[Music] you guys ever hear of the silent Zone Eric said when he first brought up the idea some old local rumor about part of the forest where no sound exists the planet started as another Escape Eric Rachel Megan and I needed a break from the noise the constant hum of the city the stress of work and the endless barrage of emails and notifications we did this for years by going camping always chasing that sense of Freedom that only nature could offer but this time we wanted something different something truly remote Rachel rolled her eyes and
leaned back in a chair sounds like a bunch of superstition probably something to do with the Acoustics or the natural sound barrier her tone dripping with skepticism could be interesting might be nice to actually experience some real peace and quiet for once I added half joking though part of me was intrigued a truly silent area sounded perfect for that Eric had found the spot while digging through obscure online hiking forums it wasn't on any official maps and that made it perfect a remote patch of national forest far off the beaten path where few hikers dare
to venture the main attraction though was a legend that came with it that idea stuck with us the silence as Eerie as it sounded had a strange appeal a break from the constant noise of modern life exactly what we were after the trip was set and we were excited to disappear into the Wilderness for the weekend the drive out was long but familiar miles of winding roads led us deeper into the national forest the trees growing denser as we left civilization behind by the time we parked at the last trail head the car felt out
of place in the thick Woods this is where we head in Eric said pointing at a barely visible Trail it was faint cutting through the brush almost like it didn't want to be found Rachel checked the phone one last time time no signal well here's the be completely off the grid we packed up our gear and began hiking the mood was light we laughed and joked about how far off the map we were going and Rachel the resident skeptic continued to mock the legend maybe the silence or swallow us whole she joked grinning as she
pushed through the brush Eric led the way moving confidently down the Narrow Path the trail wasn't marked but it was clear enough to follow for the next few hours the forest felt normal the leaves rustled in the wind Birds ched in the trees and our boots crunched against the packed Earth everything was peaceful just what we'd hoped [Music] for as the sun began to set we decided to make camp for the night at this point we were miles from the nearest road with nothing but Wilderness stretching out around us the air was Crisp And as
Megan gathered wood for a fire The Familiar sounds of the forest played in the background the Soft Wind Through the branches the occasional distant hoot of an owl insects buzzing in the underbrush but as we sat around the fire that night the conversation and slowed and I noticed the first hint of her knees you guys hear that I asked my voice low Rachel looked up what it's quieter than it was before the forest I muttered Eric paused listening the usual sounds of the forest the rustling of leaves the faint hum of in had grown distant
it wasn't gone not completely but it felt like the forest had dialed everything down we're probably just deeper in than we've been before Eric said shrugging it off this far out it's normal for it to get quieter at night Rachel nodded but the tension lingered the silence wasn't total but it was there creeping in around the edges the next morning the group packed up and continued deeper into the forest we hiked for hours the trail growing fainter the trees closer together the further we went the more the quiet settled in by midday we were walking
in near silence save for the soft crunch of our boots and the occasional murmur of conversation Megan stopped at one point her face tightening seriously do you guys feel that it's like the air is pressing down on us I nodded slowly the strange Stillness the way their voices seemed to fall flat Eric the ever steady one waved them on we're getting close to the area read about probably just the geography or something it'll pass but as we tricked further the forest grew quieter still the birds had stopped singing the wind had died even our footsteps
seemed to lose their sound muffled by the dense heavy air by the time we reached the second campsite the silence was more than just unsettling it was palpable no wind no animals just the oppressive weight of quiet closing in around us okay Rachel muttered as we set up camp her voice barely more than a whisper now it's getting weird Eric gave her a tight smile but he couldn't deny it anymore something was off as we sat by the fire staring into the void of the darkened trees the silence swallowing the sound sounds of the crackling
Flames it was as if the forest itself had absorbed everything and Beyond the glow of the fire there was only silence the morning started out like any other we backed up camp shook the night off and got ready to hike deeper into the forest I could feel the tension from the night before but none of us mentioned it Eric was his usual self leading the way talking about how great it was to be so far away from everything Megan was right behind him pretending she didn't notice the quiet pressing down on us with each step
