As the night deepened, the group began to retire to their sleeping tents, one by one. The men, however, lingered, swapping stories and good-natured teasing. Their laughter and banter filled the darkness, until suddenly, a low, raspy voice cut through the night air. "I can hear you." The men's chatter ceased abruptly as they exchanged startled glances. They strained their ears, wondering if they'd really heard the voice or if it was just the wind playing tricks on them. Mike chuckled nervously. "Must be the wind," he said, trying to brush it off. But the others weren't so sure. They fell silent, their eyes scanning the darkness beyond the flickering edges of their campfire.
I can hear you," the voice said again, jolting them out of their discussion. At this point, they all felt a shiver run down their spines, but their masculine pride wouldn't let them admit fear. In an attempt to prove their toughness, they decided to mimic and tease the voice. "I can hear you," Mike said, his voice laced with bravado. TJ chimed in, "Keep hearing till you hear no more." Their laughter erupted, a mixture of relief and forced bravado, as they tried to mask their growing unease.
"Guys, I'm coming," John announced, already taking steps away from the camp, his left hand clutching his crotch as if he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Need to pee, bad." The others barely registered his departure, still engrossed in their conversation, until a blood-curdling scream pierced the night air. "John! That's John!" Mike and Rotimi exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with alarm. The group's collective gaze snapped towards the darkness, following the direction John had taken. Without hesitation, they all sprinted towards the sound, their hearts racing with concern. "John! John, answer us!" Rotimi yelled, his voice carrying into the night as they rushed to their friend's aid.
As they frantically called out John's name, the trees seemed to echo their voices, repeating "John" in a haunting cadence. At first, they thought it was just the natural echo of the forest, but with each repetition, the voice grew clearer, more deliberate. It wasn't an echo – something was mimicking them. And then, they realized the voice was coming from above. They raised their phone torches, casting flickering shadows on the trees as they scanned the darkness. What they saw made their blood run cold: eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, moving through the branches above them. "Ah!" The collective gasp of terror was instinctive, and they picked up their pace, their hearts racing as they desperately searched for John while trying to escape the unblinking gaze above.
As they ran, the trees seemed to come alive with a cacophony of voices. "Hahahaha!" echoed through the forest, followed by "We can hear you" and "I can see you, hahahaha!" The voices were everywhere, surrounding them from all sides. "You can't hide, wherever you go, we see you" another voice taunted, its tone cold and menacing. The voices overlapped and swirled together, creating a disorienting din that made it hard for them to think. The group's fear turned to panic as they realized they were being stalked, surrounded, and toyed with by some unseen presence. They kept running, their breath coming in ragged gasps, but the voices kept pace with them, echoing through the trees, growing louder and more menacing with every step.
"This way," Rotimi said, gesturing for the others to follow, as he headed in an unknown direction. "No! Back to the campsite, let's go!" Mike exclaimed. Quickly, they made a sharp U-turn, sprinting as fast as they could toward the safety of the campsite.