We Were Hunted by Something Terrifying in the Woods

WEBVTT

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Why is it the forest is so
welcoming and fun in the daytime, yet

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so ominous and threatening at night.
Imagine going on a camping trip with your

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good buddy when you slowly but surely
realize something is hunting you, something cunning,

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something big, and it knows where
you're hiding. What's that? You

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want to be scared? Come with
me. You will experience tales over opera,

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ghosts, and death. It is
not recommended for a week at heart

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heart listen as in the dark.
It's more fun at that way way.

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This is Weekly Speaking. Hello,
my spookys, It's Wednesday, and you

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know what that means. It's time
for a little spooky in your weekly.

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I'm your host and narrator, Enrique
Kuto, and I have quite the show

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for you. Tonight. We have
another terror tale from our good buddy,

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Michael Kelsa and this one has action, adventure and monsters. What more could

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you ask for? But before we
get to that story, I want to

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say thank you so much for listening
to the program, especially as we're hanging

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out enjoying spooky stories in April.
Most people like spooky stories at the end

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of the year, you know,
October November December, but not you,

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my loyal Spooky listeners. You guys
love the Spooky on the weekly, and

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I'm proud to provide. And speaking
of providing, we just dropped part ten

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of twelve over on Patreon of our
series The Weekend. It's an exclusive series

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written by Rob Fields, taking place
in his Strickfield universe, and it's available

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exclusively by going to Weeklyspooky dot com, clicking on Patreon, and subscribing for

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a dollar a month or more.
There are one hundred and two of you

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there right now, listening every week, so why not take a moment and

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join today and make sure we keep
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beyond. And if you want to
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you a single penny, I totally
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or Spotify, look up Weekly Spooky, make sure you're subscribed, and leave

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us a five star rating. It
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But now, well, it's getting
kind of late. The moon is up

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and all the animals of the forest
are getting quieter. The silence is almost

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definite. I guess they know something
that I don't, So we'll get to

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this story after these quick words from
our sponsors, we were hunted by something

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terrifying in the woods by Michael Kelfl. His shoulder was broken, the arm

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hanging limply at his side like a
loose bag of sand. Sweat forced itself

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out of the pores on his face, and skin peeled off the burns on

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his hands. It wasn't a good
position to be in under the circumstances,

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and the situation didn't seem likely to
improve, but he did have one thing

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working in his favor. He didn't
care if he survived. Are you all

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right, I asked, cringing at
the ludicrousness of the question. He looked

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up at me, his eyes swollen
nearly shut. Yeah, I'm just peachy,

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he said, sarcasm dripping from every
word. Sorry, I just don't

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know what else to say. Isn't
much to say, is there? Unless

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you want to talk about no,
I said, before he could finish the

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sentence. Let's talk about how we're
gonna get you down from here. He

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leaned over, wincing as he did, and peeked over the side of the

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cliff. How about you give me
a little shove That should do the trick.

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Very funny, you know, I'm
not gonna do that, he glared

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at me. Then maybe I should
give you a shove and make things quicker.

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How about we focus on the positive. You know this only ends one

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way. If you try to save
me, you get killed in the process,

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especially with we don't know that for
sure, okay, I said,

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packing up the supplies we had and
trying to form some kind of plan to

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keep us alive long to get to
safety. Besides, we've been best friends

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since what grade school? If I
haven't already been tempted to toss you off

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a cliff, I'm not going to
start now. I stepped over to the

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edge and glanced down. The wind
whipped me in the face, sending a

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chill through me. Even though it
was spring, there was still enough chill

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in the air to make me shiver. I watched as the sun headed toward

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the horizon. It would be dark
before we got out if I didn't hurry

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up. My right knee collapsed as
he kicked me in the back of the

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leg. I stumbled, my knees
hitting the ground hard, rolling me toward

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the edge. My hand shot out
and grabbed the log, saving me from

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a horrible death hundreds of feet below. What the hell is wrong with you?

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I said, lying on the ground
and breathing hard. I told you

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this only ends one way. Might
as well get it over with. I

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stared at him, not believing what
I was hearing. You're serious, I

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said, I thought you were just
being you. Look at me, I'm

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an excruciating pain. My shoulders a
mess, I have burns on my hands,

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and I'm not going to be able
to climb down. And even if

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I could, there's there's no safety
from We have to try, I said,

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I didn't bring you here to die. I wish you wouldn't have brought

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me here at all. There was
no way to know this was going to

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happen. He stared at me,
doubt filled his eyes. I turned away

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and focused on filling my pack with
what I hoped was the right combination of

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supplies. I couldn't make the pack
too heavy because I needed to lower him

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down and possibly carry him too.
I tied together all the rope we had

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and double checked the knots. I
clipped the carabiner to his climbing rig,

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checking to make sure it was still
intact and the fire hadn't damaged it.

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I stepped back to admire my handiwork. He was doing the same. Really,

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he said, this is your big
plan. Sure, I said,

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smiling, proud of myself and my
ingenuity. Why not just ring the dinner

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bell for every predator as you dangle
me like a carrot? You know what,

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You're right, I said, it's
not worth all this trouble. I

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raised my foot and shoved his good
arm, sending him toppling over the edge

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of the cliff. I heard him
scream as he fell. Then silence.

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Thank god, I said, sighing. I was getting so tired of listening

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to his whining. I heard that, he said from over the edge.

