The wind inside the jungle felt different that morning. It wasn’t just the humidity; it was the silence. Tiara moved slowly through the thick undergrowth, her boots sinking into the damp earth. Every snap of a twig sounded like a gunshot in the quiet air.
She wasn’t a novice trekker. She knew the rules: stay on the path, don’t make sudden movements, and never, ever go too far alone. But the beauty of the rainforest was seductive, pulling her deeper into the shadows where the sunlight struggled to reach the ground.
[readalso]
Then she heard it. A crack. Not the light snap of a falling branch, but the heavy, deliberate breaking of wood under immense weight. It came from directly behind her. The hair on her arms stood up, an evolutionary alarm bell ringing in her brain.
[readalso]
She stopped. She held her breath. The jungle held its breath with her. She could feel eyes on her back—a gaze so intense it felt physical. She wasn’t alone. And whatever was watching her was big.