Sleep Better Tonight with Mystery Horror Stories and Deep Rain Sounds | Vol 04 |

welcome dear listener to Sleepy rain horror where the line between Dreams and Nightmares blurs as you drift into the unknown remember that some whispers are better left unheard but here they're impossible to ignore if you enjoy this tale and haven't fallen asleep yet or are brave enough to stay awake don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe let's see if you can make it through to the end and without a single Scream the rain had been falling steadily for hours a soft but persistent Rhythm against the car's windshield Emily tightened her grip on the

steering wheel her Knuckles pale under the dim glow of the Dashboard Lights she had taken this trip to escape a spontaneous decision after a long and grueling week at work the wine ing Forest lined roads offered a sort of Peace she hadn't felt in months but as night descended that peace began to feel more like isolation her GPS an outdated model she hadn't used in years flickered uncertainly on the dashboard she didn't trust it but cell service had been non-existent for the past hour leaving her with no choice but to rely on the device recalculating

the robotic voice announced for the the fifth time in 20 minutes great Emily muttered glancing at the dimly lit screen the map seemed to glitch showing her position as a blinking dot surrounded by unmarked roads the rain grew heavier the rhythmic tapping turning into a Relentless drumming the wipers struggled to keep up smearing the water rather than clearing it ahead the Road Forked but the GPS off offered no guidance left or right she mused aloud her voice the only sound in the car aside from the rain after a moment's hesitation she turned left the road

narrowed as the forest closed in around her the trees on either side were ancient their Twisted branches forming a canopy that blocked out what little Moonlight remained Emily couldn't shake the feeling that the trees were leaning closer as if they were watching her she turned up the heater trying to dispel the sudden chill that crept into the car her headlights barely penetrated the dense Darkness ahead the light swallowed by the Mist rising from the wet ground minut stretched into what felt like hours the GPS screen went dark and when Emily tapped it in frustration the

device let out a faint wine before shutting off completely fantastic she said side her breath fogging the air up ahead a sign appeared its paint faded and peeling she slowed the car to read it Whispering Woods established 1846 the name sent a shiver down her spine there was something about it something familiar had she heard of this place before a memory tugged at the edge of her mind but it slipped away before she could grasp it the rain lessened as she continued now reduced to a gentle patter the oppressive Silence of the woods pressed against

her ears she reached for the radio hoping for music to fill the void but all she found was static her fingers hovered over the dial when she heard it a voice it was faint buried beneath the static but unmistakable turn turn back Emily froze her hand trembling as she turned the volume down the voice faded leaving only the soft hiss of static she shook her head it's just the storm messing with the signal she told herself though her voice lacked conviction the road twisted and turn each Bend more disorienting than the last Emily began to

feel as though she was driving in circles the same gnarled tree with a split trunk appeared on her left three times though she swore she hadn't doubled back and then she saw it a figure standing in the middle of the road illuminated by her headlights Emily slammed on the brakes her heart leaping into her throat the car skitted to a stop the tires sliding on the Slick pavement the figure didn't move it was a man tall and thin wearing a dark coat that hung limply from his frame his face was obscured by the Shadows but

Emily could feel his gaze piercing through the windshield cold and unyielding she fumbled for the door locked her fingers shaking as she pressed the button the sound of the locks clicking into place was deafening in the Stillness the man raised one hand slowly pointing toward the woods to her right Emily's pulse thundered in her ears she shook her head as if to say no I'm not going there the man's hand dropped to his side and he began to walk toward her Panic seized her she threw the car into reverse her tires squealing as she backed

away the man disappeared into the Shadows swallowed by the trees but the sense of his presence lingered she turned the car around her breath coming in short gasps the road stretched endlessly ahead the rain falling heavier once more as if the forest itself was trying to keep her from leaving but she couldn't leave the road dead ended at a clearing Emily slammed on the brakes staring at the scene before her the clearing was dominated by a massive tree its trunk blackened and scarred as if it had been struck by lightning beneath its Twisted branches stood

an old wooden sign its letters barely legible the whispering tree a faint whisper brushed against her ears too soft to make out the words but close enough to send a chill racing down her spine Emily's hand reached for the car door handle her movements mechanical as though she were no longer in control The Whispers grew louder as she stepped into the clearing merging into a cacophony of voices they seemed to come from the tree from the ground from the very air around her she stumbled toward the sign compelled by a force she couldn't explain her

eyes scanned The Faded lettering beneath the tree's name her heart sinking as she read the words those who hear The Whispers belong to the woods before she could react The Whispers stopped stopped the silence was deafening pressing down on her like a weight she turned back to the car her breath hitching in her throat the man was standing by the driver's side door his face finally visible in the dim light his eyes were hollowed his mouth Twisted into a grotesque grin and then he whispered Run Emily didn't wait to process the man's chilling command her

body moved before her mind could catch up she turned on her heel and sprinted toward the woods her shoes slipping on the wet grass The Whispers returned louder now swirling around her in a language she couldn't understand the air felt heavy each breath of struggle as if the forest itself was trying to suffocate her she risked a glance over her shoulder expecting to see the man following her but he wasn't instead he stood motionless by her car his hollow eyes fixed on her retreating form his grin had stretched unnaturally wide almost splitting his face in

two Emily plunged into the trees the branches clawing at her clothes and hair the rain muffled by the dense canopy above became a distant patter The Whispers seemed to grow stronger the deeper she went transforming into distinct words that clawed at her sanity Emily her name spoken in a voice that wasn't hers echoed from the darkness she froze her heart hammering in her chest Emily it came again closer this time the voice was soft almost gentle but there was something wrong about it something cold and Hollow who's there she demanded her voice trembling the forest

answered with silence she pressed on her steps quick and unsteady the ground beneath her feet grew softer sucking at her shoes with each step the trees seemed to shift around her their gnarled trunks twisting in unnatural ways her mind raced as she tried to piece together what was happening why had she listened to the GPS why had she stopped for the man in the road and most importantly why did she feel as if the forest knew her as if it had been waiting for her ahead a faint Light flickered Between the Trees desperate for any

sign of safety she stumbled toward it the light LED her to a small cabin its Windows glowing with a warm golden hue smoke curled from the Crooked chimney and the faint scent of burning would mingled with the damp air Emily hesitated her instincts screaming at her to turn back but where could she go the forest was alive with Whispers And she had no sense of direction she climbed the creaking steps to the porch her hand trembling as she reached for the door before she could knock the door creaked open on its own revealing a dimly

lit interior hello she called her voice barely above a whisper there was no response inside the cabin was surprisingly clean a fire crackled in the heart casting flickering Shadows on the wooden walls a table in the center of the room was set for one with a steaming bowl of soup and a single chair it was as if someone had been expecting her Emily's stomach growled the scent of the soup enticing she hadn't eaten since she left the city hours ago but something about the scene felt wrong too perfect too inviting hello she tried again her

