The forest was dark, a dense canopy of ancient trees blotting out the moonlight as Adam navigated through the underbrush. He was an experienced hiker, but this time, he felt something was off. He hadn’t meant to stay this late; nightfall had crept up on him as he followed the trails deeper into the woods. But what truly unsettled him was the path that now lay before him—one that hadn’t existed just moments ago.
The trees parted in a way that felt unnatural, as if they were offering him a passage. The path seemed to shimmer faintly under the dim light, winding deeper into the forest, its edges almost pulsating with a strange energy. Adam hesitated. His instincts screamed at him to turn back, but curiosity gnawed at him, urging him forward.
He took a step onto the path, and the air changed immediately. A cold wind whipped through the trees, but it was more than that. The forest seemed quieter, the usual sounds of nocturnal life dampened. It was as if the world around him held its breath. Adam pressed on.
As he walked, the path felt longer than it should have. What should have been a short walk stretched into an hour, then two. The trees seemed different—older, more gnarled. The ground beneath his feet was damp and soft, as though it had been untouched for centuries. And then he emerged into a clearing.
But this clearing wasn’t right.
The stars overhead were wrong—dimmer, and in constellations he didn’t recognize. The trees surrounding the clearing looked dead, their bark blackened as though scorched by fire. A cold dread crept up his spine as he realized he wasn’t in the same forest anymore. The air tasted metallic, and the distant sound of something large moving in the underbrush sent his heart racing.
Ahead of him, the path continued, but it was no longer faint. It was glowing now, a sickly greenish light illuminating the way forward. He turned, ready to retrace his steps, but the path behind him had vanished—replaced by an impenetrable wall of trees.
He was trapped.
With no other choice, Adam continued walking. His heart pounded in his chest, each step heavier than the last. The further he walked, the more the world around him decayed. The trees, once towering and majestic, were reduced to brittle skeletons. The air grew thick with the stench of rot, and strange shapes darted in the shadows just beyond his vision. He felt watched, hunted.
Suddenly, a rustling behind him. Adam spun around, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness. Nothing. Just the wind… or so he thought. But then he saw them—figures emerging from the shadows, their movements slow and deliberate. There were three of them, their faces pale and gaunt, their eyes hollow with despair.
“Who are you?” Adam called out, backing away.
One of them, a man with a wild beard and tattered clothing, stepped forward. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said, his voice rough and hoarse. “It’s too late now.”
Adam’s breath caught in his throat. “What do you mean? What is this place?”
The man exchanged glances with the others, a woman with a scar running down her cheek and a younger man with haunted eyes. “The path,” the woman spoke, her voice tinged with fear, “it’s a test. It chooses us, brings us here. And once you’re here, you can’t leave.”
A cold chill settled in Adam’s bones. “A test? What kind of test?”
The younger man, who hadn’t spoken yet, finally stepped forward. “Only one of us gets to leave,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “And the rest… the rest become part of the path.”
Adam stared at them in disbelief. “That’s insane! There has to be a way out! There’s always a way out.”
The older man shook his head. “We’ve been walking this path for years. Every night, it brings us to a new version of this place. Each one worse than the last. The world decays, the creatures become more dangerous, and the path grows more treacherous. But the test isn’t to escape. It’s to decide who survives.”
The woman’s voice cracked as she spoke. “And once the path chooses, the rest of us…” Her words trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
Panic surged through Adam. He turned, his eyes scanning the woods for any sign of escape, but there was none. The trees loomed, silent and unmoving, as if they too were part of this sinister game. The realization sank in—there was no running from this. The path wasn’t just a physical route; it was alive, a malevolent force that demanded its due.
Desperation clawed at Adam’s mind. “There has to be a way to beat this! There has to be!”
The younger man shook his head. “I’ve tried. We all have. But the path decides.”
A distant growl echoed through the trees, sending a wave of fear through the group. The woman turned sharply, her eyes wide. “It’s coming.”
Without another word, the group began to run, the glowing path guiding their way. The forest around them groaned and shifted, as if the earth itself was coming to life. Trees bent unnaturally, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The air grew colder, and the growls intensified.
As they ran, Adam’s mind raced. He couldn’t let this be his fate. There had to be a way out, something they hadn’t thought of yet. He glanced at the others, each of them running for their lives, fear etched on their faces. And then it hit him—the test wasn’t about who could escape.
It was about who was willing to sacrifice the others.
The realization stopped him in his tracks. The path wasn’t just a trial of survival; it was a trial of morality. The only way to leave was to condemn the others. Adam’s stomach churned at the thought. Could he really do it? Could he live with himself knowing he’d let others die for his own freedom?
But the growls were getting closer, and the forest was closing in. The others hadn’t noticed he’d stopped. They kept running, their desperation blinding them to the truth. Adam stood frozen, torn between survival and the weight of the choice before him.
And then he heard it—a voice, faint but clear, whispering in his ear. “Choose, or be chosen.”
The path was speaking to him.
Adam’s heart raced as the voice echoed in his mind, urging him to act. His eyes fell on the group ahead of him, still running, still clinging to the hope of escape. The choice was his.
With a heavy heart, he made his decision.
Adam started running again, faster this time, catching up to the others. The younger man was the closest, his breath ragged as he pushed himself forward. Adam’s mind screamed at him to stop, to find another way, but the path’s voice was relentless.
“Choose.”
Without thinking, Adam shoved the younger man off the path. The scream that followed was brief, cut off as the forest swallowed him whole. The others didn’t stop. They didn’t even look back. They understood. They had known all along.
The path continued to change, warping and twisting as Adam ran. But something was different now. The trees seemed less hostile, the air less oppressive. The growls faded into the distance, and the oppressive weight of the forest lifted.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the path ended.
Adam stumbled into another clearing, this one bathed in the soft glow of dawn. The forest looked normal again, peaceful even. He turned back, but the path was gone, vanished into the trees like a ghost.
He was free.
But the victory was hollow. Adam fell to his knees, his hands trembling. He had survived, but at what cost? The others were gone, lost to the path forever. And the voice—the voice that had urged him to choose—still lingered in his mind.
As the sun rose, Adam realized the true horror of the path. He hadn’t escaped. He had simply passed the test. And now, he was its newest keeper.
Somewhere, deep in the forest, the path waited for its next victim.
Want to read a bit more? Find some more of my writings here-
The Deep, Cosmic Truth Behind 555 and Other Angel Numbers: A Complete Guide to Divine Synchronicity
Book Review: Final Offer by Lauren Asher
The Ache Between Breaths: A Poem About Carrying Pain You Can’t Name
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