me I was at the back watching them walk ahead trying to shake the feeling that something was off at first it was just like the day before the usual forest sounds Birds wind in the trees leaves rustling underfoot but as the morning dragged on the sound seemed to fade not all at once just little by little until it was hard to tell if it was the forest that was getting quieter or if my brain was Playing Tricks on Me by noon it was impossible to ignore the silence was thick if that makes any sense you
could feel feel it pressing against your skin your ears straining to pick up any noise at all no birds no wind not even the rustle of leaves anymore just the soft crunch of our boots on the path except even that was fading it was like the forest was swallowing everything Megan spoke again her voice sounding too loud in the dead air it's weird right like there's no sound at all it's unsettling Eric glanced back at her trying to keep things light you're letting the silent Zone story get to you it's just the woods we're probably
imagining it because we're thinking about it too much but even he couldn't hide the unease creeping into his voice I could feel it too by the time we made camp that evening the silence was impossible to deny it was oppressive like a weight on my chest making it harder to breathe we sat around a fire but even the Flames seemed quieter than they should have been the crackling was there but it was faint muffled the fire barely made a dent in the silence that surrounded us Rachel was sitting across from me her face lit up
by the fire light this doesn't feel right she said her voice low I've been in quiet forests before but this is too quiet Eric smirked we found it the silent Zone we should be proud of ourselves Rachel didn't smile back neither did I we didn't talk much after that every time one of us spoke it felt wrong like our voices didn't belong there I kept glancing over my shoulder into the dark where the Fire Light didn't reach it felt like something was watching us I hadn't said it out loud but the thought had been Goring
at me all day the quiet was doing something to me messing with my head it was too perfect too still we moved on Eric Megan and Rachel were a few steps ahead moving slowly none of us wanted to admit it but the sense of dread was growing stronger the silence wasn't just Airy anymore it was starting to feel dangerous the quiet seemed to wrap tighter around us every minute suffocating every sound before it even had a chance Megan slowed looking around her face tense you guys hear that she asked her voice sounding dull as if
it too was being swallowed by the air I stopped in my tracks straining to listen he what for a split second I thought I heard it too a snap maybe a twig breaking in the distance the kind of sound that should have been imposs possible in this dead zone but then just as quickly the forest went silent again we stood still waiting listening Megan's eyes started around scanning the trees I swear I heard something like normal noise Eric glanced back at us confused maybe it's just I don't know an echo maybe things are just weird
here he kept moving but I could see the doubt creeping into his eyes a few minutes later something strange happened we passed through a small clearing it was a much just a patch of ground where the trees parted slightly and sunlight bled through the air here felt different lighter almost Rach and I exchanged glances noticing the shift then as I took another step I heard it my own footsteps for the first time in hours the crunch of my boots on the ground actually sounded like sound real sound Megan's eyes widened and she looked down at
her feet stomping lightly you heard that right she whispered Eric stopped and turned around confused what are you talking about I tried it too stomping harder this time the noise was faint but it was there a crack like someone snapping their fingers in a room too big to Echo it wasn't much but after so much silence it was deafening I hit my water bottle against The Rock for good measure the clim just barely audible but sharp piercing through the heavy quiet we all stood still looking at each other almost hopeful but then the silence crashed
back the moment passed like a window slamming shut and everything went quiet again Eric smiled weakly trying to act like nothing nothing was wrong just the weird spot he muttered picking up the pace I wasn't so sure there was something off about that clearing for a second we had real sound but the silence kept pressing harder as we walked there were no more sounds No More fleeting moments of relief Megan and I exchanged uneasy glances as we moveed through through the trees both of us clearly remembering what we had heard however neither of us wanted
to say it out loud it wasn't an echo something had let the sound through but we couldn't explain it by the time we made camp that night the silence was crushing again we sat around the fire our bodies hunched every movement feeling more labor than the last the fire crackled softly but even that sound felt faint like it didn't belong there like it was being muted a little later I noticed Megan had gone quiet her eyes locked on something just beyond the Fire Light her body was tense like she was ready to run what is
it I asked my voice too loud too sharp in the silence she blinked shook her head I I thought I saw something over there she pointed towards the trees where the shadows flickered in the Fire Light Eric laughed but it sounded forced probably just your imagination it's dark the fire's casting Shadows it's easy to see things that aren't there but I could tell Megan wasn't convinced and honestly neither was I I followed a gaze staring into the dark but there was nothing just trees and shadows stretching endlessly into the night it's nothing Megan said finally
