1 Scream

"*pant* *pant* Somebody..! Help!" his scream echoes as he tries to outrun something through the dense woods, and the sound of his feet thudding against the rough terrain was only audible and as well as the footstep of his pursuers' were growing closer and nearer. His mind knew that he had to find somewhere to hide. He scanned his surrounding trying to keep his distance from his pursuer somehow.

As he frantically searched his surroundings, he stumbled upon a small cave entrance nestled between two large boulders. He darted inside without hesitation and ducked down behind a rocky outcropping, trying to catch his breath, and listened for any signs of his pursuer.

The man's heart pounded in his chest as he listened intently for any sound, though there was only an eerie silence. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his own ragged breathing. He wondered if his pursuer had given up, but the fear and adrenaline coursing through his body told him otherwise. His eyes were strained as he tries to pick up any sound, yet there was still nothing.

After several long minutes of waiting, he mustered the courage to peek out from his hiding spot. He cautiously scanned the surrounding woods, but there was no sign of his pursuer. Relieved, he let out a long breath, but his relief was short-lived.

As he stood up to leave the cave, he felt something cold, like a hand grasping his ankle. He slowly nod down gulping, as he looked down, a grotesque, pale creature with hallowed eye sockets staring back at him with sharp teeth and long bony fingers. It was grinning at him.

He tried to pull away, screaming for help. The man struggled, but to no avail. The creature dragged the man deeper into the cave. His scream echoed inside before, **SNAP**

——××××——××××——××××——

"SNAP!" the girl says as she snapped the sliced carrot in half.

One of the girls screamed in fear. She stopped as she notices the others staring at her, she embarrassingly hides herself under her hoodie. "W-What happened next..?" she asked, voice trembling.

She paused for a moment, relishing the dramatic effect of the silence. Then, she continued in a hushed voice, "He was never seen again, ever. Legend has it that the creature that dragged him into the cave was no ordinary creature or entity and only preyed on lost travelers or campers in the woods. Some say that it still lurks in the shadows, waiting for its next victim to come along."

The group of girls shuddered at the thought, and one of them spoke up timidly, "B-But how do you know all of this is true?"

The storyteller grinned slyly. "Because my grandfather was one of the last people to see the man before he disappeared. He swore he saw a creature like the one I described lurking in the woods that day. And since then, many people have reported strange sightings and unexplained occurrences in those woods."

The girls huddled closer together, their eyes wide with terror. As they turned to leave the campfire, one of them "accidentally" stepped on a fallen branch, causing it to snap loudly in the quiet night.

The girls screamed in fear, panicking, and thinking it was the sound of the creature coming for them. The storyteller laughed and assured them it was just a branch.

"D-Don't scare us like that, Kae..!" one of them said anxiously.

"Hehe... sorry~" Kae says, sticking a tongue out.

The girls shook their heads and entered the cabin. Though deep down, Lina couldn't help but wonder if there really was something out there, lurking in the darkness, waiting to pounce on its next victim.

As the night progresses, she couldn't shake the image of the creature from her thoughts. Lina needed some fresh air to shake off the thoughts of the creature. She stepped outside of the cabin and stood in the moonlit forest. She shivered in the cool night air, the darkness pressing in around her.

As she wandered aimlessly, lost in thought. Kae suddenly sees a figure sitting by the burnt-out fireplace. She jumped, startled, before she clears her vision and see clearly that it's just her friend. She walked over to join her.

"What are you doing out here alone, Lina?" She asked as she sat down the stump.

Her friend looked up at her, a saddened and frightened expression on her face. She relaxed herself and said, "I couldn't sleep... I kept thinking about that creature you said... my grandma used to tell me stories about creatures just like the one you said earlier..."

Kae stood up from the stump and sat down next to her, feeling a pang of guilt for scaring her. "I apologize for telling those things... I didn't know that it will get you frightened..."

"It's okay..." her friend replied. "Don't worry about me... it's just... it's just hard not to think about those old folk stories sometimes, you know..?"

Kae nodded, understanding what she meant. "Yeah, I know what you mean... Though, those are just stories, some might not even be real. Also, there IS no such thing that exists like that in this world, right?"

As if on cue, a twig snapped nearby, causing Kae and Lina to jump at the same time. They pan their head to see what had caused the noise, but it there was only eerie darkness and shadows all around.

Lina clutched Kae's arm. Her eyes widened with fear. "W-What was that?!"

Kae tries to reassure her that was just an animal, so she ensured her to go back inside. They quickly gathered their things and made their way back to the safety of the cabin, hearts pounding in their chests as they closed the door.

"I-I really hope that it IS just an animal..." Lina said, shuddering from the fright.

Kae nodded and reassured her, though. She can't help the feeling that something was watching them, lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce.

Lina yawns and motions to Kae that she's going to bed and that she should follow suit. Kae nodded before locking the door, closing the curtains. She flicks off the light switch and headed to her own bed. Kae looks at the doorknob to rattle, but it never happened. Her eyes felt heavy before closing them entirely, drifting off to a sleepless slumber.