99 NIGHTS

The forest waited. Not quietly-it breathed and shifted as the wind blew through its branches, bringing it to life. A thick mist slithered through the clearing, slowly parting to reveal a tall creature, hunched low over something on the ground. Its legs ended in cloven hooves that dug into the tender, mossy soil. Its red, hazy eyes glinted in the scarce moonlight, and sharp antlers grew from its skull.

Sprawled out on the ground in front of the deer-like creature was the mangled carcass of a rabbit. Its bones jutted out of its torn hide at unnatural angles, and its eyes were stuck wide open, as if it were caught by surprise. The deer took a piece of the small animal’s skin between its teeth, ripping a chunk from the bone, and rising to its full, looming height. It lifted its head and, from its wide, outstretched mouth, came an ear-piercing wail that made the whole forest stand still. Then, it retreated into the misty darkness, leaving the disfigured corpse as a warning to whoever might step foot in the forest.

“Get ready,” the burly commander told the three SAR responders who he’d gathered together, “We’ve got a live one.”

The projector whirred, covering the wall of the briefing room with a grainy satellite image. A jungle canopy in the middle of an expansive forest.

“This is the last known location of the Cessna 172.” his finger hovered over a specific area in the center.

“Seven passengers. Four children. No confirmed survivors. The location is deep in Turnoa Forest. And that’s all we know right now.”

Iris didn’t look at the screen. She kept her eyes on the edge of the room, on the faint shapes and shadows cast by the ceiling light. When she’d volunteered for the mission, she wasn’t prepared for it to be located in the same place she’d lost her brother. Iris’s fingers clenched the edge of the metal chair, her knuckles whitening. Memories she had tried to bury came rushing back. Years ago, her brother Liam had vanished in Turnoa Forest — alone. He was a pilot, and a famous internet explorer. He was 18, restless, a daredevil with a fascination for old maps and abandoned places. One evening, he called her, voice low and nervous. He said he’d found something “amazing” in the forest and promised he’d be careful. She had argued, begged him not to go — but he had laughed, brushed off her concern, started up his plane, and flown into god knows where not long after. He didn’t call, he didn’t communicate, and he didn’t return. Days later, authorities discovered the wreckage: remnants of his small plane buried under a few collapsed trees. They were able to reach the wreck, but his body was nowhere to be found. The internet went crazy over Liam’s disappearance, and Iris never understood it. After what happened, she never wanted to go anywhere near Turnoa forest.

But now, here she was, staring at a satellite image of that very place.

“Iris,” her commander’s voice cut through her thoughts, causing the two other men in the room to turn towards her, “Do we have an issue?”

Iris shook her head, forcing a smile.

“No sir, what time do we leave?”

Iris was paired up with two other responders, Nick and Silas. They were set to leave at 1300, so all three of them did all they could to prepare before time ran out. Nick, a stocky man with a shaved head and a harsh expression, set to work alongside the commander, checking the gear laid out; flashlights, compasses, radios, first aid kits, weapons, and more. Silas appeared to be the youngest of the three, probably 19 or 20. He was fairly skinny, and his blonde hair nearly covered his eyes. He looked determined but inexperienced.

Iris had been in this workforce for years. She was 22 now, and had worked with Nick already a few times. She knew what to do and how to protect herself, but she wasn’t good with newcomers.

The loud whir of the helicopter’s blades drowned out her racing thoughts as Iris slipped on a bright orange vest and tied her dark auburn hair up into a tight bun.

“You ready?”

The young woman looked up to see Silas squinting at her.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He gave her a short nod, trying to hide the tremor in his hands as he adjusted his vest.

When Nick was finished preparing the gear, he sauntered over.

“Listen up,” he commanded, his deep voice hardly coherent through the rotor’s roar, “We’ll stick together most of the time. Keep your focus, and don’t do anything stupid. The forest isn’t just trees, it’s alive. Treat it as such.”

