I have worked in national parks for many years mostly maintaining trails and guiding visitors I also volunteered for search and rescue missions sometimes we would get calls about missing hikers or lost campers and my partner and I would set out to find them most times we brought them back safely but this night was different it was a blizzardy night with snow falling in thick curtains that made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead the temperature was brutal well below magia 17° C and my breath felt like ice in my lungs we got
a call about a missing woman she had been staying in a group of Scenic cabins about 2 hours away the drive was rough snow piled up and we almost slid off the road a few times the wind howled and it felt like the world was screaming at us to turn back but we had a job to do when we reached the cabins the group that had called us was in disarray they spoke in rushed Whispers their faces pale with fear I learned they had been taking psychedelics earlier in the night they admitted they were out
of their minds with strange visions and laughs that turned into sobs one of the women had suddenly run outside in only her regular clothes and sneakers ignoring the cold ignoring their calls to come come back by the time they realized she was gone she had vanished Into the Storm my partner and I tried to stay calm as we grabbed our gear snow was falling so fast that even a few minutes delay could erase someone's Footprints we hoped she wouldn't get too far but outside everything looked the same white swirling freezing we had a single flashlight
each and had to save battery life the radio crackled with the voices of other search teams but the signal was weak we found Footprints at first leading away from the cabin they weren't deep so I worried about how lightly she was dressed the bitter wind cut through my heavy coat and I could not imagine how it felt for her in normal clothes after a short while the footprints ended near a patch of ice it was as if she had been lifted into the air I checked the surrounding area but I saw nothing but snow and
darkness my partner and I split up for a moment searching in wide circles the minutes turned into hours at one point the wind died down just enough for me to hear the crunch of something moving in the distance I rushed toward the sound calling her name hoping she could still hear me there was no answer instead the storm returned angrier and I felt disoriented my partner's voice came through the radio telling me he had found something I fought against the gusts of wind to reach him he stood by a pile of clothes half half buried
in the snow her clothes even her shoes were there lying halfhazard like she had tossed them off in a hurry my heart pounded why would she remove her clothes in such a deadly cold I felt a chill run through my body beyond what the weather could cause we looked at each other fear in our eyes and continued searching now more desperate Than Ever After exactly 3 hours and 41 minutes though it felt like days we finally found her she was sitting against a large tree completely naked her head tilted back as if she were looking
at the sky she was barefoot with frost clinging to her blue tinged skin I rushed to her side calling her name but there was no response her eyes were open but they didn't see me she didn't blink she was gone I still remember how she looked framed by the white snow her hair Frozen in small icicles it felt wrong to see a person like that we tried to cover her with our jacket but it was too late we radioed for help our voices breaking neither of us spoke much after that we just waited for the
team to come waiting for someone to take her body away the wind seemed to moan around us and the trees creaked like old bones for the next few nights I couldn't sleep whenever I closed my eyes I saw her face staring at me I heard the storm's howl echo in my mind and I felt the hopelessness of standing in that cold trying to call someone back from Death my dreams turned into nightmares where I wandered alone in the blizzard Footprints Vanishing behind me sometimes in those dreams I was the one who took off my clothes
and ran into the storm not feeling the cold not caring about anything I questioned everything for a while after that was there something we missed why did she take off her clothes people say that in hypothermia victims sometimes feel hot and stripped down confused by the cold but in my nightmares it felt like something else Drew her away a silent call in the wind a beckoning from the Shadows of the trees work in the park continued as usual but something changed inside me every time I went out especially in the snow I felt a twinge
of unease I carried those memories like a dark stain on my heart before we dive into the next story if you're visiting our channel for the first time don't forget to hit the Subscribe button and turn on the Bell icon to stay updated with our upcoming scary stories in 2017 I had taken my SUV deep into the Wilderness far from paved roads and towns it was a multi-day off-road camping trip and I craved isolation my plan was simple find Scenic spots Park and Camp under the stars I filled my tank with gas packed plenty of
