I found myself hiking with the members of my larping group through a familiar wooded area. The place we were headed while not our normal site was familiar to us. The park we were in had a wooded trail that led to a large open field. The field was our goal the woods in which we now walked was our test.

The woods we currently walked through had always felt heavy and ominous. But today, it was worse. Normally whenever we came here, we felt as if we were being watched. It started as soon as we had gotten out of the car. As soon as my feet hit the pavement in the parking lot the hair on my arms stood up. The whole group had felt just how different it was this time. It felt like there was an almost feral presence watching us from the woods.

Everyone had felt it nervously looking around. But the parking lot had been full, and we had recognized the other cars in the lot. This was the first time in two years that a gathering of this size had been attempted. Due to the pandemic that had hit two years prior, all large gatherings had been canceled. This was the first time anyone had tried to organize one since the lockdowns.

We had decided based on the number of cars in the lot, to risk the hike through the forest. We had thought that since the others were still here that it had to be safe. We had rationalized that the wood felt like this since it had been largely empty for the bulk of the prior two years since this specific area had been closed. The state had closed parts of public areas that had required staffing during the height of the pandemic. The wood had become a wilder place in the two years. We noticed places where someone had cut down branches that had grown over the path.

I had been paying less attention the further in we had hiked. I was carrying some forty pounds of gear. I had overestimated my physical ability. With not being allowed out for the greater part of two years. With the ability to order materials and tools, and the never-ending amounts of videos online. I had gone through and redone all of my gear. While not bad before my gear had been a mishmash of disparate parts. Now it was all a cohesive unit. I had painstakingly remade my whole kit. My armor was a mix of diamond tread plate, leather, and carbon fiber. I had started making it with EVA foam but had not liked the results. The others had made theirs from EVA foam. Normally the weight would not mean much, since it was a short walk from our cars to the area we normally used. This time it had made a big difference since it was half a mile from our car to the staging area.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I had been lucky that it had been a relatively cool April day. The hike while building up heat had not caused me to sweat overly much. I had also invested in a nice undershirt that had sweat-wicking properties.

The forest had continued to feel ominous as we had walked through it. We had mostly ignored this feeling as we hiked because we started seeing and hearing the signs of the other groups. We had figured that nothing would happen with such a large group around. It was just as we had let our guard down that shit hit the fan.

We had just started to relax when it all went to hell. One moment we were laughing and joking the next there had been a deafeningly loud explosion. I look around to see one of the larger trees falling toward one of my friends. Out of instinct I reached out and grabbed him pulling him out of the line of the falling tree. But during this action, my foot caught on something lodged into the trail and I fell. The area I fell into had a deeper gully that I was headed right for.

That’s when I saw it. A bright swirling orb floating right in my path. When I looked at it, I could tell that it was where all the ominous feelings had been coming from. I had tried to slow my fall to no avail. Realizing my efforts were not having the desired effect I tried to change my direction away from the orb. I had some success changing my direction, but when I looked the orb was still directly in front of me. I realized the fucking thing was changing its course, right as I fell into it and passed out.