Chapter Text
North Rim Watch Tower 12
Field Observation Log #1
LOCATION: Mistfall Clearing - 2.6 mi west of ranger station
At approx. 0610 hrs, observed large bear-like silhouette within dense ground fog, distance estimated 25-30 yards. Outline consistent with upright posture, head lowered.
Notable Anomaly: fog drifted normally throughout the clearing except in immediate vicinity of silhouette, where it appeared to bend and flow around form in continuous motion. NO wind detected.
Silhouette remained stationary for duration of observation (~20 seconds) before dissipating with surrounding fog.
Field Observation Log #1
LOCATION: Bear Creek Trail - Mile 2.1
Located fresh scat pile approx. 14" in diameter on the center of trail. Composition includes:
Multiple smooth river stones (size range 2-3 cm, rounded)
Fresh pine needles (green, unchewed)
One small knitted mitten, red, child-sized, heavily soiled
Stones and mitten show no digestive damage; surfaces clean and dry. Pine needles unbroken.
No matching missing child reports in current district database. River source is over 3 miles uphill from site; trail gradient and distance make content unlikely to have been gathered naturally.
Note: Mitten smelled faintly of woodsmoke despite recent rainfall.
Ranger Report #1: Dispatch Audio
While lounging in my tower and scribbling in my sketchbook, I hear over the dispatch channel that another ranger left mid-shift and hasn't returned, and they left their boots behind. The transmission is as followed:
Transcript:
[Crackle of static] "-uh, copy, we've got a situation at North Lookout. Ranger Keane left mid-shift, no sign of him on trail cams."
[Pause, muffled background voices} "-yeah, boots are still here, both of 'em, laces tied. His pack's by the door. Radio's dead. No footprints leadin' away."
[Longer pause, more static] "...No, I don't think he walked out barefoot. I don't think he walked out at all."
[Transmission Cuts}
Needless to say, a little bone chilling. I had no clue what might've happened to Ranger Keane, but the authorities most likely had it handled. Not much I could do about it. I'm only here for five days. I'm not getting into any kind of trouble. Just want to get paid and go home.
Report Ranger #2: The Night Watch
Today has been interesting. While down at the visitor center, Nigel, the man who was on night watch, swore he saw "fur" brush past the window, but the visitor center is elevated too high to have seen any creature apart from a bird that high up. He kept going on about it all morning, saying,
"Look, I know what I saw. The visitor center's on stilts, good eight feet off the ground easily. I was doing the rounds, lights low, and something passed the side window. Not a shadow, not a trick of the light - fur. Coarse, dark, close enough to fog the glass. I just... froze. It slid by slow, like it knew I was watchin'. I kept telling myself it had to be a raccoon on the railing, but there wasn't any railing on that side. When I finally got the nerve to look out... nothing. No prints in the dirt. Just the smell. Wet, heavy, like an animal den that hasn't seen daylight in years."
Needless to say no one in the office believed him, even lightly poking fun at him. He seemed genuinely freaked out though. First Ranger Keane and now this? It's barely my first day and things are already odd.
But once again, I stayed silent and simply returned back to my tower. I'm not looking for trouble. Just gonna sign off for tonight and continue tomorrow. Goodnight.