The forest had begun to feel like a suffocating nightmare. The once-lush trees now closed in, their branches like heavy arms, holding the Newman family captive. Days had bled into each other, a constant barrage of silence, fear, and uncertainty. The endless waiting, the failed attempts to escape, had worn down even the most resilient of them.

But for Nick, the protector of the family, the moment of truth had arrived. It was no longer just about waiting or hoping for a miracle. They had to act. They had to break free before it was too late. The realization that no one was coming for them—no authorities, no rescue—had struck like a thunderclap. Alone in this suffocating green prison, Nick knew the stakes were higher than ever.

The escape plan had been set. Sharon, always by his side, had agreed to follow Adam’s last known path in the hopes of finding an opening—a way out. But the terrain had other plans. What seemed like a clear route had quickly turned treacherous. Nick, ever the leader, forged ahead, clearing branches, marking turns with nothing but his gut instinct guiding him. Sharon, breathing heavily, stayed close behind, her every step a battle against the thickening shadows of the forest.

It was then that disaster struck.

A sudden misstep. A patch of loose gravel. The ground betrayed them. Nick tumbled violently down the embankment, his body twisting unnaturally. Sharon’s scream echoed through the trees as she scrambled after him, her heart pounding with terror. But it was too late. By the time she reached him, Nick was already unconscious, his leg mangled and blood pouring out, staining the ground around him.

Sharon fought to keep herself together, but the panic gnawed at her. She had to stop the bleeding. She had to keep him alive. But the realization hit her hard—she was too far from help. She could try to stabilize him, but carrying him back to safety was impossible. The darkness of the forest pressed in on her, and she felt the weight of their isolation like a crushing force.

In the distance, Sally felt the shift. She’d known something was wrong from the moment Nick and Sharon had left. It wasn’t just the silence that unnerved her; it was the sudden, deep sense of unease that seemed to hang in the air. When she heard Sharon’s faint scream from afar, her instincts kicked into overdrive. Without hesitation, she grabbed a flashlight and ran.

It was a race against time. Through trees and over thorns, Sally pushed herself harder, faster, until she found them. Nick, unconscious, with blood soaking through his clothes, and Sharon, struggling to keep him alive. Sally dropped to her knees, her hands instinctively pressing against his wound. The blood felt like fire against her skin, but she didn’t flinch. She whispered to Nick, pleaded with him, trying to rouse him from the brink of death. The words felt useless, but she couldn’t stop. She had to believe that he could survive this.

Sharon, still frantic, was faced with an agonizing decision. She couldn’t leave them both, but if she stayed, they’d all die. Sharon knew that Sally would do everything in her power to keep Nick alive, but she had to get help. The shelter was still hours away, but if she could make it back, maybe—just maybe—they could save him. With a final glance at Sally, she turned and sprinted back through the darkened woods, the terror of leaving them behind weighing heavily on her.

Sharon stumbled into the cabin, bloodied and breathless, her words barely coherent as she gasped out the horror of the situation. “Nick… broken… blood… hurry!” The room froze. The once-sturdy walls of the cabin, which had seemed like a safe haven, now felt like a prison. Panic spread like wildfire as the family sprang into action. Chance grabbed his medical bag, finally pushing past his doubts and fears. Without saying a word, he and Sharon rushed back into the forest, ready to fight to save Nick’s life.

Hours passed before they returned, and the scene was nothing short of gut-wrenching. Nick lay barely conscious, feverish, but alive—just barely. The relief was tangible, but it was fleeting. Nick’s wounds were grave. The reality of the situation was setting in—this wasn’t just a simple escape anymore. This was life and death.

Back in the shelter, everyone had begun to realize that their isolated retreat had turned into something far darker. Nick’s near-death experience had revealed the terrifying truth—they were prisoners. Cain’s estate, once a symbol of luxury and safety, had become their gilded cage. The forest, which had once promised freedom, now felt like a trap closing in around them. The threat was no longer just about getting lost in the woods. It was far more sinister. And someone—somewhere—had set this trap, planning to keep them all there forever.

As Nick drifted in and out of consciousness, the family realized just how high the stakes had become. There was no longer a question of diplomacy or waiting for rescue. This was survival. And they had to escape—before they all became part of the forest’s eternal silence.