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I stepped up and peered over.
He was dangling there, ten feet from

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the top of the ledge. Oh
dang, I thought I killed you,

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I said, chuckling. He looked
up and saw me peeking over, you

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bastard, He said, Well,
isn't that what you wanted? For me

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to throw you off the cliff?
How's that working out for you? He

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glared, daggers at me. Makes
you appreciate life when you think you're about

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to die, doesn't it. I
said, He'll pay for this, for

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saving your life, Okay, I'll
take full responsibility for that. I began

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the long, arduous process of lowering
him down. I only hoped I had

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enough rope. After a while,
the strain took its toll. I was

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exhausted and sweaty. My hand slipped
and I had to quickly recover to keep

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him from smashing into the ground.
I managed to slow the rope at the

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cost of my hands getting severe rope
burn. I tied it off to a

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tree and leaned over to check on
him. You okay, I yelled.

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I couldn't see exactly what he was
doing. It looked like he raised his

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arm, but I couldn't tell.
I grabbed my binoculars and peered down,

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only to see he was giving me
the finger. Same to you, yell,

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I need to take a breather.
Will you be all right for a

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few minutes. His answer was to
slump his head. I guessed he was

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taking a nap. I sat next
to the log and got out a bottle

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of water, taking a long drink. After a few minutes, I pulled

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out my knife and cut some strips
off the bottom of my shirt, wrapped

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them around the palms of my hands, and tied them off. Why didn't

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I think of that before I started
lowering him. I thought I was about

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to start another session of lowering when
I saw the rope vibrating. That's weird,

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I thought, what are you doing
down there? I yelled, stepping

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to the edge and looking down.
My spine turned to ice when I saw

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nothing. He wasn't there, Adrian. I yelled. No response, Adrian,

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I yelled again, Quickly pushing away
thoughts of the rocky movies. I

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pulled the rope and it came up
with no resistance. I reeled in the

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entire length, and at the end
there was no sign of Adrian. The

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rope didn't look like it had been
cut. It looked like it had been

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torn or chewed. I stared at
it for a long time. Memories of

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the horrible events that led up to
this moment overwhelmed me. I collapsed to

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the ground in fear. My eyes
darted around like my head was on a

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swivel. Every tree became a hiding
place for that thing. I could feel

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it lurking behind every bush. My
mind started replaying when the trouble first started.

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We made it up to the top
of the cliff and celebrated by starting

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a campfire and making some coffee.
While we set up our tents. Adrian

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was actually in a good mood,
if you can imagine, and we stayed

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up by the fire until well after
midnight the following morning. His mood changed

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way to keep me up all night, Ahaul, he said, pouring a

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fresh cup of coffee and looking like
he needed it. What are you talking

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about? Don't play innocent, he
said. You know you were hanging around

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my tent, circling it late last
night, growling and pawing at the ground,

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trying to scare me. My eyes
went wide as he talked. I

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swear I was in my tent the
whole time. I fell asleep as soon

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as my head hit the pillow.
Then what was making all that racket?

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He said, with doubt creeping into
his eyes. Maybe I was snoring and

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you heard that. Trust me,
this wasn't a snore. Well, if

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it wasn't me, then I narrowed
my eyes at him. Wait a minute,

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I know what you're doing. What
am I doing? He said,

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looking at his coffee cup. You're
trying to scare me with some campfire ghost

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story, hoping i'll wig out.
I'm telling you it's not some campfire story.

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It really happened. Yeah, okay, I said, making it clear

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that I didn't believe a single word. I mean it, he said,

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starting to get angry. Okay,
okay, I said, don't get your

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panties in a bunch. You better, he started saying, and then stopped.

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His eyes were focused on something behind
me. I'm not falling for that,

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I said, refusing to look until
I heard a branch snap behind me.

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I turned around and saw there's more
scares where that came from. Weekly

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Spooky will be right back. I
shook my head to clear the memory.

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I don't want to think about that
right now, I told myself. I

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need to focus on finding out what
happened to Adrian. I stood and checked

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my supplies, then double checked to
be sure the rope was securely tied to

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the tree. I avoided looking around
for fear of what might be lurking.

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Then, once everything was set,
I stared down at the deadly ground that

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waited for me to make a mistake, muttered a quick prayer, then jumped

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off the cliff. Repelling down was
more difficult. With a pack on my

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back and rags wrapped around my already
rope burned hands, I took it slow,

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working my way down the same way
Adrian had gone. I also went

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slow for fear of finding what I
didn't want to find. I knew it

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was possible, so I made sure
to be as quiet as I could.

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The rock face was rough, and
I did my best not to knock loose

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any pebbles or do anything that would
announce my presence. In a best case

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scenario, his rope got frayed on
the rocks and broke. I hoped I

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would find him laying on an outcropping
nearby, unconscious but alive. As I

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descend, I noticed an opening in
the rock wall. My rope was in

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a straight line with it. I
imagined Adrian's rope was too. I stopped

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and swung myself over to the rock
face, grabbing a bigger rock and pulling

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myself to it. I pulled my
rope up and stashed it, then climbed

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down the side of the opening.
There was a small ledge in front of

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it that I landed on and peered
inside. It was dark as pitch.

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Even though the sun had just set. It seemed like daylight couldn't penetrate the

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darkness. I pulled out my flashlight
and slowly explored the opening with it.

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It turned out to be a large
cave. I stepped inside, and,

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walking upright, my head easily cleared
the ceiling by a good three feet.

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Curiosity overtook me as I shined the
light around this new found hall of mysteries.