water and brought other necessary things I felt a rare sense of freedom as the city disappeared in my rear view mirror after hours of navigating Rocky paths I found a small clearing near a quiet stream the water barely flowed but its soft trickle made a soothing backdrop towering Pines surrounded me casting Long Shadows as the sun dipped lower there were no signs of people just the rustle of leaves and birds calling in the distance it was perfect I set up camp built a small fire and cooked a simple meal as Darkness fell I sipped tea
and watched Stars dot the night Sky wrapped in a warm jacket I felt at peace alone but content I leaned back in my chair enjoying the quiet when the chill grew sharper I retreated to my SUV I had converted the back into a makeshift sleeping space removing seats so I could stretch out after zipping myself into a sleeping bag I turned off the Lantern and closed my eyes the silence was comforting and I fell asleep quickly sometime later I woke up abruptly a sound reached my ears low rhythmic and Di distant it wasn't an animal
or the wind it sounded like chanting I froze listening the voices were faint carried by the breeze my mind my mind raced I hadn't seen anyone for Miles who could be out here why would they be chanting in the middle of the night I grabbed my knife from beside my sleeping bag and strained my ears the chanting continued faint but unmistakable my heart pounded as I debated what to do there was no battery and no way to call for help I told myself it was probably a group camping nearby even though it made little sense
I gripped the knife tightly forcing myself to lie back down somehow I drifted off again the sound still lingering in my mind then came the knock it started softly tapping against the glass of my SUV my breath caught in my throat the tapping grew louder deliberate my pulse raced as I tried to stay silent barely daring to move the windows were fogged from my breath but I could see a faint Shadow a face pressed against the glass peering inside Instinct took over I let out a loud guttural scream something Primal and raw the figure jerked
back startled for a brief moment I saw wide eyes staring at me before they turned and vanished into the darkness no sound of footsteps no breaking branches just silence I sat Frozen clutching my knife my chest heaved as I tried to make sense of what had just happened who was that what did they want the questions swirled in my mind I started the SUV flooding the clearing with light the headlights revealed only trees and shadows no sign of the person who had been at my window I kept the engine running for over an hour scanning
the woods and jumping at every small sound when exhaustion overtook me I reluctantly turned the engine off to conserve fuel gripping the knife until my hands achd mourning brought some relief I stepped out cautiously scanning the ground around my SUV in the dirt I spotted footprints small and faint as though someone had been Barefoot my stomach ched at the thought I packed up quickly eager to leave the forest no longer felt inviting I needed distance a safer spot I drove for hours following winding dirt roads that seemed endless every sound put me on edge every
shadow made me Flinch eventually I came across another clearing this one near a Rocky Hill the sun was high casting warm light over the area it felt safer than the last spot though I couldn't shake the unease from the night before I spent the afternoon staying busy checking my gear gathering firewood and trying to distract myself but as the sun began to set my nerves frayed again I built a larger fire than usual and set up a circle of sticks around my Camp hoping they might alert me if someone approached that night I sat by
the fire sipping a small cup of tea the Shadows at the edge of the clearing seemed alive shifting with the flickering Flames I tried to convince myself it was just my imagination but the memory of that face at my window refused to leave the night felt heavier as though the forest was holding its breath when it was time to sleep I locked myself inside the SUV again clutching my knife I barely drifted off before another sound woke me branches snapping nearby my eyes flew open and I reached for the keys the sound grew louder and
closer I started the engine throwing on the headlights for a moment I saw nothing then in the distance a figure darted between the trees just beyond the light's reach I froze my heart pounding the figure was too quick to make out any details they were there and then they were gone swallowed by the darkness I stayed awake until dawn gripping my knife and jumping at every noise when the first light broke through the trees I packed up and left for good driving back to civilization I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched I glanced in
my mirrors constantly half expecting to see someone trailing behind when I finally reached the main road relief washed over me the tension in my chest eased slightly but the questions remained who had been out there why had they come to my camp and what would have happened if I hadn't woken up in time a few years ago I went hiking on a section of the north Umpqua Trail in Oregon with my sister-in-law Jane it was early fall and the forest was painted with shades of orange red and gold the trail was quiet except for the