voice wavering The Whispers outside the cabin grew louder as if urging her to stay the door slammed shut behind her and the fire flared it's light light intensifying Emily backed away from the table her eyes darting around the room the walls were lined with shelves filled with strange objects jars of murky liquid bundles of dried herbs and what look like old photographs she moved closer to one of the photos her breath catching in her throat it was a picture of her she was standing in the clearing by the whispering tree her face pale and her

eyes wide with Terror she turned the frame over hoping for some explanation and found a single words scrolled on the back welcome The Whispers inside the cabin began soft at first but quickly rising to a deafening Crescendo they came from everywhere the walls the floor even the air itself Emily stay belong she covered her ears sinking to the floor as the voices pressed in on her the fire roared casting monstrous Shadows that danced across the walls through the cacophony a new sound emerged footsteps heavy deliberate footsteps coming from the second floor Emily forced herself to

stand her legs trembling as she backed toward the door her hand fumbled for the knob but it wouldn't turn she was trapped the footsteps grew louder descending the stairs with agonizing slowness Emily's breath hitched as a figure emerged from the Shadows it was a woman her face hidden beneath a veil of long dark hair she wore a tattered dress that seemed to Ripple as if underwater her movements were jerky unnatural as though she were a puppet controlled by invisible ible strings the woman stopped at the foot of the stairs her head tilting at an impossible

angle when she spoke her voice was a chilling blend of many voices all speaking in unison you shouldn't have come Emily's scream caught in her throat as the woman took a step forward desperation surged through her and she grabbed the nearest object a heavy Candlestick from the table stay back she shouted though her voice cracked with fear the woman didn't stop her Hollow eyes locked onto Emily's and her mouth Twisted into a grotesque smile you're already ours the voices hissed the walls of the cabin began to shake the jars on the shelves shattering and spilling

their contents onto the floor the fire flared one last time before extinguishing plunging the room into dark Darkness Emily swung the Candlestick blindly connecting with nothing but air The Whispers surged around her louder and more chaotic until she could no longer tell where they were coming from and then silence when she opened her eyes she was back in her car the rain was falling softly again the windshield wipers moving rhythmically the GPS blowed faintly on the dashboard the map displaying a clear route back to the main Highway for a moment she thought it had all

been a dream but as she reached for the steering wheel her hand brushed against something cold and wet she looked down to see a single muddy handprint smeared across her armrest and from the forest behind her The Whispers began again Emily's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles achd her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath her eyes darting between the rear view mirror and the road ahead the forest loomed around her its Darkness impenetrable and The Whispers seemed to hum just beneath the sound of the rain the GPS beeped startling

her the map displayed a single winding line leading her out of the woods a glowing blue arrow pointing her way just drive she whispered whispered to herself her foot pressed the gas pedal and the car lurched forward she forced her eyes to stay on the road ignoring the Shadows that flickered at the edges of her vision the rain grew heavier the wipers struggling to keep up and then the voice returned Emily her name spoken softly as if someone were sitting in the back seat she didn't dare look into the mirror her heart pounded as she

pressed the gas harder the car speeding through the narrow twisting Road the trees blurred into a wall of black and green Emily The Voice repeated clearer now and impossibly close her resolve broke and she glanced at the mirror the back seat was empty relief flooded her for a moment until she noticed something else a figure was standing in the middle of the road ahead directly in her path Emily screamed and slammed on the brakes the car skitted on the wet pavement spinning out of control the headlight swung wildly Illuminating the forest in chaotic bursts before

the car came to a screeching Halk inches from a massive tree her head slammed against the steering wheel and for a moment the world spoted she groaned pressing a hand to her forehead when she looked up her blood ran cold the figure stood directly in front of the car illuminated by the headlights it was the woman from the cabin her hair hung in wet Tangled strands over her face and her dress clung to her thin frame her head tilted unnaturally as she took a step closer her bare feet making no sound found on the wet

ground Emily's instincts screamed at her to run but she was frozen her body refused to move as the woman reached out a hand pressing it against the hood of the car the engine sputtered and died the cabin plunged Into Darkness save for the faint glow of the dashboard Emily's breaths came in Shallow gasps as the woman moved to the driver's side window her movements slow and deliberate the rain distorted her features but Emily could see her Hollow eyes her lips curling into that same grotesque grin let me in the woman whispered her voice a low

gutural rasp Emily shook her head violently fumbling to lock the doors her fingers trembled as she gripped the handle her mind Racing for a plan the woman's grin widened and she pressed her face closer to the glass you can't leave she hissed with a surge of adrenaline Emily threw the car into reverse the tires screeched as the car shot backward narrowly avoiding the tree she spun the wheel her headlights cutting through the rain as she sped back onto the road in the mirror the woman stood motionless her figure disappearing into the darkness as the car

raced away the road twisted and turned the forest growing denser with each passing mile Emily's chest heaved as she struggled to keep the car on the slippery pavement the GPS beeped again it screen flickering before shutting off entirely no no no she yelled slamming her fist against the dashboard The Whisper returned louder this time filling the car with their dissonant chorus stay belong come back her vision blurred as Tears welled In Her Eyes she wiped them away trying to focus on the road the rain had turned into a torrential downpour the windshield wipers utterly useless

and then just as suddenly as it began the rain stopped the silence was deafening broken only by The Faint hum of the engine the forest seemed to hold its breath the air thick with an unnatural Stillness Emily slowed the car her hands trembling on the wheel she squinted through the windshield realizing the road ahead was no longer paved it had turned to dirt the trees closing in tightly on either side her heart sank as she saw what lay ahead the whispering tree the massive blackened trunk loomed in the Headlights its Twisted branches stretching toward the

sky like skeletal arms the clearing was exactly as she had left it though the air felt heavier Now The Whispers louder Emily slammed the brakes her car skidding to a stop she stared at the tree her breath hitching in her throat from behind the tree figures began to emerge dozens of them men women and children their faces pale and lifeless their eyes Hollow they moved slowly their bodies jerking as though they were being pulled by invisible strings at the center of them all stood the woman from the cabin her grin impossibly wide you were always

meant to stay she said her voice echoing with The Whispers Emily's scream tore through the silence as the figure surged toward the car she threw the car into reverse her tires spinning uselessly in the mud The Whispers grew deafening drowning out her thoughts Stay Stay Stay the last thing Emily saw before everything went black was the woman's face pressed against the windshield her Hollow eyes staring into her soul when Emily woke she was standing beneath the whispering tree the forest was silent the rain long gone she looked down and saw her own face staring up

at her from a photograph nailed to the tree's trunk beneath it scrolled in Jagged letters were the words those who hear The Whispers belonged to the woods as The Whispers began a new Emily realized she was no longer alone she was one of them now Emily's pulse thundered in her ears as the car sped down the muddy twisting Road she had no idea where she was going she only knew she had to get away the forest pressed close on either side the ancient trees Whispering secrets in a language she couldn't understand the rain came down