shaking her head but her voice was tight and she kept glancing towards the tree line like she expected to see something move again I knew that feeling the longer we sat there the stronger it got that feeling that we weren't alone when we finally crawled into our tents the silence felt even heavier I lay there staring up at the fabric straining to hear anything a breeze a bird even the sound of my own breathing but there was nothing we set out early the next morning but the moment we stepped away from Camp I felt it
the silence had deepened worse than the day before at first I thought maybe my ears were clogged or something but no the air itself was thick heavy it pressed in on me like a blanket I couldn't shake off Rachel broke the silence is anyone else having trouble I don't know breathing I didn't answer right away I didn't want to acknowledge it but you was right even my breaths felt shallow like the air wasn't properly reaching my lungs when I tried to speak it felt like my voice was fighting to break through something dense like the
air itself was absorbing the sound Eric denied it though he didn't sound convinced he was a few steps ahead leading the way but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before he was a few steps ahead still leading the way but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before we kept moving but it was getting harder the silence wasn't just around us anymore it was in US pressing down on our lungs muffling our voices duling our thoughts every sound we made even just stepping on the ground was
swallowed up almost instantly I stopped for a second taking a deep breath maybe we should turn back Eric shot me a look his eyes narrowed we've come this far we're close to the summit let's just finish the hike all right Rachel didn't say anything but I could see the unease on her face I felt it too but we kept going what else could we do the further we went the worse it got the silence was spreading following us maybe even growing any noise we made Eric shouting ahead to check the path me stomping my boots
on purpose was swallowed up so fast it felt unnatural it wasn't even an echo nothing bounced back the sound just died Rachel tried talking making small conversation to break the tension but her words felt distant like she was talking through a thick wall of glass everything we said was muffled it felt like we weren't even there anymore like the forest of swollen knowing us whole the more we hiked the more dread crept in it wasn't just the quiet it was something about the way the air felt it was suffocating and I couldn't shake the feeling
that we were being watched we stopped for a break setting our packs Down Under the trees that's when Megan froze her eyes locked onto something in the distance I saw her it again she whispered her voice shaking what Eric asked looking around she pointed toward the trees her face pale something moved I followed a gaze scanning the tree line nothing just shadows and the faint rustle of branches there she said again her hand trembling I didn't want to look but I couldn't help myself that's when I saw it a shape elongated dark moving between the
trees quick and Silent it slipped out of sight before I could get a clear view but it was enough my heart started racing we need to leave Rachel opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out her lips moved but there was nothing Panic flashed in her eyes as she looked at me waving frantically to get her attention I could barely breathe it was like the forest had taken not just the sound but the air too Eric was standing still now his eyes wide I think I see it I nodded when we all
had we made our way to where we had camped last trkking back towards our starting point that night at Camp the fire crackled mutely the Flames danced but the sound was barely a whisper barely a flicker against the overwhelming Stillness we sat huddled together no one saying a word what was the point we couldn't hear each other anyway [Music] Megan kept looking over her shoulder and I didn't blame her I could feel it too something was out there lurking waiting watching I leaned forward keeping my voice low we need to go now it hasn't attacked
us but we don't know what it wants we need to leave Eric didn't respond at first just staring into the Flames like he was in a trance finally he shook his head we can't not in the dark we wouldn't make it out he was right but staying here felt worse I glanced at Rachel her face pale and drawn and I knew she felt the same but the silence it was so heavy so complete that we couldn't even talk about it properly it was crushing us the fire kept burning but it gave off no heat or
sound we were alone with our fears suffocating under the weight of the silence and out there beyond the flickering light something was waiting that night lying in my tent I didn't sleep I couldn't the silence had become unbearable pressing in on my ears and my chest it wasn't just the absence of sound anymore it was like the world had stopped moving like even time itself had slowed down but worse than the silence was the feeling that we weren't alone I kept staring into the darkness sure that at any moment I'd see that shape again slipping
