Disclaimer: This is loosely based on a true story. Any similarities to actual places are coincidental. Minor details are fictional and aren't meant to be correlated with real people, places, or events.

"Where you two headed?" The cashier asks as she bags our items. Her old southern drawl is endearing and reminds me so much of my family back home when she greeted us upon our entry to her store.

Last Chance Gas.

Pretty cryptic name if you ask me.

But it most definitely fit the circumstances as Taehyung, my long-time boyfriend, and I were setting out on our romantic camping trip to commemorate 3 years of being together.

I didn't hear the question at first, far too distracted with counting out the correct amount of change I nabbed from Taehyung's sticky cupholder.

All I wanted was some extra granola to snack on for the ride.

"Maam?" I lift my brows to ask as I handed her the exact change. Her warm wrinkled touch grazed against my palm as she took it and turned away to place them in their respective slots in the old cash register.

"You're dressed for camping. You and your boyfriend...I was asking where you were heading..." she says and just as Im about to respond, I feel Taehyung's wide hand spreading against the small of my back.

I glance up, never missing a chance to check my handsome man out when given. His wavy mane is pushed back by his shades and his white tee is rolled up at the sleeves despite it being cold as hell outside. Maybe the warmth that emanated off of his honey-tanned skin made him immune to it.

Me on the other hand, I was covered in my jeans and flannel, thick thermals beneath, all tucked in my Dr.Martins.

His sudden appearance is unexpected since I said I was only running in for a second.
He leans in to kiss my temple before setting a pack of gum and Trojan's on the counter.

"Yes Ma'am, we're going on a hiking trip. Celebrating our anniversary at Black Bear Falls this year. $20 on pump 4 please.." He states nonchalantly, fishing his wallet out from his back pocket.

A blush warms my face for some reason when the old woman begins tapping in the UPC for the condoms manually and I glance up at him with wide eyes. He only smirks and shrugs.

"Well, that sounds wonderful. Looks like both of you are well prepared. For everything..." she mutters cheekily and I cover my mouth to stifle my grin. Taehyung nudges me with his elbow playfully before handing over 2 $20 bills.

The old woman regards us both with amusement, scrunching her nose at the way Taehyung playfully poked at my side to get a reaction. It was as if she were reminiscing about a time when she experienced a similar feeling.

Her smile slowly fades though when the sound of thunder in the distance has her glancing out the storefront window.

The sound gets my attention too and my brow crinkles as my anxiety and disappointed loaded.

"Oh no...please don't tell me it's gonna rain.." I mutter and the old woman says nothing as she went about counting out Taehyung's change.

"It might but that won't stop us. The path I picked for us is a straight shot toward the waterfall. We might beat the rain before we even get there." He states over-confidently, swiping the gum and condoms off the counter.

The old woman offers him his change.

"Oh? Which trail are you talking bout? There's so many up there, I get 'em all mixed up." She asks.

"Owl's Eye Trail I believe it's called.." Taehyung responds distractedly as he placed the few bills and coins in his wallet.

The moment the words left his lips, the old woman's expression went from mild interest to grave and the corners of her mouth trembled as if a triggering memory flashed through her mind.

"Nobody takes Owl's Eye Trail." She deadpans, immediately shifting the temperature of the conversation. I frown at the conviction in her voice, glancing up at Taehyung's shared expression.

"Really? Why? It was recommended by a few past campers on the park website. Said it was the prettiest when there's snow on the ground especially..." Taehyung shrugs but the old woman shakes her head emphatically.

"It's not safe. Authorities have marked that part of the forest off for years to keep folks from going. Im surprised anyone would even recommend it..." she responds and Taehyung's frown of confusion deepens.

"Hmm...Yeah, that's strange," he says, shooting me a glance.

"Maybe those sites just haven't been updated. It happens.." I shrug, smiling politely as I'm handed my bagged purchases.

"Yeah, that makes sense...no ones been around those parts for a while. And for good reason. It's been reported that a few folks have gone missing around that way." she adds.

Taehyung stifles his scoff of disbelief as he narrows his eyes on the older woman, tilting his head.

"Wow. You'd think that would be posted somewhere on the park site or park reviews.." he says, semi sarcastically and I shoot him a stern look.

One thing about Taehyung.

