A raven's caw pierced the silence of the woods. With sight reduced to just a few meters, the noise seemed to come from everywhere. Treading carefully - yet with no sense of orientation - the task of reaching an open field or just somewhere safe seemed impossible.

As the steps moved on, so did the fog. Ever so thicker and darker. Time was essentially standing still, but the world wasn't. Another caw. A rustling of feathers from the left - or was it the right? Overthinking would not provide safety in this situation.

More minutes passed. Struggling to not stumble over branches and stones, the pace slowed down more and more. And then, there was a shadow right in front. A silhouette of a camp appeared without a trace - and in its midst, ever so clear, burned a campfire. Finally, a place to rest. Shelter for my sanity.

It should have been a sooner realization - the camp was empty. But the fire burned. Was someone else lost? Though it was of no concern at this point. One's survival should have priority.

Three caws, this time. Followed by an eerie silence. A gaze to the fire revealed its presence. There it sat, staring. And then - darkness. It had finally found me.

A raven's caw pierced the silence of the woods. With sight reduced to just a few meters, the noise seemed to come from everywhere. Treading carefully - yet with no sense of orientation - the task of reaching an open field or just somewhere safe seemed impossible.

As the steps moved on, so did the fog. Ever so thicker and darker. Time was essentially standing still, but the world wasn't. Another caw. A rustling of feathers from the left - or was it the right? Overthinking would not provide safety in this situation.

More minutes passed. Struggling to not stumble over branches and stones, the pace slowed down more and more. And then, there was a shadow right in front. A silhouette of a camp appeared without a trace - and in its midst, ever so clear, burned a campfire. Finally, a place to rest. Shelter for my sanity.

It should have been a sooner realization - the camp was empty. But the fire burned. Was someone else lost? Though it was of no concern at this point. One's survival should have priority.

Three caws, this time. Followed by an eerie silence. A gaze to the fire revealed its presence. There it sat, staring. And then - darkness. It had finally found me.