The two girls, frightened and without saying a word, approached their tent and climbed inside. As Kate and Charlotte curled up in the sheets, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees seemed to amplify, creating an unsettling echo. Mark and Jeff, sitting outside the tent, tried to maintain a relaxed demeanor, but the atmosphere around them had become palpably tense. The shadows of the trees stretched and twisted, and the crackling of the fire seemed to grow more distant, as if the forest were swallowing every sound.
Jeff, casting a nervous glance toward the tent, stated that it would be better not to tell that story. Mark, trying to mask his growing unease, replied that it was just a story... Nothing more. A sudden rustling came from behind the trees, a sound that resembled a heavy step. The two boys exchanged a worried glance. Jeff thought it might be a bear. Mark, standing up, decided to check the suspicious noise.
Cautiously, they approached the edge of the tent, trying not to make a sound. The rustling repeated, closer this time, and a shiver of fear ran down both of their spines. Mark told Jeff to stay nearby. Jeff followed him, but kept a certain distance. The latter whispered to Mark to wait, but his friend had already disappeared among the trees.
After a few steps, Mark stopped, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to call out to the abrupt sound, but his voice seemed to be swallowed by the silence. Suddenly, a cold whisper rose in the air, as if someone were pronouncing his name. "Human..."
He turned sharply, but there was no one there. Only darkness and the dancing shadows of the trees. The boy wanted to scream in fear, but he couldn't even open his mouth. Meanwhile, in the tent, Kate and Charlotte had woken up, sensing the unsettling silence surrounding their camp. The two wondered where the other two boys were, but neither had seen anything. As they spoke, a dark shadow moved among the trees, slowly approaching their camp.
Mark, in the meantime, had moved closer to the spot where he had heard the rustling. This time he managed to shout his friend Jeff's name, but there was no response. Then, suddenly, a figure appeared among the trees, shrouded in deep darkness. Mark stepped back, his heart in his throat. The little one asked the creature who it was... The figure did not respond but slowly approached, its eyes shining with an unnatural light. Mark couldn't understand what that being was.
Mark turned, giving it his back, and ran faster and faster until he reached the tent where they had set up camp. There were still all three of his friends inside. The dark figure moved forward, and the whisper turned into a piercing scream. Kate, Mark, and Charlotte were petrified. But Jeff was not scared at all. He asked the others what was wrong and, inadvertently, turned his back to the creature. Mark hurriedly spun him around, showing him the figure that was behind him. But Jeff's eyes saw nothing.
The three friends continued to shout at him, saying, "Hey! It's right there! What the hell?! How can you not see it? It's right in front of you!" Jeff, to prove that there was nothing there, unlike what they believed, tried to walk to the spot where the being should have been. The frightened ones, as soon as they saw Jeff make direct contact with the monster, watched as it vanished. In that moment, a loud silence reigned over the forest.

<Chapter 12 will be revealed on 01/07/25>