The light of the bonfire vibrated between the slender trunks of the pines, casting shadows on the faces of the teenagers sitting in the circle. Karolina sat with her arms entwined around her knees, keeping her gaze fixed on the dancing flames. She felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement rising in her chest; this was their first solo camping trip without adults, and the night was thick with unfamiliar sounds. Next to her, Hubert was amusedly telling another terrible joke, while Ola, seemingly indifferent, glanced into the darkness every now and then. Only Bartek, eternally rational, pretended not to pay attention to the pinecones falling from the branches and the rustling of leaves. - Did you hear that? - whispered Karolina suddenly, interrupting Hubert's laughter. Silence fell. Somewhere deep in the forest, a melodious, almost inhuman laughter could be heard, as if echoing through a hundred trees. - 'That must be the echo from my joke,' Hubert tried to joke, but his voice trembled. Ola rose timidly and moved towards the path leading deep into the darkness. - Maybe it's someone who needs help? - she chuckled, looking uncertainly at the others. Bartek got up first, abandoning logic in favour of curiosity. They picked up their torches and walked one by one into the cool twilight of the forest. Each step seemed to stretch endlessly, and every slight movement underfoot raised their blood pressure. At one point, the torchlights revealed something strange - footsteps leading nowhere, as if someone was circling their encampment. Karolina felt her heart pounding faster and faster; suddenly the forest seemed different, less friendly. They looked at each other, searching their eyes for the answer to the unspoken question: should they go on? Suddenly, a soft, dragging whisper came from behind the trees. Karolina felt a shudder run through her, and worst-case scenarios began to race through her head. As they took one more step towards the source of the sound, the light of the torch reflected off something shiny hidden among the moss....