harder a torrential downpour that blurred the windshield the headlights were useless casting faint beams of light swallowed almost immediately by the darkness then then out of the corner of her eye she saw movement a figure darting between the trees keeping Pace with her car her breath hitched as she gripped the steering wheel tighter her Knuckles white no she whispered to herself her voice trembling it's not real it's not real but the figure was real a woman in a tattered dress her hair plastered to her face by the rain running alongside the car and she was

smiling the road narrowed further forcing Emily to slow down the woman's grin widened and she veered closer to the car her Hollow eyes locked onto Emily's without thinking Emily jerked the wheel to the right the tires skidding on the Slick mud the car spun wildly the world tilting as the vehicle slammed into a ditch the engine sputtered and died Emily's head struck the steering wheel pain blossoming behind her eyes dazed she lifted her head and peered through the cracked windshield the woman was gone the rain eased into a steady drizzle the forest once again still

Emily fumbled for her phone praying for a signal but the screen was blank she cursed shoving it back in into her pocket every fiber of her being screamed at her to stay in the car to lock the doors and wait until daylight but then she heard it a faint rhythmic tapping on the roof of the car her breath caught in her throat as the sound grew louder more deliberate she leaned forward peering through the rain streak window but the night was impenetrable go away she whispered tears screaming down her face the tapping stopped silence and

then from directly behind her Emily she screamed twisting around in her seat the back was empty her heart pounded as she fumbled with the door handle throwing it open and stumbling into the mud the rain soaked her instantly chilling her to the Bone she turned in frantic circles searching the shadows for whoever or whatever had whispered her name but she was alone the forest seemed to hold its breath The Whispers silenced for the moment Emily's eyes darted to the tree line and her stomach dropped the whispering tree loomed in the distance its blackened branches stretching

like skeletal arms toward the sky no she muttered shaking her head I was going the other way I was her words faltered as she realized the road she had been driving on was gone in its place was a narrow muddy path leading directly to the clearing Emily staggered forward her legs heavy as if the mud itself was trying to pull her down the path seemed to stretch endlessly the forest growing darker with each step and then she saw them figure emerging from the Shadows their faces pale and lifeless they moved slowly their limbs jerking awkwardly

like marionet At first there were only a few but as she approached the clearing more and more figures appeared until they surrounded her on all sides her chest tightened her breathing shallow as she tried to push past them but their Hollow eyes followed her unblinking thinking their mouths opening and closing silently as if trying to speak and then The Whispers return Stay belong Emily the clearing opened up before her the whispering tree dominating the center its gnarled trunk seemed to pulse with a dark energy the bark covered in deep Jagged scars at the base of

the tree stood the woman her dress was torn and soaked with with mud her hair hanging in wet strands around her face she smiled that terrible to wide smile and held out a hand beckoning Emily closer no Emily screamed backing away the woman's smile faltered her face twisting into something darker something monstrous her eyes burned with an unnatural light as she took a step forward the figures in the clearing closing rang behind her you cannot leave the woman hissed her voice layered with the Echoes of a hundred others Emily's back hit the edge of the

tree and she gasped spinning around the bark was ice cold beneath her fingers the jagged scars cutting into her Palms she looked up and her breath caught in her throat photographs were nailed to the tree's trunk dozens of them each weather Ed and faded and in every photo there was a face she recognized her own The Whispers Rose to a deafening Roar and Emily sank to her knees clutching her head the figures closed in their lifeless eyes glowing faintly in the darkness the woman knelt before her tilting her head as if examining a puzzle you

belong to us now she whispered Emily opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out the last thing she saw was the woman's Hollow eyes and the last thing she felt was the cold Embrace of the earth as the forest swallowed her hole the next morning the storm had passed the forest was quiet the air heavy with a scent of rain soaked Earth a traveler passing through the area noticed an old abandoned car in the ditch its doors hanging open he peered inside but it was empty in the distance a faint whisper carried on

the breeze soft and almost Musical and beneath the whispering tree a new photograph had appeared it was Emily's face her Hollow eyes staring out into the forest forever apart of the woods the world didn't move on from Emily not entirely days after her disappearance the local news covered her story briefly Emily Carter 29 last seen traveling through rural highways vehicle found abandoned in the Whispering Woods area there were no signs of a struggle no clues as to where she might have gone the car was towed and forgotten and with no family pushing for answers the

case went cold but the forest remembered it was a month later when a new visitor came came to the Whispering Woods a man named Ryan he was a hiker a thrill seeker drawn to places with dark histories Ryan had heard Whispers not the ones that emanated from the woods but rumors shared in hush tones at local diners people vanish out there they said the woods don't like to let you go Ryan had laughed it off stories of ghosts and cursed forests were good for tourism he thought but nothing more still he packed a camera eager

to capture the Eerie beauty of the infamous Woods as he stood at the edge of the tree line The Towering Pines casting Long Shadows in the late afternoon sun a chill crept up his spine he shook it off tightened the straps of his backpack and stepped into the forest the trail was overgrown as if nature itself had tried to erase it Ryan pushed forward brushing aside lwh hanging branches and stepping carefully over roots that snaked across the ground like veins the air grew colder as he went deeper the sunlight struggling to penetrate the dense canopy

The Whispers began softly so faint he thought it was the wind but the further he walked the clearer they became Ryan he froze his head snapping toward the sound hello he called his voice steady but loud enough to echo through the trees no answer he shook his head and continued dismissing the sound as his imagination but the forest had a way of making itself heard the deeper Ryan ventured the stranger the forest became the trees seemed to lean closer their branches inter Twining overhead like prison bars the air smelled damp and metallic and the dirt

beneath his boots grew softer almost spongy and then he found the clearing the whispering tree stood at its Center its blackened bark gleaming faintly in the dim light the massive gnarled Roots jutted out of the earth like skeletal fingers and the Twisted branches stretched upward clawing at the sky Ryan stared at the tree his camera forgotten in his hands for a moment he felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu as if he had been here before and then he saw the photographs nailed to the tree's trunk were dozens of them their edges curling with age

he stepped closer squinting at the images the faces were blurred some too faded to make out but others were hauntingly clear men women children all staring back at him with Hollow eyes Ryan's stomach turned as he recognized one of the faces it was a young woman with dark hair and a faint smile he had seen her photo on the missing person's flyer at the diner Emily Carter he whispered as he spoke her name The Whispers in the forest grew louder they came from all directions surrounding him in a dissonant Chorus stay beong Ryan Ryan stumbled

back his heart racing he turned to run but the clearing had changed the path he had entered from was gone replaced by a wall of trees that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction The Whispers followed him growing more insistent stay beong he Tri tripped over a roof falling hard onto the damp Earth his camera skittered away landing at the base of the tree and then he saw her Emily she stood beneath the whispering tree her figure pale and ethereal her eyes were Hollow her face devoid of emotion the tattered remains of her clothing clung