Iris gave Silas a skeptical look. They were a team and Nick wasn’t in charge of them.

But they both nodded, letting him know they understood.

The team loaded into the helicopter not long after, and Iris could see that Silas was just as scared as she was. Nick was now preoccupied with the controls. A shiver ran down Iris’ spine. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

The helicopter lifted off with a sudden jerking movement, The ground growing farther from them as the large blades chopped through the air. She watched out her window as the city fell away below them. It wouldn’t be long before they arrived at the forest. Silas fidgeted beside her, looking down at his unsteady hands.

“Are you okay?” she asked him through the headsets they had on. He turned to where she sat.

“This is my first mission,” he told her, “What do we do if we can’t find them?”

Iris put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look into her eyes.

“We will. Dead or alive, they will be found.”

She paused before adding,

“Preferably alive.”

The ride was almost over now, and the forest loomed ahead, a wall of dark green and shadows. The helicopter dipped slightly, inching closer to the treetops.Nick’s voice sounded over the headsets, sharp and steady.

“We’ll land just outside of the speculated crash site. Stay close and alert.”

Iris adjusted her gear, making sure everything was secure. Her stomach tightened as they lowered to the ground, the dense canopy now surrounding them. The helicopter landed with a muffled thud in a small clearing, kicking up leaves and a swirl of mist. They unloaded, Nick first, then Iris, and Silas last.

Her boots sank into the soft, mossy ground.

“Stay close,” Nick muttered just loudly enough for the two others to hear him, “something doesn’t feel right.”

Iris took in her surroundings. The forest moved with the wind. Nick had been right, it felt…alive. But other than that, it was empty. No sound, no footprints, and no plane.

Suddenly, a loud crack from a branch snapping somewhere nearby sent them into immediate defense mode. They all whipped around to find a small fox staring intently at their helicopter.

“Nothing to worry about,” Nick decided, motioning for them to follow him, “Stay alert though. The forest has a way of hiding things.”

The sun was still out, but the thick foliage made it hard to see much. Iris swept her flashlight over the tender ground, catching glimpses of broken twigs and disturbed dirt. Something had been here recently. Not animals, but something else.

Up ahead, the faint silhouette of a large object could be seen through the fog. A plane, crushed partially in the front, its metal warped and rusted. The forest seemed to hold its breath around them as the three approached the wreck. Iris’ flashlight swept the plane’s interior, catching two bodies, one slumped over in the pilot’s seat, the other partially buried in the mossy soil.

Nick crouched down, examining the pilot and co-pilot.

“They didn’t make it,” he muttered, standing back up, “but the mother and four children are all gone, meaning there’s a chance they’re out there.”

He shined his light on the four seats in the back. They were covered in a layer of dried up, dark brown blood, but he was right. The five passengers were gone. Iris breathed a sigh of relief, checking for footprints in the surrounding area.

“Let’s hope they didn’t get far.”

“Over here!” Silas called from a small distance,

“There’s a trail of broken branches and crushed leaves.”

Nick and Iris joined him.

“Looks like they moved through here recently,” Nick observed, leaning in closer. Iris’ flashlight illuminated small, hurried and uneven footprints.

“could be them-or could be some kind of animal.”

To her, these didn’t look human. Possibly the size of a baby, but more hoove-like. She couldn’t know for sure though.

Silas swallowed.

“Do we follow them?”

Iris stood, looking out into the distance where the tracks lead.

“We don’t have a choice. If they’re alive, our job is to get them home. If they’re in danger, our job is to save them.”

Minutes stretched like hours as they followed the trail. Every twig that snapped, every rustle in the leaves, they froze, making sure nothing was missed. Then, Silas stopped abruptly, shining his light onto something glinting among the roots of a giant tree.

“What is it?” Iris asked, crouching beside him.

A small object lay half-buried in the dirt; a child’s toy, a bright red dinosaur, its paint chipped and faded. “They were here,” she whispered. “The mother and her kids, they passed through this area.”