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There were no markings on the walls, and the floor was rough,

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like the cave had formed naturally instead
of by someone making it. But then

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again, why did someone make a
cave halfway up a cliff face where it's

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nearly impossible to get to? I
wasn't sure. I really wanted to know

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the answer. As I continued inside, the air became cooler. I hugged

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myself and fought off a chill.
This cave was much bigger than I had

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originally thought. I walked a short
distance before I noticed the smell. Actually,

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it was two smells that intertwined with
each other. The first was the

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smell of fire, not like a
rushing wildfire coming to burn me to a

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crisp, more like a campfire.
The second smell was less encouraging. It

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was the smell of decay. Some
animal had died in here. There was

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no doubt about it. I hesitated
for a moment, wondering if perhaps I

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had explored far enough. My wondering
ceased when I remembered why I was here

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in the first place. Adrian was
still missing. If he had come down

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here, it didn't seem like he
was coerced, at least. I didn't

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see any sign of drag marks on
the ground or a struggle, but then

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again, it was hard to tell
on the rough rock floor. I suddenly

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stopped, unsure of what to do. The passageway split in two. I

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shone my light at the right one
and then the left. Neither seemed to

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show any clue of which was the
correct path. I stared at each for

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a long moment, then mentally flipped
a coin and went right. As soon

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as I took a few steps,
I could feel a strong wind blowing in

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my face, carrying the smells of
fire and rot with it. I nearly

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backed up and took the other path, but this was where I was most

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likely to find Adrian, at least
I hoped I would. As I walked,

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I noticed a slight glow ahead.
I turned off my flashlight and followed

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the ever increasing light. When I
turned the corner, I saw Adrian lying

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on the ground in front of the
fire. He didn't seem to be injured,

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well, at least not any more
than he already was. I didn't

205
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see any blood near him. I
did, however, see a pile of

206
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bones tossed in the corner behind him. It disturbed me to see the pile

207
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and think about my friend's bones eventually
laying there. I took a step forward

208
00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.839
to go check on him, then
suddenly stopped. The huge rock that had

209
00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:36.880
been sitting by the fire suddenly moved. I recognized it right away from the

210
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size and the color of the hair
that covered it. I stepped back out

211
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of view and began shaking. I
knew I only had two options. Kill

212
00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:52.440
this thing or hide from it.
There was nothing in my bag that would

213
00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.839
kill it. I didn't have a
gun with me, and I doubted a

214
00:17:55.880 --> 00:18:00.000
pocket knife would do the trick.
I had to find somewhere to hide until

215
00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:04.920
it left. My mind ran in
circles trying to think of a hiding place.

216
00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:10.359
When it dawned on me, I
turned and went back to the other

217
00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:15.319
passageway as quietly as I could.
Once there, I stepped inside, thinking

218
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:19.960
it would be a long cavern like
its counterpart. However, it was almost

219
00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:26.319
immediately blocked. I shone my flashlight
on the blockage and was horrified to find

220
00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:32.240
it was piled up with clothes,
shirts, pants, shoes, and even

221
00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:37.160
the occasional backpack. It was all
piled nearly to the ceiling of the cave,

222
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:42.519
and more disturbingly, each article had
blood on it. There didn't seem

223
00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:48.079
to be any that escaped damage either. Most were ripped or chewed, probably

224
00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:53.160
like their unfortunate owners. I remember
hearing about hikers going missing in this very

225
00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.759
park, but I thought it was
just the normal stuff. Like in any

226
00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:03.920
other park, people get lost or
fall into some hidden crevasse or ravine.

227
00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:08.039
I guess not. My mind screamed
for me to get out of there fast,

228
00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:14.240
but I needed to know Adrian was
okay and somehow try to rescue him,

229
00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:18.920
although at the moment that seemed impossible. The longer I stared at the

230
00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:23.160
clothes of these poor, helpless victims, the more it formed into an idea.

231
00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:29.160
I grabbed some of the clothes and
pushed them aside, digging my way

232
00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:33.400
toward the bottom of the seemingly endless
pile. I wondered how many missing people

233
00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:40.079
it took before a major investigation started. I reached the bottom and took my

234
00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:45.000
pack off, setting it beside me. Then I pulled clothes down on top

235
00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:49.039
of me, leaving a small space
for me to peek through. There was

236
00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:52.680
just a hint of light coming from
the mouth of the cave, but it

237
00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:57.599
was rapidly dwindling. I slowly unzipped
all the zippers on my pack so I

238
00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:03.680
had easy access without making a sound. When I needed something, I settled

239
00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:07.880
in and tried to make a comfortable
seat out of the clothes. My conscience

240
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:14.400
was not happy using the clothes of
murder victims for comfort, but I saw

241
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:18.519
no alternative. If I ran,
that thing would hunt me down. It

242
00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.240
already found us once. I must
have been more tired than I thought.

243
00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:34.559
Once I settled in, I fell
asleep almost immediately. I turned and it

244
00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:38.720
was there. I wasn't even sure
what it was. It was dark and

245
00:20:38.839 --> 00:20:44.400
hairy. It stood on its back
legs, but hunched over as if readying

246
00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:52.079
for an attack. I was petrified, Adrian, I said, what he

247
00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:57.599
hissed? Is that what you heard? Yeah, I'm thinking, so,

248
00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.119
he said, quiet, barely moving
his mouth, as if the monster wouldn't

249
00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:07.200
attack if you didn't speak. What
do we do, I said, through

250
00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:12.160
clenched teeth. How the hell should
I know? It was circling us and

251
00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:17.279
moving closer. At the same time, its sharp teeth dripped with drool.

252
00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:23.920
Did you bring a gun? I
said, no, did you? I

253
00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:29.400
slowly shook my head. It stopped
and looked at me as though it understood

254
00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:33.839
the whole conversation. It stopped lurching
and stood to its full height. It

255
00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:38.440
must have been at least eight feet
tall. It lunged at me with incredible

256
00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:41.880
speed. I screamed and tried to
run, but my foot got caught on

257
00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.160
the log and I fell over backwards, knocking the wind out of me.

258
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.799
In the end, that was a
good thing. The monster lunged at my

259
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:53.680
torso, but since I fell,
my torso was laying on the ground with

260
00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.279
the rest of me. It flew
through the air, sailing right over me.