to her frame and her lips moved silently as if Whispering SE Secrets only the forest could hear Emily Ryan coked his voice trembling she tilted her head her movements slow and unnatural her eyes locked onto his and for a moment he thought he saw a flicker of recognition help me she whispered her voice barely audible over the rain Ryan scrambled to his feet reaching for her but she took a step back her body melting into the Shadows of the tree no he shouted but his cry was swallowed by the forest The Whispers surged louder now

almost deafening the photographs on the tree began to shift and change new faces appearing among the old Ryan's breath caught in his throat as he saw his own face staring back at him his eyes wide with Terror he backed away his mind racing the forest seemed to close and around him the trees twisting and contorting as if alive and then the woman appeared the same woman Emily had encountered her Hollow eyes and two wide grins sending a wave of cold Terror through Ryan's body you came she said her voice layered with countless others just as

she did Ryan shook his head stumbling back I'm leaving he said his voice shaking the woman laughed a sound that echoed unnaturally in the clearing no one leaves she said stepping Closer You Belong to the woods now Ryan turned and ran his breath coming in ragged gasps the forest blurred around him the path twisting and shifting beneath his feet the whisper ERS grew louder and the woman's laughter echoed in his ears and then silence he opened his eyes and found himself standing at the edge of the whispering trees clearing the photographs on the tree were

still there but his was gone instead a single word was scrolled across the bark in Jagged letters run Ryan didn't wait he bolted through the forest the path miraculously clear before him The Whispers faded and the air grew warmer when he finally burst out of the trees and onto the main road he collapsed to his knees gasping for breath behind him the forest was quiet but the Whispering Woods were patient they always waited for their next visitor Ryan didn't speak of what he saw in the woods not at first when he stumbled into the Small

Town Diner the next morning covered in mud and trembling the locals knew better than to press him for details they'd seen the look before the pale skin the haunted eyes the stammered insistence that something was wrong in those woods the waitress a woman in her 60s with kind eyes and an air of quiet knowing set a cup of steaming coffee in front of him without a word your luck to have made it out she said finally her voice low Ryan looked up at her his hands trembling as they gripped the cup you've seen it too

she didn't answer instead she leaned closer glancing around as if the very walls had ears leave town she said Don't Look Back Ryan didn't leave something about the whispering tree clung to him as if its roots had burrowed into his mind the photographs the voices Emily it all haunted him he couldn't sleep when he closed his eyes he saw her face pale and hollowe Whispering for help when he finally drifted into uneasy dreams they were filled with the forest branches reaching for him Shadows moving in the corner of his vision Whispers that followed him no

no matter how fast he ran and always the tree it stood in the center of his mind blackened and Alive its gnarled limbs stretching endlessly he could feel it watching him waiting desperation drove Ryan back to the diner 2 days later he cornered the waitress as she was closing up his voice horse his eyes bloodshot I need to know what happened to her he said gripping her arm the girl Emily Carter I saw her she's still in there the woman froze her face tight with fear she's gone she whispered like all the others no Ryan

snapped slamming his hand on the counter she was there she spoke to me she asked for help the woman shook her head her expression a mix of pity and sorrow that wasn't her not anymore Ryan stared at her his mind racing what does that mean what's in those woods the woman hesitated then sigh the woods they don't let go once you hear The Whispers you're marked they'll call you back no matter how far you run her voice dropped to a near whisper and if you go back they'll take you too Ryan didn't heed her warning

the next morning he packed a flashlight a pocket knife and a notebook he told himself it wasn't about Emily or The Whispers he just needed answers he needed to see the tree again to prove to himself that he wasn't losing his mind the trail was harder to find this time as if the forest was trying to keep him out but Ryan pressed on using his camera to document every step The Whispers began sooner this time faint at first like a distant wind but the further he went the louder they grew Ryan come back stay by

the time he reached the clearing The Whispers were de the whispering tree loomed before him its Twisted branches stretching against the gray sky the photographs were still there though they seemed brighter now sharper Ryan's stomach churned as he recognized more faces people he'd seen on missing posters faces from the diner bulletin board and there at the very center was Emily's photograph it had changed her Hollow eyes now seemed to follow him her faint smile Twisted into something desperate beneath the photo fresh scratches marred the bark forming a single word help Ryan's hands trembled as he

reached for the photograph he didn't know why what he hoped to accomplish but something compelled him the moment his fingers touched the photo the forest erupted in sound The Whispers became scream dreams a cacophony of voices shouting in anger in anguish in desperation the ground beneath him trembled and the air grew thick and suffocating and then the figures appeared they emerged from the Shadows one by one their Hollow eyes glowing faintly men women children all of them pale and lifeless their movements jerky and unnatural at their Center was Emily her form was more solid now

her features sharper but her eyes were the same empty and Hollow filled with something ancient and malevolent Ryan she whispered her voice layered with others you shouldn't have come back I came to help you Ryan stammered backing away Emily tilted her head her lips curling into a faint smile you can't help me the figures closed in their Whispers blending into a single overpowering voice Stay Stay Stay Ryan stumbled falling to his knees his flashl flickered the beam cutting through the Shadows but doing little to dispel the darkness Emily stepped closer her movements slow and deliberate

it's your turn now she said Softly Ryan shook his head violently scrambling to his feet no I'm not staying The Whispers Rose a deafening Roar that seemed to shake the very ground you don't have a choice Emily said her smile widening Ryan turned and ran the forest a blur around him the path shifted beneath his feet twisting and turning in impossible ways The Whispers followed him Relentless and then he saw it a faint glow in the distance the outline of the Road Hope surged in his chest and he pushed himself harder his legs burning with

effort The Whispers grew fainter the air lighter and then just as he reached the edge of the forest he heard her voice One Last Time Ryan you'll be back when he stumbled onto the road gasping for air he didn't look back but deep in the forest beneath the whispering tree a new photograph appeared it was Ryan's face his eyes wide with Terror beneath it scrolled in Jagged letters was a single word Ryan didn't leave town though his escape from the forest should have brought relief it only left questions he couldn't stop replaying the scene at

the whispering tree the photographs Emily's Hollow eyes and the words carved into the bark help it felt like an unfinished sentence as if the forest was toying with him daring him to come back but there was something else a nagging certainty that he had left a piece of himself behind the photograph his own face nailed to the tree etched into the fabric of the Whispering Woods how could that be possible if he had escaped and worse what would happen when the woods came to collect what belonged to them two nights after his return to town

