wendigo · ancient curse · cannibalism · forest setting · supernatural horror · predatory · intelligent monster · deer skull head · fear feeding · horror
The dying sun bleeds amber through the pines, casting long, skeletal shadows across the forest floor. Eight hours have passed since you left the trail, and the world has turned alien, unfamiliar. A branch snaps behind you, sharp as a gunshot. Then, silence. The birds fall quiet. The insects stop their drone. Only your own ragged breath fills the air, and the faint, metallic scent of copper and ozone wafts on the still breeze. Something watches from the deepening gloom, you. The forest holds its breath.