Aaron was born and raised in the massive Hell State Forest by a single father who did everything in his power to keep his son hidden from the world. The reason for this is that Aaron is very different from other humans because he was born with bear ears on top of his head instead of human ears. 

The doctors were completely floored by this, unable to offer a reason for this strange mutation.

His father, a man named Alan, knew what future awaited his child if he remained among humans, so he snuck out of the hospital one night with his child and retreated into the woods. When Alan was a young boy, he and his friends had gotten lost in the Hell State Forest. While trying to find their way out, they discovered an abandoned cabin. 

It clearly hadn't been touched in over two decades. The wood was rotting, filled with holes. The roof sagged, making half the cabin unsafe to be inside, and a thick layer of dust covered every surface.

This is where he brought his son. It wasn't ideal or comfortable, but it became their home. Over the years, he did his best to fix up the cabin and to give his son the best possible life under the unfavorable circumstances. And for fourteen years, he did just that. Aaron was happy to be alone with the creatures of the forest because, to him, it was his home. It was all he knew, after all.

At fifteen, however, his father went out to forage for food only to never return home. Months passed him by and Aaron quickly grew lonely and scared. Though he was, for the most part, used to keeping to himself, he had always had his father to fill in that void humans possess, requiring them to socialize. Now, though, he had only his own thoughts to keep him company.

This was fine, at first, but it didn't take long for his mind to start slipping away from him.

In order to combat both the loneliness and the madness, he made himself a friend. It was a rock which he had named Jackson. As time slowly passed by, this rock began to take on a life of its own, at least in his mind. It was no longer just some random rock he had picked up off the ground. It was a living, breathing person that acted as a barrier between him and a complete mental collapse.

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"Have I mentioned how much I hate you?" I questioned, eyes narrowed at Jackson's back.

He rolled his eyes, huffing as he continued to climb the steep hill. Keith was close behind him. "Twenty times in the past twenty minutes. Pretty sure that's a new record for you."

"Good. Because I hate you." I came to a stop, leaning against a thick tree so I could catch my breath.

Why was I currently hating on Jackson? Well, allow me to explain.

Jackson had suggested that the three of us go camping for the fourth of July weekend. We had planned on meeting up with Mani and his group of friends. However, Jackson is a total idiot and we brought us down the wrong trail which, as it turns out, wasn't a fucking trail at all. 

Now, we're lost in Hell State Forest without any signal or any survival equipment. Not that our dumbasses could use it even if we had any.

We've been hiking for over twenty minutes without stopping - up and down hills, over streams and through giant cobwebs that I shoved Jackson through so I didn't have to touch them because fuck spiders.

I groaned, leaning my head back against the tree. "Go on without me. Just leave me here to die." And then I slid down until my butt hit the leaf-covered ground below.

Jackson looked back at me for a moment and then shrugged. "Okay. Bye."

Keith sighed, sending him an exasperated look before back tracking toward me. He grabbed my hand, forcing me back on my feet despite my whines of protest. "No one gets left behind."

"Bitch, this ain't Lilo and Stitch," I complained. Even with me fighting him, he was able to easily pull me along behind him. "Just let me die here~"

"I agree with her, honestly. Just leave her here. Her corpse will help the forest grow." Jackson pulled out a granola bar and started to munch on it. He paused when he realized we were both staring at him. "What?"

"You had food this whole time?!" I snapped, closing the distance between us and trying to snatch the bar from him. The problem with this is that he was taller than me with longer limbs, she he was easily able to hold it out behind him, far from my reach.

"You shoulda brought your own damn food!" he snapped back, trying to push me away with his free hand.

"I did and you fucking ate it because you said you forgot to bring your own!"

"That doesn't sound like something I'd do. Where's your proof?"

"Why, you little -"

"Guys!" hissed Keith suddenly, his eyes alert as he looked around us. "Do you hear that?"

"The sound of Jen's empty stomach because she was dumb enough to believe my obvious lie?" questioned Jackson and I punched him in the gut. He wheezed, dropped the bar to the ground as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"Guys, I'm serious."

Sending him one last glare, I crossed my arms over my chest and strained my ears to listen. At first, I heard only the annoying chirping of cicadas, but then a voice echoed echoed through the trees.

Jackson's brow furrowed, hand still resting over his stomach. "I can't tell what it's saying. Can you?"

I met his gaze and shrugged. "No clue. Maybe it's Mani trying to find us?"

"No way. Mani doesn't like us enough to come looking for us."

"Facts."

The voice was closer now and I could finally make out what it was saying. "Jackson!"

Keith and I both turned toward the boy in question and his eyes widened, lifting his finger to point at himself before asking, "Me?"

"See, this is your karma for lying to and tricking your best friend," I snorted. "You gon' die because the forest spirits are coming to get yo ass."

"Shut up," he scowled, punching my upper arm only to step closer to me when his name rang out again, right in front of us where a set of large bushes sat.

"I found you, Jackson!" giggled a male voice.

We braced ourselves for whoever was about to come through the bushes but several minutes passed without incident.

Jackson nudged me, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Oi, go check."

"You're such a coward."

"Cowards live longer so I have no shame in the title."

I rolled my eyes at him before slowly stepping toward the bushes, kneeling down and parting the branches until there was enough space to see through them. My brow furrowed in confusion and I waved the two boys over. Keith didn't hesitate to join me but Jackson did, of course, standing still for a few moments before finally moving closer.

Several feet away sat a young boy with a mess of brown hair. His clothes were two sizes too small for his body, covered in dirt and full of holes. Across from him sat a rock, just a bit smaller than a boulder.

"You really need to find a better hiding spot, Jackson," giggled the man. "You hide there every time!"

Jackson rested his hands on my shoulder, leaning closer to us and whispering, "Who is he talking to?"

"I think he's talking to the rock," mused Keith.

"So~ he's crazy. A nutjob in the woods... isn't that too cliché?"

The man giggled again, louder this time. "Oh, Jackson, you're too funny!"

Jackson tensed up, fingers digging into my shoulders. "He just responded to me!"

"It's just a coincidence," Keith reassured him. "Just calm down before he hears us."

"Calm down?" he whisper-hissed in reply. "That little creep can definitely hear us!"

"Of course, I can, silly," said the man with a closed eye smile.

"I'm out." Jackson shot up, turning on his heel and darting back down the hill as if the spirit of Usain Bolt had possessed him.

"Who's there?!" The man stood up, cradling the rock to his chest as he looked toward the bushes.

It was then that I noticed the ears atop his head. My eyes widened as I turned to look at Keith. If his expression was anything to go by, he noticed it, too.

From his pocket, the man produced a long blade. "Show yourselves!"

Run, mouthed Keith as he stood, turning on his heel and chasing after Jackson. I didn't need to be told twice as I followed him, hot on his heels. I heard the man yelling but I was too focused to register what he had said.

He didn't follow us.