Ryan was awoken by the sound of whispering it started faintly barely audible over the hum of the motel air conditioner he sat up in bed his heart pounding as he strained to hear Ryan the voice was soft feminine familiar he leapt out of bed and rushed to the window throwing the curtains aside the parking lot outside was empty lit by a single flickering Street Lamp but the voice continued more insistent now Ryan come back he didn't sleep that night instead he paced the small room The Whispers growing louder and more persistent he tried blasting the

television drowning them in static even shouting at them to stop but nothing worked by Dawn he was a wreck dark circles framed his bloodshot eyes and His Hands trembled as he clutched his coffee The Whispers had stopped when the sun rose leaving him in silence that felt almost mocking Ryan stared at his reflection in the motel mirror his face looked older gone as if the forest had drained a part of him I can't stay here he muttered but even as he said it he knew he wouldn't leave not yet the next day Ryan returned to

the diner it was quiet the lunch rush long over and the waitress from before stood behind the counter wiping down tables she froze when she saw him you're still here she asked her voice low and tense Ryan nodded sliding into a booth I need to know what's happening to me the waitress side setting her cloth aside I told you to leave I can't Ryan said his voice cracked and he leaned forward his desperation raw they won't let me she studied him for a long moment then sat across from him the woods have their own rules

she said quietly once they've marked you you're theirs you might think you escaped but you didn't you're just she hesitated borrowed Ryan's hands tightened into fists what does that mean borrowed the waitress shook her head the wood always take back what belongs to them it's only a matter of time no Ryan said his voice firm I saw Emily she was trying to communicate if I can figure out what she wants what they want maybe I can stop this the waitress's expression darkened you can't bargain with the woods Ryan people have tried no one comes back

C but they do come back Ryan pressed how for a moment she said nothing then she stood pulling a notepad from her apron pocket she scribbled something quickly and handed it to him this man knows more than I do she said but if you go looking for answers don't expect to like what you find Ryan glanced at the paper a name and an address Thomas Grant Whispering Woods Ranger Station the ranger station was nearly as old as the forest itself a small wooden structure hidden at the edge of the woods Ryan found Thomas Grant sitting

on the porch a grizzled man in his 60s with sharp eyes and a cigarette dangling from his lips you're him aren't you grant said as Ryan approached the one who made it out Ryan stopped short how do you know that Grant smirked taking a drag from his cigarette because the woods don't let many people go and when they do it's never for long Ryan felt a chill run down his spine I need to know what's happening to me why I keep hearing them why they won't leave me alone Grant stood tossing the cigarette onto the

ground and crushing it beneath his boot you're tethered he said the forest has you hooked and unless you cut the line it'll reel you back in cut the line Ryan asked his voice shaking how Grant stared at him for a long moment then sigh there's only one way you go back to the whispering tree and destroy your tether your photograph burn it bury it tear it down if you do it right the woods might let you go my grant shrugs the woods are fickle even if you destroy the photo they might not be done with

you but it's the only shot you've got Ryan nodded his jaw tightening then I'll do it Grant reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a dark liquid take this he said it's oil mixed with sage you'll need it to light a fire at the tree it won't burn easy Ryan took the vial his hands trembling why are you helping me Grant's expression Harden because no one helped me when it was my turn that night Ryan stood at the edge of the forest the the vial in one hand and a lighter

in the other The Whispers started immediately soft and pleading Ryan don't they belong he took a deep breath and stepped into the woods the path to the clearing was shorter this time as if the forest wanted him to come back when he reached the whispering tree the photograph seemed to Glow faintly In The Moonlight there near the Center was his face Ryan stepped forward unscrewing the vial and pouring the oil over the photograph The Whispers Rose to a deafening Roar the air around him vibrating with rage but he didn't hesitate he flicked the lighter the

small flame dancing in the darkness and pressed it against the photograph the fire caught slowly the bark of the tree hissing and crackling as the flame spread the screams of the forest grew louder the ground shaking beneath Ryan's feet stay the voices howled you can't leave Ryan stumbled back as the tree erupted in Flames the photographs curling and blackening for a moment he thought he saw Emily's face in the fire her eyes wide with something that could have been gratitude or Despair and then everything thing went silent Ryan woke hours later lying on the edge

of the forest the sun was Rising casting Golden Light over the trees The Whispers were gone for the first time in days the world felt still but deep in the woods beneath the charred remains of the whispering tree a single photograph remained untouched Ryan's face and beneath it scrolled in fresh bark we are not finished Ryan left the woods that morning but the weight of the forest came with him the days that followed were eerily quiet for the first time in weeks The Whispers were gone replaced by an oppressive silence that felt almost worse but

the photograph the one that had refused to burn haunted his mind he told himself it was over he had done what Grant suggested and the forest had gone quiet that had to mean something yet every time he closed his eyes he saw the tree the charred bar his own face staring back at him Untouched by the flames and beneath it the words we are not finished two nights after the fire Ryan dreamed of Emily again in the dream she stood at the edge of his Motel bed her Hollow eyes staring down at him her mouth

moved but no sound came out only the faint rustling of leaves growing louder and louder when he woke the silence in the room was suffocating the air felt heavy and a faint earthy scent lingered like damp soil and rotting wood he glanced at the window and froze there on the glass was a handprint small delicate and smudged with dirt by morning Ryan was back at the diner staring into his coffee as if it held answers the waitress approached cautiously her face tight with worry you look worse than before she said Ryan chuckled bitterly running a

hand through his unkempt hair that's because it's not over I burned the tree but something still wrong the waitress frowned sitting across from him the tree burned he nodded the photographs The Whispers everything went up in Flames but my photo didn't burn it's still there and now he trailed off his eyes darting to the window I think the forest is following me her face pale that's not possible the woods don't leave their borders then explain this Ryan snapped pulling out his phone he had taken a picture of the dirt stre handprint before leaving the motel

the waitress stared at the screen her lips tightening you need to talk to Grant again the ranger station felt different this time the air around it was colder and the woods seemed to loom closer as if the trees had crept nearer in his absence Grant was on the porch again a rifle leaning against his chair he watched Ryan approach his expression Grim I knew you'd be back Grant said Ryan wasted no time The Whispers stopped but my photo didn't burn and now he gestured vaguely his frustration bubbling over now it feels like the forest is

everywhere Grant sighed leaning back in his chair I told you the woods don't let go easy burning the photo was just step one if it didn't burn completely what happens if it didn't burn Ryan demanded Grant hesitated then stood and picked up up his rifle it means they're not done with you the forest wants something and until it gets it it'll keep pulling you back what does it want Ryan asked his voice desperate Grant didn't answer immediately instead he motioned for Ryan to follow him the two men walked behind the station where a series of

old maps and photographs were pinned to a corkboard nailed to the wall Grant pointed to a map of the Whispering Woods its boundaries marked in bold red ink these Woods are older than the town older than anything we've ever put on paper he said they don't follow our rules people disappear in there all the time and the few who make it out he glanced at Ryan they're never the same Ryan swallowed hard what's that got to do with me Grant jabbed a finger at a spot on the map the location of the whispering tree it's