261
00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:02.079
I looked over it a Adrian and
saw his pocket knife in his hand.

262
00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:07.319
The monster saw it too. It
narrowed its eyes at him and snapped

263
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:11.680
its jaws. I was surprised by
how much its head and snout reminded me

264
00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.200
of a dog. This was my
thought. As I lay there on my

265
00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:21.039
back, helpless, unable to breathe, I watched as it lunged at Adrian.

266
00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:23.640
I saw him plunge the knife into
its chest, and it howled in

267
00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:29.680
pain. It never slowed even as
he stabbed it. It nearly twisted in

268
00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:33.119
the air as it grabbed his arms, pinning them to his side. I

269
00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:40.039
heard the crunch as they both landed
together on top of Adrian's shoulder. He

270
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:45.559
screamed as they continued to roll right
into the fire. Adrian tried to push

271
00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:48.599
his way out of the flames,
severely burning his hand by grabbing a piece

272
00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.880
of wood and swinging it in a
huge arc, smashing into the face of

273
00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:59.559
the monster. It whimpered and growled, then disappeared as quickly and silently as

274
00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:03.000
it came. It took me a
while to be able to move. When

275
00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:07.319
I could, I crawled over to
Adrian, who was laying still beside the

276
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.759
fire. Are you okay, I
said, rolling him on his back.

277
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:18.480
He screamed in pain as I rolled
him onto his injured shoulder. Sorry,

278
00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:22.920
I said, get away from me, he said, as I helped him

279
00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:27.920
to a sitting position and looked at
his burned hand. Are you all right?

280
00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:36.359
I said, Yeah, I'm just
peachy. Are you afraid? Good?

281
00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:45.839
Weekly spooky? We'll be right back. I woke with a start,

282
00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:51.480
but didn't know why. I reached
for my flashlight and was about to turn

283
00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:56.200
it on when I heard the sound
of sniffing. I froze. Every ounce

284
00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:02.839
of concentration was on being as still
as possible. The sniffing got louder.

285
00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:07.400
I didn't dare even open my eyes
for fear it would somehow see them and

286
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:11.440
that would be it. I could
feel its presence getting closer. I fought

287
00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:15.920
back the panic that would make me
do something stupid like try to run.

288
00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:19.319
I just closed my eyes and thought
about the last sunrise I had seen,

289
00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:25.759
hoping it wouldn't be the last one
I would ever see. I felt the

290
00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.599
snout touch the layer of clothes right
in front of me, and then it

291
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:33.839
paused, as if it was deciding
if it wanted to eat me now or

292
00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:38.640
save me for a snack later on. The monster withdrew so silently I barely

293
00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:42.720
knew it was gone. I waited
for it to return. I knew it

294
00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:47.039
was waiting for me to make a
move so it could catch me, but

295
00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:51.839
I didn't. I sat still as
a statue for what seemed like hours.

296
00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:55.640
Finally I couldn't take it any more. I had to move. I had

297
00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:59.640
to stretch. I stood and stretched
my arms and legs, still quiet.

298
00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:03.359
When I sat back down and made
sure I was covered by clothes. I

299
00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:07.599
risked a little bit of light through
my hand to get a bite to eat.

300
00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:12.200
Opening a granola bar without making noise
as a tedious job at best.

301
00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:18.000
It took me a half hour,
and after I ate, my only reward

302
00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:22.480
was thirst. I sipped on my
bottle of water, avoiding the temptation to

303
00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:26.079
gulp it down. I didn't know
when I would be able to fill it.

304
00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:32.079
I checked my watch. It was
one in the morning, at the

305
00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:36.039
same time Adrian had heard the growling. I took a chance that this thing

306
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:38.960
would be out hunting at night.
I pushed my layer of clothes off me,

307
00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:44.079
grabbed my flashlight, and went to
check on Adrian. I stepped carefully

308
00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:48.720
and kept my light pointed at the
ground, just in case. My eyes

309
00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:52.079
strained to hear any sounds. Of
course, there were the echoes of my

310
00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:56.680
own footsteps, making me whip around, thinking the monster was right behind me.

311
00:25:57.799 --> 00:26:00.880
I made it to the main case
without having a full panic attack.

312
00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:06.039
The fire had burned low, and
a dull orange glow lit the walls.

313
00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:12.160
I found Adrian lying in the same
spot as before. He didn't seem to

314
00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:18.839
be moving. I leaned down and
listened for breathing. I could hear a

315
00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.319
faint breath. Adrian, I whispered, shaking him. Come on, man,

316
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:29.160
we gotta go. He moved a
little, Adrian, I said,

317
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:33.039
looking to be sure it wasn't sneaking
up on me. Adrian, come on.

318
00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.799
He opened his eyes just a slit, and put his hand up to

319
00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:41.160
shade his eyes from the light.
He's still with me, buddy, I

320
00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:47.640
said. He tried to speak,
but nothing came out. Here. Drink

321
00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:51.680
a little water. I gave him
a few SIPs, and he perked up

322
00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:59.640
a little. Why, he rasped, Why what, buddy? Why are

323
00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:07.200
you I came to rescue you leave
me. I'm not gonna do that.

324
00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:11.680
In the distance, I heard a
howl. It chilled me to the bone.

325
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:18.279
I wondered how far away it was
and if it was celebrating another victim.

326
00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:22.000
Okay, listen, I'm gonna go, but I'll be back when i'm

327
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.279
sure it's out of the cave.
I gave him another drink. You hang

328
00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:32.359
on, okay. He closed his
eyes and laid back his head. I

329
00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:34.680
stared at him for a moment,
then jumped up and ran out of the

330
00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:40.039
cave. I turned at the fork
and buried myself back under the clothes,

331
00:27:40.200 --> 00:27:44.759
turning off the light as soon as
I was set. It wasn't five minutes

332
00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:48.759
later I heard something lumber by in
the cave. I had cut it too

333
00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:53.240
close. I needed to make mental
notes of when it went out. I

334
00:27:53.319 --> 00:27:57.359
stole a glance at my watch.
It was one thirty seven in the morning.

