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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/InformationRemote865 on 2024-11-05 03:57:17+00:00.

My friend Alex and I went camping at Red River Gorge last year. He never came back. The police say I made up what happened, a twisted way of coping with losing him. They think it was an accident, or maybe that I’m hiding some horrible truth. But I know what I saw out there. I know there’s something in those woods—a creature, a monster. It’s out there, hiding in the shadows, watching, waiting.

I can still hear the crunch of leaves and the way the night seemed to breathe around us. It started as a perfect autumn hike, the forest glowing red and gold in the setting sun. But when darkness fell, we weren’t alone. We thought it was just nerves or our imaginations running wild in the quiet, but that was before the thing in the woods started stalking us.

It was just past midnight when I heard it for the first time—a faint rustling, almost like footsteps, circling the edge of our campsite. I opened my eyes and looked over at Alex, who was lying stiff in his sleeping bag, staring wide-eyed at the trees. His breathing was shallow, barely a whisper above the crackling embers of our fire.

“Did you hear that?” he murmured, voice trembling. I nodded, my throat too tight to answer. We sat up slowly, peering into the darkness, trying to convince ourselves it was just a deer or a raccoon. But the sounds were too careful, too deliberate, as if whatever was out there knew exactly where we were.

Then, just as quickly as it started, the rustling stopped. Silence filled the air again, thick and oppressive. We waited, our ears straining, but there was nothing. Alex exhaled, his shoulders relaxing as he mumbled something about going back to sleep. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever had been there was still watching, lurking just beyond the reach of our firelight.

By morning, the fear had faded, almost like a bad dream that didn’t quite stick. The golden sunlight trickled through the trees, painting the forest in a warm glow that made everything seem safe again. Alex and I exchanged uneasy smiles as we packed up our gear, shrugging off the strange sounds from the night before. Maybe we’d just psyched ourselves out; it was easy to let the dark play tricks on your mind.

We decided to take the Auxier Ridge Trail that morning. Known for its sweeping views and jagged cliff faces, the trail felt like the perfect way to ground ourselves, to let the beauty of the gorge erase the eerie feeling that lingered. We hiked along the narrow path, laughing off our shared paranoia, enjoying the crunch of leaves underfoot and the crisp autumn air.

As we reached a clearing, we stopped to take in the view. The gorge stretched out below, a stunning cascade of fiery reds and deep greens. For a moment, it felt like we’d escaped whatever darkness had brushed against us last night. But as we continued up the trail, a nagging feeling crept back in. The forest was too quiet—no birds, no wind, just the sound of our footsteps echoing through the trees.

As we rounded a bend, the trail dipped back into a dense stretch of woods, and the comforting sunlight faded under the thick canopy. Shadows stretched long across the ground, and a chill pricked my skin. I tried to shake the feeling creeping up my spine, but then I heard it—a faint stirring in the leaves, not too far off. I stopped, grabbing Alex’s arm.

“You hear that?” I whispered, my voice barely steady.

Alex paused, listening, then shrugged, giving me a reassuring smile. “Probably just a deer, or maybe a fox,” he said, squeezing my shoulder. “This place is full of wildlife. Don’t worry.”

I nodded, but something about the sound felt… wrong. As we moved on, I kept glancing over my shoulder, catching the barest hint of movement in the distance. The rustling started again, closer now, and it seemed to follow us, stopping whenever we did and picking up again when we walked.

Whatever was out there, it wasn’t just passing through. It was following us, and every step sent a fresh wave of dread down my spine.

After another hour of hiking, we came upon a shallow, natural cave—a perfect spot to set up camp for the night. The rock face overhead offered some shelter, and the area felt secluded. Alex set off to gather firewood while I unpacked our gear, arranging our things to make the space as comfortable as possible.

As I finished unrolling the sleeping bags, I heard leaves rustling somewhere in the distance. Assuming it was Alex on his way back, I went back to my work, but the footsteps sounded strange—light, almost fleeting, like something or someone was darting through the trees. Then, as suddenly as they’d started, the footsteps broke off, disappearing into the silence.

