Park Ranger Finds Massive Nest In Forest, Then He Looks Inside

In the narrow beam of his flashlight, Brian saw the entity wielding a heavy steel hatchet. It was furiously hacking at the main tension ropes anchoring the platform to the trunk. "Stop!" Brian shouted down. "I'm still up here!"

The blade struck the cordage again, severing several thick strands. The platform tilted violently to the left, groaning under the strain. Whatever was down there was trying to bring the entire structure down—crushing the intruder to protect its territory, or destroying the evidence of what had happened to Ruth Harper. 

Brian gripped the woven floor, desperate to stop the destruction before the nest collapsed. He had to try something. "Ruth?!" Brian screamed into the dark, gambling on the name from the poster. "Are you Ruth?!" The hatchet froze mid-swing. Below, the dark figure went entirely still.