335
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.119
I drank the last swallow of water
and lay down in my nest of

336
00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:12.200
clothes. I woke up some time
later. The cave was dimly lit.

337
00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:17.799
I could see a bright light coming
from the opening, but it didn't penetrate

338
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:21.359
all the way to my nest.
I could see the walls near the opening,

339
00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:26.000
but not much else. As I
watched, a massive shadow block my

340
00:28:26.119 --> 00:28:30.799
view. It was standing right in
front of me. I became still as

341
00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:37.480
a stone. What was it doing? Didn't know I was there? Was

342
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.599
it toying with me? Sweat poured
off my brow. I knew I was

343
00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:45.839
about to die. I gripped my
flashlight tight, knowing that it wouldn't do

344
00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:52.519
much to the monster, but at
least i'd go down fighting. Something fell

345
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.200
on top of me. It wasn't
very heavy, so I knew it wasn't

346
00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:00.440
the monster. I waited for a
long moment until I heard it walk away

347
00:29:00.200 --> 00:29:06.119
before I used the flashlight to see
what was on top of me. I

348
00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:11.960
shone the light on the pile and
found new clothes. There was a shirt,

349
00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:17.319
shorts, underwear, and a bra. I knew it was from the

350
00:29:17.400 --> 00:29:22.440
monster's latest victim. My heart went
out to that poor woman. I wished

351
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:26.519
there was something I could do to
help her, but there wasn't. I

352
00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:30.960
was barely surviving myself. My water
was gone. I had three granola bars

353
00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:36.200
left, and that was the last
of my food. I had to do

354
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.960
something before I didn't have the energy
to escape. This was my chance.

355
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:45.519
Usually the monster kept to a schedule, I assumed, governed by hunger and

356
00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:48.960
thirst. I knew it wouldn't go
out again for hours. I could leave.

357
00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:52.359
I could sneak out and be gone
without it knowing I was ever here.

358
00:29:53.960 --> 00:30:00.160
But I couldn't. I had to
rescue Adrian. But why, my

359
00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:06.440
mind said, Because he's my friend. I thought, would he leave you

360
00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:11.039
behind? Of course not, He'd
be doing exactly what I'm doing now.

361
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:15.599
Really, that's why he tried to
trip you and throw you off the cliff.

362
00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:21.200
That wasn't real. He was just
joking around. He didn't seem like

363
00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:26.559
he was joking. He seemed like
he wanted to die and to take you

364
00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:32.680
with him. He was just upset. How upset do you think he'd be

365
00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:38.119
waiting here in this cave to rescue
you? Very He'd probably be wigging out.

366
00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:42.000
He never was much for small spaces. Do you think he would have

367
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:47.839
left you by now? Maybe?
But the important thing is I'm not him.

368
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:52.359
You could leave right now. No, who cares if you save your

369
00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:56.920
friend and die in the process.
I do. Do you really think that

370
00:30:57.039 --> 00:31:03.200
thing doesn't know you're here? What
that thing is playing you? It's stalking

371
00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:07.680
you, waiting for you to make
a mistake. No, I've outsmarted it.

372
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:14.200
I've learned its routine. Keep thinking
that maybe you can outsmart its teeth

373
00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:18.559
as it's chewing you to pieces.
I'm not leaving yet. End of conversation.

374
00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:23.480
I waited for a response that never
came. Even though I had decided

375
00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:29.359
to wait, there were things that
still bothered me. Was it toying with

376
00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:33.599
me? Did it really not know
I was here? Why hadn't it killed

377
00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.839
Adrian, yet was it leaving him
alive to bait me in. The more

378
00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:41.359
I thought about such things, the
more I felt panic rising inside me.

379
00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:47.079
I pushed the clothes aside, and
the dull glow shone from the mouth of

380
00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:52.519
the cave. It called to me. It told me the coast was clear,

381
00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:59.240
that I needed to go right now. I felt my muscles titan getting

382
00:31:59.319 --> 00:32:02.359
ready to rise and run out of
the cave. I pushed the clothes over

383
00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:08.359
more, clearing a path, when
suddenly I heard something. I quickly and

384
00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:13.920
quietly buried myself under the clothes.
I had barely stopped moving when I heard

385
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:17.680
the monster lumber through. It paused
in front of the clothes, sniffing the

386
00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:22.680
air, then turned back toward the
mouth of the cave, and disappeared.

387
00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:29.599
I waited for a full minute before
I breathed a sigh of relief. My

388
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:34.119
own ingenuity had nearly gotten me killed. I was sure that thing wouldn't be

389
00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:37.559
going back outside for hours, and
yet it had left within minutes. I

390
00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:44.279
began to doubt myself and my own
intelligence for taking such a risk. It

391
00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:47.519
was time to leave. I dug
out from under the clothes and started for

392
00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:52.759
the mouth of the cave. Then
I stopped and turned back. I had

393
00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:59.400
to try one more time to get
Adrian out. I went deeper into the

394
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:04.359
cave to the main room with the
fire pit. There was a freshly made

395
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:08.880
fire, which told me I didn't
have much time. Adrian was still lying

396
00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:14.400
there beside the fire. I went
to him and leaned down. Time to

397
00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:19.480
go, buddy, I whispered.
He didn't answer me back. I know

398
00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:22.759
it's gonna be tough, but you
need to try. I grabbed his shoulders

399
00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:27.559
and gently shook him. Come on, man, you gotta wake up.

