Once upon a time, there were five friends that wanted to go rock climbing so they ask their mom and dad to go and they said “YES”. They told their mom and dad they would be gone for 1 week but, of course, the parents said that would be too long. They decided to only go for 5 days. The girls got all packed then went off for their trip.

It was a 5-hour drive; the girls were very tired from the drive. They got where they were going but it looked different than what they thought. The girls looked around and found a rock wall but it was so very small. The girls could not believe it. They went back to the car and drove away. When they drove out of the entrance, they noticed they were in a rough place. The girls did not think they missed a turn but they obviously did! They girls were too busy talking.

The girls got out their GPS and found out it would be another 2 hours to get where they wanted to be. So, it was another 2 hours on the road. When they finally arrived, they got out of the car and took a walk to see if the place they were at, was the right place. It turns out, yes, they were at the right place, after 7 hours of driving! They then found a big rock wall that they climb. First, they had to set up camp. Setting up camp also took a very longtime so, when they were done setting up camp it was already dark. One of the girls said “since it is dark, we can’t go rock climbing, so let’s just hang out by the fire and play truth or dare.” None of the girls wanted to play truth or dare, they really wanted to go rock climbing in the dark. There was one girl who said “it is too dark and it could be dangerous”. The girls did not care. They got all packed and headed off by the rock wall where they were going to climb.

When they got there, they noticed that they did not have a flashlight. All the girls got scared and stayed in the car. That’s when, all of a sudden, their car stop running. All the girls screamed and one of the girls said “what are we going to do now, we do not have flashlights and now our car is not working!” None the girls knew what to do. Then, one of the girls thought, “what if bears or animals come and eat all the food we have” but, she did not want to say it out loud. She kept that to herself. So, the girls slept in the car, in the middle of the woods, for the night.

During the middle of the night, one of the girls got up and decided to go rock climbing, by herself, without a flashlight. Bad idea! She started climbing, then one of the other girls got up and somehow noticed her. Knowing it was dangerous, she also wanted to go rock climbing so they thought, since there were two of us, they could do it together. They started to go up but they could not see so, one of the girls thought to turn on the car lights but forgot that the battery was dead. They still decided to climb but had to go without the lights. The first one of the girls started to go up. As she got to the middle of the climbing wall, all of a sudden, one of the ropes came loose and got cut on something they couldn’t see on the wall, so they started to get really scared. She thought it was a bear who bit on the rope because they were in the middle of the woods. They tried to continue climbing then the other rope came loose. Then the girl was so scared she screamed “IT IS A BEAR!” At that moment, the rope broke and both of the girls screamed and fell.

In the morning, the other girls woke up and it was 8:00 am. They had not realized the 2 girls were gone. The girls got up and started hiking back to camp to eat breakfast. When they were all done with breakfast, the girls realized the other 2 girls were not with them. They thought maybe the girls were in the car so, they went back by the car. When they got to the car, they tried to get in but it was locked; with the keys still in the car. They looked in the car windows but the girls were not there. So, after a quick look around, they went back to camp to get ready for rock climbing. That’s when it hit them, the girls were already at the rock wall! They went to the rock wall but they did not see the girls or any of the stuff for rock climbing except for 2 broken ropes.

Just then the 3 girls knew that the 2 girls went rock climbing during the night. The 3 girls got scared that the other 2 girls were dead. So the girls went back to the camp site to get their phones then went back to the rock wall. When the girls were by where the broken rope they called911. 911 answered the phone and said “911 what’s your emergency?” the girls answered “My 2 friends went rock climbing last night and they did not come back and me and my other friends found broken ropes by the wall” The police answered “where are you guys?” the girls answered “we are at the rock wall entertains center in Wisconsin.” Then the police answered “I I’m on my way” Then the 1 girl that called hung up the phone. A little bit later the police came. And started to search for the 2 girls. First the police looked at the broken ropes. Then he started to look around the rock wall to see what could have caused the ropes to break. He did not find what had caused the ropes to break. But he started to think a animal bit the ropes or the ropes were not think enough. The police told the 3girls that a animal bite the ropes or the ropes were not think enough to hold them.

The three girls froze as the truth hit them all at once.
The other two hadn’t just wandered off—they had gone .

A cold wave of fear washed over them.

“What if… what if they’re dead?” one whispered.

No one answered. They didn’t have to. The broken rope lying near the wall said enough.

The girls sprinted back to the campsite, grabbed their phones with shaking hands, and ran straight back to the rock wall. When they reached the spot where the rope had snapped, one girl dialed 911.

The call connected immediately.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

The girl’s voice trembled. “Our two friends went rock climbing last night, and they never came back. We just found broken ropes by the wall.”

“Where are you?” the operator asked.

“We’re at the Rock Wall Entertainment Center in Wisconsin.”

“I’m sending help right now,” the operator said.

The girl hung up, her hand still shaking.

