A Hike Gone Wrong Ch. 01

It wasn't the first time Phoebe hiked in those mountains. Or rather in those hills. While not very impressive in terms of height, the wide mountain range harbored dense forests only traversable thanks to a few badly maintained trails. Obviously, this didn't stop brave hikers from wandering this uncharted territory, sometimes at the cost of their lives. After all, the region is known for its number of disappearances. Phoebe wasn't scared of the of getting lost in those woods. Young, athletic, brave, sometimes too much... She had thoroughly studied the maps, brought the right equipment and, most importantly, she had done easier expeditions here before; for her, getting to know the terrain you hike through is the key to surviving more dangerous treks. As such, it wasn't her first time hiking alone in these mountains, but it was her first time not following a trail. "She must be suicidal to undertake this journey." some would say. But ultimately, it was what made her fall in love with hiking. This sense of wonder and exploration, not knowing what awaits you at every corner... Ever since her first time in the wild, she knew what her passion was.

However, even with strong self-confidence, nothing could really prepare you to the things you find when diving in the unknown. The blode hiker had made extraordinary finds before: old firearms from past wars, abandoned buildings and even mysterious markings from forgotten ages. She had had numerous encounters with the unusual that heavily put her cartesian mind to the test. However, these never were things which couldn't be explained with some logical thinking. She also had seen her fair share of eerie silhouettes in the dark and heard countless noises no animal on this earth could possibly make, as well as sensations she couldn't describe using words. In her mind, she had experienced everything; few things could surprise her anymore. But as she soon realized reality can, and will, often defy expectations.

Phoebe had been hiking for two days. Planning to stay there for a week, she had carefully checked the weather before starting her travel. Unfortunately, the skies can be deceiving. The morning of the third day, a thick fog had taken over the forest, restricting her field of view to only a few meters ahead. It wasn't the girl's first time in harsh conditions, but never when walking off-trails in such an unknown environment. Phoebe stayed confident in her skills and continued on her planned route. In fifteen minutes she had already packed all her belongings and resumed her journey.

A few hours went by and, while the young hiker had encountered no issues so far, the fog remained thick. She hadn't made as much progress as she expected. As such, she decided to take a break to check her map and decide the best course of action. She tried pinpointing her location, but the sameness of the forest and the lack of visible points of interest made it impossible to know exactly where she was. Of course, she had a rough idea of her position, not accurate enough to follow the path she had set for herself, though. "This isn't good..." Phoebe thought. In all her years of hiking, she had never feared getting lost. Having said that, the blonde girl had never gotten lost before... The sudden realization you don't know where you are... She could feel her hands shaking as she held the map, her breathing getting erratic... She was overwhelmed by the situation. But thanks to her experience, she made the wise decision to stay put and wait for the fog to dissipate; resuming her hike now would only get her lost further.

The girl sat down, her back against a tree. "Not comfy" she thought. She began listening to the ambient sounds but, there wasn't any. Surrounded by a seemingly endless number of trees, no birds could be heard, not even insects. Nothing. Silence like she never heard before. With each passing second, she could feel a strong unease setting in. The girl focused her hearing in the hopes of catching even the quietest sign of life around her, but to no avail. An intense panic was taking over. Deep breaths, closing her eyes, meditating... She used all the tricks she knew to calm herself. Quickly, her heartbeat slowed, her hands stopped shaking... She was regaining control over her emotions and opened her mind. Just like her mind, the fog had started clearing up.

Relief filled her body as she looked around her, finally being able to see further than a few meters ahead. That's when she saw it. Shrouded in the mist, barely visible; a four-legged beast was watching her in the distance. She couldn't exactly discern what it looked like, but the glimpse she caught of it sufficed to make her feel in great danger. About the same height as a big wolf but wider, the creature looked enormous, even from afar. Its motionless body, its dark tail hanging still in the air... It knew it had been seen. Phoebe stopped breathing. What would be its next move? Would it charge at her? Could she even get up fast enough to flee? She couldn't do anything but stare at the beast. Her heart felt like bursting from her chest. The tension was almost palpable. It was still observing her, its silhouette contrasting against the misty background. The young hiker was frozen in place, her legs refusing to budge even the slightest. If it attacked now, she would be killed.