He nodded. Nick stepped past them and picked up the toy, brushing the dirt off of it with his gloved hand before storing it in a plastic bag he kept in his pocket.

“Let’s go. This just means we’re on the right track. Stay sharp and stay together.”

The trail of broken leaves and crushed twigs twisted deeper into the forest, leading them away from the plane. Iris’s pulse quickened. She kept scanning the shadows, half-expecting to see something — anything — that wasn’t human. But for now, the forest seemed empty.

Hours passed as they followed the trail. Night began to fall, and the temperature dropped sharply beneath the canopy. They found a small clearing with decently dry ground and decided it was the best place to set up for the night. Iris and Silas unpacked their gear while Nick collected some dry wood.

“You think they’re gonna be okay?” Silas asked quietly, not looking her in the eyes.Iris thought for a second, then told him,

“I think that, even if we come back empty handed, we’ll have done everything that we could do.”

He looked up at her now, a softness in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

“Are we all set up?” Nick’s voice cut through the comfortable silence as he trudged towards their camp. He dropped an impressive pile of wood near a small fire pit they’d cleared in the dirt. He sparked it with a lighter he had in with their supplies.

“Yeah, we’re all ready,” Iris confirmed, motioning to the sleeping bags they’d rolled out while he was gone. He nodded once.

“Good. We’ll be up with the sun, so get some rest.”

The fire crackled quietly and cast an orange light across the clearing. Shadows danced around them, and Iris found herself unable to sleep. She didn’t like this place, and she wasn’t sure yet if she liked the people. Something was wrong. She sat up on her sleeping bag, checking her radio and flashlight for the tenth time that night. She took a notebook out of her backpack and began to log her day and what they’d found.

Suddenly, somewhere nearby, she heard twigs snapping and leaves being shifted around. She jerked her head up and scanned her surroundings.The fire crackled, and sparks drifted upwards, just long enough to briefly illuminate a tall figure standing at the edge of the treeline. She squinted her eyes at the darkness, thinking maybe she was seeing things. When she inched closer, her breath caught. From what she could see, the figure was about seven feet tall, with sharp antlers jutting out of its head. Its limbs were angled in weird ways, and it stood almost completely still, except for the twitch of its ears. It looked like a deer, but it stood on two legs, and although she couldn’t see its eyes in the murky darkness, she could tell it was watching her. Without letting it out of her sight, she inched back to her sleeping bag and grabbed ahold of her flashlight. She flipped the switch, shined it in the direction of the deer creature, and let out a guttural scream. Its eyes looked so human, except for the fact that they had almost no black in them. Its mouth hung open as if its jaw was unhinged, and drool hung out of it, dripping to the floor. It stared right at her, unblinking, unmoving, She threw her flashlight in its direction, and as soon as the beam got closer to the monster, A sound erupted from it that no animal should be able to make; an ear-piercing wail, primal and bone-chilling. It then pranced away, leaving her frozen in fear. By then, Nick and Silas had woken up, and Nick had grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her and desperately asking her what was wrong.Once she snapped out of it, she pulled away from him and shakily lowered herself back down to her sleeping bag.

Nick’s eyes remained locked on hers, demanding an answer.

“What did you see?” His voice was urgent, a command not a question.

Iris was shaking, and when she opened her mouth to speak, it came out in a hoarse whisper.

“Something was there. It wasn’t-” she swallowed, “wasn’t human.”

“Nothing is there,” Silas insisted, shining his flashlight towards the nearby trees. The beam shook with his hand.

“Something was,” she said firmly, no longer shaking.

“I don’t think it liked our light. It screamed when the flashlight beam touched it.”

Nick froze, his brow furrowing.

“You said it screamed?”

Iris nodded, her eyes still locked on the spot the creature had stood.

“Like a human, but worse. Like it was in pain.

Nick let out a breath and ran a hand over his head.

