00:00The old flashlight sputtered in John's trembling hands as he stumbled through the dense forest.
00:05Darkness pressed in from all sides, the towering trees blocking out even the faintest starlight.
00:10He paused, catching his breath against a gnarled oak.
00:13The night was unnaturally still, no rustling leaves, no chirping crickets.
00:17Just the pounding of his own heart echoing in his ears.
00:20John raised the flashlight, giving it a desperate shake.
00:23The beam flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor.
00:27He squinted into the gloom, trying to get his bearings.
00:30That's when he saw them.
00:31In that brief moment of light, dozens of pale, gaunt faces materialized from the darkness.
00:36They surrounded him in a silent circle, their hollow eyes fixed on John with an otherworldly hunger.
00:41He blinked, and the light died.
00:43Pitch blackness engulfed him once more.
00:45John's breath caught in his throat.
00:46He stood frozen, straining his ears for any sound of movement.
00:50But there was nothing, only the deafening silence of the forest.
00:53With shaking hands, he raised the flashlight again.
00:55His finger hovered over the switch.
00:56Heart racing did he dare turn it on.
00:58What horrors would the light reveal this time?
01:01Sweat trickled down his back as he weighed his options.
01:03Stay put and hope whatever he saw wasn't real.
01:06Or make a desperate run for it in the dark, potentially straight into their waiting arms.
01:10The seconds stretched into an eternity as John stood paralyzed with indecision.
01:14Every snapping twig, every whisper of wind became the approach of those ghostly figures.
01:18Finally, unable to bear the suspense any longer, John flicked the switch.
01:23The beam sputtered to life, illuminating dot dot dot nothing.
01:26The forest around him was empty.
01:28He let out a shaky laugh, relief flooding through him.
01:31It had all been in his imagination, a trick of the shadows in his panicked mind.
01:35John took a steady breath, ready to continue his trek back to camp.
01:38But as he turned, the flashlight flickered once more.
01:41And in that split second of darkness, he felt cold fingers brush against the back of his neck.
01:45The forest fell silent again, save for the dull thud of a flashlight hitting the ground.