In a twist of fate, the beast slowly walked away before disappearing into the remaining fog. The girl took a long, deep breath. Thoughts were racing in her mind. What had just happened? Was the thing gone or just hiding? Ans most importantly, what was it? Should she stay put or run before it comes back? She felt like crying. Never had she felt so terrified. First the fog and then this thing? "I must leave" she thought after regaining some of her composure. At this point, she just wanted to go home. But the question remained: where was she? She still couldn't see far ahead nor hear any sound. And the thought of meeting this beast again... It sent her shivers down her spine.

Minutes passed before she finally stood up. Her legs still shaking, the fear still intense. Phoebe took a step forward, then another, and another... Before she knew it, she was walking, trying to escape this predicament. With her compass in hand, she followed a general direction that should bring her back to civilization in less than a day.

Time flew as she made her way through the trees. Her eyes glued to the compass, she had fallen multiple times and lightly hurt herself. Nothing serious other than signs she was distressed. An hour after departure, the fog had completely cleared up, revealing the lush vegetation surrounding her. Even though she had hiked here for two days, the ominous presence of the creature made every tree look menacing, as if each one of them were hiding spot for the beast. Still febrile from the encounter, the girl wasn't sure if she had hallucinated or not. The fear and panic of being lost might have played tricks on her. But the lack of any sound except for the rising wind truly made for a sinister atmosphere. Still feeling insecure, she hastened the pace.

Unfortunately, the sky had started filling with black, menacing clouds. "Not now..." she whispered. She wished for them to go away, to simply pass over her and continue on their way; but it seemed like fate had turned against her today. It didn't take long for the first thunder to roar in the forest. Still distant, it was nevertheless a warning of the storm to come. She looked around her. Branches were dancing on the trees, and their rustle became the only sound she could hear; the creature could be right next to her she wouldn't hear a thing. Then, a flash. Not three seconds after, thunder followed; she almost stumbled because of how loud it was. Rain started gradually pouring from the sky. In less than a minute, Phoebe was soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold. Even with all her willpower she couldn't reasonably continue her hike back to civilization. The girl would just die from exhaustion or, more probably, hypothermia. Only one choice was available: finding a shelter.

But what kind of shelter could she find in the middle of nowhere? She considered setting up her tent, but the storm was too strong and the ground too unstable for it to withstand the wind. It was too dangerous to risk it. A natural shelter was her only option. The trees were a no-go, obviously. As such, she ran in search of something she could use; a cave, a rock formation, anything... In vain. Hope was rapidly dwindling as she started imagining the worst scenarios. Dying alone of hypothermia? Impossible! She just wouldn't let it happen. She raced through the trees, jumped over roots and rocks. "Come on!". She prayed to the gods, any god that would help her... That's when it appeared. A dirt road, clearly not natural. Where did it lead? She didn't have time for that question. The blonde girl chose a direction to follow and hoped it was one leading to a town.

After following this road for fifteen minutes, she caught glimpses of small buildings through the foliage. Her heart leapt for joy. "I'm saved!" she thought. But a few more seconds and this joy was replaced with disappointment. The buildings were decrepit, too damaged to take refuge in. A tall, steel wired fence covered in barbed wire stood before her and safety. The main door was locked. On it were signs with "KEEP OUT" written on them. An old military base? Perhaps. The rain intensified, almost to the point it hurt; the sound of thunder grew louder. Phoebe couldn't wait any longer. She looked around the perimeter, searching for a way in. It didn't take her long to find one. A huge gap in the fence let her in. As she entered the facility, the legality of her act didn't even cross her mind. She immediately ran deeper in the base. Surely there would be somewhere for her to take shelter in.

As she followed the dirt road leading inside, it appeared again; between the flashes of lightnings and the rustling of trees, a huge shadowy figure dashing through the foliage. She was now sure of it. The creature was stalking her all along, hidden by the chaos of the raging storm. The girl didn't even have time to think that her body started running. Her eyes looking everywhere, trying to follow the creature hunting her. But all her senses were blinded by the thunderstorm. Her heartbeat was out of control, her legs so shaky... If she stopped now, she was dead. Too busy looking for the beast, she almost fell multiple times in the mud, only regaining her balance at the last moment. Despite the difficulties, she never ran so fast in her life. Only a few meters separated her from her hunter; any error would be fatal.

