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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Dead End
\nMy blood turned to ice.<\/p>\n
“Nine,” the rasping voice echoed from the dashboard speakers.<\/p>\n
I scrambled for the gearshift to throw the car into reverse, but the engine sputtered and died, plunging the cabin into near-total darkness. The only light was the eerie, pale glow of the GPS screen, casting long shadows across the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
“Eight. Seven.”<\/p>\n
The heavy fog swirling around the hood of my car seemed to thicken, pressing against the glass. I slammed my hand onto the door handle, but the electronic locks had engaged. The master switch did nothing.<\/p>\n
“Six.”<\/p>\n
Through the windshield, the decaying wooden doors of the abandoned barn began to groan. They were inching open, revealing a cavernous, pitch-black interior that seemed to swallow the meager light from the moon.<\/p>\n
“Five. Four.”<\/p>\n
Panic gave way to pure adrenaline. I unbuckled my seatbelt, swung both legs over the center console, and planted my boots squarely against the passenger-side window. I kicked with everything I had. Once. Twice. On the third strike, the tempered glass shattered outward into the mist.<\/p>\n
“Three. Two.”<\/p>\n
I dragged myself through the jagged opening, slicing my jacket on the remaining shards, and tumbled onto the damp earth. I didn’t look back. I sprinted into the dense woods bordering the dirt road, the heavy fog instantly swallowing me whole.<\/p>\n
“One.” The voice from the car speakers boomed into the quiet night, followed by a heavy, metallic clunk echoing from the barn.<\/p>\n
“Zero.”<\/p>\n
I threw myself behind the thick trunk of a massive oak tree, clamping both hands over my mouth to muffle my ragged breathing. My heart hammered against my ribs. I waited for the sound of footsteps, the crack of snapping branches, the roar of whatever had just stepped out of that barn.<\/p>\n
But there was nothing. Just the deafening silence of the midnight woods and the dripping of condensation from the leaves.<\/p>\n
I stayed frozen for what felt like hours, finally daring to lower my hands. Maybe I had lost it. Maybe the fog was too thick for it to track me.<\/p>\n
I let out a long, shaky exhale, leaning my head back against the rough bark.<\/p>\n
From the absolute darkness on the other side of the tree trunk, the same deep, human rasp whispered directly into my ear.<\/p>\n
“Recalculating.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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