Each rustle of leaves felt unnerving, every snap of a twig raising Mike’s pulse. He remembered warnings he had received about forest creatures, and now they felt frighteningly real. The bear could turn on him at any moment, or worse—other beasts might lurk among the twisted shadows beyond his vision.
Mike’s breath fogged in the chill. He wondered if following this creature was a grave mistake. Yet something compelled him forward, even as his courage waned. A faint groan drifted on the cold air. The bear halted beneath a towering oak, posture rigid, gaze fixed on a spot beyond a thicket of brambles.