“Okay, it doesn’t matter what you think you saw. If I see it, I’ll deal with it. Until then, we will continue our mission and get back home.”

Silas agreed immediately, but Iris hesitated. After a long minute, she forced herself to nod as well.

“Good. Let’s all go back to sleep.”

But nobody slept well that night. Every crackle of the fire was enough to make them all flinch. Tension remained in the air, and they all lay on their backs with their eyes open, looking up at the sky where no stars shone through the thick canopy.

“Are you sure of what you saw?” Silas asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Iris hesitated at first, then nodded. “I’m sure.”

He looked over at the fire, frowning.

“Do you think it can hurt us?”

She rolled on her side, studying his worried eyes and the crease between his brows.

“I won’t let it. Neither will Nick. I know you’re new, but we’ve trained for this.Everything will be fine.”

Silas nodded.

“I trust you.”

Iris smiled at him before fluffing up her pillow and drifting into a troubled sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, Silas was still fast asleep, drool pooling onto his pillow. Nick was packing everything up quietly, and she assumed he’d been up for a while. The sun was barely peeking through the trees, pink and yellow light flooding into the clearing.

“Morning,” Nick greeted, pulling on an orange and black coat. It had gotten unusually cold. Iris shivered, and pulled her own coat and a beanie out of her bag.

A groan sounded from next to her, and she turned to see Silas stretching and sitting up.

“Not a morning person?” Iris teased, handing him his backpack.

He smiled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Nick was crouched over near the fire pit, breaking apart the last of the embers with a small stick.

“Breakfast?” Silas asked. Nick threw a granola bar in his direction.

“Eat fast, we have to get going.”

Iris zipped up her jacket and looked around. The forest almost seemed calm in the morning light. But she knew better.

“Let’s move,” Nick said as they rolled up their sleeping bags, “we’ll follow the path from yesterday. They hopefully won’t have gone far.”

They moved cautiously through the undergrowth, the forest now alive with morning sounds — the chirping of birds, rustling leaves — but every noise set Iris’s nerves on edge. She scanned the shadows constantly, half-expecting to see the towering deer-creature lurking behind a tree.

After an hour of careful walking, Silas stopped without warning, pointing to the ground.

“More tracks,” he whispered. “Small, fast… looks like they ran this way.”

Iris crouched,closely examining the uneven footprints. They were irregular, almost hoof-like, but smaller than she expected. She felt a familiar chill run down her spine.

“Yeah,” she muttered, “they’re fresh. We’re close.”

Nick motioned for them to stay low as they followed the trail, which twisted deeper into the forest. The canopy thickened, letting only slivers of sunlight through. The air grew damp and heavy, carrying the faint scent of wet earth and decay.

Suddenly, after a while of walking, Nick grabbed them both by the wrist, and pulled them behind a nearby bush.

“What’d you do that for?” Silas whined, but Nick pressed a meaty hand over his mouth and pointed somewhere in the distance. A large, hollowed out mountainside sat maybe ten feet away from them. It was covered in grass and dirt, and the interior was made of stone. Thick metal bars blocked off the entrance, sealed with a dark red lock. Five hungry looking wolves were chained to a stake deep in the ground in front of it, attached by leather collars. They paced and pulled against their restraints with all their might.

“Why is there a jail cell in the middle of a forest?” Iris whispered, squinting to see the inside. Then she heard it. The muffled crying of a child. Iris’ stomach dropped, and she sat back in the dirt, crunching a small leaf.

“Shh,” Nick hissed, “If those wolves hear us, we’re done for.”

Silas’ hand trembled as he pointed toward the bars.

“Do you not hear that? That’s a kid!”

One of the wolves lifted its head, sniffing the air. Its pitch black eyes glinted in the filtered sunlight. The chain rattled as it tugged against the stake, growling low and deep. Another wolf barked, as if it were aware of the intruders.

“We can’t fight them head-on,” Iris whispered. “We need a plan.”

