|
Thanks AI
Listen to this thriller.
| Kiera and
Sam, both sixteen, ventured deep into the dense forest near Matachewan,
excited to gather blueberries for the upcoming festival. The late afternoon sun hung low, casting long, eerie shadows through the towering pines. They picked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. “I think I found a jackpot over here!” Sam called out, his voice echoing strangely in the quiet. He crouched beside a large bush overflowing with berries, eager to win their unofficial competition of who could gather the most. Kiera, a few paces behind, followed Sam’s voice. As she entered a small clearing, something didn’t feel right. The area was unsettling, charred tree stumps jutted from the ground like blackened bones, thistles taller than her scratched at her legs, and the oppressive heat pressed down on her. "Sam, this place feels wrong," Kiera murmured, glancing around. "Let’s get what we need and head back. We’ve been out here too long." "Just a few more minutes. We can leave after that." But as he bent down again, something caught his eye, a weathered, moss-covered stone slab, half-buried under dirt and debris, just beyond the clearing. He brushed away the leaves, revealing faint carvings that made his stomach tighten. "Kiera, you need to see this." Kiera hesitated but moved closer. As Sam wiped away more dirt, the carvings came into view. Strange, contorted human figures, their faces frozen in agony, were etched into the stone. The sight sent chills down Kiera's spine. “This… this is some kind of burial ground,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Let’s get out of here," Kiera urged, her grip tightening on her basket. But as they turned to leave, their sense of direction faltered. "Wait... where’s the trail?" Sam asked, spinning around, confusion on his face. The path they had followed so easily moments ago had vanished. Tall trees loomed in every direction, and the forest seemed to close in around them. Kiera's heart began to race. "We didn’t walk far, did we?" she asked, her voice shaky. The sun was sinking lower, casting the forest in an ominous glow. They tried to retrace their steps, but it was no use. Every direction led them deeper into the unknown. Their phones were useless—no signal this far into the wilderness. Kiera’s throat was dry, her water bottle nearly empty. And then she remembered. "Sam," she said, "I left my epi-pen in the car." Sam whipped his head toward her. “You what?” "I didn’t think we’d be out here this long," she stammered, realizing the full weight of their situation. If she got stung by a bee or had an allergic reaction, they’d be in real trouble. Sam’s face paled. "Okay, we’ll figure this out. Just... stay close." They pressed on, their nerves fraying as the heat and mosquitoes made every step feel unbearable. Sweat dripped down their faces, and the constant buzzing of insects grated on their nerves. Kiera swatted at a mosquito, only to realize she’d disturbed something far worse, a swarm of bees, buzzing angrily around a nearby hive. Her heart leapt into her throat. "Sam, I can't get stung!" she cried, backing away, but the bees were relentless, swarming closer. "Run!" Sam shouted, grabbing her hand, and they bolted, ducking under branches and jumping over roots as the bees chased them. They didn’t stop until the swarm finally dispersed. But as they caught their breath, Sam froze. Just a few feet away, a black bear was ambling toward them, sniffing the air. "Don’t move," Sam whispered, his eyes wide with fear. The bear, though uninterested in the teens, continued to sniff the air, its massive head turning in their direction. One wrong move, and they could provoke it. Minutes felt like hours as they stood frozen, not daring to move. Finally, the bear lost interest and lumbered off into the trees. But now their nerves were shot, and the fear was palpable. "I can’t take this anymore!" she gasped. Her breathing was ragged, and the humid air felt like it was closing in around her. "We’re going to get through this," Sam said, though his voice was shaking. "Just stay close." They trudged forward, but the forest seemed to be working against them. Kiera tripped over something buried beneath the leaves, another stone marker. There were more graves here, scattered throughout the woods, forgotten. As if on cue, the sky darkened, and thunder rumbled ominously. The first drops of rain hit the ground, quickly turning into a downpour. Lightning flashed, illuminating the trees in brief, eerie bursts. The ground became slick with mud, and they slipped and stumbled as they pushed forward, the storm pounding relentlessly. Kiera’s leg was bleeding from a scrape on a charred stump, and she felt herself growing weaker. “We’re never getting out of here,” she gasped. "Don’t say that!" Sam snapped, though his voice wavered. “We’ll find a way.” And then, as if by a miracle, Sam spotted something through the rain, a narrow ravine, with an old logging road barely visible at the bottom. "Look!" he shouted. "We can get down there!" They scrambled down the muddy slope, sliding and tumbling, until they reached the road, drenched and exhausted but alive. Relief washed over them, but it was short-lived. A distant rumble reached their ears, not thunder this time, but an engine. A pickup truck appeared through the rain, its headlights piercing the gloom. They waved frantically, and the truck slowed to a stop. An older man leaned out, his face lined with age and years of working in the wilderness. "Y’all lost?" he asked, his voice gruff. "Yeah... we’re lost. Can you drive us to our car down this road?" The man gestured for them to get in, and they did so without hesitation. As the truck rumbled down the road, Kiera glanced back at the forest, its dark silhouette disappearing behind them. The graves, the bear, the storm, it all felt like a nightmare. Take me home! |
More Audio Books