not just a tree it's a tether a gate between this world and whatever's out there when you destroyed part of it you broke the connection but not completely something got loose Ryan felt his stomach dropped something got loose Grant nodded and now it's tied to you that's why you're seeing things hearing things it's not the woods anymore it's what came through them Ryan stared at the map his mind racing how do I stop it Grant side lighting another cigarette you don't Ryan's hands clenched into fists there has to be a way you said the woods

take people why what do they want Grant hesitated his eyes dark they feed he said finally on fear on Souls on whatever makes us human and when they're done with you they turn you into one of them another whisper in the woods Ryan's blood ran cold so I'm food not yet Grant said but you're marked if you want to stop this you need to sever the connection completely that means going back to where it started and finishing the job Ryan shook his head I already burned the tree you didn't destroy the roots Grant said and

until you do the forest will keep pulling you back that night Ryan prepared for the Journey Back Into the Woods this time he he packed everything he could think of a flashlight extra batteries a knife a canteen and the vial of oil Grant had given him he didn't know what he would face but he was determined to end it as he stood at the edge of the forest The Whispers began again faint but persistent Ryan come home you belong he took a deep breath and stepped into the Shadows the forest was darker than before its

paths twisting and unfamiliar the whispering tree was gone reduced to a charred stump but the air around it was alive with something else something cold and ancient Ryan nelt beside the roots pouring the last of the oil into the ground he struck a match the small flame flickering in the oppressive Darkness the Earth trembled as the fire caught the roots hissing and smoking but then the Whispers turned to screams the ground beneath Ryan's feet split open a gaping maw of Darkness from its depths came a figure twisted and indistinct its form shifting like smoke it

had Emily's face but her features were warped her eyes black and endless you can't destroy us the thing hissed its voice a thousand Whispers ERS in unison we are Eternal Ryan's hands shook but he didn't stop he threw the match into the Flames watching as the roots burned brighter the figure lunged for him its shadowy limbs stretching unnaturally but Ryan stood his ground then take me he said his voice steady but let the others go the forest went silent the figure Rose its black eyes narrowing you would give yourself to us Ryan nodded if it

means ending this for a moment the thing hesitated then it smiled a terrible inum grin so be it the Flames consumed the roots and the forest erupted in light when Ryan woke he was alone on the edge of the forest the woods were quiet their Whispers gone but deep in the shadows a new voice joined the others Ryan's Ryan was gone not in the way people vanish into the woods leaving empty homes and cold Trails no Ryan's motel room still held his belongings the duffel bag the half-empty coffee cup the jacket slung over the back

of a chair but Ryan himself self he was nowhere the town's people whispered about it for days though few admitted to noticing his absence a Drifter they called him just passing through and yet those who had seen him the waitress at the diner the old Ranger at the station knew better something had happened something the forest wasn't finished with Grant was the first to notice the change the forest felt different it wasn't quieter if anything the woods had grown louder since Ryan's departure the wind howled through the trees carrying voices that sounded Almost Human and

the rustling of leaves had taken on a rhythm that felt too deliberate to be natural and then there were the sightings hikers reported shadowy figures moving between the trees always just out of focus a group of teenagers swore they heard their own names being called even though no one else was nearby but the worst was the tree the whispering tree or what was left of it had begun to regrow Grant didn't believe it at first the charred stump was still there blackened and lifeless but around it the Earth had begun to sprout new choots Dark

Twisted roots that pulsed f faintly in the Moonlight like veins carrying blood he didn't dare touch them instead he stood at the edge of the clearing his rifle in hand watching as the forest reclaimed its tether it was then that he heard it Grant the voice was low almost a growl but unmistakable Ryan Grant froze his breath catching in his throat Ryan he called his voice trembling the Shadows at the edge of the clearing shifted and for a moment Grant thought he saw a figure tall and thin with Hollow eyes that glinted faintly in the

darkness Grant The Voice came again closer now he raised his rifle his hands shaking you're not real he muttered you're just a trick a damn trick trck but the figure didn't disappear instead it stepped into the clearing it looked like Ryan but it wasn't him the thing wearing Ryan's face was too pale its skin stretched tight over angular bones its eyes were dark endless pits and when it smiled its teeth were Jagged and sharp why did you send me back it whispered the words dripping with Venom Grant tightened his grip on the rifle his heart

pounding you're not him he said you're something else the thing laughed a hollow echoing sound that sent shivers down Grant's spine I'm what you made me it said what the forest made me it stepped closer and Grant stumbled back his boots crunching on the dry leaves what do you want he commanded the things smile widen to finish what I started that night the forest claimed its first victim Grant's body was found the next morning slumped against the porch of the ranger station his eyes were wide open his face Frozen in a mask of Terror but

it was his hands that told the real story they were covered in dirt his nails broken and bloody as if he had been clawing at the ground trying to dig up something or perhaps trying to bury it pinned to his chest was a photograph nailed in place with a splintered piece of wood it was a picture of Ryan the town didn't know what to make of Grant's death most wrote it off as a tragic accident an old man succumbing to The Madness of solitude but those who had lived near the woods long enough knew better

the forest was waking up again and this time it was hungry the waitress from the diner was the next to hear The Whispers it started as she was closing up one evening wiping down tables as the rain tapped gently against the windows Ellie she froze her heart skipping a beat Ellie the voice was faint but unmistakable she turned slowly her eyes scanning the empty Diner Ryan she whispered the lights flickered and for a brief moment she thought she saw a shadow Dart past the window no she muttered shaking her head this isn't happening but the

Whispers grew louder filling the diner with a chorus of voices Ellie help us the next morning Ellie packed her bag and left town she didn't tell anyone where she was going and no one asked but as she drove away she couldn't shake the feeling that the forest was watching her its dark tendril stretching out beyond the trees and in her rear view mirror she thought she saw a figure standing at the edge of the woods it looked like Ryan the town grew quieter in the weeks that followed people avoided the forest and and those who

ventured Too Close reported strange occurrences faint Whispers ghostly figures and a feeling of being watched the whispering tree continued to regrow its roots spreading like veins through the Earth and deep within the forest beneath the Tangled canopy a new photograph appeared it was Ellie's face nailed to the bark of a young sapling and beneath it carved into the wood were the words we are not finished months passed and the town seemed to hold its breath the once bustling streets grew quiet and the people who had once greeted each other with smiles now hurried through their

daily routines avoiding the woods at all costs whispers about the forest continued to spread not just among the town's people but even Beyond tourists curious to explore the Wilds of the wood Spring Woods were warned Away by locals told nothing but half truths and vague stories of strange happenings nothing that could be proven nothing that would really scare you but the truth the real truth was there waiting just beneath the surface growing stronger with each passing day Ellie never returned to town after leaving her family was told she'd moved away seeking a new life far

