The sound of crickets echoed through the night, slicing into the silence. The moonlight managed only to slip faintly through the thick canopy of trees. Lena staggered forward, her body exhausted, her face pale.

“Oh God… I have to get out of here…” she whispered, her eyes darting around, seeing nothing but shadows of towering trees. At times, the hoot of a night bird, the snap of a broken twig, or the hum of insects made her skin crawl.

She stopped, breathing deeply. “I have to climb ...