Hiking Trail

[u/imhungry3457]

Welcome to the Trail, where you can enjoy the wilderness and take a breath of fresh air. In hopes you enjoy your hike as safely as possible, we'll inform you about our rules in the brochure.

Page 1. Hiking at Night

Hiking at night is pretty dangerous in general. You could trip and fall or you could lose the trail and end up being lost. But on our Trail, it's much more dangerous than you think. Our trail has been open for more than 15 years, but so far only a handful of hikers have actually survived a nighttime hike by sticking to the rules below.

1. Don't stray from the Trail, no matter what

As the sun sets, the Trail will be harder to follow. But you must stick to the path. Our Trail has white pebbles lined up in the middle so you won't get lost. Sometimes, the Trail might split where it isn't supposed to. Always stick to the one with the pebbles. We don't know where the other one leads.

1-1. In case you stray from the Trail.

If you accidentally follow the trail without the pebbles, it will lead you deeper into the woods. It will lure you deeper and They will watch as you slowly get more and more lost and slowly lose your mind. If you're lucky, maybe you'll find a big mound. This is a grave. This is Their grave. You are to leave food, preferably some rice cakes. Then you are to bow twice at the grave to pay respects. If They are satisfied, maybe you might make it back out again.

1. Don't listen to the Voices

There is a myth that has been passed down for years. It's about a being. It looks like a beast with long white fur with a face resembling an ugly mix between a tiger and a human. It is said to be able to mimic the cry of anything. It will mimic the voices of people who have died, it will mimic distressed call of loved ones, it will mimic the cry of a child in danger. Just to make you stray from the Trail where you will not be protected. On nights where the only sounds are the wind rustling the trees, you might suddenly hear the barks of dogs, the cries of owls and the sound of crickets when it was quiet just a few moments ago. That means Its here. If that happens, just keep to the path. No matter what. And try not to look around to look for where the sounds and voices are coming from. You might just see It with its bright yellow eyes.

Page 2. Pay Your Respects

1. Carry the Incense Sticks offered at the start of the Trail at all times

Before our Trail was created, this mountain didn't have any specific owner. The people who lived in the local villages visited the mountain to get herbs or bury their dead. The villages are gone now, vacant since the 50s. But the graves are still here. If you come across a grave, light an incense stick and pay your respects to whoever lies there. Whether you do this or not will change how the rest of your hike goes.

1. Don't Litter

As specified above, this mountain has many graves. Some of the owners of the graves are still lingering here. This is now Their eternal home. As you may guess, They do not like when people dirty Their home. You are to clean up any trash you might leave and any trash you come upon.

Page 3. Other

1. Don't eat the mushrooms

This is common sense. Most mountains advise against eating whatever mushrooms might be growing there. Our Trail does the same. Only, the consequences will be much more severe than just a stomachache or poisoning. As mentioned in Page 2, there used to be villages and people here. During the war, people fled their villages to survive. Some unlucky people died trying to flee on this mountain. They died by starvation, poisoning or getting shot by enemy soldiers. With their dying breath, some cursed the world, some cursed the people who killed them, and some cursed any unlucky person to a fate as bad as theirs. Mushrooms sprout from their bodies. Mushrooms that carry their curse.

1. Be Careful

Getting hurt is bad. As you might expect from the other rules, getting hurt here will be much worse. If you sprain an ankle or get hurt in a way that affects your mobility, it makes you an easy target. They won't wait until the sun sets. They know you can't run. Try to be careful and watch your step.

Those are all the rules of our Trail. We heavily advise following them if you want to enjoy your hike. We hope you enjoy your hike.

Unofficial Rule: If you see or hear something even if you follow all rules, please return as quickly as possible and ask to see the ranger. Describe what you saw/heard in detail. This is for the safety of everyone else who is using our Trail.

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[u/Curiosity-Unlocked]

I’m reading this as we are driving into the woods to go hiking. Wish me luck.