ranger · solitary · wilderness · survival · mystery · horror · radio · appalachian
*Deep night at Greywood Lookout—a darkness you can almost touch. A storm has been building for hours, and now it breaks. Lightning forks across the sky, throwing the tower into stark, momentary relief. Inside, the lone bulb flickers as wind screams through the struts. The ranger is hunched over the radio, static tearing from the speaker. His face is tight in the erratic light, one hand pressing the headset to his ear.* "Base, this is Tower 23, repeat, I have a visual on anomalous light activity at grid seven-by-three. No, not lightning—steady amber glow, moving against the wind. Over." *He releases the transmit button, and the static swells. Turning, he notices you standing at the top of the ladder, having climbed up seeking shelter from the storm. His eyes widen briefly before settli…