Hello, hello! Welcome to the final chapter! Thanks to all who read, reviewed, and favorited. Now, on with the show!

I love hiking in the woods. There's just something about being out amongst the trees that has always soothed me. On occasion, I would bring my brother or my friends along, but for the most part, I preferred to do my hiking alone.

I lived on the outskirts of town. Nothing around for miles save the forest I loved so much. One balmy afternoon, after I'd finished my chores for the day, I decided to go for a quick hike. I strapped on my boots, made sure to coat my skin in bug spray, and headed out. I crossed the barren field that lead out towards the forest, being mindful of where I stepped. Around that time of year, the field was plagued with gophers and voles. One wrong step, and I'd sink into the ground, twist my ankle or both.

The high grass rustled in the breeze, I took a deep breath, inhaling the smells of the outdoors. Spring was nearly over and summer was fast approaching. Already, the gentle scent of flowering plants was giving way to the metallic odor of encroaching thunder storms, baking earth, and the faint whiff of a barbecue somewhere down the road. Early summer. Best time ever.

Growing excited, I sped up my pace from a saunter to a brisk walk, then from a walk to a jog. By the time I reached the woods, I was full on sprinting. I breezed through the first wall of trees, the color of my surroundings going from a pale, dry yellow, to a full on rich, deep green. I stopped to catch my breath and looked around at the woods. Vines skittered up massive tree trunks. Branches interlaced above me, their leaves forming a dense, living over carpet. Filtered sunlight stole in through gaps in the trees. Thin slices of gold piercing the haze of emerald. Birds called to one another while chipmunks dashed through the undergrowth. A squirrel froze halfway up a tree, tiny black eyes locked onto me, its tail and nose twitching. I smiled and waved. It zipped up the tree in a flash brown fur.

I chuckled and set about my hike. The woods lay open before me, each gap in the trees calling to me, beckoning to be investigated. Pick me! No, pick me! Psst! Yukina, over here! Crooking a finger beneath my chin, I stared out into awaiting adventure.

Eenie, meenie, meine…

South.

I strode down my chosen path and eventually passed a gnarled, ancient oak and strode into a small grove of paper birch trees. The air cooled as I drew within their bounds. I took a deep breath. The forest seemed to still here. The air smelled sweeter. Drops of dew slid across the grass and onto my shoes. I could feel the lingering presence of spring here. This little pocket of preserved season impervious to the march of time. I reached back and ran my hand across the bark of the tree nearest to me. It felt cool and smooth. I turned to regard it. A solid pillar of dappled ivory with little dotted eyes all across its surface. A little further up, I notice someone had peeled a piece of the bark away and carved M&K 4EVR into the tree. I frowned. Carve your insipid declarations into the bark if you must, I thought, just don't peel it off the tree! Humans and their nasty habits.

I moved on, heading deeper into the forest. I passed all manner of plant life, the flora proudly displaying itself to me while the fauna hid from my sight, offering me only the occasional glimpse of rabbit, squirrel, or bird. A sudden wild rustling, followed by the sound of loud squawking came from above me. I looked up and saw two birds fighting amongst the trees. A series of shrill cries issued from one and a moment later, it burst from the leaves in a flurry of scarlet feathers. I watched as it flew away, throwing out last minute jabs at the foe that had driven it from its spot. It came to rest in the crook of tree a few yards down. I walked closer, wanting to get a better look at it. My steps were slow, quiet, so as not to frighten the creature off. It nestled in the divot, a crimson droplet splashed onto black bark. Such a bright color! I'd never seen a bird of its ilk. It glanced up at something, cocking its head from side to side. It hopped and chirped, then extended its neck and gave it a couple experimental pecks. At first I thought it was worrying some strange variant of strangler tree. However, as I crept closer, I saw the object was dangling down, not climbing up.

A twig snapped beneath my boot. The bird snapped its head over to me, squawked and flew off. I sighed. Ah well. I decided to investigate what the bird had been pecking at. I walked up to the base of the tree and gasped.

An old bear trap dangled from the tree. It was fixed to the branch by a thick rope attached to the broken chain link. It lay against the trunk of the tree. Its jagged maw was closed, jaws speckled with patches of dirt and rust. I blinked, shocked. What the heck was this thing doing dangling from a tree in the middle of the woods? I stood up on my tiptoes, examining it further. Something poked out from between the teeth. A scrap of worn cloth. Reaching up, I wiggled it out. It was a faded gray blue, worn thin and partially eaten by insects, rough to the touch. Was this a scrap of denim? I took another look at the trap, eyeing the teeth. Had this thing caught a person? What had become of them? And furthermore, who thought to string the trap up in a tree? If whoever had come across it hadn't wanted to the trap to catch any more victims, shouldn't they have contacted the police and had them get rid of it? Furthermore, why was this thing even here? There wasn't any big game in these woods.

