Blogtober 2025, Day 6: Climb
The woods pressed in tighter the farther they walked. Their
flashlights flickered, as if the batteries were already giving up. Tyler
muttered, “We’re not even moving forward. It feels like the path keeps folding
back on itself.”
Mark snorted. “That’s just nerves. Keep walking.”
But Sarah stopped short. “No—look.” She pointed at the trees
ahead. A bundle of sticks dangled from a branch, bound with twine. Just above
it, another bundle hung, and another, stacked upward in a crooked ladder that
seemed to climb into the darkness.
Emily whispered, “Like someone wanted to build a staircase…
to nowhere.”
The wind picked up, carrying a faint, tuneless humming. The
sound wrapped around them, hard to tell if it was in front or behind.
Mark forced himself forward, brushing beneath the hanging
sticks. “It’s just kids messing around. Don’t let it freak you out.” His voice
was steady, but his steps quickened.
Emily trailed close behind. She swore she felt a small hand
graze hers in the dark, cold and fleeting. She bit her lip, not daring to say
it aloud.
Sarah shivered, eyes darting back. “If Lucy’s out here,” she
whispered, “then maybe she never left.”
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