Undead Nightmare

Prologue

The lush, towering trees of the forest canopy had already begun to swallow the setting sun, casting long, twisting shadows across the trail. David and Denise walked hand in hand, the light wind gently swaying the branches above. David, a tall, pale man with short curly hair and a medium build, kept his eyes fixed forward. Beside him, Denise—shorter, with a slight frame, light-brown skin, and long black hair pulled into a tight ponytail—kept casting anxious glances into the darkening woods. Her pale green eyes were wide with worry.

"Babe, we really shouldn't be out here," Denise murmured, her voice low and sheepish.

David shrugged, a snarky smile playing on his lips. "Why are you so scared? It's just rumors."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Denise let out a heavy sigh. "I'm scared, babe. They are real. Skinwalkers are real!"

David chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "You need to stay off TikTok. Come on, quit being paranoid. I actually wanted to enjoy this trip, so let's enjoy it and don't be such a buzzkill."

Denise shook her head, staring blankly ahead. As they pushed deeper into the forest, the trees thickened, choking out the remaining sunlight. The shadows grew deeper. Before either could say another word, a voice echoed through the distant trees.

"Help! I'm stuck! Help me!"

The couple stopped dead in their tracks. The sound sent a jolt of panic through Denise.

"Where are you, sir?" David yelled into the brush.

Denise yanked her hand away, giving him a hard shove. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered frantically.

He looked at her and scoffed.

"Help me! Please!" the man screamed again.

David scanned the darkening tree line. "Sir, where are you? You sound like you're close!"

Denise shoved him again, her voice cracking. "David, stop!"

He rounded on her, his eyes glaring. "For fuck's sake, that is a man in need of help! You are a cop—it's quite literally your job to help people in need."

Denise rolled her eyes, her hand instinctively dropping to her hip.

"Help! I'm over here! Please!"

"Come on, babe, don't be a bitch," David snapped coldly. "Plus, you have your piece with you. If things go badly, you can shoot him. But with or without you, I am going."

Without waiting for an answer, David stepped off the trail and marched toward the voice.

"Fuck me," Denise muttered under her breath. Unwillingly, she followed him into the thicket, her hand resting firmly on the grip of her sidearm.

"Sir! Keep yelling out so we can find you!" David called out.

A few tense moments passed.

"I'm stuck! Help me!"

The deeper they ventured, the more claustrophobic the forest became. The trees and briars tightened around them like a cage. Denise's nerves frayed as a terrible gut feeling intensified with every step.

"We should head back," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

"Help me!" The scream was piercing now. He couldn't be more than twenty feet away.

"I am right next to you! Shout one more time!" David ordered.

The wind picked up, violently whipping the bushes and branches around them.

"Please help me!"

The voice sounded as if it were right beside them. They pushed through one final wall of brush and stumbled into a small clearing—an abandoned, overgrown campsite.