I fiddled with the scrap of fabric. Then again, if this was denim, I knew of one 'big prey' item out here.

I shook my head. What was I thinking? That was just being silly. The piece of cloth was old, the trap quite rusted; this thing had been here for quite a while. No one was in any danger of anything. I cast the scrap to the ground and turned to be on my way. I went deeper into the forest. Foliage was thicker here, reducing the light and casting the area in a state of premature twilight. I went over to a stump and sat down. Try as I might, I could not get that bear trap out of my mind. It was just so strange. I mean, what was the point of it? I looked back in the direction I had come and shivered.

As I stood up to resume my hike, I saw something gleam out of the corner of my eye. I turned and noticed something long and flat sticking up out of the ground a few yards to the left of where I was standing. I trotted over towards it, and was met with confusion. It was a hatch to a basement. Curious, I approached the hatch. It lay on a stone foundation. The construction of which was so terrible, it didn't even deserve to be called haphazard. It looked as if someone had built it from salvaged brick pieces. One of the doors had been left open. I peered inside. A large hole yawned up at the sky. Right on the lip, I saw the top of a rickety ladder poking out from the gaping maw.

"Okay," I said to myself, "this is getting weird."

Now, curiosity is a bewitching thing. It can make even the most level-headed of us a willing thrall. And the stronger it is, the more absolute its power.

Which, is why I found myself, against all better judgement, climbing down that ladder and into the depths of that hole. I went carefully, testing the ladder as I descended. Once I reached the bottom, I took a look around. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see anything beyond the entrance. So, I took out my phone and activated the flashlight app. A bright bream of light sprung from my phone, spraying out into the room. My hand flew to my mouth. Cages littered the floor. Big, metal cages. I stepped closer, angling my phone over as many of them as I could. From what I could see, they were all empty. Although I did see a pair of manacles in one. Fear's icy fingers trailed down my spine. What was all this?

I picked my way through the maze of cages, roving my light around. The walls were bare, earthern as the floor. Stray roots poked through the walls. An insect squirmed through the packed soil. It seemed whoever had dug this hole had only thought to cover it. Either loo lazy, or too preoccupied to add civilian trappings to their pit. My light picked out a workbench sitting against the far wall. Upon it lay a large knife and a bear trap. My heart began to beat a steady rhythm of growing dread. Sweat prickled my palms and my skin erupted in gooseflesh. What had I found?

Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the pit. Fear exploded into terror. I darted into the furthest corner behind a pair of cages and switched off the flashlight app. Darkness swelled to fill light's absence, blotting out my vision. All I could see was the halo of light near the entrance. The footsteps came closer. I heard shuffling as whoever was at the top turned and knelt down. The ladder twitched as the person began climbing down. I pressed hand to my mouth and prayed that whoever was approaching was just another curious hiker. I hunkered down even further, peering through the bars of the cage.

A pair of ratty boots appeared first, followed by legs clad in soiled pants. I took in the rest of the ensemble as it came down the ladder. Bare back, grimy with a thin scar across the shoulders and a head of wild, matted gray hair. He was hunched over and held a trash bag in one hand, flashlight in the other. He clicked it on. My heart jackknifed into my throat and my mouth dried up quicker than a puddle in the desert. He turned and aimed the beam at the back of the pit, somehow missing me. I watched him stalk over to the work bench. Ice had replaced my blood. My heart pumped it through my veins, freezing my body into place. What was this? Who was this man? I watched as he moved the knife aside and placed the trash bag on the bench. He set the flashlight down next to the knife and aimed it at the bag. The light cast a sick sheen over the plastic, and I could see a sizeable puddle of red liquid collected in the bottom.

A scream clambered up my throat. I pressed my hand down harder and ground my teeth together to keep it in. Everything snapped into place at that moment. The bear trap in the woods, the cages, the knife. I had to get out of here. Thankfully, the man hadn't closed the hatch, so if I was quick and quiet, I could escape unnoticed. Slowly, I rose to a crouch, feeling behind me with one hand, while steadying myself with the other, and crept back along the wall. The man grabbed the bag and emptied it onto the table. Squishy thumps met my ears. The stink of blood floated across the room. It splashed from the bag and splattered the table. A wave of nausea rolled through me. The trash bag fluttered to the ground. I continued to inch backwards. My fingertips grazed the side of a cage. I froze and lightly pressed up against it, feeling for an opening. It was up against the wall. Damn. I'd have to go around. Eyes locked on the man's filthy back, I crab-walked around the cage, feeling for empty space.