through the trees watching us I could feel it it was out there waiting for something I Woke Up Before Dawn though woke up doesn't feel like the right word since I never really slept when I finally unzipped my tent the cold morning air hit me but even that felt wrong too too still too quiet I glanced over at Rachel and Eric's tense then my eyes landed on Megan's empty sleeping bag at first I didn't process it it wasn't until I stood up and walked over that I noticed the rest of her gear was still there
her boots her pack everything I called a name but my voice felt muted barely breaking the thick air no answer Rachel I shouted louder this time though it still felt like I was yelling underwater Rachel stumbled out of her tent rubbing her eyes what what's going on it's Megan I said my voice tight she's gone within minutes we were all on our feet scanning the area but there was nothing no sign of her leaving her boots were still next to her tent her bag untouched no Footprints no broken branches no sign of a struggle just
silence Rachel started pacing running her hands through her hair her breath coming faster where did she go she wouldn't just leave like that Eric was standing still his face pale maybe she went to the W wood to I don't know maybe she got up in the night and wandered off I shook my head without her boots and she would have said something we would have heard but that was the problem wasn't it in this Forest you couldn't hear anything not the wind not the birds and certainly not someone Vanishing in the middle of the night
we searched for hours calling and name but our voices felt like there were swallowed hole barely carrying past the trees we walked in circles around the camp looking for any sign of her nothing it was like she had been wiped away erased from the World Without a Trace the Panic hit Rachel first she was pacing again tears Welling in her eyes I could see her hand shaking her breath coming in short bursts she was barely holding it together Eric tried to calm her down but I could hear the Tremor in his voice too we just
need to stay focused I didn't say anything I was trying to think trying to figure out what to do but we couldn't stay here not after last night that's when I saw it it at first I thought it was a shadow just another trick of the Fire Light flickering through the trees but as I stared I realized it was moving not swaying like a tree in the wind moving a tall grotesque figure just beyond the edge of our camp Eric I whispered barely able to form the words do you see that he followed my gaze
and I heard him sucking a breath what the hell it was just standing there still as death watching us its body was twisted despite its size it made no sound not a whisper not a rustle of leaves just silence Rachel turned her face going pale oh my God the creature didn't move didn't step closer it just watched Eric panicked grabbed a rock from the ground and hled it at the thing but when the rock hit it there was no sound no impact no noise just the sight of it falling to the ground as if it
had never been thrown at all the silence swallowed everything my chest tightened the thing didn't Flinch didn't react it just stood there shrouded in Shadow the dark swallowing its features and then just as suddenly as it had appeared it turned and slipped back into the trees disappearing into the dark we stood there Frozen none of us speaking what was the point there were no words just the weight of the silence heavier now than it had ever been it pressed in on us squeezing the breath from our lungs wrapping itself around our throats Rachel was trembling
her eyes locked on the spot where the creature had vanished we have to go now Eric didn't argue this time neither did I we moved to the tree line ready to follow the trail back I see something I muttered and both of them turned to look I stepped closer and that's when I saw it a jacket Megan's jacket it looked like it was discarded on a dried up log with the sleeves were attached when I pulled on it I yanked it up and the log snapped with with a sound that never came that's when I
saw that it wasn't wood but the dried up remains of Megan she was sucked dry from all her moisture and more drained wouldn't come close to describing it how that happened in the span of hours was beyond me Rachel's breath hitched and she stumbled forward her hand shaking as she reached down to pick it up it was Heavy soaked with something dark and sticky Rachel backed away her hands trembling no no no no no Eric grabbed her by the shoulders shaking her gently we have to go Rachel Megan's gone we can't stay here you saw
that thing it's still out there we'll die if we don't leave now Rachel's face crumbled and she nodded her eyes wide and glazed over okay okay we packed up in silence or what passed for packing when every movement felt sluggish like the air itself was resisting us I couldn't get the image of Megan's jacket out of my head she was dead and we had to get out before the same thing happened to us Eric led the way moving faster now but it felt like we were fighting the farest every step was harder than the last
like the ground was sucking Us in my lungs burned struggling to take in the air that didn't seem to exist and the silence was unbearable I tried to keep up but my legs felt like they were moving through molasses Rachel was ahead of me her eyes wide her breathing erratic but at least she was moving I tried to call out to them to tell them that we needed to move faster but the sound died in my throat before it even reached my lips we started running or at least we tried it didn't feel like running
