"Look," I said, pointing. "There's something over there."
We made our way toward the light, stumbling through the snowdrifts. As we got closer, we saw that it was a small, dilapidated hut, half-buried in snow.
"It's a shelter," Tanya said, relief evident in her voice. "We can wait out the storm here."
We pushed open the door and stepped inside. The interior was dusty and cluttered, but it was a welcome respite from the freezing cold outside. We found an old fireplace and managed to get a fire going, warming our frozen hands and feet.
As we settled in, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The hut had a strange, eerie vibe, but I was too exhausted to dwell on it. Tanya leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder, and I felt a surge of protectiveness.
"We'll be okay," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "We'll wait out the storm here and then find our way back."
Tanya nodded, her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep. I stayed awake for a while longer, staring into the flickering flames and hoping that the storm would pass quickly.
The storm raged through the night, but by morning it had calmed down to a gentle snowfall. I woke up to the soft sound of Tanya's breathing and the crackling of the dying fire. Carefully, I moved out from under her, adding more wood to the fire to keep us warm.
As I stood up and stretched, I noticed more details about the hut. There were old, dusty hunting trophies on the walls, a rickety wooden table piled with yellowed papers, and a rusty, ancient-looking wood stove. The place was definitely odd, but it had kept us safe through the night.
Tanya stirred and opened her eyes, looking around groggily before her gaze settled on me. "Morning," she said, her voice soft and sleepy.
"Morning," I replied, giving her a reassuring smile. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I expected," she admitted. "I guess the exhaustion helped."
We decided to explore our surroundings a bit before making a plan to leave. Tanya rummaged through her bag for some breakfast, and we shared a couple of energy bars, washing them down with water from our canteens.
As we ate, Tanya frowned at the cluttered table. "Maybe there's something useful in there," she said, standing up to take a closer look.
I joined her, and we started sorting through the papers. Most of them were old receipts, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes that didn't make much sense. But then Tanya found a map.
"Look at this," she said, spreading it out on the table. It was a detailed map of the surrounding forest, with trails and landmarks marked in precise detail. "This could help us find our way back."
We studied the map, trying to figure out where we were. Based on our trek the previous day and the landmarks on the map, we estimated our location and planned a route back to the main trail.
Feeling more confident, we packed up our things and prepared to leave. As we were about to step outside, Tanya paused, looking around the hut one last time. "This place gives me the creeps," she admitted.
"Yeah, it's definitely not the coziest," I agreed. "Let's get out of here."
We stepped out into the snow, which had thankfully lightened up. The landscape looked completely different in the daylight, and we began following the route we had mapped out. The going was tough, but we were hopeful, chatting and making jokes to keep our spirits up.
After a few hours of hiking, the weather started to turn again. Dark clouds rolled in, and the wind picked up, biting through our clothes. We pressed on, hoping to reach a more familiar part of the trail before the storm hit.
But then, out of nowhere, we heard a noise that made us both freeze in our tracks. It was a low, guttural growl, echoing through the trees. My heart raced as I scanned the surroundings, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
"Tanya, did you hear that?" I whispered, my voice tight with fear.
She nodded, her eyes wide. "We need to keep moving," she said, her voice shaking.
We quickened our pace, but the growling grew louder. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the trees, barreling toward us with alarming speed. It was a large, wild animal—maybe a wolf or a stray dog, I couldn't tell in the chaos.
"Run!" I shouted, grabbing Tanya's hand. We sprinted through the snow, our feet slipping and sliding as we tried to put distance between us and the animal. But it was gaining on us, and I knew we couldn't outrun it for long.
In a desperate move, I picked up a fallen branch and turned to face the creature. "Go, Tanya!" I yelled. "I'll hold it off!"
"No, I can't leave you!" she cried, but there was no time to argue.
The animal lunged at me, and I swung the branch with all my might, striking it across the snout. It yelped and backed off, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve. I turned and ran, catching up to Tanya just as we stumbled upon a small clearing.
To our immense relief, we saw a structure ahead—another hut, but this one looked even more run-down than the first. With no other options, we made a beeline for it, hoping it would offer some protection.
We reached the hut and found the door slightly ajar. We pushed it open and hurried inside, slamming the door shut behind us. The interior was dark and cold, but it was a barrier between us and the wild animal outside.
Panting and shaking, we leaned against the door, trying to catch our breath. Tanya looked at me with fear in her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I replied, though my heart was still racing. "Are you?"
She nodded, though she was clearly shaken. "What is this place?"
We looked around, our eyes adjusting to the dim light. The hut was even more decrepit than the last one, with broken furniture and cobwebs everywhere. But there was something else—a strange, unsettling feeling that made my skin crawl.
"Let's look around," I suggested, my voice low. "Maybe there's something useful here."
We carefully explored the hut, searching for anything that might help us. As we moved deeper into the dark interior, we stumbled upon a small room at the back. The door was slightly open, and inside we found something that made our blood run cold.
The room was filled with disturbing items—rusty tools, old chains, and stained rags. On the walls were faded newspaper clippings about missing hikers and unsolved murders in the area. And in the center of the room was a large, blood-stained table.
"Oh my God," Tanya whispered, her hand covering her mouth. "This is... this is a killer's hideout."