He tended to be a bit condescending and stubborn when it came to something he wanted. But something as simple as a park trail shouldn't have been such a big deal to him.

"Small-town news about small-town folks usually don't get that type of publicity. Anywho...I can give yall a map with the safest routes to get to Black Bear...Hold on."

Before either of us could think to protest, the old woman disappears below the counter to rummage through a box stashed underneath and pops back up with an old folded map.

She offers it to Taehyung, who glances at me before taking it politely.

"There...every other path that is marked on that map should take you straight on to Black Bear Falls. Might not be as fast or as pretty but it's safer.."

"Thank you." Taehyung smiles, reluctantly tucking the map beneath his arm before taking my bag. He tips his head in the direction of the store's exit, silently signaling for me to follow.

"I'll meet you at the jeep. Im gonna use the restroom before we go.." I tell him.

He nods in understanding before turning away to exit and just before Im about to step away from the counter, the old woman reaches across to grab my wrist.

I gasp in surprise at the firmness of her hold and glance up at her.

"Um.." I begin.

"Please...whatever you do, don't go down Owl's Eye. It may be the clearest and the shortest but..."

She pauses to glance around her store as if she were worried someone would hear.

".... there's an old legend. People around here don't like talking about it because it's that serious. Some say that path cuts through native territory where a lot of terrible things happened a long time ago. Like a curse or something. People go that way and rarely return." she says, her tone creaking with fear. I place my hand over hers, gently removing it from my wrist to hold.

"Ok. We'll find another way there..." I say, unsure of why I needed to convince this complete stranger of anything. But she was old and friendly, and I could tell her words of warning came from a good place.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to grab you like that. You're just so young and remind me of my daughters. I'd hate for something bad to happen to yall out there. Just.....steer clear of it and yall should be fine, ok?"  she says and I smile softly at her before insisting we would.

"Ok," I say, releasing her hand. She smiles back, leaning back to her side of the counter

"Ok....you enjoy y'all anniversary..."

A few minutes later, I'm back in the front seat of Taehyung's Jeep and getting settled while he's untwisting the cap of his gas tank.

I watch him through his side view mirror, smirking at how handsome even the lower half of his body was from this angle.

Ugh...to be in love.

I force myself to look away, turning my head to admire the view of the forest and mountains in the distance and the way the crisp morning air gave them a Twilight-Esque aura.

I'm not far into daydreaming about the hike ahead of us when the driver-side door swings open and my handsome man is hopping in his seat with a deep sigh.

"Shit, it's cold...All set?" He asks me, glancing over at me briefly as I nodded.

"Ready when you are. And you better put on that coat then.." I tease and Taehyung chuckles at my palpable excitement, finding it adorable.

"Yeah yeah...Alright... let's get moving." He smirks, checking his mirrors before turning the key in his ignition.

As we pull away and turn on the main road, something tells me to take a look back at the old withered convenience store through the side view mirror. I frown instantly at the sight of the old woman standing at the doorway. She stares at our jeep as it pulled away, frozen and planted, her arms flat at her side and her expression stoic.

And slightly fearful.

I frown, turning around in my seat as if to confirm what I've seen with my own eyes. But when I do, the glass doorway is empty and the old woman is gone.

A sense of unease flows over me and her cryptic warning stays in my mind as the store grew smaller in the distance.

I hadn't realized I'd dozed off until the rumble of the engine goes silent and I lift my head to find us parked on a patch of gravel just beyond the mouth of the forest.

The birch trees stretched on for as far as the eye could see, complimenting the thin sheen of snow that was melting from his branches.

It was still early and the sun was climbing towards the middle of the sky when we stepped out.

I stand waiting for him on my side of the Jeep, adjusting the beanie so that it covers my ears when Taehyung steps up to me with my backpack and rolled up sleeping bag on top. He then hands me the blue YETI cooler that contained our dinner and breakfast.

"Think you can handle that?" he snarks and I roll my eyes at him.

"Oh please. Can you handle all of that?" I scoff, making him laugh.

Taehyung hikes up the bag toting our tent and canopy, as well as his backpack comfortably.

"Woman...you just worry about carrying all of that..and all of that.." he pauses to give my ass a not-so-gentle grab and squeeze, causing me to squeal before he passed me.