more like moving through a bad dream everything disoriented like the world was working against us every step felt like it took twice the effort like the ground was pulling us back with every movement my lungs were on fire my legs shaking with exhaustion but I pushed forward not daring to look back then I stumbled my foot caught on something maybe a rot maybe a rock and I hit the ground hard no sound not even the thud of my body hitting the Earth it was like the world is itself it raised the noise before it could
happen I tried to push myself up but it felt like the silence was pulling me down suffocating me I called out for Eric for Rachel but nothing came the silence swallowed my voice whole and then I looked up there was something in the trees just ahead of me a tall and grotesque Shadow watching me from the edge of the clearing the creature had been following us watching us struggle waiting for the right moment I tried to scream but nothing came out my breath caught in my throat and I could feel my body being pulled down
into the earth into the suffocating void I reached out but Eric and Rachel were already too far ahead the forest closing in around them Eric and Rachel didn't notice I'd fall and behind until it was too late the silence engulfed me completely swallowing me whole I wasn't gone not completely I could still see them hear the faint Whispers of their panicked breaths I watched as they ran stumbling through the trees their movements slow and disjointed they didn't know where they were going the forest had Twisted itself around them distorting their path and then they reached
the clearing they stumbled into the open space gasping for air but it didn't matter the silence was there too thick and suffocating pressing down on them it was so intense now that it became physically painful I could see it in their faces how they winced with every step and breath and then the creature stepped into view it was taller than I remember its body twisted and unnatural its limbs long and thin like Shadows come to life it didn't need to move aggressively or chase them silence was its weapon its way of crushing them without lifting
a finger Eric tried to scream tried to make some noise but his voice was gone before it left his mouth Rachel fell to her knees clutching her head her face Twisted in agony the creature just stood there watching letting the silence do its work Eric and Rachel made a desperate attempt to run but it was hopeless the silence twisted everything their senses and perception of time they were moving in slow motion stumbling through the forest that felt endless now they didn't know if they were moving in the right direction maybe they weren't moving at all
I wanted to scream to tell them to stop to tell them to fight back but I was gone the silence had taken me too all I could do was watch trapped in the void as they ran into the endless suffocating silence I couldn't bear to be left behind so I heaved with all my might and got one knee under me a few heavy breaths later and I got my other foot perched and with the effort of an Olympic lifter I performed the hardest squat of my life to stand all the while the creature was just
watching at the edge of the tree line I stumbled slowly at first and picked up to the fastest Pace I could which wasn't much determined to catch up to Eric and Rachel the light was starting to bleed through the trees Dawn the pale glow of the morning should have been a relief but the silence was suffocating heavier than ever every breath I took felt like it was being stolen from me up ahead I saw Eric and Rachel barely moving each step like they were waiting through through thick mud the trees were thinning out but it
didn't matter the silence was inside us now a crushing weight that no amount of daylight could lift the air felt thick in my throat smothering my screams before it could Escape it didn't matter how close the road was it felt like the forest itself was fighting to hold us back then Rachel collapsed once second she was walking the next she hit the ground face down in the dirt no sound not even the thud of her body hitting the Earth her face looked gaunt like she hadn't eaten in days Eric stopped gasping and bent down to
pull her up but I could see it in his face he was losing it his hands were shaking his breaths shallow and desperate he tried to lift her but the silence seemed to cling to him weighing him down making every movement harder than it should be we're not going to make it I heard myself think the silence wasn't letting go Eric crouched over Rachel pulling a limp body toward him trying to get her to her feet I staggered over my legs burning barely able to hold myself up we have to to get her up I
gasped though I couldn't hear my own words no sound he looked up at me panic flashing in his eyes I I can't his voice came out like a whisper even though I knew he was shouting he took on her arm again but it was like pulling against concrete Rachel wasn't moving for a second I thought he was going to leave her I thought maybe we'd have to make the choice leaving Rachel behind or risk being swallowed by the silence ourselves but then something flickered in Eric's eyes determination or maybe just desperation either way he wasn't
going to give up he grabbed Rachel by the shoulders and I moved to help him we heed her up but her body was Heavy too heavy be it was like the silence had wrapped itself around her pulling her down into the Earth for every inch we lifted her it felt like the forest pulled her back I glanced behind me expecting to see the creature but the shadow was gone that was almost worse I couldn't see it but I could feel it closing in pressing in on us from all sides like the Silence of itself was
