still being hunted. Hop serged. When I realized the trees

1118
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:23,079
were finally thinny, we were close to the edge, I

1119
00:58:23,159 --> 00:58:27,159
gestured wildly, spurring my friends ahea. Safety lay so close now?

1120
00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:30,400
The thing shadowing us must have sensed it too. The

1121
00:58:30,440 --> 00:58:34,079
footsteps suddenly quickened, crashing after us. We sprinted with final

1122
00:58:34,119 --> 00:58:37,800
desperation through the dense forest. Behind the footsteps sounded almost

1123
00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:41,440
upon us, twigs and leaves breaking under some heavy inhuman tread.

1124
00:58:42,079 --> 00:58:45,239
Then David cried out, holsely, following his pointing hand. I

1125
00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:47,519
nearly wept at the sight, barely visible, and the gloom

1126
00:58:47,559 --> 00:58:50,280
set our suv. With a final burst of energy, we

1127
00:58:50,440 --> 00:58:52,760
rushed to the dirt road where it waited. The sight

1128
00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:54,760
of the bat a blue vehicle was the most beautiful

1129
00:58:54,800 --> 00:58:57,960
thing I'd ever seen. Fumbling with the keys, Davy got

1130
00:58:58,000 --> 00:59:01,239
the door open, and we all crumpled gratefully inside, Slamming

1131
00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:03,320
and locking the doors elicted the first sense of safety

1132
00:59:03,360 --> 00:59:05,760
had felt in days. But we weren't out of these

1133
00:59:05,800 --> 00:59:08,639
woods yet. Ad David turned the keys and ignition. I

1134
00:59:08,719 --> 00:59:10,639
kept my eyes glued to the tree lion, braced for

1135
00:59:10,719 --> 00:59:13,519
the entity to come charging out after us. The suv

1136
00:59:13,639 --> 00:59:16,760
rumbled to life with a choking cough. David didn't hestate,

1137
00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,079
slamming the accelerator and whipping the vikel round in a

1138
00:59:19,119 --> 00:59:21,920
wide dock away from the trees. I lurched into Ashley

1139
00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:24,400
as we barreled down the narrow roadway from that horrible place,

1140
00:59:24,519 --> 00:59:27,599
bouncing Raphael on the dirt road. No one spoke during

1141
00:59:27,639 --> 00:59:31,239
the frantic escape drive. I kept twisting around, peering at

1142
00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:33,400
the rear window for any sign of that dark presence

1143
00:59:33,440 --> 00:59:36,800
in pursuit, but the road behind remained blestedly empty. After

1144
00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:38,880
what felt like an eternity, we swerve back on to

1145
00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:43,360
the smooth highway, civilization once again in sight. My pounding

1146
00:59:43,400 --> 00:59:46,239
heart finally began to slur. We had made it out somehow,

1147
00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:48,360
But meeting the eyes of my friends in the fading light,

1148
00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:50,360
I knew we want the same people who eagerly drove

1149
00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:53,079
this road just days before the Watcher had claimed some

1150
00:59:53,159 --> 00:59:56,400
crucial part of ourselves. We could drive one hundred miles

1151
00:59:56,440 --> 00:59:59,559
more and never truly escape the waiting darkness. It's been

1152
00:59:59,599 --> 01:00:02,840
fourteen since we fled those coastwards, but not a day

1153
01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:04,639
goes by that I don't think of what lurks with him.

1154
01:00:05,079 --> 01:00:07,159
We're just four lucky souls, if you can even call

1155
01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:10,280
us that, who somehow escaped the grasp of an unknown evil.

1156
01:00:10,840 --> 01:00:13,599
The authorities swept the era repeatedly, but uncovered no clues

1157
01:00:13,639 --> 01:00:16,360
about Chelsea's fate or the supernatural horror that resides there.

1158
01:00:17,000 --> 01:00:19,559
Our live resumes slowly, though we emerged from the woods

1159
01:00:19,599 --> 01:00:23,440
forever changed. David and Ashley eventually married and moved far away,

1160
01:00:23,559 --> 01:00:27,159
perhaps to our trun lingering trauma. Brandon also relocated across

1161
01:00:27,280 --> 01:00:29,840
the country. We keep in touch, but I know we

1162
01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:33,360
all avoid discussing that weekend. As for me, I remarried

1163
01:00:33,360 --> 01:00:36,079
a wonderful man who knows nothing of my past. We

1164
01:00:36,199 --> 01:00:38,199
live a cozy life in the suburbs, about as far

1165
01:00:38,280 --> 01:00:41,320
from remote forests as I could get. But every creek

1166
01:00:41,360 --> 01:00:43,559
and rattle in this old house still sets me on edge.

1167
01:00:44,199 --> 01:00:46,800
Sometimes I have fleeting moments where the memories overtake me.

1168
01:00:47,599 --> 01:00:51,000
Driving along a country road, I'll glem shadowy trees and

1169
01:00:51,119 --> 01:00:53,719
feel and I sea sickness washed through my body. The

1170
01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:57,079
panic of being hunted returns like a riptide. I've considered

1171
01:00:57,119 --> 01:00:59,760
seeking therapy to process events rationally, but part of me

1172
01:00:59,800 --> 01:01:02,079
know as no doctor could understand what we experienced in

1173
01:01:02,159 --> 01:01:05,599
those woods. Whatever alerks there defies all reason and explanation.

1174
01:01:06,239 --> 01:01:08,760
It's best left to local myth. All I can do

1175
01:01:09,039 --> 01:01:10,840
is wrestle with the fact that I'm living a happy

1176
01:01:10,880 --> 01:01:16,559
life that Chelsea will never have. And that was from Reddit.

1177
01:01:16,599 --> 01:01:18,880
Do you hope you enjoyed it? See you in the

1178
01:01:18,960 --> 01:01:19,360
next one.