I froze. Everyone has a fight or flight reaction inside them, but that's actually not true. A majority have a 'freeze' reaction as well. Sadly, I've always had this problem. My body felt like it was encased in ice, my mind screaming commands that my limbs refused to obey. I tried moving my legs, but they felt like lead, rooted to the ground. For a few agonizing seconds, the world seemed to narrow to just me and the Bigfoot, locked in a heavy stare down. Bigfoot extended his arm towards my neck. The arm... it’s long, much longer than any human's. The sight of his movement, deliberate and menacing, jolted me out of my trance. My heart pounded in my chest as I pivoted on my heel. I sprinted back down the side of the house, the rough ground barely registering under my frantic footsteps. I yelled, "Help!" as loud as I could, my voice cracking with fear and desperation, in case they couldn't hear me before. My ears strained to pick up any sound over the pounding of my heart, and I heard wood creak and bushes rustle simultaneously. Is he following me?! Panic clawed at my throat as I turned back, glancing over my shoulder to where Bigfoot was.

Ding!

Hutch and I crashed into each other, bumping our heads with a sharp thud. I fell down to my butt, groaning in pain as the impact reverberated through my skull. I soothed my head with my hands, trying to steady the dizzying sensation, and slowly recovered. Hutch, on the other hand, made no noise, instead punching the mud next to him. The action seemed to quell his anger, and he stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. He extended his hand, "C'mon, get up." I took his hand, and he pulled me to my feet. Jason and Wade stood there at the corner of the house, their expressions annoyed. Jason asked, "What the hell were you screaming help for, man?" I took on a belligerent attitude, "Well, Jason... for some damn help! I saw a damn Bigfoot, man!" Jason and Wade laughed, their mirth not what I needed to hear.

Wade pulled up his camera to record the moment, "Hey guys! Aaron saw a Bigfoot!" I placed my palm over the camera lens, trying to block the recording, "I'm serious! I saw something! Something, man! At least it was a huge animal!" Jason countered, gesturing his hands wide and bringing logic to the table, "Ok, let's go with the Bigfoot story for a second. You think Bigfoot is so weak he can't handle four humans in a fistfight? Why wouldn't he attack now?" I stood silent for a second, looking down. That actually makes a lot of sense. Hutch broke the tension with a joke, "Actually, I have a rock on me." Wade agreed, "Yeah, man. You were delirious or saw, like, a bear. Also you're not crazy, so it might've been a bear. Let's just head inside."

They all started walking back, and Hutch cut in, "Bigfoot doesn't exist, man. I've been up to this cabin three times alone for a few weeks at a time, and nothing has happened." Ascending the porch stairs, I mulled over the situation. I saw a huge hairy creature in front of me. I didn't hallucinate. Demons or anything like that don't possess modern humans. If they do, it's so rare it only happens to demon worshippers. I am sane. I am not crazy. Am I really questioning this right now? I entered the cabin, the familiar warmth and dim lighting offering some comfort. I made my way to the bed, the exhaustion from the day's events hitting me all at once. I started taking off my jacket, revealing my t-shirt underneath. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." I jumped onto the cozy mattress stomach first, the soft bedding absorbing the impact. I plopped down, pulling up the blankets, and got comfy, cocooning myself in their warmth. One of them slightly chuckled, but that was the end of that night.

We were not attacked that night, and I barely slept a wink.

The sun barely rose, casting a pale light over the cabin. Hutch was already at the desk, tinkering with a few things. I saw him as I woke up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I threw off the blanket and yawned, stretching my stiff muscles. Hutch glanced back, "Oh, you're awake. Didn't take you for an early riser." I walked over to the shelf where my jacket hung, slowly putting it on. "Couldn't sleep much due to what I saw." I admitted, fastening the buttons. Hutch started arguing, "Don't tell me you're still on that. Bigfoot doesn't exi—" I held up my hand to stop him, "Don't berate me, Hutch. I know what I saw. The only reason I didn't steal the truck already is because I don't want to leave you guys here. I'm hoping it was a hallucination or a bear, but I just don't believe that. I pray to God Almighty that that thing leaves us alone."

Hutch sighed and returned to the desk. Curious, I strolled over to see what he was doing. Oh, he's checking the map. Hutch pointed to a cave marked on it, "Actually, if Bigfoot was here, he'd be in this cave. This cave hasn't been explored, nor have I been even close." Oh, God. Hutch continued, his tone turning slightly playful, "But then again, do we really think that Bigfoot ignored me when I've been up here multiple times before? No. Anyways, go wake them up. It's time to go to the river." I glanced at the map once more, noting the cave's proximity to the river. Multiple emotions flowed through me, none of them positive. Please protect me, someone.

I nudged Wade and Jason, waking them up. They grumbled and rubbed their eyes, clearly not fans of early mornings, but they put up with it. Jason groaned, "Man, I don't know how gold prospectors lived in these cabins for months at a time." Hutch chuckled, "Tell me about it." We all gathered our gear: our individual multi-tools, some food, a few water bottles each, and the spears. Hutch stood near the door, watching as we prepared. "Good, we're ready. Let's begin our hike!" We all left the cabin behind, but not without Hutch locking it securely. I held my spear tightly, coming to grips with the reality that I might actually need to use it soon. Wade, walking behind me, noticed my tension and asked, "You're on edge, huh?" I faced him with an intense smile, "You think so?" Wade disengaged, falling silent. The hike was about as problematic as before, but this time it was ten times longer than the trek from the truck to the cabin. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly.