“Do you see that?” Nick hissed, pointing to the second wolf’s maroon colored collar, “That’s the key we need to get in.”

Iris swallowed.

“So, what, we have to kill them?”

“If they come at us, and they probably will, then yes.”

Silas looked horrified at the idea, but Iris gripped the large hunting knife from her pack.

“When-” she began to ask, but before she could get two words out, Nick had stood up, getting the rabid wolves’ attention. They all snapped at the chains, foaming at the mouth, growls vibrating in their throats. Nick drew a revolver from his holster, the metal glinting in the scarce sunlight. The first wolf lunged, and Nick fired, striking it square in the head. The animal thrashed violently, before collapsing in a twitching heap. The stench of blood hit instantly, knocking Iris out of her trance, and she leapt into action at the same time the second wolf lunged at Silas. She plunged her knife into its shoulder before it could hit him. It howled and drew back, spreading out on the ground and breathing heavily.

The remaining three wolves thrashed desperately, tangling their chains together and gnashing their teeth. Nick fired again and again, picking them off one by one. The last one snapped its chain and lunged at Iris, but Silas swung his hatchet, connecting with the wolf’s throat. It went limp, and a spurt of blood covered the mossy ground.

Nick snatched the matching maroon key and walked up to the gate. Iris was still bent over, trying to steady her breathing, and Silas stared down at his blood coated hatchet, eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.

“You coming?”

Iris nodded, following Nick into the dark room. Inside was a flight of stairs carved out of stone that led to a small red doorway. Silas shoved it open to reveal a young child, maybe 2 years old. Curly blond hair peeked out from under his red dinosaur hat, and tears streamed down his face. When he saw the two adults, he pushed himself up off the ground and waddled over to Iris, holding his arms in the air.

She squatted down and scooped the kid up into her arms, scanning the room as he clung to her. The walls were covered in red dinosaur wallpaper. A large, upside-down rainbow decoration hung on the center wall. The floor was made up of white tiles, and a wooden bookshelf sat in the corner. Save for the rusted hanging light, which only cast a dim glow on the small room, the interior of the place seemed well thought-out, as if it was made for this child and only this child.

“There’s only one,” Nick murmured in disbelief, “Where are the other 3? And their mother?”

Iris shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

The trail had been chaotic and messy, like something or someone had scattered the children and their mother on purpose.

The little boy whimpered again, and Iris hugged him closer, his tiny body trembling against hers. His cries were sharp in the hollow room, echoing off the stone walls. Every instinct screamed at her that they weren’t alone. The shadows seemed to move and take on new shapes.

Nick crouched near the doorway, revolver raised. His eyes scanned the treeline beyond the bars as if expecting the forest to come alive and attack them. “Stay sharp,” he muttered, his voice strong and tough, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. “Something put him here, and whatever it is, it’s smart. Watch the shadows. Watch everything.”

Iris nodded. The little boy was nearly asleep in her arms as they stepped back into the daylight. His breathing came in shallow hiccups, and she pulled her jacket tighter around him when the slightly frigid air hit.Silas still stood in the same spot, and it seemed as if he’d never taken his eyes off his hatchet.

“Silas,” Nick called as they walked in the opposite direction, “We’re going.”

Silas nodded slowly, gripping his hatchet in his hands. Sweat plastered his blond hair to his forehead, but his eyes stayed sharp as he followed behind them.

The deeper into the forest they went, the more the shadows closed in on them. The canopy blocked out most of the sun now, and Iris shivered. She could almost feel eyes on them.

Then it happened.

A nearby bush rustled, and the twang of a bowstring loosening rang through the air.

“Down!” Nick barked, pulling Silas to the ground, but not soon enough. The sharpened tip of an arrow tore through Silas’ shoulder with a sickening thud. He screamed and clutched the wounded area, blue eyes wide with terror. Dark red soaked through his sleeve.

