It was a chilling sound, one that sent chills down her spine. Her stomach dropped the moment she heard it. The forest was huge, and she was already deep inside of it. If there was anyone out there, she did not think that she would be able to find her way back to the trail in time. All of a sudden, she heard another screech. It was a sound that did not belong in the woods. She had no idea what it was, but she could tell that it was near. What on earth could it possibly be? And did she really want to get involved in whatever it was?
Woman Stopped Dead In Her Tracks After Hearing Strange Noise In The Woods
A Woodland Retreat
There were two reasons Emily loved the forest. The first one was that it offers an escape from her fellow humans. They knew that a lot of people judged her for her interests. Secondly, her mind would roam free in the woods. This place was full of stories and inspired her imagination. She did not know that she would experience something that she would never forget on this trip for the rest of her life.
A Woodland Retreat
She Was On A Mission
She knew what she was looking for, although she did not know where exactly it was. Emily only knew that the site was about 30 or 40 miles away from the national park’s common hiking trail. This was what the man told her. When Emily thought back to what the Search and Rescue Officer told her, she felt excitement course through her veins. Her mission was to look for the mysterious staircase.
She Was On A Mission
Looking For The Staircases
You might find it intriguing to hear abandoned staircases in several national parks across the world. They are discovered in places that do not seem inhabited by anyone. The strangest thing is that the staircase is not attached to any structure! There are some built from cast iron, while others are made from brick. Many of them are in ruins, while some seem as sturdy as newly built ones!
Looking For The Staircases
A Post By A SAR Officer
When she first learned about a staircase near her house in West Virginia, Emily was excited. Her heart started to pound in her chest! A Search and Rescue Officer anonymously posted what it had been like to stumble upon it. In his Reddit post, he confessed, “I don’t know if this is true in every SAR unit, but in mine, it’s an unspoken, regular thing we run into.”
A Post By A SAR Officer
In The Middle Of The Forest
“On just about every case where we’re really far into the wilderness, I’m talking 30 or 40 miles, at some point we’ll find a staircase in the middle of the woods,” he went on. “It’s almost like if you took the stairs in your house, cut them out, and put them in the forest.” We are sure that it will be eerie and unnerving to find something like that in the middle of the forest. For one thing, no one really expects to find a thing like that in the woods. Emily wanted to check it out for herself!
In The Middle Of The Forest
Going Deeper And Deeper
On Reddit, a SAR officer said that he had previously seen staircases that had been “…flipped upside down. I guess it would be like if you had a dollhouse, and the stairs were a separate piece. Now take that, flip it upside down, so the top step is stuck in the dirt, and put it out in the woods.” After hearing this, Emily only felt even more intrigued. She wanted to go into the woods and see it with her two eyes.
Going Deeper And Deeper
Her Wild Imagination
Her plan was actually quite simple. Emily just wanted to wander off the trail and look for the staircase. It was a good way to let go of all the stress from work. Hopefully, she would come out of it refreshed. She had only been several steps into the trail when she started thinking about gnomes and fairies peering out of their houses to look at her. All of a sudden, she heard a faint noise from the bushes.
Her Wild Imagination
A Loud Noise
The shriek was a high-pitched one. It sounded like metal clashing or an old rusty escalator in a forgotten mall. Could it have been a bird? If that were the case, it had to be the strangest bird in the world. Despite everything, she was too curious for her own good. She tried to follow the source of the sound.
A Loud Noise
Remembering The News
She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body. Emily was the sort of gal who lived for the thrill. Emily, the Explorer, wanted to see what was making the strange noise. With every step she took through the woods, the sound became even more complex. However, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when she remembered something she saw on the news.
Remembering The News
A Missing Girl
Emily remembered that a girl went missing only a couple of weeks ago. She went for a walk and did not come back. All of a sudden, Emily felt keenly aware of her surroundings. However, she tried to comfort herself by telling her that the girl went missing in town. This had nothing to do with that…, right?
A Missing Girl
Definitely Not On Her Own
She froze when she heard the sound of metal and then a guttural rumbling. What was going on? If you saw her in that spot, you would think that she looked like a witch. Emily did not mind. But what made her feel creeped out was the vibration making its way across her skin. There was something out there.
