When the Hunt Begins

Previously

…The creek bed, which had offered a glimmer of hope, was now behind us, a boundary crossed. We had committed to the unknown path, and the unknown had just shown us its terrifying face. The fleeting glimpse of that colossal, unnatural being was the confirmation we didn't want, the undeniable proof that our playful adventure had transformed into a desperate, life-or-death struggle. The hunt had begun, and we were its quarry. The woods were no longer just woods; they were a hunting ground, and we had just been marked.