I follow him away from the jeep towards the edge of the gravel-paved parking lot where a clear path into the forest begins.

A wooden post is planted crooked in the dirt, holding planks of wood labeling the trails and pointing in their respective directions. The very last plank that pointed in the path ahead is covered in red paint text masking the trails name that reads;

DO NOT ENTER

Taehyung walks ahead of me purposefully, passing the sign as if it weren't there.

I stop.

"Wait...Tae. That sign says 'Do Not Enter'. This might be the trail that lady specifically told us to avoid." I say worriedly. Taehyung sighs before stopping, turning his body halfway to acknowledge the sign.

"Huh? Aw yea....look, that lady was right about one thing. There is a storm coming and Id rather we be closer to the campsite than stuck on one of those other long-ass trails in the rain." he states, already moving to take another step deeper into the forest.

His nonchalance is unsettling but perhaps the main reason he isn't as cautious as I am is due to him not seeing the fear in that woman's eyes when she spoke to me.

"But.." I begin and Taehyung lets out another audible huff before turning around. I remain at the edge of the gravel as he approached me and he sets down the heavy tent bag between us.

"Babe...I understand that you are the cautious one. You're the thinker. You're the planner. You're the rule follower. And I love that about you.." he begins, looking into my eyes earnestly.

"But I am not. Im the rule breaker. And I think that's why we work. Balance. You're the yin to my yang." he remarks, his smile almost comical due to how ridiculous his words were. I say nothing for a beat, blinking slowly as I glared up at his overly confident expression.

"Tae...that makes no sense." I deadpan and Taehyung exhales with mild exasperation before taking my hand in his firmly.

"Ok...I know the old woman probably spooked you with all of that 'forbidden trail' talk but trust me. I did my research. I wouldn't have suggested we go this way if I thought it was too dangerous. This is the quickest path. All we have to do is keep a good pace and we'd be at the waterfall before we know it."

My skepticism is clear in my expression and I glance back at the cluster of dark clouds in the distance.

"Hey.." he says softly, summoning my gaze to trail up and onto his gorgeous face. He cups my cheek, leaning in to kiss the tip of my cold nose.

"I just want this weekend to be perfect for us, ok? I have everything planned so all you have to do is trust me. You trust me right?" he asks, his brow furrowing slightly.

For a moment I just stare up at him, searching his puppy dog eyes for any inkling of deception. And with a deep relenting sigh, I nod.

"Of course, I trust you," I say and Taehyung's lips spread into an accomplished smile.

"Good. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. So come on." he insists, sneaking a quick peck against my lips before bending down to pick up the duffle bag and he turns away from me without another word.

Something in my gut told me to protest further and my feet felt like lead when I made that first step onto the path. But as I usually do, I follow my spontaneously reckless partner into the forest.

Against my gut and better judgment of course...

We set off on our hike, predicted to only take 40 minutes or so from the parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised and distracted from my previous apprehension by how beautiful the scenery was on this trail and vaguely wondered if it was because it was the less traveled one.

Snow covered the ground, untouched and undisturbed by even tiny footprints of an animal that would make its way through here.

Now that I think of it, I saw not one animal since we left the jeep. Not one squirrel. Not one fox. Not even a bird flew overhead.

Taehyung is up ahead by a few steps, making sure the path is safe enough for both of us as we approach the downward slope of the hike before advancing deeper into the forest.

The further we got from the roads, the more and more I considered what the old woman from the little convenience store said to me.

"Keep up Amber..." Taehyung calls to me over his shoulder and I stifle the urge to blow a raspberry at him from behind as I stumbled after him. He only used my name when he was being cheeky or if he was frustrated or upset with me.

Otherwise, my name is Baby.

My pace wasn't so far off from his but I did find it increasingly difficult to walk without feeling a sharp pain at the back of my foot.

"Trying... it's just, these damn boots..." I complain, stumbling a few more steps before stopping dead in my tracks.

$200 on these damn boots for them to hurt.

When the sound of me crunching over the snow and dead leaves ceases, Taehyung turns and frowns at the sight of me kneeling in the dirt.

I tugged at the laces of my boot to loosen it just enough for me to lift my heel. I then roll down my sock and wince at the sting felt from my raw skin rubbing against the leather backing of the boot, causing an ugly blister to form.

