We arrived at the river just as the rainfall hit, screeching and giggling with our bags as we scurried along to the bank in search of shelter beneath some trees.

"Hurry!" Taehyung chuckled, squeezing my hand and never letting go until we were under the cover of the leaves.

And despite it delaying our setup, nothing dampened the mood that thrived between Taehyung and me when we huddled together against a large oak.

"Shit..you ok babe?" he exhaled as he pulled me against him, shaking his head and sprinkling me with droplets of water. I nod up at him, biting on my bottom and shivering. Taehyung's gaze warmed over me and I soon forgot I was ever cold to begin with.

The waterfall was just as gorgeous as anticipated, its calming white noise effect melding with the rain put me at ease.

I was apprehensive at first about settling this far into the woods after what I'd experienced on our way out here, and even though a hint of that unease still lingered over my shoulder, being closer to Taehyung made me feel secure.

As it always did.

Thankfully the downpour let up just as the sun was sliding west, and we got to enjoy the clear ombre skies beside the water just as we settled on our camping spot.

We set up our canopy together quickly so that I could get dinner ready while Tae prepared the tent, music playing from the Bluetooth speaker he never forgot to stow in his bag no matter where we went.

Some swanky jazz instrumental plays, the nasal tone of a trumpet and piano melding with nature's soundtrack of whistling winds and rushing waters. It's oddly calming and efficient in setting the mood.

I glance up from working over our prepared meal on the tiny propane stove, seasoned steaks with rosemary and spices we had marinating in the cooler along with a simple salad and my favorite bottle of red wine, to watch my man work. He's bent over, using a mallet to secure the pegs stretching the canopy over the tent's skeleton to the ground.

I smile as I imagine us cozying up in there together, his promises of satisfaction not so subtly distracting me from turning the sirloin over in the cast iron.

"..shit..." I mutter as I remember Taehyung prefers his meat a little more pink on the inside than I do and press the center of the steak to test its firmness before removing it from the heat to rest.

The handsome carnivore in question lets out an exhale of satisfaction as he straightens up and tosses the mallet down beside the tent's entry.

"Done." he exhales. The following huff of air gave him a welcomed whiff of the steaks and it wasn't long before he was crouching in the rocks behind me, nuzzling my neck and hugging my waist. He rests his chin on my shoulder as I poke at my steak, sneaking in a kiss below my ear before whispering.

"I trust your skills, but I have a feeling these steaks aren't gonna taste nearly as good as you later.." he mouths at my earlobe. I lean away with a startled giggle, elbowing him in the gut playfully.

"Stop! And you better enjoy this damn steak. All that huffing and puffing you were doing. I know you're hungry."

Taehyung grunts as he moves from behind me to settle in the spot next to me in the dirt, leaning back to rest on his elbows and admire the scenery.

"I am. Horny too though." he sighs, sparing me a sneaky side eye that I reciprocated with a smirk. I roll my eyes, shaking my head, and going back to check the tenderness of the resting meat.

I plate our dinner along with the sides I prepared before while Taehyung works on uncorking the wine we brought.

We toasted to another year together, kissing underneath the stars and tasting the wine from each other's tongues.

He smelled so good. His sweat and cologne mixed with the wilderness. I wanted him so bad that it felt silly to keep the stress of the day anywhere near the front of my mind. This was the only thing that mattered.

When it was time for us to retire to our tent, Taehyung kept good on his promise from earlier.

With his hands, his lips, and his tongue...

"Fuck...."

"Yes...oh yes.."

"You feel so good, baby...."

"...fuck, I love you..."

"I love you more..."

"Harder..fuck me harder Tae.."

"Like this? Hmm?"

"Yesyesyes oh god.."

Taehyung's pace was steady, rocking his hips and rolling against me so that I could feel every delicious inch of his love as it dug into me deeper.

"...baby..." I whimper, dragging my nails over his back and he lets out an unrestrained groan against my skin. He continued suckling my throat as he expertly found my spot and hit it repeatedly. It would be a matter of seconds before I came undone and called out his name for the entire forest to hear.

"Fuck, baby..." he choked out as my pulsing walls squeezed him, milking every bit of my release to coat his shaft. Taehyung's kisses became less and less coordinated as he set out to chase his high, fucking into me harder.

"Tae..Tae.." I keened for him, dragging my nails over his back and through his hair.

At the height of our pleasure, I was vaguely aware of the sounds currently surrounding us.

The rustling sound of the wind blowing against trees.

The crickets sang and critters scurried through the brush.