Minutes later, police cars pulled up, lights flashing across the trees. An officer stepped out and headed straight toward the girls.

“Show me the ropes,” he said.

They led him to the frayed pieces lying in the dirt. The officer crouched down, studying the fibers, then walked around the base of the rock wall, checking for anything that might explain what happened.

After several minutes, he stood and brushed off his hands.

“I can’t say for sure what caused this,” he admitted. “It could’ve been an animal chewing through the ropes… or the ropes just weren’t thick enough to hold their weight.”

The girls exchanged terrified looks.

The officer straightened up. “We’re going to keep searching. Don’t lose hope.”

But as the wind rustled through the trees and the broken rope swayed slightly in the breeze, the girls couldn’t help wondering what really happened—and whether their friends were still alive.

The police officer radioed for backup, and soon more officers and a search‑and‑rescue team arrived. Flashlights cut through the early morning shadows as they spread out around the rock wall.

The three girls stood together, hugging their arms around themselves. The forest felt too quiet, like it was holding its breath.

One officer approached them. “We’re going to search the trails, the base of the wall, and the woods nearby. Stay where we can see you.”

The girls nodded, though their stomachs twisted with worry.

Minutes passed. Then more. The sun climbed higher, but the air still felt cold.

Suddenly, one of the search dogs barked sharply.

Everyone froze.

The handler called out, “He’s got something!”

The girls rushed forward until an officer gently stopped them. “Stay back. Let us check first.”

The dog was sniffing near a cluster of bushes at the edge of the woods. Something was lying in the dirt—something small and bright.

A flashlight.

One of the missing girls’ flashlights.

The officer picked it up carefully. “This was dropped recently,” he said. “The battery’s still warm.”

The girls exchanged terrified glances. If the flashlight was here… then the girls had been here too.

But where were they now?

The search team pushed deeper into the trees. Branches snapped. Radios crackled. The girls waited, barely breathing.

Then another shout came from farther up the trail.

“I found footprints!”

The officer closest to the girls turned to them. “This is good. It means they were moving. They might still be alive.”

But the footprints led toward a narrow path that twisted into the darker part of the woods—a place none of the girls had ever dared to explore.

The officer motioned for the team to follow the trail.

Before he left, he looked back at the three girls. “Stay together. And don’t wander off. We don’t know what’s out here.”

The girls nodded, but their eyes stayed fixed on the shadowy path.

Something had happened to their friends.

Something the broken ropes couldn’t explain.

And now, the woods felt like they were hiding the truth.

The search team followed the footprints deeper into the woods, their voices fading as they moved farther away. The three girls stayed near the rock wall like they were told, but every minute felt heavier than the last.

“I hate just standing here,” one of them whispered. “What if they need us?”

Before anyone could answer, a loud crack echoed through the trees—like a branch snapping under someone’s weight.

All three girls spun around.

“Did you hear that?”

They took a few careful steps toward the sound, stopping at the edge of the trail. The woods were darker here, the trees packed tightly together. For a moment, everything was still.

Then something glinted on the ground.

A small metal object lay half‑buried in the dirt. One girl crouched down and picked it up.

It was a climbing carabiner—but not just any carabiner. This one had a sticker on it, a tiny purple star. One of the missing girls always put stickers on her gear so she could tell it apart.

“This is hers,” the girl whispered, her voice shaking. “She was here.”

Before they could decide what to do, a voice called out from the woods.

“Girls! Stay where you are!”

It was the police officer. He jogged toward them, breathing hard.

“You can’t wander off,” he said firmly. “We don’t know what’s in these woods.”

One girl held out the carabiner. “We found this. It belongs to one of our friends.”

The officer’s expression changed. He took the carabiner carefully, turning it over in his hand.

“This is important,” he said. “It means they were moving… and they dropped this recently.”

He looked down the narrow path that twisted deeper into the forest.

“We’re going to follow this trail. But I need you three to stay here with another officer. It’s safer.”

The girls didn’t want to stay behind, but they nodded. They watched as the officer signaled to the search team and disappeared into the trees.

Minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty.

The woods stayed silent.

Too silent.

Just when the girls started to fear the worst, a voice crackled over one of the officers’ radios.

“We found something!”

The girls’ hearts jumped.

But the officer holding the radio didn’t look relieved.

He looked worried.

Very worried.

He stepped away to listen more closely, his face tightening with every word.

When he turned back toward the girls, his expression made their stomachs drop.

“Girls,” he said quietly, “we need you to stay calm. We found something up ahead… and we’re not sure what it means yet.”

The wind rustled through the trees again, colder this time.

Whatever the search team found… it wasn’t good.

The officer with the radio didn’t speak right away. He kept glancing between the girls and the trail where the search team had disappeared, like he was deciding how much to tell them.

One of the girls finally whispered, “Did they… did they find my friends?”

The officer shook his head. “Not the girls. But they found something else.”