sound of the river rushing below us it was the kind of peaceful silence you crave when you want to escape the noise of everyday life we were a couple of miles into the trail chatting about nothing in particular the air smelled of damp Earth and pine the sun was high streaming through the Tre trees and dappled patches and the path ahead was wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side it was perfect at least it should have been we reached a bend in the trail with a breathtaking view of the river
below the water glistened under the sunlight cutting through the forest like a silver ribbon we stopped to take a break and pulled out our water bottles I remember taking a long sip letting the cool water ease the dryness in my throat that's when it hit me a sudden inexp liable wave of unease it wasn't the kind of nervousness you get when you misplace your phone or forget if you lock the door no this was something Primal something deep in my gut that screamed danger I froze mid Sip and felt the hair on the back of
my neck rise it felt like like we were being watched I glanced over at Jane she was still drinking water her face calm and oblivious I didn't want to alarm her so I casually turned my head scanning the trees behind us at first I didn't see anything just the Towering Pines and Scattered underbrush but then my eyes caught something strange hanging from the branches were bones actual bones they weren't just scattered or random they were strung together dangling like Eerie Windchimes the way they swayed in the breeze sent a cold shiver down my spine my
stomach clenched so hard it felt like I'd been punched I couldn't look away some were small maybe animal bones but others they were large larger too large for Comfort Jane I called she turned to look at me her brow furrowed before I could say anything I heard it the faint crunch of footsteps on the forest floor the sound came from behind us slightly uphill slow deliberate steps my chest tightened someone or something was there watching following I leaned in close to Jane and said we need to move now she saw the seriousness in my eyes
and didn't ask questions we picked up our Pace walking briskly down the trail but as we moved so did the footsteps they matched our speed staying just far enough behind that we couldn't see who or what it was the faster we walked the faster the footsteps came it was a deliberate Pace like whoever was back there wanted us to know they were following my heart pounded adrenaline flooding my veins the Beautiful Day the peaceful forest all of it felt wrong now threatening I glanced back again hoping to catch a glimpse of our pursuer but the
forest was dense and the Shadows played tricks on my eyes the only thing I could focus on was the occasional glint of sunlight catching on the bones in the trees Jane must have sensed how serious this was because she grabbed my arm and said run for two middle-aged women who weren't exactly in Peak physical condition we sprinted like our lives depended on it and maybe they did the trail twisted and turned roots and rocks threatening to trip us with every step my lungs burned and my legs ACH but we didn't stop behind us the footsteps
grew louder faster almost frantic whoever or whatever was following us wasn't giving up at one point Jane stumbled nearly falling but she caught herself and kept running I didn't dare look back again my entire Focus was on the trail ahead on getting out of those woods it felt like we ran for hours though it was probably only minutes finally the trail opened up into a small parking area where we had left our car we didn't stop until we were inside doors locked gasping for air the forest loomed just beyond the clearing and I half expected
to see someone step out of the Shadows but nothing came just silence we sat there for a while catching our breath too shaken to speak eventually I started the car and drove us home the ride back was quiet both of us replaying what had just happened when we got to my house we decided to call the sheriff it felt silly at first like maybe we had overreacted but those bones in the trees and the Relentless footsteps weren't something we could ignore a few days later the sheriff came by to give us an update I remember
him standing on my porch hat in hand looking uncomfortable he confirmed that we hadn't imagined it someone had indeed been following us I pressed him for details what did you find who was it he hesitated his eyes dropping to the ground before meeting mine I'm not going to tell you what we found or who it was because if I do you'll never hike anywhere again he said his voice was calm but the weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks what do you mean was it dangerous I asked my voice shaking all
I'll say is that it wasn't normal and it won't happen up there again he said before tipping his hat and walking back to his car I never found out what they discovered or who had been chasing us maybe it was better that way whatever it was it had been enough to shake the sheriff and that was enough for me I never hiked that section of the trail again A year later the area was completely destroyed by a wildfire part of me felt relieved like whatever had been out there was gone for good