The rushing water from the river.

The faint unzipping of the entrance of our tent.

The soft tone of what I knew to be Taehyung's voice whispering my name.

"...Amber..."

"......Amber.."

".....Amber...."

It's not until I feel a creeping chill entering that I'm pulled from the blissful abyss and I open my eyes. Taehyung hadn't stilled his lips enough to utter my name against my skin. I would have felt it. Hell, I would have heard it. Right in my ear. But this voice felt so distant, yet so close at the same time.

".....Ammmmmbeeeer...." the voice now croaked creepily, snapping me from my daze.

With a furrowed brow, I crane my neck and lift my head slowly to peak over Taehyung's shoulder.

And through the opening of the tent was a pale grim face unlike anything I'd ever seen.

Its head was round and oblong like an oval.

Its skin is an ashen grey with dark thumping veins visible beneath its emaciated flesh.

Its mouth hung open, with white gums packed with razor-sharp teeth of varying sizes.

Its eyes were wide and blank with clouded irises as if it were blind.

But I felt its stare on me, drilling into my soul and lusting after it like a starving coyote.

The scream I let out was blood-curdling, so sudden that it burned in my throat. Taehyung yelps in reaction, swiftly lifting his head from my neck to regard me with deep concern.

"WHAT?? WHATS WRONG? DID I HURT YOU??" He exclaims but all I can manage to do is lift my hand and point shakily towards the now empty opening of the tent.

I can't speak. There were no words worthy of the sheer terror I was experiencing. It was as if whatever was just watching us took my breath and my ability to speak along with it when it vanished suddenly before my eyes.

But there was nothing in this world that would shake the image from my brain.

Taehyung is still confused as hell and can't take his eyes off of my horrified expression as I continue to stammer and sob with my finger pointed toward the end of the tent.

"The..the the.." I pant tearfully, my hand trembling.

Taehyung takes my face between his hands, brushing away the tears with his thumbs as they fall.

"Hey! Look at me..just breathe baby..talk to me please.." he does his best to say calmly but his voice shakes with the same fear reflected in my eyes.

If only he had seen it too.

"Hey...Amber. Look at me."

Taehyung's soothing tone summons my gaze and I blinked frantically to clear the blurriness from my vision. His handsome features were marred with worry as he stroked my face.

"There you go... that's it. Breathe...Breathe baby.." he instructed and I did as he did, inhaling shakily and exhaling until all I could think to do it cling to him. His embrace is tight and protective and he rolls onto his side to pull me securely against his chest.

"Please tell me what's wrong. You're starting to scare me.." he says after a beat.

What could I say?
That I saw a monster outside of our tent.
Most likely the same one I had seen before on the trail. It would sound crazy and he wouldn't believe me. That I was sure of, and even if he did, what could he do?

"I...I saw something." I finally admit and to my surprise, Taehyung doesn't loosen his hold on my trembling body.

"Something like what?" He follows up and I lift my chin to gauge his expression, hoping he wasn't being condescending like before.

"I...I don't know. It didn't seem like an animal but it didn't seem human either...It" I pause, blinking away the tears while searching for the words. Taehyung kept his eyes on me, warily and full of concern.

"It what?" he lifts his brows expectantly. I look at him after a beat before responding.

"....it said my name"

"The same thing from before?" He follows up and I nod hesitantly, shrinking into myself in preparation for his annoyance at my antics. Taehyung sighs, turning his head to run his fingers through his disheveled hair.

"Amber...I told you.." he begins and I'm already defensive.

"I saw what I saw Tae! It was right there!" I point towards the tent's opening, now flapping quietly in the wind. He looks towards where my shaky hand is directed, his expression a mixture of pain and confusion.

"Maybe...you had too much wine and it has you paranoid.." Taehyung suggests brashly.
I scoff at him, glaring up at his skeptical expression frustratedly.

"Excuse me? I'm not drunk.."

"I didn't say that.." Taehyung backpedals.

"And I'm not crazy.." I add.

"Didn't say that either." he frowns.

"Then what are you saying?" I exclaim.

Just then, the sound of leaves crunching beneath padded footsteps has us both going silent and still. It's distant at first and from an indeterminate direction. But as the seconds passed, the crunching grew louder and closer. The pace goes from casual to a brisk jog coming straight towards us.

That's when I heard them again.
The whispers.
All jumbled and incoherent.

Some of them sound like voices speaking in reverse.

Louder and louder the closer the footsteps drew.