400
00:33:28.359 --> 00:33:34.480
His eyes didn't open. Something about
his shoulders felt wrong. Aside from the

401
00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:37.599
fact that one of them was either
dislocated or broken and should have caused him

402
00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:45.000
excruciating pain, he didn't twitch.
The other thing was the shoulders felt cold.

403
00:33:46.039 --> 00:33:52.960
Not just a little chilly, they
were stone cold. Adrian. I

404
00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:58.240
pressed my fingers against his neck and
felt for a pulse. There was nothing.

405
00:33:58.839 --> 00:34:01.880
His neck felt cold well. I
pushed him, and his body clumsily

406
00:34:01.960 --> 00:34:07.119
rolled over onto his back. I
tried to move his arms and legs but

407
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:15.559
couldn't. Rigor mortis had already set
in. I stared in disbelief. My

408
00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:23.079
friend was gone. You're not safe
yet, weekly Spooky will be right back.

409
00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:37.679
Not only was my friend gone,
but I had wasted all this time

410
00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:44.719
trying to rescue him. Maybe I
had killed myself in the process. I

411
00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:49.519
wiped the tears from my cheeks and
pulled Adrian's body back into the same position.

412
00:34:50.280 --> 00:34:53.400
My only chance was for this horrible
monster not to know I was here.

413
00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:58.559
I stood next to the fire,
letting the smoke wash over me in

414
00:34:58.599 --> 00:35:04.000
the hope that it might somehow cover
my scent. After a couple of minutes,

415
00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:07.320
I looked back over at my friend, said a silent good bye,

416
00:35:08.519 --> 00:35:14.119
and walked back out of the cave. I stopped at my hiding place and

417
00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:19.039
climbed inside, hoping this would be
the last time I waited for death to

418
00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:23.880
pass by. I settled in and
took a nap to prepare for my escape.

419
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:29.079
A short while later, I woke
up hearing the monster passed by.

420
00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:35.679
I waited. When I thought it
was time, I slowly and silently packed

421
00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:40.039
my backpack, then stood to leave. As strange as it sounds, I

422
00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:45.000
knew I would miss this place.
It had been a refuge of safety for

423
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:50.400
the last two days, even though
it was also a constant reminder of death.

424
00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:54.039
I stood at the edge of the
pile and tried to rearrange them so

425
00:35:54.079 --> 00:36:00.360
that nothing looked amiss. Then I
turned toward the mouth of the cave and

426
00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:05.639
started making my way out. It
was late afternoon and the sun shone brightly

427
00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:09.159
in my face, blinding me.
I hadn't realized how bright the sun was

428
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:14.800
until I was without it for a
couple of days. As I stood at

429
00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:19.119
the mouth of the cave, my
first problem presented itself. I looked over

430
00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:22.199
the edge and it was a good
fifty to eighty feet to the ground.

431
00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:29.320
That would be why people left the
cave alone. They couldn't get to it.

432
00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:34.280
I searched the surroundings looking for a
solution, when one presented itself.

433
00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:38.559
There were vines hanging from the trees
that looked like they might support me.

434
00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:44.360
The problem was they weren't in reach. My arm would need to be a

435
00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:50.800
foot or so longer. They sat
so tantalizingly close that I had to try

436
00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:54.480
leaning out to grab one. That
ended when I nearly stumbled off the ledge

437
00:36:54.480 --> 00:37:00.360
and fell to my death. I
searched for any other way, but there

438
00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:04.480
was none. I just had to
go for it. I backed up a

439
00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:09.960
few steps, then took a deep, cleansing breath and ran. I jumped

440
00:37:09.960 --> 00:37:15.039
at the last minute and grabbed for
the vines. My hands wrapped around them,

441
00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:17.199
but I was already falling, and
I had to wrap my legs around

442
00:37:17.239 --> 00:37:22.360
them too and squeeze for all I
was worth to slow my descent. My

443
00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:27.679
hands and legs were burning as they
slowed me, but I didn't dare scream.

444
00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:31.559
The cave was still too close.
Even sliding down the vines may have

445
00:37:31.639 --> 00:37:37.639
been too loud. My hands were
failing. I didn't know how much longer

446
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:42.679
I could hang on My fingers let
go one by one, and I fell.

447
00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:47.760
I landed on my back and the
backpack cushioned my fall. Fortunately I

448
00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:52.920
had only been around ten feet from
the ground when I did. It still

449
00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:55.480
knocked the wind out of me and
left me laying there helpless. As I

450
00:37:55.519 --> 00:38:00.239
looked back up at the cave opening, only I could no longer see it.

451
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:05.599
It must have been invisible from ground
level. Once I could breathe again,

452
00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:08.079
I focused on getting out of here. I stood and tried to get

453
00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:13.000
my bearings. The sun was setting, so I knew which way was west.

454
00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:16.760
It was around two miles to the
south, where the trailhead was my

455
00:38:16.960 --> 00:38:22.760
car. My salvation waited there for
me. I made my way through the

456
00:38:22.760 --> 00:38:27.800
trees and headed south when there was
an opening. Before I knew it,

457
00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:31.840
I had run across a trail.
I stepped onto it, feeling more relieved

458
00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:37.840
than I had in days. Then
I heard something in the brush behind me.

459
00:38:37.800 --> 00:38:45.079
I froze. I turned toward the
sound and saw the predator. It

460
00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:49.639
was a mountain lion, not the
horrible monster I had just escaped. But

461
00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:53.159
it didn't matter. If this cat
was hungry, I'd be just as dead.

462
00:38:54.280 --> 00:39:00.280
I tried to nonchalantly continue walking on
the trail, hoping it would whose

463
00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:05.840
interest. My walk turned into a
power walk, and still the lion followed.