“Silas!” Iris cried, moving to shield both him and the child. The boy wailed at the sound, clutching Iris’ jacket in his fists. From the trees, figures emerged. Slow, threatening, surrounding them. There were at least seven of them, each clad in burgundy colored robes and masks made from deer skulls, antlers pointing towards the sky.

One of them stepped forward, looking down at Nick and raising his sharp wooden spear. The robed men in the back began to chant as the group closed in on them.

Silas groaned loudly, and Iris looked down at him to see that all the color had drained from his face. He was laying on his back with sweat dripping down his neck and soaking his shirt, along with the large amounts of blood.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered, stroking his hair, “hang in there.”

Nick had stood now, and she heard him cock his gun.

“You picked the wrong damn people to ambush,” he warned through gritted teeth.

Iris rose too, leaving the child and Silas in a partially blocked area.

“We have to hold them off,” she gasped, scanning the clearing for anything she could use to buy them time. Nick was fast and relentless. Each pull of the trigger sent one of them flying to the ground, but for every one he killed or injured, another stepped forward. The men weren’t afraid of death, they just kept coming at him, as if forced to. Iris grabbed a thick branch and swung with all her might, knocking two of them off their feet. They just got back up though, and this time one enemy tried to make a move for the child. Iris didn’t hesitate, grabbing her hunting knife, and, in one swift motion, slitting his throat and leaving him on the ground to choke on his own blood. She turned back to where Nick battled the two remaining men, and was met with an unexpected sight.

Her strong, relentless partner was pinned to the ground by the neck, a robed enemy holding the handle of his spear tight against Nick’s windpipe. Her stomach dropped, and she leapt into action, knocking one of them to the ground and running to where the second one had Nick trapped. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled, knocking him off balance long enough for Nick to twist and break free with a strained grunt.

He grabbed his revolver off the ground, firing twice at the nearest robed figure. One shot hit his stomach, then his skull. The man crumpled to the floor, leaving one more to take care of. Except…

Where’d he go?

“Iris,” Silas managed to shout from where he lay on the floor.

She whipped around and came face-to-face with the final enemy. A smile crept up the uncovered half of his face, and he pulled back his spear, planning to plunge it through her stomach. He didn’t get the chance though, because while he wasn’t looking Silas had mustered up the strength to crawl over to where they stood. He raised his hatchet and swung it at his ankles, getting it caught in the bone and causing the man to cry out and plummet to the soft ground.

“We have to go!” Nick declared, slinging Silas over his shoulder and leaving Iris to grab the child.

“The sun will set soon.”

The two desperate adults sprinted to find a good area to set up camp. Iris’ legs burned, and the cold air whipped her hair into her face as she followed Nick. Silas groaned with every sharp movement, but Nick didn’t slow down.

“Over here,” he gasped, coming to a sudden halt and pointing to a small area. It was slightly elevated, and surrounded by shrubs with a patch of dry ground.

“We can set up camp here,” he said, “It’s mostly covered from the outside, so nothing should find us unless they’re nearby.”

Nick placed Silas down in an empty spot and set to work gathering wood for the fire. Iris set the boy down and handed him a bag of dried fruits. She brought out a canteen for him to drink from, then moved on to Silas.

“Here,” she said, crouching beside him and tilting his head gently to examine the arrow wound. Blood had seeped through his sleeve, but thankfully it hadn’t hit anything vital. She held the fabric of his sleeve tight, and cut through it with her knife. She disinfected the wound and took a wraparound bandage from their first aid kit, carefully covering the area to slow the bleeding.

“Thanks,” he muttered, gritting his teeth through the pain. His hand clenched hers for a brief moment, and she smiled down at him.

“No problem.”

As she went to put the first aid kit away, Nick arrived with an armful of wood and berries.

Night fell quickly, swallowing the forest in darkness. Iris crouched by the fire, sharpening her knife and listening to the sounds of the forest, Nick’s steady breathing, and Silas’ grunts with every movement he made.