Taehyung's hold on me tightens and his head is on a swivel as if he could see anything through the thick tarp surrounding us. Just as the footsteps seem to be just outside of the tent opening, they cease and an eery silence follows.

"What..the fuck..was that?" Taehyung whispers against my temple and I shake my head wordlessly, too afraid to speak.

After several minutes of us lying motionless in the tent, Taehyung lets out a tempered sigh.

"Fuck this..." he mutters.

I suddenly left cold when Taehyung released me and he leaned up to grab his shirt, pants, and boots. He quickly dresses himself before grabbing his backpack.

Before I could ask, the telltale-clicking sound of his handgun had my eyes going wide as he quickly checked the magazine for ammo and slid it back in. He cocks it back to put a bullet in the chamber before looking over at me.

"Stay here, ok? I'm just gonna go take a look."

"What?" My eyes go wider, clutching the blanket against my chest as I sit up fully.

"I'll be back. Just stay here.." he says and is already on his way to crawling through the slit and into the darkness before I can manage another word to stop him.

I can still see his legs just beyond the tent as he stands with his gun in hand at his side. I can feel my heart beating in my chest, fear and nausea washing over me with every passing second.

Taehyung steps away from the tent without warning, the crunch of his boots against the damp ground becoming washed out by the sounds of the night. But I did my best to hold onto it, praying that whatever I saw was long gone.

Seconds turn into minutes under the cover of the rustling tent. I had already redressed myself, feeling more vulnerable the longer I remained naked.

Taehyung hadn't returned and the only thing I could hear was the rush of the waterfall and the occasional hooting of an owl.

"Please..." I whispered to the night, hugging my knees, silently willing Taehyung back to me.

This couldn't be it for us. This was supposed to be a romantic getaway, marking another year with the best man I'd ever been with. Taehyung is my total opposite. Brave. Bold. Spontaneous. Being with him brought things out of me that I probably would never see. Please.

"Please..please please please.." My chin trembled and my vision blurred with tears as I prayed for my love's return.

And as if someone heard me, the sound of footsteps crunching in my direction had me flinching. The steps were slow and uneven, making me question what I was hearing for a second.

Doubt vanishes when the shadow of Taehyungs legs comes into view and he's crouching to re-enter the tent seconds later.

"Oh my god.." I crawl forward, yanking my idiot boyfriend into the tent by the wrist. Once inside, I throw my arms around him, not even caring about the damp sheen of rain coating his jacket and hair.

"Ok ok.." he huffs, hugging me back.

"What took you so fucking long?" I sniffled, making Taehyung chuckle at my colorful question. His hands rake over my back soothingly a few times, patting me to signal for me to let him go.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Look at me.."

I pull back a little, keeping my hands on him. Almost as if I was afraid I released him that something would whisk him away. I give him just enough space to get a look at my face, feeling his cold hand coming up to cup my cheek.

"There's nothing out there, baby. At least not anymore."

My brow creased as I took in his words, already feeling the urge to insist on the contrary.

"But..." I begin but Taehyung shakes his head.

"I'm not saying I don't think you didn't see anything. There was something out there. I could see its tracks in the dirt. A coyote or something, I don't know. But I walked around the campsite and saw nothing, I swear." Taehyung says while shrugging his damp jacket from his shoulders, setting aside his gun, and kicking off his shoes.

My expression was fixed in confusion as Taehyung spoke, wanting to believe him.

Maybe it was in my head...

As he was lifting the blanket over his body to join me under it, I couldn't shake the harrowing doubt in my mind.

"What if it comes back?" I turn to him as he lays down and he simply shrugs.

"I'll be ready if it does, ok? I can stay up until you fall asleep. C'mere."

Before I can protest, Taehyung pulls me down with him, curling his arm around my waist to keep me in place. I cozy up to him slowly, regarding him with worry. Something was off. I wasn't getting the usual air of confidence from Tae that I was accustomed to. Even with him putting on a brave face.

What isn't he telling me?

"You're not gonna sleep?" I frown.

Taehyung nods at me assuringly, pulling me closer.

"I will but not yet. Just wanna keep watch for a little while. I'll be fine Baby. I'm right here. I'll keep you safe." he smiles at me, planting a kiss on the tip of my nose before pushing my head down gently to sink into the pillow.

Morning came quicker than expected.

Or perhaps I was so exhausted that no amount of sleep would have been sufficient. I didn't even remember dreaming, which was unusual.

Just as unusual as the sense of loneliness I felt the moment I opened my eyes. When I rolled over, the space I expected my love to occupy was empty. Im upright immediately, clutching the blanket that covered my body as my eyes searched the tent as if there was anywhere else Taehyung could be.