464
00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:09.239
It seemed to be closing the distance
between us without breaking into a run.

465
00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:15.239
Yet I tried to remember what to
do in case of a mountain lion

466
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:20.880
attack, but all I remembered was
don't run. I thought of this as

467
00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:24.800
I power walked away from the pursuing
cat that was getting closer by the minute.

468
00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:28.920
Suddenly I was hit from behind.
The lion had jumped on me.

469
00:39:29.559 --> 00:39:32.639
Fortunately it had jumped on my pack. Its weight held me down, making

470
00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:37.039
me helpless as it climbed up my
pack, heading for my neck. I

471
00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:40.840
covered my head and neck, hoping
to survive. I could feel its hot

472
00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:46.880
breath against my fingers. I knew
an attack was imminent, and then it

473
00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:52.159
stopped. It lifted its head and
I could hear it sniffing the air.

474
00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:58.519
In an instant, it leaped off
of me and was gone. I sat

475
00:39:58.639 --> 00:40:02.280
up and looked around, not belo
leaving my luck when I noticed the forest

476
00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:09.480
had gone silent. The only reason
a predator runs away like that is there's

477
00:40:09.519 --> 00:40:15.519
a bigger predator in the area,
my mind reminded me. I had a

478
00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:22.280
very good idea which predator had scared
it off. This was it fight or

479
00:40:22.360 --> 00:40:27.400
flight. I jumped up and ran
at a full sprint down the trail.

480
00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:30.559
I didn't know I had that much
energy left after the last two days,

481
00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:36.159
but death is a great motivator,
and I knew this thing wasn't coming to

482
00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:40.639
congratulate me for escaping its layer.
My legs burned, I had a stitch

483
00:40:40.679 --> 00:40:45.719
in my side. My backpack was
throwing off my balance and I nearly fell.

484
00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:50.079
But I could see the trailhead.
There was a glint of metal that

485
00:40:50.239 --> 00:40:52.519
was on the front bumper of my
car. All I had to do was

486
00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:58.480
keep going. I could hear panting
behind me. My footsteps weren't the only

487
00:40:58.519 --> 00:41:01.880
ones running on the trail. It
sounds more like a gallop behind me.

488
00:41:02.760 --> 00:41:07.400
For a fleeting moment, I almost
stopped to see if I was being chased

489
00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:10.920
by a horse. But I knew
that that would be a fatal mistake.

490
00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:15.800
I reached into my pocket and pulled
out my keys, pressing the button and

491
00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:20.639
unlocking the doors. I didn't want
to make the same mistake I'd seen in

492
00:41:20.760 --> 00:41:24.280
dozens of horror movies. I was
one of the ones screaming the loudest when

493
00:41:24.280 --> 00:41:30.199
the victim dropped their keys. I
ripped open the driver's door and dove inside.

494
00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:32.920
I had just shut it when a
nightmare landed on the hood. I

495
00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:38.320
stared at it for a moment,
transfixed by this horrific apparition. It looked

496
00:41:38.320 --> 00:41:43.679
like someone had taken a dog and
turned it into a horrible beast. It

497
00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:47.440
was massive, at least eight feet
tall. Its fangs were sharp and red.

498
00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:52.039
They drooled onto the windshield as the
red eyes stared at me. It

499
00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:57.559
reached back with its paw and smashed
into my windshield, nearly breaking through.

500
00:41:58.280 --> 00:42:01.079
I woke from my stupor and started
the car. As it smashed the windshield

501
00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:07.519
again, this time breaking through.
It shoved it snout inside and snapped at

502
00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:10.039
me. As I put the car
in reverse and floored it, turning hard

503
00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:14.920
and making the beast tumble off to
the ground. I threw it into drive

504
00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:17.880
and stomped the pedal to the floor. The car looched forward, with rubbers

505
00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:22.239
screeching in protest. I gained momentum
when the monster landed on the roof with

506
00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:28.039
a crash. It began pounding over
and over. I saw claw marks coming

507
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:31.159
through the metal and into the cloth
on the ceiling. In desperation, I

508
00:42:31.199 --> 00:42:36.880
began swerving back and forth, trying
to shake the monster. Loose metal and

509
00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:40.280
rubber protested at the maneuvers. With
the extra weight on top, I wondered

510
00:42:40.280 --> 00:42:45.719
if the car would flip and end
my escape in a bloody fashion. So

511
00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:49.320
far the road had been a park
drive that was never meant for such speeds.

512
00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:52.039
I knew there was a hard turn
coming up and I wouldn't make it

513
00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:55.800
as fast as I was driving.
I slammed on the brake, sending the

514
00:42:55.840 --> 00:43:00.440
monster flying. I stomped on the
gas and I served around it, continuing

515
00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:05.239
to gain speed. As tempting as
it was, I knew if I had

516
00:43:05.280 --> 00:43:08.599
tried to run it over, my
car would never survive, and right now,

517
00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:14.639
survival was all that mattered. I
looked into the rearview mirror, and

518
00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:19.119
impossibly, it was catching up to
me. I saw it leap, trying

519
00:43:19.159 --> 00:43:22.480
to land on the car again,
but I swerved in time, leaving it

520
00:43:22.519 --> 00:43:25.880
only asphalt to land on. I
made another hard turn and I was on

521
00:43:25.920 --> 00:43:30.119
a state road. The monster followed
me, but I was able to get

522
00:43:30.199 --> 00:43:37.320
up enough speed to finally escape.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I

523
00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:45.960
sped toward town. I didn't bother
going home. I went straight to the

524
00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:50.000
police department. After waiting half an
hour to make it to the front desk,

525
00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:53.559
I was finally interviewed by an officer. When I started my story,

