The Stanislaus River, winding through the dense forests of Calaveras County, has long been a place of solace and escape—a hidden refuge where the world fades away, and nature reigns supreme. For generations, men like John and Mike have sought the river’s wild waters and tranquil currents, casting their lines in search of fish and moments of peace.
But peace is not what they would find.
This land, steeped in the ancient legends of the Mi-Wok people, holds secrets older than the trees that stand tall on its ridges. When a devastating mudslide tore through the mountains in 1997, it wasn’t just earth and stone that was disturbed. Something far older, far more dangerous, awoke from its slumber beneath the river’s depths—a force bound to the land, neither human nor beast. Known only in whispers as Oma-Tok, this ancient guardian is both protector and destroyer, its wrath unleashed by the recklessness of man.
For those who venture too deep, who dare to tread where they don’t belong, the forest becomes more than just a wilderness. It becomes a labyrinth of shifting trees, a trap set by nature itself. And for some, once you’ve entered, there is no escape.