pte

waiting. The figures emerged from the dark, faces obscured and twisted in grotesque forms, whispering a chorus of forlorn dreams an

"This isn't you! Fight it!" She reached out, willing her fr

e moonlight like those of a stranger. "It's too late for me, Lana," she replied, voice

versed was no longer visible; all she could see were the twisted trees that loomed, their branches reaching lik

cy. "You must escape! They won't let you go easily!" The plea in her voice resonated w

est was a maze, a living entity that twisted and turned around her, trying to confound her. Branches scratch

the underbrush, pushing past ferns and thorny vines. But even as she ran, a cold voice whispered beh

nto the night, her voice echoing

faces she recognized-classmates, neighbors, all those who had vanished without a trace. Their expressions we

ok her head violently, forcing herself to focus. "No! I can't give in!" She pushed ahead, c

glimpse of something shimmering in the distance-a faint glow breaking through the suffocating shadows. It looked like m

changed. The oppressive weight of despair began to lift, replaced by the serene sound of flowing water. I

reflections like stars fallen to earth. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, her heart raci

leave. This is where you belong. Your fate is intertwined with ours." The figures at the ed

eared on a stormy night like a ghost drifting into oblivion. "Stay with us, Lana," she

r desperation to ensnare her with their melancholy, but she refused to be part of their eternal sor

luminating the dark around her. The figures halted, their faces twisting with anger

"I will not let the woods claim me!" The water surged around her, r

voice again, but this time it was different-familia

he cried back, desperat

e rang like a bell, clear a

into a serene calm, drowning out the cries of the forgotten. The water shimmered like a portal, pulling her, lifting her above the s

completely. Darkness receded, whispers faded, and th

. The fresh smell of dew hung in the air, and for a moment, she thought it was a dream. Yet as she sat up, she noti

but she was no longer afraid. She would tell the town what had happened, share Emily's story,

er lay ahead. Emily may have been lost in the shadows, but she would not be forgotten. The woods held dark secrets, but so