526
00:43:53.639 --> 00:43:59.079
he seemed to be only mildly interested. By the time I was done,

527
00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:04.639
there were six officers standing around listening. That was one hell of a story,

528
00:44:05.119 --> 00:44:09.079
the officer said, looking around at
the other officers smirking. It's true,

529
00:44:09.480 --> 00:44:15.119
I said, the officer sighed as
the others dispersed. I'm sorry,

530
00:44:15.159 --> 00:44:19.159
son. As entertaining as that was, I'm too busy to go chasing around

531
00:44:19.159 --> 00:44:22.920
the woods hunting after some urban legend. I took a piece of paper off

532
00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:29.159
his notepad and wrote down a series
of numbers. What's this, he said,

533
00:44:29.400 --> 00:44:31.679
when I handed it to him.
I had my GPS with me,

534
00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:37.039
I said, those numbers are the
location of the cave that has all the

535
00:44:37.079 --> 00:44:42.000
evidence you need. Listen, son, Without something concrete, there's no one

536
00:44:42.039 --> 00:44:45.119
who's going out to the middle of
the woods chasing a fairy tale. Well

537
00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:50.079
maybe this'll help, I said,
getting up and setting up my backpack on

538
00:44:50.159 --> 00:44:53.320
his desk. I opened the zippers
and dumped clothes out of them. WHOA,

539
00:44:53.320 --> 00:44:58.960
whoa, whoa. What's this concrete? I said, These are the

540
00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:02.119
clothes of the things victims. If
you take DNA samples from the sweat and

541
00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:07.199
blood on them, you might find
matches to some people who've gone missing recently.

542
00:45:07.280 --> 00:45:12.199
You're serious, he said, looking
from the clothes to me as if

543
00:45:12.280 --> 00:45:15.559
just waking up. Yes, I
said, as I got up and started

544
00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:21.039
toward the door. If it's not
too much trouble, I walked out,

545
00:45:21.119 --> 00:45:25.480
leaving several officers staring at the pile
of clothes. I got into my destroyed

546
00:45:25.519 --> 00:45:30.639
car, hoping it would start,
and headed home. The entire way,

547
00:45:31.320 --> 00:45:36.840
I kept glancing in the rear view
mirror. After all this, there were

548
00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:42.599
two things that captured my thoughts.
One I would be barricading my house as

549
00:45:42.639 --> 00:45:49.039
soon as I got home, and
two, I wouldn't be sleeping soundly ever.

550
00:45:49.760 --> 00:45:59.320
Again, Well, that was quite
a story about the things that can

551
00:45:59.400 --> 00:46:04.000
go bump in the night in a
dark forest. I hope you enjoyed it

552
00:46:04.039 --> 00:46:08.000
as much as I did. I
know I'm seriously considering going on Amazon and

553
00:46:08.039 --> 00:46:15.239
buying some materials to board up my
house. Now. Well, my friends,

554
00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:16.960
I hope you've been having a good
week. I've been doing okay.

555
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:22.519
I really appreciate all the messages and
emails that I've been getting about my dog,

556
00:46:22.559 --> 00:46:27.360
Henwolf's passing. Thank you, guys, I really do appreciate your support

557
00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:30.239
does help. It makes it hurt
a whole lot less, So thank you

558
00:46:30.280 --> 00:46:35.159
from the bottom of my heart.
And speaking of hearts, so much is

559
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:38.639
going on right now. We're only
two episodes away from wrapping up our first

560
00:46:38.679 --> 00:46:44.639
Patreon series the Weekend. It's a
twelve part series and we just released part

561
00:46:44.719 --> 00:46:47.119
ten. So if you go to
Weeklyspooky dot Com right now, and click

562
00:46:47.159 --> 00:46:51.280
on Patreon and sign up. You
can listen to parts one through ten right

563
00:46:51.320 --> 00:46:54.920
now and know that you'll get parts
eleven and twelve throughout the month. That's

564
00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:59.599
right. When you sign up for
Weekly Spooky's Patreon, you get two bonus

565
00:46:59.599 --> 00:47:04.239
shows every single month, and they're
a part of a series tied into the

566
00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:07.239
Strickfield universe that I know you all
love so very much. And speaking of

567
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:10.239
Patreon, I want to say an
extra special thank you to our Patreon podcast

568
00:47:10.280 --> 00:47:14.519
boosters, folks who pay a little
bit more to hear their names on the

569
00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:19.360
show. And they are Johnny Nicks, John collenbobotopia dot com, Jenny Green,

570
00:47:19.480 --> 00:47:22.960
Brent mccaullough, Karen we Met,
Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen.

571
00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:24.320
And if you want to join them
and hear your name on the program,

572
00:47:24.679 --> 00:47:29.320
just go to Weeklyspooky dot com,
click on Patreon and select an option at

573
00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:32.880
fifteen dollars a month or higher.
It really does help the show immensely.

574
00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:37.039
Thank you guys, so very much. But now it's time for me to

575
00:47:37.039 --> 00:47:40.199
get back to work because we have
so much more Weekly Spooky to bring you,

576
00:47:40.440 --> 00:47:45.679
and in the summer a mini series. So for now I'm going to

577
00:47:45.719 --> 00:47:49.039
get out of here, but for
myself, for my executive producers Rob Fields

578
00:47:49.039 --> 00:47:52.599
and Mark Shields, my producer Dan
Wilder, and our composer Ray Mattis.

579
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:57.599
Stay safe, but man, make
sure you stay spooky, because well,

580
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:01.280
spooky is what it's all about.
Out I'll talk at you next time.

581
00:48:01.760 --> 00:48:07.440
Thank you for listening. Make sure
to find your way back next week.

582
00:48:07.559 --> 00:48:13.360
But for now you are safe.
Trust me,