"Ew.." I say under my breath just as Taehyung reached me.

"That's what you get for trying to be cute.." he says, standing over me with an unamused expression. I glance up at him through my brow menacingly.

"Shut up."

"Want me to carry you?" he perks his brow, sounding half serious with his question. I shake my head, sucking my teeth irritably.

"What? No..." I protest weakly, grimacing at the persistent sting. Taehyung huffs.

"Then come on princess. You're the one who wanted to go camping for our anniversary. On your feet.." he teases and I clench my teeth just as I'm about to roll my sock back up.

"Im coming, Im coming...just hurts," I mutter and Taehyung watches me tentatively move my foot and relents with a heavy exhale.

"Let me see..."

He squats down to bring himself level with me and squints to examine the raw peeling wound developing beneath my sock.

"Hmm...that is pretty ugly. Hold on..."

Taehyung shrugs off one of his backpack straps and swings it around to his front before unzipping it. After a minute of rummaging, he pulls out a wide bandaid from his first aid kit and some antiseptic foam to clean it.

I remained still to allow him to tend to my small wound, smirking at the care he took in applying the bandage before unrolling my sock back in place.

"There. It's still gonna hurt but at least it won't be exposed."

"Thanks, Doc..." I remark sarcastically and Taehyung chuffs humorously before standing, pulling me up along with him.
Once on my feet, I test the wounded foot with a few steps, grimacing at the lessened ache in my foot.

"Better?" Taehyung perks a brow and I nod wordlessly as I limped forward a little.

"We don't have that far to go. I'll rub everything that hurts when we get there. Promise."

"And what about the parts that don't hurt?"  I glance up at him suggestively and Taehyung smirks.

"They can get rubbed on too." He smirks, leaning forward to give me a quick full lipped peck before turning away.

"Alright... hop to it.." he teases as he set back out on the path, being more mindful of his pace this time.

According to my watch, it was just past noon but one wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at the sky. The sun was now completely blocked out by gray clouds, rolling into each other at the speed of the wind.

The scent of rain grew stronger and Taehyung was adamant about us getting to the river before the storm reached us.

I did my best to keep up, favoring my good foot and widening my steps over the dirty snow-covered path covered, crunching against dead leaves and fallen branches.

All is silent apart from my labored breathing.

Until...

".......amber...."

Faint and distant.

A voice.

I pause, thinking Taehyung was the source. But when I lift my head, I only find him distractedly stepping over large rocks and kicking aside more fallen branches.

"Amber..."

My head whips in the direction of the voice, whispering my name with such familiarity.

I look to my left.

Then the right.

Finding only trees and a grey horizon.

"Babe?" I call out to Taehyung and he turns around with lifted brows.

"Yeah?" he says and the stoicness of his expression lets me know that he hadn't called my name, otherwise he would have started talking. The corners of my mouth sag in confusion before lifting into a gentle smile.

"Nevermind..."

He frowns.

"You sure? Need me to slow down?"

Though him slowing down would be appreciated, I shake my head.

"Naw I was gonna say something but I forgot.." I chuckle dismissively as I lied and Taehyung squints at me incredulously.

"Uh huh....well, we're not far from the river so try to keep up baby," he advises and I nod with the very same tight-lipped smile as he turned away, dropping it as soon as he wasn't looking.

"....the hell.." I mutter glancing over my shoulder before shaking my head and continuing forward.

Maybe I'm just tired.

As time passes and we cover more ground, my mind goes numb to the biting cold of the air and the distant rumbling of thunder behind me. My focus gears more towards getting to the waterfall so I could rest my feet. I'd done well in my attempt to lessen the gap I created between Taehyung and I on the narrowing trail and the sound of our steady footsteps against the snow are all Im attuned to.

At least until I begin to hear a set of footsteps crunching through the snow behind me.

At first, I pay it little mind, chalking it up to being an echo or an animal scurrying through the leaves.

A deer or something.

When I look back, however, I see nothing but the long trail of my footprints behind me. No animal. No person. No footsteps.

Nothing.

Only silence.

I continue and it isn't long before I hear them again, crunching behind me and matching my pace like an encroaching predator.

My heart rate quickens with anxiety and that innate feeling of being watched grows with every distant step.