from The Haunted Woods no one questioned it no one dared the truth was simpler easier to accept but some still said they heard her name carried by the wind calling out from deep within the trees as for Ryan no one spoke his name aloud it was the beginning of autumn when The Whispers grew insistent once again it started with a man named Patrick a hiker who had arrived at the town with a group of friends they planned to camp near the edge of the woods thinking it would be an adventure a story to tell when

they got back home but on the second night Patrick wandered off his friends found him early the next morning standing at the very edge of the whispering trees clearing his eyes were wide and empty his body stiff as if he had been standing there for hours his mouth was open but no sound came out only a strange rhythmic hissing sound the same noise the forest made when the wind rustled through the trees but different more deliberate his friends tried to call out to him but he didn't respond they ran to him shaking him by the

shoulders but when they touched him his skin was cold unnaturally so as they finally pulled him away from the tree Patrick's head jerked back back his neck cracking loudly as if something inside him had broken his eyes flicked toward them for the briefest moment and then he whispered one word his voice horse and strin leave they didn't listen the group returned to town panicked their faces pale they immediately sought help from the local authorities and a search party was sent to look for Patrick but the woods were vast and the Searchers found nothing but more

trees and more Whispers Ryan's name surfaced again carried on the lips of a new generation some said he had never left that he was still out there trapped somewhere in the forest lost to whatever had claimed him others said he had become one with the woods that his soul now wandered among the trees whispering to the lost souls who dared enter but then some nothing worse happened it was a cold night in late October when the first body was found the old man who lived on the outskirts of town a Hermit of sorts was discovered

in his cabin his skin blackened and twisted as though something had burned its way into his very being but it wasn't just the physical scars that struck Terror into those who found him it was the way he had died his hands were dug into the floorboards as as if he had been desperately trying to claw his way through the wood but he had left something behind a photograph the image was smeared with blood and dirt but there was no mistaking it it was the same photo that had appeared before the one with the faces of

those who had been taken Ryan's Ellie's and now the old man's and beneath it scrolled in frantic uneven handwriting were the words we are not not finished and neither are you the town was in chaos people packed their things their homes now nothing more than places of fear the local sheriff who had long dismissed the rumors finally stood before the town's people and confessed the truth the forest isn't just a place he said it's a curse an entity a living thing that feeds on fear and once it has you it never lets go despite the

warnings there were still those who ventured into the woods some out of curiosity others to search for answers a few went in hoping to rescue what remained of the people they had lost but none returned at first the town thought the forest was simply taking them one by one slowly surely as it had done before but as the weeks passed a more Sinister truth became apparent the woods weren't just taking people anymore they were changing them the sheriff now older and wearied by the toll the town had taken on him gathered what remained of the

town's folk in the town hall their faces were gaunt eyes hollowed from sleepless nights and Terror he spoke in hushed tones as if afraid to disturb of the dark that hung in the air we have to leave he said his voice cracked as he spoke the words the ones he had known deep in his heart for so long the forest it's alive and it's hunting us there was a long silence finally a voice spoke from the back of the room we can't just leave we can't just run it was when a group of college students

arve eager to prove the myths wrong that the full extent of the horror was revealed they had heard the stories everyone had but they believed themselves immune to Superstition armed with cameras and a desire for fame they hiked into the woods determined to capture proof of the supposed curse that night they set up camp near the clearing of the whispering tree they filmed their laughter their jokes and their talk about how they would be the ones to debunk the stories for good but as night fell the air grew colder and the wind started to pick

up carrying with it the faintest Echoes of voices they didn't hear it at first just a murmur Beneath the Howling wind but soon it became unmistakable come closer the voice was soft almost gentle like the sound of leaves brushing against one another yet it carried a weight a sadness that tugged at their hearts one by one the students began to feel it an overwhelming urge to follow to step deeper into the woods away from the fire light and the safety of their camp and then one of them a young woman named Sarah stood and began

to walk toward the trees Sarah no someone shouted but it was too late by the time they reached the edge of the clearing Sarah was gone and in her place lying in the grass was a photograph it was the same photograph that had haunted the others Ryan Ellie The Old Man and beneath it the words we are not finished the next morning when the search party arrived they found the rest of the students gone their tents were abandoned their equipment scattered but there was no sign of them the only Trace Left Behind was a pile

of photographs each with a different name a different face each one tied to the same chilling message we are not finished the rain has now become a Relentless downpour the sound deafening against the windows The narrator's Voice drops to a near whisper would you dare to enter the woods now or has the darkness claimed enough the town had fallen into a deep uneasy silence it was as if the people had all retreated into themselves leaving only the Dark Shadows of the forest to haunt the streets the once bustling Town Square was now empty save for

the occasional Whisper of wind that stirred the leaves at the edges of the forest the wood had claimed their silence and in return the town had given up its Defiance the last group of Outsiders the college students had vanished Without a Trace search parties had scoured the forest for days but no sign of them had been found it was as if they had never existed no photographs no blood no signs of struggle only a chilling emptiness where they had last been seen in the weeks that followed something strange began to happen the people of the

Town who had once lived their lives with a sense of normaly started to feel a subtle shift in the air it wasn't the cold biting chill of the approaching winter but something older something unnatural The Whispers grew louder they were faint at first barely more than a murmur carried on the wind but soon soon they grew clearer the names of the missing began to echo through the streets through the cracks in the walls of homes through the windows at night Ryan Ellie Patrick Grant the list grew longer every day each time someone heard their name

a deep sense of dread would settle over them a cold creeping fear that seemed to seep into their very bones and then as The Whispers grew stronger so did the disappearances it started with old Mrs Harper the librarian who had lived in town for as long as anyone could remember she was found one morning curled up in the corner of her own home eyes wide open but lifeless her mouth was twisted into an expression of pure Terror and her hands oh her hands were clutching a photograph the photograph was new not one of the old

ones this one was different it showed a man standing at the edge of the woods a tall figure with Hollow eyes there was something about the way he looked at the camera as if he could see into the soul of whoever gazed upon him the photograph was pinned to Mrs Harper's chest as if someone something had placed it there the town now knew the truth the forest had grown strong stronger it wasn't just a place it was a presence a living breathing entity that took what it wanted whether that was life or Soul or memory

and it wasn't finished the voice belonged to Tom the town's former mechanic he had lived here longer than anyone and his family had called the town home for Generations what are we supposed to do just leave everything we know behind he asked his hands were trembling but his voice was steady the sheriff shook his head his face pale there's no choice it's the only way we can't stay here any longer but no one moved they couldn't fear had paralyzed them and deep down each of them knew that the moment they stepped foot outside the town

they would be drawn back into the woods the forest didn't let go of its prey that easily that night a storm rolled in Fierce and unrelenting the wind howled through the trees and the Thunder seemed to shake the very foundations of the Town rain pelted the rooftops and the streets were flooded with water it was during that storm when the air was thick with tension that the first of the disappearances occurred Tom's wife Sarah was the first to go she had been at home preparing dinner for their children when she heard The Whispers The Wind