Finally, the girl could see large buildings revealing themselves through the storm. Nonetheless, this didn't mean safety; their lack of intact windows and doors meant they weren't safe from the beast. She looked around her, still running, passing each of the buildings she saw. "Fucking hell just one intact building, please!" she thought. But her prayers weren't answered. She would die here alone, devoured by an unknown creature. Phoebe was just about to give up; suddenly, she found something miraculous: a tunnel leading inside a mountain. Certainly, there would be somewhere for her to hide inside. Phoebe darted past the entrance and continued running; there was a door on the side. A strong, steel door, akin to those found on submarines. Thankfully, it was wide open. She rushed through it, closing it as soon as she entered. She immediately grabbed the locking wheel and shut the door tight.

Not even taking the time to light a glowstick, the blonde girl collapsed on the floor. All these emotions, the horrifying thought of what could have happened... Before she knew it tears were already flowing down her cheeks. Not just tears of relief, though. What she just went through exhausted her mentally. Alone complete darkness, Phoebe was sobbing. Frankly, she was a mess.

It took more than half an hour for the girl to regain her composure. While mentally breaking down in a situation like hers was understandable, she couldn't waste more time sitting here crying. She got up, dried her eyes and observed her surroundings. It was pitch black. She reached inside her bag to grab a glowstick she cracked instantly. As the chemicals mixed, a red glow lit up the area surrounding her. She was standing in a corridor. From what she could see in the distance, it led to some sort of staircase. Behind her was the metal door she went through. "I'm definitely not opening it..." she thought. Wise choice, as that creature could still be lurking outside. As dangerous as it seemed, her only option was to go down the stairs and find another way out of the facility.

The red glowstick in hand, she started descending. With every step, the air was growing warmer. As she got deeper, a strange smell started filling her nostrils. Was her imagination playing tricks on her? The girl sniffed the air. Something was definitely emitting a smell. After having smelled it for a good minute, she concluded that the closest thing to this aroma was honey. "What could cause this?" she thought. Now even more cautious, Phoebe continued her descent.

At the bottom of the stairs, she stood in front of a metal door in a small room. What could be behind it? There was only one way to find out. As she prepared to open it, her hand right on the handle, the girl noticed a strange multicolored light shining through the door's crack. "Light? Here?" numerous questions popped in her mind. "Is it safe to open it?". No one was there to answer them, though. After having gathered enough courage, Phoebe tried to swing the door open; and failed. Something was blocking the door. She prepared herself again and, this time, used her body's weight. As she was pushing the door, she could hear something tearing off on the other side. Unbothered, she rammed the door one last time before it finally opened.

The sight baffled her. Hundreds of blue, green, and purple bioluminescent flowers. Blooming from plants climbing on the walls, taking their roots in black, viscous, and fleshy looking slime that covered the floor and walls. Vegetation unlike anything she had seen before. Small mushrooms everywhere, illuminating every corner of the corridor with their pale green light. Hanging from the ceiling were some sort of glowworms. Phoebe couldn't keep her jaw closed. Almost everything was radiating luminescent light. The blend of all these different lights made for an out-of-this-world experience. The air was filled with minuscule floating orbs, each reflecting the various colored lights. It was a spectacle like no other. Such an alien landscape in front of her... "What the hell is this?!" she said out loud. Her thoughts were racing in her mind. Was this slime dangerous? Were the plants dangerous? Was even the air safe to breathe? After some deliberations with herself, the girl decided she had no other choice but to enter this strange environment.

It took her some time before she finally stepped in. She could feel a comfortable warmth slowly spreading through her shoe, and while she could not sense it directly, she imagined the soil to be slimy and goopy. She fully entered the room, her two feet now touching the black slime. The blonde girl could still smell the honey-like aroma. Determined to find out what it was, she took another step. But her foot wouldn't budge. Or more exactly, her shoe was stuck to the slime. "What the..." she whispered. Her eyes widened when she saw what was happening. The unknown substance was slowly climbing her shoes, entrapping it. She tried to get rid of it but to no avail; the sticky sap-like ooze was too strong. Phoebe quickly untied her laces and got her foot out. But it was the same.