Moments later, Alex emerged from the opposite direction, carrying another bundle of wood. He was whistling, completely unfazed. My heart lurched. Whatever had been moving out there, it hadn’t been him.

“Hey, everything okay?” he asked, noticing my expression as he dropped the wood by the fire pit.

“Alex… I heard footsteps,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just now. I thought it was you, but… but it was coming from the other direction. And they ran off right before you got here.”

He raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder into the darkening woods, then back at me with a reassuring smile. “Sarah, it’s probably just an animal. This place is full of them. You’re spooking yourself.”

I shook my head, my hands fidgeting as I tried to explain. “No, it was different, Alex. It sounded… like someone was following us. First on the trail, now here.” My voice cracked, and I could feel my pulse pounding.

Alex stepped closer, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, look at me,” he said, his voice calm. “It’s just us out here, okay? I’ll keep the fire going tonight. Whatever you’re hearing, I promise you, it’s nothing that can’t be explained.”

But even as he said it, I could see a flicker of doubt in his eyes. And as the firelight danced across the mouth of the cave, the shadows seemed to stretch just a little too far.

After we finished our meager dinner, Alex tended to the fire, piling a few larger logs onto the embers to keep it burning through the night. The warmth and steady crackling sound, along with the clear, star-studded sky above us, calmed my nerves. Slowly, I drifted off, the tension of the day slipping away as sleep took over.

I don’t know how long I’d been asleep when I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. My eyes flew open, and there was Alex, wide-eyed, whispering urgently.

“I heard something,” he said, barely above a murmur. “It sounded like sticks breaking, just over there in the trees.” He pointed to the edge of the campsite, his voice tense but steady.

A chill swept over me, and immediately, my mind flashed back to the rustling footsteps I’d heard earlier. Every nerve in my body was on high alert as I sat up, scanning the dark edges of the trees. Alex had his flashlight, its beam cutting through the darkness, darting back and forth as he listened, peering into the shadows.

For a moment, it was silent except for the crackling of the fire. Then, just beyond the circle of light, I thought I caught the faintest rustling—barely there, like something moving through the underbrush but trying to stay hidden. My heart raced, my breath coming quick and shallow. Alex and I exchanged a glance, and in his eyes, I could see he was no longer dismissing it as just an animal.

Something was out there.

“Stay here. Keep the light steady,” Alex whispered, gripping one of the smoldering logs from the fire. He flicked his flashlight off, nodding toward the edge of the woods. “I’m gonna get close, see if I can catch it off guard.”

My heart pounded as I held my flashlight steady on the spot he’d pointed out, illuminating the edge of the trees. Alex slipped down the hill quietly, moving just at the edge of my light’s reach. I could barely make out his figure as he neared the trees, and then, in one quick movement, he stepped into the shadows.

Suddenly, there was a loud rustling, and whatever had been lurking there bolted deeper into the woods. Alex turned his flashlight back on, its beam bouncing wildly as he sprinted after it. My light caught a flicker of movement—just for a second—but it was enough. I saw a figure, barely visible, dressed in dark, earth-toned clothing, vanishing into the trees.

“Alex! Stop! Come back!” I screamed, my voice cracking. But he didn’t even turn. He kept chasing, his light flashing sporadically through the dense trees, growing fainter with each step.

I strained to listen, my breath held tight, but after a few moments, his footsteps faded into nothing, leaving me alone with only the sound of my own heartbeat echoing through the silence.

The wait felt like an eternity, each second stretching longer than the last. The forest was silent, the fire crackling softly beside me. Then, finally, I saw it—Alex’s flashlight, a steady beam cutting through the darkness, aimed directly at me. Relief washed over me at first, but it quickly faded when I realized he wasn’t saying anything. He just kept walking, the light fixed on me, growing closer.

“Alex?” I called, squinting, trying to make out his face beyond the blinding beam. But he didn’t respond. The light stayed on me, unwavering, unblinking, illuminating every inch of me while he stayed hidden in the shadows.

A strange unease settled over me, tightening in my chest. My heart pounded as I forced myself to ask, “Alex… ar…

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