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One hundred meters, I'm okay. Two hundred meters, I'm okay. Three hundred meters, I'm okay. Five hundred meters, I'm hurting a little. One thousand meters, Oh God this sucks. Despite my discomfort, I was in the best shape for walking other than Hutch. Jason and Wade looked worse off than me, their faces red and sweat dripping from their brows. Luckily, Hutch announced, "We're almost there. Only a few hundred more meters to go. Let's take a break, seems like you all need it." Jason yelled, "Finally!" Situated around us were knee-high rocks that offered some respite. I sat on one, grateful for the chance to rest. I still grasped my spear tightly, not letting it go for a second. It's clear that some of them were uncomfortable with it, but I ignored their glances. They don't know what I saw. Each of them followed suit, sitting on the rocks, trying to catch their breath. Wade rubbed his legs, and Jason leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. The forest around us was eerily quiet, the only sound being our labored breathing and the occasional rustle of leaves.

Something snapped behind Wade, sounding like splintering wood. Hutch yelled, "Move!" Is that a damn tree?! I reached out for Wade, but he froze just like me. At the last second, he leapt off, dodging a tragic death. The tree fell on his leg, specifically his ankle. The bone cracked, and he yelled in agony. What could cause that?! Jason immediately rushed to Wade's side, trying to heave the log off him. But Jason didn’t have enough strength right now, exhausted from the hike. It might've been different if we weren’t so tired. Wade tried pushing too, but couldn’t muster much strength in his arms. What if it's... I looked around, scanning the trees and bushes. No, he's not behind us. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. The massive, hairy figure emerged from the foliage, watching us with dark, unblinking eyes. It stalked us perfectly, until we were tired. I yelled, "Look! It's Bigfoot!"

Hutch, Wade, and Jason all heeded my warning, their eyes widening in horror as they saw the eight-foot-tall behemoth standing there, its arm glistening with sweat. It had just pushed that tree over on us. Our faces contorted in fear, and I reacted quickly. I'm used to you! I threw my spear with all my might towards the creature, and it actually found its mark. But the Bigfoot merely curled up its fist and punched the spear, shattering the wood into splinters. Damn it all!

Wade yelled, "Hutch, get this off of me, man!" Hutch stood dumbfounded for a moment, then snapped out of it. He nodded and, with a surge of strength, hurled the log off Wade's leg. A footstep rang out, breaking some sticks. The sound was a grim reminder of the danger we were in. He's going to attack. I yelled to Hutch, "Carry Wade, we need to leave now!" Jason turned and started sprinting down the trail already, not waiting for any further instructions. He really abandoned us like that?! Hutch hoisted Wade onto his back in a piggyback stance, despite the weight and the strain it would put on him. "Go, go, go!" he yelled. Before we ran, I quickly grabbed Wade's spear, which he had dropped in the chaos.

Bigfoot's singular step transformed into multiple, and the brush around him trembled in fear. We sprinted a good twenty meters, not realizing we'd have to sprint more than a professional track athlete. Hutch didn't care and actually gained on Jason. I was the one furthest in the back, struggling against the leaves and rocks that slowed my pace. I screamed like a little girl.

I turned back around with the spear, spotting Bigfoot sprinting no more than ten feet behind me. His eyes shrunk this time, as if focusing. I came to a quick stop, planting my feet firmly. Bigfoot's sprint was not easily stoppable, and he barreled towards me with terrifying momentum. I channeled every ounce of strength I had and thrust the spear right into Bigfoot's abdomen. It broke skin and barely tore muscle, but it was enough to slow him down. Bigfoot roared, a scream that pierced the forest and shook the earth. It was a roar of pure, unbridled anger. Bigfoot tried pulling the spear out, his massive hands struggling with the embedded weapon. The pain and rage in his eyes were undeniable, and I took the brief moment of his distraction to gain some distance. His movements were hindered, but not enough to guarantee our safety. "Hutch!! Keep going!" I shouted, my voice hoarse.

With my main weapon gone, I resumed sprinting, my heart pounding in my chest. Hutch and the others were so far down the trail that I could barely see them. This is my moment! I will not die here! I pushed myself harder, racing down the trail and disregarding my own health. There's three layers of energy: the aerobic oxidative system, anaerobic system, and phosphagen energy system. I must use these carefully for the next four hundred meters. Suddenly, a huge boulder flew above me, crashing into the mud a few meters ahead. Bigfoot threw that, didn't he? The realization spurred me on, and I sprinted even harder, exhausting my energy reserves. My lungs burned, but I refused to slow down. I tapped into every ounce of strength I had left, my mind focused on one thing: survival. The forest blurred around me, the sounds of my labored breathing and the pounding of my feet the only things I could hear. I pushed forward, knowing that stopping meant certain death.

I couldn't even recall the next eight hundred meters. I was operating on autopilot. My senses were overwhelmed, and my mind struggled to keep up with the sheer terror. In the distance, I finally spotted the cabin, its door wide open. Jason's urgent yell snapped me back to the present. "Get the hell inside!" My vision blurred, the world spinning around me. I propelled myself forward, my body moving on instinct alone. The cabin seemed impossibly far. Everything turned to pure white, a blank canvas devoid of any detail or sensation. Just as I felt my legs giving out, someone or something caught me. Strong arms steadied my stumbling form, guiding me towards the open door. The last thing I saw was the door closing behind us, shutting out the incomprehensible nightmare.