Before anyone could ask what, another officer jogged toward them from the woods. His boots were muddy, and his face was pale.

“We need you to see this,” he said quietly to the first officer. “It might help.”

The two officers stepped aside, talking in low voices. The girls exchanged nervous looks. Every rustle of leaves made them jump.

Finally, the first officer returned.

“Okay,” he said gently. “We’re going to walk a short distance up the trail. Stay close to me. Don’t touch anything.”

The girls followed him, their footsteps crunching softly on the forest floor. The deeper they went, the colder the air felt. The trees grew taller, their branches twisting overhead like dark fingers.

After a minute, the officer stopped beside a large oak tree.

At first, the girls didn’t see anything unusual.

Then one of them gasped.

A long, jagged scrape ran down the bark — fresh, pale wood exposed beneath the dark outer layer. And right beside it, pressed into the dirt, was a footprint.

A small one.

The officer pointed. “This print matches the size of one of your friends’ shoes. And the scrape on the tree… we think someone grabbed it to steady themselves.”

“So they were here,” one girl whispered. “They were alive when they came through.”

The officer nodded. “Yes. And recently.”

But then he crouched down and brushed aside a few leaves.

Underneath was something none of them expected.

A second footprint.

But this one was bigger.

Much bigger.

And the tread pattern didn’t look like a hiking boot or a sneaker. It was wide, uneven, almost like—

“What is that?” one girl breathed.

“We’re not sure yet,” the officer said. “But it means someone — or something — else was here too.”

The girls stared at the strange print, their hearts pounding.

The officer stood and spoke into his radio. “We need more units on the north trail. Possible second subject.”

The woods seemed to hold their breath.

Then, from somewhere deeper in the forest, a faint sound drifted toward them.

A voice.

A girl’s voice.

Calling for help.

The three friends froze.

“That’s them,” one whispered. “It has to be.”

The officer raised a hand. “Stay behind me. Do not run.”

But the voice came again — clearer this time, desperate.

“Help! Please!”

The girls looked at each other, fear and hope tangled together.

The missing girls were alive.

But they weren’t alone.

The officer motioned for the girls to stay close as he moved toward the direction of the voice. Every step felt louder than it should have, crunching through leaves that suddenly seemed too dry, too brittle.

“Help!”
The voice came again — faint, but unmistakably young.

One of the girls whispered, “That’s her. I know it is.”

The officer raised a hand for silence. He listened, head tilted, eyes narrowed. Then he spoke into his radio.

“Team One, confirm location of the call. We’re moving toward it.”

Static crackled back. “Copy. We hear it too. It’s coming from the north ridge.”

The officer nodded and started forward, guiding the girls behind him. The trees grew denser, the air colder. The forest floor sloped upward, roots twisting like ropes under their feet.

Then, suddenly, the voice stopped.

The silence that followed was worse than the sound.

They reached the top of the ridge and stepped into a small clearing. The sunlight barely reached the ground here, filtered through thick branches overhead.

At first, nothing seemed unusual.

Then one of the girls pointed. “Look… over there.”

Near the base of a fallen log lay a backpack.

Bright teal. A keychain shaped like a tiny silver compass dangled from the zipper.

“That’s hers,” one girl breathed. “She never goes hiking without it.”

The officer approached carefully, scanning the ground before crouching beside the bag. He didn’t touch it right away. Instead, he studied the dirt around it.

There were footprints — several — but they overlapped, tangled, like someone had been pacing or struggling to keep their balance.

And then there was something else.

A long drag mark, leading away from the backpack and disappearing into the trees.

The officer’s jaw tightened. “This wasn’t dropped. It was left.”

One girl swallowed hard. “Left by who?”

Before he could answer, the radio crackled again.

“Officer Hale, we’ve got movement on the west side of the ridge. Fast movement.”

Hale straightened. “Human?”

A pause. Too long.

“Not sure.”

The girls exchanged terrified glances.

Then, from the trees behind them, a twig snapped.

All four of them spun around.

“Stay behind me,” Hale said, stepping forward.

The bushes rustled — once, twice — then stilled.

A breathless moment passed.

Then a figure stumbled out from between the trees.

A girl.

Mud streaked her face. Her hair was tangled with leaves. Her clothes were torn, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

One of the girls gasped. “Oh my gosh — it’s her!”

But the girl didn’t run to them.

She didn’t even look relieved.

She looked terrified.

Her eyes darted behind her, toward the dark woods she’d just come from.

“Don’t stay here,” she whispered, voice trembling. “You have to go. Now.”

Hale stepped toward her. “You’re safe. We’re here to help.”

She shook her head violently. “No. You don’t understand.”

Her voice cracked.

“He’s still out there.”

The forest seemed to inhale.

And then, somewhere deep in the trees, something moved.

Not loudly.

Not quickly.

Just enough to let them know they weren’t alone.