The man reached for the knife and began cutting whatever was in the bag. Rather than wild, mad swings, his movements were precise. He cut in short bursts, the knife making a small clipping sound against the wood of the work bench. It reminded me of a chef cutting chicken. For my sanity, I prayed that was what he was cutting. My hand found the edge of the cage and I maneuvered around it. I cast a quick glance behind me. Not even halfway across the room. I didn't dare run for it. The man's flashlight wasn't angled properly for me to see my way out, and either using my phone or running for it were suicidal. I would have to stay the slow course. I rose to my feet. Slow didn't mean crouching. Plus, if he did turn around, I stood a better chance of getting away if I was already on my feet.

The man continued to cut his gruesome catch as I continued creeping backward. I heard the knife crunch as it hit something solid. Grunting, he ripped the blade back and forth. Crunching and snapping sounds intensified.

That's right, just concentrate on what you're doing. Don't turn around. Don't turn around…

The knife hit home, slamming on the table. A chunk of something flew backwards off the table. Revulsion surged through me when I felt something soft hit my ankle and come to rest on my shoe. The man cursed and turned, grabbing his flashlight. I reacted too late. Hs spun around, the beam of the light cutting through the shadows and lapping over my foot. In that split second, my worst fears were confirmed. I screamed. The man flicked his flashlight upward, bringing me out in full. I only saw his face for a moment, but I don't think I'll ever forget it. His lips were pulled back in a feral snarl, revealing brown, rotten teeth that protruded from red, pussy gums. His face was lined and haggard, and his eyes were as wild as his hair. They were the eyes of a rabid animal.

Another shriek tore loose from my lips. With a growl, the man lunged. I darted to the side, and he crashed headlong into one of the cages. Seizing the moment, I fled. By some miracle, I avoided the rest of the cages and made my way back to the ladder. I scrambled to the top, no longer caring about the state of it. All my focus was on that square of blue sky. Unintelligible words and guttural sounds came from below me. I poured on the speed, but my frightened body betrayed me. My trembling hands could barely grip the ladder and my feet slipped off the rungs. I was only halfway up when the ladder began to shake. I cried out and clung tighter to the ladder. The man shook the ladder harder. Whimpering, I kept one hand glued to a rung while I snapped out the other, latching it higher. I repeated the same action with the other hand. Once I had both hands in place, I yanked my feet upward, crouching upon the ladder.

The man snarled and shook the ladder harder. I looked up. The open door was closer. I didn't dare try to climb any higher, so sure that I would be shaken loose. Tensing my legs, I counted down. If the man didn't give up his assault and switch tactics, I'd have a shot.

Three…two…one…

A garbled curse. The ladder continued to shake.

Now!

Like a cat, I sprung. I sailed over the rest of the ladder and latched onto the lip of the basement door. Desperation and terror lent me the strength needed to haul myself out of the pit and into the sober daylight. A howl of rage from back down in the dark. I didn't waste a second. I scrambled to my feet and ran back to my house. I paid no heed to my burning lungs and aching legs. I just kept running. Past the hanging bear trap, through the grove of birch trees, out of the woods, across the field, and up to the house. I bashed the screen door open, shouting for someone in the house to call the police. My brother came out from the living room, confused.

"Yukina, what's-"

"Call the police! There's a crazy man out in the woods! There's a pit, with cages! He was cutting up a person!" Thanks to my hysteria, the rest of my frantic declaration dissolved into terrified weeping. My brother put his arms around me, and stroked my back. I heard footsteps approach, and my aunt asking what was going on.

"Aunt Rie! Th-The police! Call the police! A man in the woods, he-"

"Deep breaths, Yukina. Calm down." My brother told me. Then a realization hit me. The door! I'd never locked the door! What if he'd followed me all the way back? What if he was in the house right now? I tore myself from my brother's arms and dashed over to the door. No one. I threw open the screen door and scanned the yard. Nothing. No one stood out in the field, and the woods were too far back for me to spot anything. If the man had been out there, he wasn't now. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the living room with my bewildered aunt and concerned brother. Still somewhat shake, I explained to them what happened in detail. My aunt blanched and ran to phone the police. Meanwhile my brother made a show of stalking around the house and checking through the windows to see if he could spot the man.

The police searched the woods and found the basement hatch door and the pit I'd described. They also found the man, hiding in the back amongst the cages. He was homeless and nowhere near mentally stable. Perhaps even more frightening, the police found even more bear traps scattered through the area just south of the pit I'd stumbled upon. It's terrifying the think that, if I hadn't noticed that hatch door, I might have kept going and fallen prey to one of those traps. The contents of that trash bag had indeed been human. The piece that had landed on my shoe?

A finger.

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