A soon as she placed her foot on the slime, it started attacking her sock. She truly had no choice; swiftly, the blonde girl removed her sock before lifting her other foot and doing the same. Now barefoot on this alien life form, she expected the same to happen to her feet. But to her surprise, nothing happened. While she could feel the slime squirming under her soles, as if she was walking on thousands of worms, it didn't seem to stick to her skin. She lifted one foot. Nothing prevented her. She tried with the other. The same happened. With a sigh of relief, Phoebe started walking down the wide corridor. Never in her life had she walked on a similar surface. And yet, even more surprising, it didn't feel bad. Comfortably warm and smooth, she almost felt like laying on it. Almost.

Along the walls, ivy-like plants twined above mushrooms of different sizes, displaying an otherworldly beauty as colored light reflected on their leaves. With an astonished look, the young hiker explored this unusual jungle. Each new corner she saw captivated her even more. Purple vines were hanging from wall to wall, between the glowworms, creating a beautiful blend with the green and blue luminescent lights. It all created a wonderful, magical atmosphere that fascinated the girl. She crouched down on the ground. On the edge of the mushroom patches, minuscule violet flowers were blooming. Instead of the usual petals, they had been replaced by thin filaments. "What on earth is this place..." she said, amazed. The air here was different from the rain-filled, cold air in the forest she came through. Here, the ambient temperature was perfect. Not too cold, not too hot. And this warmth coming from the slime... She felt a sense of well-being, as if this place was soothing her and making her forget the terrifying situation she was in. It was peaceful. Maybe even a little too peaceful...

As she continued walking through this truly alien world, she found herself stepping in an enormous room. Whatever its purpose was originally, it now housed hundreds of unknown lifeforms. Purple, bioluminescent plants hanged from the ceiling, shaped like a plate. Until now, Phoebe hadn't seen anything other than plants; she now faced huge insect like creatures, giant slugs and other strange animals. While not human-sized, all creatures she saw largely dwarfed their surface counterparts. What most surprised her wasn't their size or their eerie, fleshy appearances, but rather the way they were interacting with each other. She couldn't have predicted this scene.

Some organisms were mating, creating a mesmerizing display of multicolored flesh; in fact, most of them were having sex. Various colored fluids were being produced and dripped on the ground. Despite their unusual colors, the girl instantly knew what it was: semen. The thick liquid trickled down, forming large, multicolored puddles that were slowly being absorbed by the slime. She couldn't do anything but freeze in bewilderment. Was she really watching an orgy of unknown creatures? Large mollusks were stuck to each other; some had long appendages adorned with fleshy bumps and ridges, pulsating, rhythmically thrusting their phallic shape deep within anything that would indulge. Greenish semen leaked from the holes they already mated with. As beautiful as this room was, the sex-crazed slugs were undeniably the most interesting part.

Absorbed by their activities, the lifeforms didn't care Phoebe was here. As disgusting -- yet fascinating -- as it was, she had a feeling she shouldn't disturb them. The girl certainly didn't want to be attacked by these creatures. The simple thought of one of these slugs climbing her leg made her shiver. Hopefully, it would never come to this. Trying to be stealthy, the blonde girl carefully passed behind a giant slug, who was slowly moving its long and stout appendage around its body, probably looking for something to mate with.

After witnessing such a bizarre sight, she'd expect herself to be absolutely disgusted by it. Of course she was. But deep inside her chest, she could feel her heart pounding, a strange warmth enveloping her. "What if they caught me?". She couldn't stop intrusive thoughts from appearing left and right in her mind. Phoebe continued avoiding the orgies and, as she did, the pleasant smell she had smelled in the staircase came back. There was no doubt, it was the same! Curious as to what could be emitting such a pleasant smell, she followed it down a narrow corridor. As the odor was getting stronger, she increased the pace, ready to discover its source. But then... A vulva? At the end of the corridor, a massive ivy-like plant had taken roots. Its vines were invading the already tight hallway. But the weirdest thing was its huge stem, harboring a pussy-shaped hole which emitted a nice pink light. She wanted to get closer. The girl had a tough time going through the fleshy, black, and slimy vines. Now standing in front of the stem, she crouched to get a good look of the hole.