Danger

He sat there, in the cab of the logging truck, staring straight ahead. "You going up?" Jess called to him (rhetorically; it was his damn job, so why wouldn't he be going up?). He sat there, wondering why his arms were covered in gooseflesh and the hairs on the back of his neck wouldn't calm the fuck down. He wondered why the sunlight, so bright and seemingly endless at the turn, had not even touched this place. "Princess? You social distancing for a reason?" Jess called, curious ... and annoyed. "Why is it so dark here?" he asked himself out loud and the trees, as if hearing him through the glass or feeling his fear through the grill, seemed to press in (more and more of them forming out of the shadows). "Nope," he whispered and, before he knew that he had acted, the door was open, his boots were on the ground, and he was giving the keys to Jess. "NOPE," he said. "I'm out. The trees are done, man. Don't go up there. They are DONE." "WHAT IN THE SAM HELL?!?" Jess called after him, but looked over his left shoulder (as if some part of him knew which direction the threat was coming from). He would remember that - Jess turning to see but not really seeing - while watching the tube later. His hands would shake opening his umpteenth beer when the breaking story kicked off the evening news.