They came for adventure. The wilderness offered something far darker.
Grab Hold First Line
The fire had died to embers, and in the silence of the Colorado night, they realized their backpacks—and their peace of mind—were gone.
Flash Fiction Prompt
They woke to cold air biting their skin, the scent of pine heavy in their lungs. Where their packs once rested—food, maps, water, even their phones—nothing remained. Just flattened grass and the shadow of absence. Panic rose quickly. Who had crept into their camp as they slept?
The man scanned the dark ridges, the woman gripped a stick as if wood could fend off dread. Something was wrong beyond the theft. It wasn’t just what was taken. It was what remained. A feeling. A presence. Eyes. Watching.
The wind in the trees seemed to carry whispers, too deliberate to be chance. Every crack of a branch made them flinch. Hiking out without supplies was already dangerous, but now the thought of someone stalking them—waiting, toying—gnawed at their courage.
They were no longer alone in the wilderness. And whoever was out there wasn’t finished.