Taehyung seems to have gotten further ahead of me. So far, I can't even hear his footsteps anymore.

Only my own and that of whatever was following.

Crunching through the snow.

Stalking.

Taunting.

Calling.....

"...........amber..."

My head whips around, nearly cracking my neck and I stumble as I looked through the forest.

"....amber....."

From the left.

"......amber..."
From the right

But when my widened and fearful eyes flit around in every direction, only skeletal trees and snow-covered grounds surround me.

"Tae......." I whimper hoarsely, barely finding my voice through my harrowed breathing.

My panic was rising and though mildly wounded, Im numb to the pain as I shakily break into an uncoordinated jog.

"Tae!!" I call out, gripping the strap of my backpack as I rushed forward.

Gradually, the pace of the footsteps quickened, getting louder as if something was fastly approaching me from behind.

A brisk walk.

To a jog...

Then to a heavy-footed sprint straight for me.

I turn sharply on my heels foolishly to face the imminent danger, only to be surprised by the sight of a very large owl swooping towards me.

I scream out, ducking and covering my head and face with my hands. The cooler I was carrying hits the snow and tips over but I'm too distracted by my fear to make sure our food was still intact.

I flinched so hard that my neck ached, expecting to sting of talons or the gust from its wings to pass over me.

But when I look up slowly, I see nothing but grey skies.

"What...the.." I mumble breathlessly, clutching my chest. My heart beat races from the fright and I have to take several deep breaths to keep from having a damn heart attack.

Taehyung flinched at the sound of me screaming, immediately dropping his bags and running back to where I'm crouching in the snow. My eyes were wide and reflective of the vast sky, searching frantically for the massive feathered beast that just accosted me.

"Amber!? The hell? Are you ok? Is it your foot?" Taehyung steps around me and crouches down. He gives a quick assessment with concern etched on his brow and reaches out to cup my face.

The strikingly cold temperature of his fingers snaps me out of my fearful daze and Im blinking slowly as my eyes descended from the sky to his face.

"You...you didn't see that?" I exhaled, blowing puffs of clouded breath as I panted. Taehyung glances around us.

"See what?? There's nothing out here but us...".

I frown.

That couldn't be the case.

I heard someone.

Something.

Calling to me like a whisper on the wind. I heard the footsteps behind me. I felt something watching me.

Hell, I saw the owl with my own two eyes.

We can't be the only ones out here.

"I...I saw..."

"Ok.... you're tired. You've been walking all day. You haven't eaten much. I underestimated how long this hike would be and that's my fault."

"Tae...I'm fine. I know what I saw..."

Taehyung doesn't respond as he's lifting the cooler by its handle, ensuring it's still shut before pulling me to my feet.

"Once we get to the waterfall, I'm gonna set up the tent, and you're going to rest. Ok?" Taehyung suggests, tilting his head in that usual puppy doggish way that usually got me to bend.

I smirk bashfully, looking away to nod because even I can only take so much of those eyes.

Seeming satisfied, Taehyung puts his hand on my back and stays in stride with me instead of walking ahead.

As we begin to turn away, something far off in the distance catches my eye.

I do a double take, blinking to focus my vision on what appeared to be a person standing over 100 yards away.

I can only describe it to be a person due to its stature and posture.

Tall and lean.

Almost skeletal and greyish in hue.

It blends in with the array of slender birch trunks and snow that after blinking again, It vanishes as suddenly as it appeared.

Just like the owl.

That thing came out of nowhere.

And what's worse is that doesn't even begin to explain the footsteps.

This was a mistake.

At my pause, Taehyung doesn't stifle his frustrated sigh.

"What now, babe?" He asks and his tone alone deters me from telling him...

Hell...

That Im losing my mind? Seeing things?

I should have listened to my gut and put my foot down before allowing Taehyung to lead down here. The old woman was right.

There's most definitely something going on that can't be explained...

The waterfall was near and its loud rushing waters were a clear indicator.

We were close.

I don't respond at first, still scanning the white terrain for anything that could have been the cause of the sound.

A deer.

An elk.

Hell, a coyote...

Anything would be less chilling than the sight of nothing when I know for a fact I heard something following behind me.

"Nothing. It's nothing..." I say, blinking for clarity before abandoning the view to proceed forward.

To be continued...