But I only find him and his belongings to be gone, including his gun. A breeze chilled my skin from the tent opening that was unzipped all the way.

"Tae?.." I blink tiredly, rubbing my eyes.

I stepped from the tent slowly, shielding my eyes from the beaming sun until they could adjust to the brightness, and I scanned my surroundings.

Hoping.
Wishing.
Praying that he'd just stepped out to prepare us for our voyage back to the car like he'd promised, but all that surrounded me was evidence of our stay. Our tarp. Our gear.

And silence. Not a breeze or even the echo of mockingbirds calling to each other in the trees. Nothing but the drowning song of the rushing river.

Nothing but my shuddered breathing as panic rose like bile in my throat.

That was when I noticed it.

Almost blending in with the trees and grey-scale landscape of rocks and snow. Lanky and skeletal. Clammy gray skin with nimble limbs that were unmoving, coated in what I can only assume is blood as it drips from its prickly fingertips. Its head jerked around in a haunting motion, sniffing loudly and grunting like a feral beast as if it were tasting the air.

I'm frozen. Even my lungs seized and wouldn't allow me to take in another breath out of fear of being discovered. I wasn't sure but whatever that thing was, it didn't seem to see me. By the chilling shade of white casting over its eyes, I'm convinced that it's blind.

No less of a threat, however. Based on the way it sniffed around, it was only a matter of time before it picked up on how close I was. Although I had no clue what it was, it was unmistakably familiar. The same creature that stalked us on our way here and the same one I saw last night when Taehyung and I were making love.

Hideous and terrifying.

I take a tentative step back, lucky to have not made any conspicuous sounds or foolishly called out for Taehyung in search of him again. The creature grunts as its neck snaps in my direction, its nostrils flaring. After a few seconds, it seems to still be unaware of me.

So I take another step, damp leaves, and dirt squishing beneath my feet. The creature's jaw slackens, revealing its prickly set of teeth and ghostly white tongue that dripped crimson. It lets out a guttural groan, something one would only hear in a scary movie or nightmares. It shifts forward, still snarling and sniffing at the air.

It can smell me. Whether it's my blood or my fear, I can tell by the way its movements grow more rigid that it's enticed by something. When I take one more step, praying I was at least close enough to the tent to touch it, I'm distracted by another sound.

"...Am...Amb..." a distressed voice wheezes behind me. Ice rushed through my veins at the sound, and I froze again, save for the slow and shaky turn of my neck as something moved in my peripheral.

Several feet from where I stood, Taehyung was lying on the ground, fully clothed with his thermal ripped and smeared red. The warmth of his tanned complexion was now a faded pale tone and blood pooled from his gaping mouth as he struggled to breathe.

Huddled over him is a creature that's identical to the one near the river. Its back is facing me, giving me a detailed view of its emaciated form with its bones poking out under its bruised skin.

The ominous sound of chewing, crunching, and faint grunts of hunger grew louder the longer I watched it feast on Taehyung's midsection, rendering him helpless and bleeding profusely into the soil.

Based on how deep the creature's face was burrowed into his abdomen, I assumed it had been working its way through him for a while. And what had I been doing while the love of my life was being devoured? Sleeping, blissfully ignorant of the terror going on beyond our tent.

A pit forms in my stomach, so heavy that I feel like I'm about to vomit.

"Tae.." I whisper, thoughtlessly turning my body towards him. I make another move as if I'm about to approach until he shakes his head stiffly. The creature seemed too consumed by its meal to notice our interaction, or it just didn't care. Either way I was helpless and of no use in saving him.

Taehyung grunts painfully, coughing up splatters of blood with his glassy eyes on me. Hot tears blur my vision as I stood uselessly in witness.

Even while on the brink of death, Taehyung's eyes were full of love that was slightly shadowed with fear and regret.

Regret over coming here.
Regret over not taking my fear as seriously.
Regret over not being able to protect me in the end.

I could see all of that in the way he watched me sob into my cupped hands.

"R...run..." he manages to choke out before the direction of his fading gaze shifts from my face to something just beyond me.

That was when I felt it breathing against my neck. Cold and sharp. The stench of death thickens around me, dulling my senses to everything but the shallow pants on my nape and the strained sound of my name being whispered against the shell of my ear...

Shock provokes me to turn around sharply and gasp so hard that my chest caves, coming face to face with a stark white gaze and a razor-sharp bloody grin.

"...Amber...."

Sorry Tae🌚🥴