Ten years ago, Julia Reddings's girlfriend climbed a set of stairs in the woods and never came back down. When she was just a teenager, Julia Reddings watched her girlfriend Alice ascend a staircase in the middle of the woods and vanish at the top without a trace. In the ten years since, Julia has never been able to find Alice. Or the stairs. Now working as a park ranger, Julia has gathered the stories behind every paranormal encounter and local legend she can get her hands on, trying to unravel the mystery of her girlfriend's disappearance. But it seems that Alice has been wiped off the face of the earth. Until she finds the stairs again. Desperate for the truth, Julia returns to the place she lost Alice. But the woods that were once so dear to her are different, now. They feel dangerous. And the staircase that took Alice ten years ago is calling to her. Based on ONC prompt #33: "And then I pressed my cheek against the asphalt and prayed the dead bodies would cover my scent." ONC Longlister!! Cover by @ClaraElisibeth

In a cold forest, hides a creature of myth. Two opposing groups have come to find it. One seeks answers to a mystery. The other... a trophy. Who will reach it first? And what will they find when they do?