alive ready to crush us at any moment Eric was still pulling Rachel along her body limp barely able to stand I wasn't far behind but my legs felt like they were made of lead the creature was close I couldn't see it but I knew it was there hidden just beyond the edges of my vision watching us stumble through the trees like prey Rachel fell collapsing to her knees with a thud that made no sound Eric dropped beside her his face contorted in panic trying to lift her back up but she was barely responsive her eyes
half closed her breath shallow and quick we have to keep moving Eric muttered his voice shaking he was trying to pull her to her feet but she was too heavy it felt like the air itself was pulling her down I tried to think back to times when my body felt light without the oppressive silence weighing down on me trying to mentally motivate myself we' been in this nightmare so long I struggled to think of a time when things were normal suddenly a thought flashed through my mind of my most recent memory of clarity the clearing
the one from the other day where the silence had broken just for a second it had been brief barely noticeable at the time but now it felt like our Only Hope Sound had returned there even if only for a moment I scanned the area my eyes darting through the trees and then I saw it the route leading to the same clearing just ahead highlighted by the Rays of light penetrating the canopy of branches it wasn't far just past the cluster of trees Eric I hissed my voice barely audible the clearing it's up ahead we have
to go there Eric looked up confused and frantic what are you talking about we need to get away not further in but I didn't have time to explain I grabbed Rachel's other arm and we half dragged half carried her toward the clear ing the creature was closing in I could feel it the silence growing denser with every step my chest felt tight my head pounding from the pressure but I pushed forward we didn't have a choice we broke through the trees into the clearing and for a split second just like before I heard it the
faintest sound my boots crunching against the dirt Rachel's ragged breaths too loud in the oppressive quiet the silence was weaker here Eric was panting his eyes wild with fear what do we do we can't stay here I placed Rachel down using this place to let her rest and as I lowered her I heard a loud rattling as she hit the ground I looked down at the metal canister on Rachel's back my hands trembling as I pulled it off the water bottle heavy and metallic I didn't know if it would work but we were out of
options I slammed it against the ground the clang rang out sharp and clear cutting through the quiet like a knife it was faint but it was real sound for a moment everything stilled even the oppressive silence seemed to recoil like it couldn't fully suppress the noise do it again Eric gasped pulling out a metal pot from his pack he slammed it against his water bottle creating an echoing metallic clang again the sound cut through through just barely but it was there the air around us shuddered like the silence itself was retreating and I felt the
pressure of my chest ease slightly the creature it had been closing in I could feel it but now now it was held back I could almost sense it lurking just beyond the edge of the clearing waiting for the sound to fade we need more noise I muttered my voice horse I grabbed a rock and threw it against the nearby tree he made a dull thud but it was something Eric followed suit banging on the tree with whatever he could find creating an almost rhythmic clatter each sound we made seemed to push the silence back just
a little further Rachel barely conscious stirred her eyes fluttering open what what are you doing she whispered we're making noise I said my voice trembling it's the only way to keep it back the silence wasn't gone but we had weakened it the creature was still out there watching waiting for the moment the noise stopped but as long as we kept hitting kept slamming rocks and metal together we were holding it at Bay move I yelled my voice cracking but audible this time we have to get to the road now Eric and I hold Rachel to
her feet staggering out of the clearing I didn't dare look back we kept moving hitting rocks against trees as we went the sounds were faint but steady keeping the silence at Bay just long enough it was a long journey made a hard by the constant need to make sound but eventually we broke through the moment we stepped out onto the road it was like a veil had been lifted the silence shattered all at once sound came rushing Back In The Wind in the trees the distant chirping of birds our own ragged breaths it hit us
like a wave disorienting and overwhelming but it was real we collapsed onto the ashev gasping for air feeling the Solid Ground beneath us the way to the silence was gone lifted I turned to look back at the tree line Half expecting the creature to follow but there was nothing no Shadows no movement just the forest still and quiet but not like before not that crushing deadly quiet Rachel was lying beside me Breathing heavily her face pale but alive Eric sat behind her his hands shaking his eyes still wide with the adrenaline of the Escape we
made it he muttered his voice horse we made it out I nodded but the sense of dread didn't fully lift even as I stared at the trees we had escaped but the forest the silence was still there waiting lurking just beyond the edge