The child was bundled in Iris’ sleeping bag, warm and sound asleep, his small form rising and falling in the firelight.

“Hey,” Silas whispered, motioning her over. “I’ve got a serious question.”

Iris set the knife aside and plopped down beside him. “What’s up?”

He leaned closer, his voice low. “Do you think those guys have something to do with the deer thing you saw last night?”

Iris frowned. “I’m not sure. But they’re both dangerous. That’s enough.”

“Okay,” Silas drew the word out, skepticism written on his face. He turned to Nick, who lay on his back, unease etched at the corners of his mouth as he slept.

“I’m not like him, you know. He doesn’t get scared like I do. Or maybe he just hides it well, I don’t know, all I know is that I can’t…I can’t do that.”

His gaze flickered up to meet her eyes, serious but soft.

“I’m trying. I don’t want to slow you down. But I do have a question.”

“Mhm?” Iris asked, lost in thought.

“Do you really think we can save them? I mean, what if they’re already…y’know.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and uncertain. Silence answered for her — until a voice broke it.

“Our job is to find them all and get out of here.”

Both Iris and Silas turned. Nick was awake, eyes open, his face turned toward them. His voice carried the same steadiness as always.

“If they’re out there, and they’re still alive, we will get them back to the city safely.”

Silas nodded slowly, as if weighing the words.

“Now, go to sleep,” Nick said, rolling back over. “We’ll start looking early in the morning again.”

He shifted back to his earlier position, but before going back to sleep, he stopped to add one more thing;

“By the way, you’re not slowing us down. And I am scared. But this is our job, and if those were my kids, I would stop at nothing to find them. Why should we be any different?”

Silas stared at the man’s now sleeping figure for a long time, before pulling his covers closer to his chin and turning to Iris.

“Get some rest, okay?”

She nodded at him, propped her backpack up under her head, and lay flat on her back. The fire still crackled softly, casting shadows on the surrounding area. But Iris wasn’t scared anymore. She closed her eyes, and at last, she and Silas drifted off to sleep.

Muffled chanting woke Iris from her slumber, and she shot up into a sitting position, frantically looking around. The fire was barely burning now, and the two men and the child remained asleep. The sound didn’t come from either of them. It drifted through the trees, just like the chilly breeze. It sounded like a dozen voices murmuring in unison. Iris’ stomach knotted. She slowly rose from where she’d laid and crept past her sleeping partners. She moved into the murky darkness, following the sound until she reached an area where the trees thinned. Ahead of her, the ground sloped, leading into a large cave covered in moss. Two torches, one on either side, illuminated the entrance.

Iris crouched low, inching closer and peeking inside. What she saw made her stop in her tracks. The same deer creature that had stood at their campfire the night before was standing at the center of a wide circle made of some kind of animal’s blood. The masked men from earlier surrounded it, chanting in a language she couldn’t understand. They all bowed low to the ground while one in the front-a visibly wounded one-limped over and fell to his knees, holding something out to the creature.

Looking closer, Iris saw that it was a compass that had belonged to her group. She checked her pockets, and it was noticeably missing. The one holding it out must have been the one they’d left alive earlier. The deer stretched out a clawed hand and plucked it from the cultist’s. It examined it closely before setting it aside with a few other items. They all seemed to have belonged to hikers or other humans that had passed through its forest. When the deer had set the compass down, it turned back towards the wounded cultist and lifted him off the ground. It held his face close to its gaping mouth, screeching loudly before snapping the man’s neck effortlessly and flinging him to the hard stone floor. Iris clapped her hand over her mouth, biting back a scream. Her whole body trembled as she spun on her heel and sprinted as fast as she could back to the campsite.

By the time she burst back into the camp, her lungs were burning and her legs were shaking. She dropped to her knees by the fire, trembling uncontrollably.

“Iris?” Silas’ voice mumbled from behind her, “What happened? Where were you?”

Iris turned to him, a grave look on her face.

“We need to move. Now.”