Axl and Issac were two adventurous Swedish students who loved exploring the great outdoors. They often went on hikes together, searching for hidden treasures and secret spots in the forests near their university. One day, as they were wandering through the woods, they stumbled upon a mysterious staircase. It seemed to lead up to the treetops, disappearing into the foliage above. Axl's curiosity was piqued and he immediately wanted to climb it, but Issac was hesitant. He had a strange feeling about the staircase and wanted to stay away from it. However, Axl couldn't resist the temptation and started climbing the stairs. As he reached the top, he was met with a bone-chilling scream that echoed through the forest. It sounded like a banshee, and Axl's blood ran cold. He quickly turned to run back down the stairs, but Issac was already halfway down the trail, fear etched on his face. The two friends ran through the forest, their hearts pounding with fear. When they finally stopped to catch their breath, Axl felt a cold hand grab his shoulder. He turned around, thinking it was Issac, but to his horror, he saw that Issac was way too far behind to have touched him. Axl stumbled back, his heart racing. He felt an icy handprint on his shoulder, as if someone was trying to pull him back. Without a second thought, the two friends abandoned their hike and ran back home, never speaking of the mysterious staircase again. Rumors about the staircase spread throughout the university, with some saying it was cursed and others claiming it was a portal to another world. But Axl and Issac knew the truth - there was something sinister lurking within the forest, and they were lucky to have escaped unharmed. From that day on, they avoided that part of the forest, but they never forgot the eerie encounter with the unknown. It remained a secret between the two friends, a reminder of the dangers that lie hidden in the most unexpected places.

Torkik was a park ranger from the Philippines, dedicated to his job of protecting the natural wonders of his country. He was known for his bravery and skills in navigating the dense jungles that surrounded his area. But there was one thing that always troubled him - the mysterious disappearances of hikers and tourists that had accrued over the past few months. One day, Torkik set off on a search mission through the jungle, determined to find the missing people. As he trekked through the thick foliage, he came across a strange double staircase. The staircase on the right was beautifully crafted, with intricate stone carvings etched into each step. But the left staircase looked like it was made from a pile of old rocks. Despite feeling a sense of unease, Torkik decided to climb the right staircase. As he made his way up, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. Halfway up, he suddenly changed his mind and turned to go back down. But to his surprise, a large black dog was following him, its eyes fixed on him with an eerie intensity. Torkik's heart raced as the dog began to growl and bare its teeth. Feeling a surge of fear, Torkik ran up the rest of the stairs to avoid getting bitten by the dog. When he reached the top, he suddenly blacked out. When he came to, he found himself at the bottom of the staircase, feeling disoriented and confused. He couldn't remember how he got back down. Struggling to his feet, Torkik made his way back to his workstation. But when he arrived, he was met with a furious boss who immediately fired him on the spot. Torkik was dumbfounded, not understanding why his boss was so angry with him. In his mind, he had only been gone for a couple of hours. Little did Torkik know that he had been missing for five years and a rescue mission was sent out to find him, but they never could. Everyone on his team assumed he had abandoned his job and moved away. Torkik was shocked and confused, unable to comprehend how he lost five years of his life in the blink of an eye. He tried to piece together what had happened to him. Torkik may never know the truth, but one thing was for sure - he would never venture near that double staircase again.

The Park Ranger’s Missing Hand

As the US park ranger and his wife strolled through the dense woods, they stumbled upon a mysterious staircase. It seemed to appear out of nowhere. The ranger chuckled at the sight, finding it both amusing and a little creepy. But his adventurous spirit couldn't resist the temptation to climb it. His wife, hesitant at first but followed closely behind. As they reached the top, the ranger stretched out his hand to grab a nearby branch. But to their horror, his hand was suddenly gone. It vanished into thin air, leaving behind a bloody stump. The ranger was bleeding profusely, in a panic, the ranger's wife called for an ambulance. The ranger tried to make sense of what had just happened. Even the medics were baffled, unable to explain the mysterious disappearance of his hand. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, but the ranger's hand was never found. The couple searched high and low, but it was as if his hand had been swallowed up by the woods. The incident remained a mystery, haunting the couple and leaving them with more questions than answers. To this day, they still wonder what strange force had taken his hand and why. The woods hold many secrets, and this was just one of them. 

It was a perfect night for camping, the stars shining bright and the cool breeze whispering through the trees. The couple, Jack and Lily, had been looking forward to this trip for weeks. They set up their tent in a secluded area of the national park and got a fire going. The warm glow of the fire and the smell of roasting marshmallows made for a cozy evening. After sharing stories and sipping on hot chocolate, they put the fire out and retired to their tent. Jack fell asleep quickly, but a couple of hours later, he woke up to the sound of rustling leaves. He saw that Lily was missing from her sleeping bags. Thinking she had gone to pee, he went outside to look for her. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic started to set in as Jack called out her name, but she didn't respond. He remembered seeing a forest nearby and decided to check there. As he walked deeper in, he heard Lily's voice calling out to him. He followed her voice until he saw her standing next to a creepy staircase. Jack was relieved to see her but was confused by her behavior and why there was a random staircase in the middled of nowhere with nothing attached it. Lily was in a trance-like state, staring at the top of the stairs. He tried to snap her out of it, but she kept repeating, "No, I've got to go... I've got to go." Jack tried to lead her away, but she wouldn't budge. He couldn't understand what was happening. After a while, he managed to convince her to leave the staircase and go back to their tent. The next morning, Lily had no recollection of what happened. Jack tried to explain, but she couldn't remember anything. They decided to pack up and leave, both feeling unsettled. As they were leaving the park, they passed by a sign that read, "Beware of the Staircase." Jack couldn't believe it. He had never heard of anything like that before. They did some research and found out that the staircase was known to appear in different national parks across North America, and anyone who goes near it falls into a trance. From that day on, Jack and Lily never went camping again. They couldn't shake off the feeling of unease and the mystery of the staircase. They both knew they had experienced something otherworldly that night.

Despite the stories and wild speculations of paranormal events cantered around these mysterious. staircases, historians have a more grounded, simpler explanation as to where they came from…

In medieval Europe, these staircases were often built as part of hunting lodges with lookout posts for hunting game. Hunting games in the Middle Ages were done for a number of reasons, including... Preparation for war: hunting was a good way to prepare. Political power, hunting was a way to distinguish oneself from the common people. Providing a wide range of meats for the upper classes, venison was a popular choice amongst the privileged, and of course, entertainment, hunting has been a popular past time for people throughout the ages.

In Japan, these staircases were often connected to ancient Shinto practices and would lead up to peaceful secret sites and shrines for worship. They were built in the remote forests to preserve their serenity. In the 19th and 20th centuries, during the industrial revolution, these structures were built as part of logging camps and mining operations. They were used for carrying out elevated work. 

Old buildings and cottages, long dismantled or decayed over time, left some of their staircases behind. One such staircase is located in Madame Sherrie Forest in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. It was part of a French-inspired chateau that was built by Madame Antoinette Sherri and her husband in the 1920s. It was used as a summer home for social gatherings and wild parties. Unfortunately, the home chateau burned down in 1962, leaving only the Roman arch-style staircase intact. The staircase is now roped off to the public because a portion of the staircase collapsed in 2021, after days of heavy rain following Hurricane Elsa.

One of the most famous staircase structures was located in The Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, and was created by British artist, Bruce Allen in 1988 as part of The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail that began in 1986. The sculpture was dismantled in 2015 after health and safety experts deemed it beyond repair. https://www.forestofdean-sculpture.org.uk/sculpture/observatory/