Definitely Not On Her Own
She Called Out
Every step that she took was careful and slow. Emily held her breath, afraid that even the tiniest sound was going to make bad things happen. She had no idea what she was up against. When the missing girl popped up in her head once more, she decided to risk it. Loud and clear, Emily called out, “Hello?”
She Called Out
A Booming Sound
The forest suddenly went still after that. It felt like her words magically put whatever was out there to seep. Emily did not like the sudden silence. She felt fear make a home out of her body. Without any warning, she heard a loud boom that made her tremble. Whatever it was, she knew that it was close by.
A Booming Sound
She Looked Down
Emily could smell the scent of decay and wet earth. The wind was cold against her skin. A feeling of dread enveloped her, but she forced herself to move forward. The booms kept coming, as did the sound of metal. The low rumbling suddenly morphed into a growl. She knew that she was not alone.
She Looked Down
The Source Of The Sound
It made sense to flee. Something was clearly not right. This felt like a scene from a horror flick! Just as Emily was about to turn, she heard a new sound. Could that be a… whimper? The sound sounded like an animal in pain. After this, she decided to keep searching for the source of the sound.
The Source Of The Sound
It Was A Deep Pit
This was how she stumbled upon a big black dog in the middle of a hole filled with illegally dumped garbage. The poor creature had long and matted hair. There was also a chain around its neck. How long had the animal been there? The boom came from the sheet metal that it was jumping against, while the screeches were made by the rusted car door to which the dog was tied.
It Was A Deep Pit
An Abandoned Dog
Emily let out a sigh of relief. It was not a monster. If you ask her, the only monster in the story was the person who left the poor thing there. She made her way towards the dog and offered it some water from her own bottle. The growls stopped instantly as the dog crouched down and whined. What now?
An Abandoned Dog
A Visit To The Vet
It was not easy to take the dog out of there. We are glad that Emily had been patient. She calmly spoke to the dog and gave him pats. This was how she led him out of the woods and into her car. She wanted to go to the vet and report this to the police. Someone had to pay for what they did.
A Visit To The Vet
His New Home
Sadly, no one claimed the dog. However, this did not matter by then. Emily had already made up her mind – she was going to adopt him! She was already in love with his adorable big grin and dark coat. The Goth witch went to the mystical forest and came out of there with a familiar. We are sure that no other walks could beat this one. However, did she find what she initially wanted to see in the forest?
His New Home
Just An Update
“I came across the set in rural West Virginia. I don’t think I was quite 40 miles deep, but at least 10 or better. I thought maybe a house had once stood there, but there was no cellar or other debris that would indicate a home was there before,” she said. “Just a set of stairs with a base that went up maybe one flight – 16 so steps if I remember right. And sturdy. I could barely shake them. I didn’t climb up, though. Worried it might break or fall over, and I was alone.”
Just An Update
A Different Sighting
There was a Reddit user who wanted to share what they saw in Michigan. “An hour east of Iron Wood, there is a clearing in the forest that has stairs,” he revealed. “I was hiking and exploring with my cousins, and we stumbled on a clearing about half a football field long. Had a few staircases but not against trees, just standing in the open.”
A Different Sighting
An Unsettling Sight
“They looked like stairs from a normal suburban home. Old, though,” he added. “The older cousin decided to investigate. He walked to the stairs to see how they were being held up and couldn’t find anything, which weirded him. He made us all leave. Grass didn’t grow near the stairs either.” But what were those stairs even doing in the forest in the first place?
An Unsettling Sight
The Different Theories
There are a few theories about those stairs. One of them says that they are nothing but the foundations of old settlements. In particular, they believe that they came from the American gold rush in the 1800s. A few sturdy staircases must have survived. They lived through two centuries of rot, erosion, and rain. Wood did not stand a chance, but other materials did. There was a more sinister theory, however…
The Different Theories
Possibly Even More Sinister
A Redditor called ‘edema wanted to warn anyone from approaching those staircases. He said, “Stairs in the woods are a thing where I’m from, but we know that we shouldn’t go near them and avoid them when we run into one. That’s what my family has told me.” Maybe those are not even really stairs! They could be a clandestine meeting place for a certain group of people. Who knows? They might even be a gateway to a different dimension! Seek them out if you are brave, but you might be better off following the advice of this Redditor. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Possibly Even More Sinister