howled and through the cracking of the storm she heard her name faint but unmistakable she went to the window but when she looked out there was nothing but darkness and then the photograph appeared on her doorstep it was the same as the one Mrs Harper had clutched a man standing at the edge of the woods his hollow eyes stared at Sarah from the photograph and beneath it the same chilling words we are not finished the sheriff and a few others went to Tom's house the next morning but Sarah was gone there were no signs of

a struggle no Footprints leading away from the house nothing but the photograph now lying in the yard staring up at them with its dark empty eyes Tom fell to his knees his sobs echoing through the empty streets she's gone she's gone he whispered over and over his voice horse and then as if in response to his grief The Whispers began again this time they were louder than ever filling the air with their cold haunting Melody names faces memories each one was swallowed by the forest and as the wind carried The Whispers through the streets the

town's people knew that the forest was coming for them all by the end of the week no one was left in the town they had all fled running from the forest's grip but each one knew deep down that they would never escape the forest would find them no matter where they went but what they didn't know what they couldn't understand was that it wasn't just the forest they were running from it was the forest's hunger the hunger That Grew with every soul it claimed the hunger that would never be satisfied and as the last of

the town's residents disappeared into the night the forest whispered one final time we are not finished the town was gone the home stood abandoned andon Windows shattered or boarded up doors left a jar as if the people who once lived there had simply walked away nature had begun to reclaim what had been taken from it the wild vines crept over the broken streets the once paved roads now covered in Moss and dirt the wind blew carrying with it the faintest Echoes of voices that might have been human once but were now something else entirely something

dark the forest had taken everything and still it wasn't finished Ryan's face was the first to appear again it wasn't in a photograph this time but in the dark corners of the Town people who had left the area reported seeing him at the edge of their peripheral vision standing just beyond the trees a figure in the distance moving with the same Eerie Stillness as before the same Hollow eyes the same unnatural smile some thought they were just seeing things that the memories of the forest were playing tricks on them but the Whispers returned they grew

louder more insistent and They Carried names once more Ryan Ellie Patrick grah and then a new name joined the list Sarah her name was whispered Like a Prayer like a plea for Redemption and it filled the ears of everyone who heard it no one could Escape it Jenna was the first to understand what was truly happening she had been just a child when the town had been forced to leave she had seen the photographs had heard the stories from her parents about the people who had vanished but it wasn't until she returned years later that

she realized the truth the forest had a hunger a thirst it couldn't quench it didn't just take bodies it took Souls the forest fed on fear on Grief on the despair of those who walked too close to its heart once it had claimed someone it twisted their memory their very essence into something else those lost to the woods weren't gone they were changed reborn as part of the dark Spirit of the trees Jenna had come back to the town hoping to find answers hoping to understand the nightmares that had plagued her for years she thought

she could conquer the fear that had ruled her childhood she thought the woods were only a Story a tale told to frighten children but now standing at the edge of the Whispering Woods she felt it felt the same cold that had once gripped her heart as a little girl the forest was watching her and it was waiting the rain started again that night just as it had so many times before but this time it wasn't soothing the raindrops pounded against the ground with the weight of an ancient sorrow The Whispers carried on the Wind no

longer faint or distant they surrounded Jenna wrapping around her like tendrils pulling her closer to the dark heart of the forest Jenna the voice was faint at first like the rustling of leaves but it was unmistakable her name carried on the wind it wasn't her imagination the forest was calling her she stepped forward drawn by The Voice her heart pounding in her chest the trees seemed to shift the Shadows stretching toward her as if they were alive alive and hungry Jenna come closer the voice was sweet now coaxing familiar a voice she remembered from her

childhood her mother's voice but it wasn't her mother it wasn't anyone she knew as Jenna ventured deeper into the woods the air grew heavier the Shadows darker The Whispers grew louder merging into into one constant Relentless sound she could hear them all Ryan Ellie Patrick Grant Sarah and then there was a new name one that sent a chill through her spine Jenna she stopped the forest was still for a long moment there was nothing no sound no movement it felt as though the very Earth had stopped breathing and then she saw him Ryan he stood

in the clearing not far from her his pale face illuminated by the faintest Moonlight his hollow eyes were fixed on her his lips twisted into that same Eerie smile you shouldn't have come back he whispered his voice was dry like the crackling of Dead Leaves underfoot the forest doesn't let go Jen took a step back but she couldn't tear her eyes away from him his form shimmered in the Moonlight like a mirage and she knew deep down that he wasn't just standing there he was a part of the forest now a part of the hunger

that had claimed everyone who had ever entered its depths I never wanted to leave she whispered her voice trembling I didn't know Ryan's smile widened a grotesque thing that didn't belong to a human face it doesn't matter you can never leave the air grew colder still and the Shadows around them seemed to shift closing in Jenna could feel the trees pressing closer their gnarled branches reaching out toward her like the hands of the long dead the ground beneath her feet began to tremble and she felt a pull in her chest as if the Earth itself

was drawing her toward the heart of the forest she tried to step back but her legs felt heavy like they were sinking into the ground you're not real she muttered shaking her head trying to clear the fog that had settled in her mind this isn't real Ryan's Hollow eyes glinted that's what we all thought suddenly the forest roared to life the trees creaked and groaned as if Awakening from a long Slumber and the air was filled with the sound of thousands of Whispers The Forest had eyes everywhere eyes that could see into the very soul

of anyone who dared venture too close Jenna's breath caught in her throat as she felt the cold hands of the forest close around her pulling her deeper into its Embrace she could feel the memories of those who had come before her Ryan Ellie Patrick Sarah mingling with her own their lives their stories all becoming one her body screamed for escape but her mind was slipping unraveling the forest was taking her just as it had taken the others she couldn't fight it the forest had won the next morning the rain stopped the town remained empty its

silence unbroken but in the woods the whispering continued louder now as if it had gained strength from the souls it had consumed Ryan's name Ellie Sarah Jenna's and then a new name joined the list a name that would be whispered for generations to come the forest is never finished it had been years since Jenna's disappearance and the town that had once stood at the edge of the Whispering Woods was now a little more than a distant memory no one dared to speak of it and anyone who knew the town's dark history had long since left

the town had been forgotten but the forest the ancient haunted heart of it all remained and it was still hungry a young couple eager for adventure arrived in the area unaware of the warnings that had been passed down through generations Tyler and Sophie were both explorers at heart the kind of people who thrived on The Thrill of the unknown they had read the stories the ones about the cursed woods but they had dismissed them as nothing more than local Superstition after all they had hiped through forests all over the world without incident this would be

no different they thought the sun had barely dipped below the Horizon when they set up camp at the edge of the forest laughing and joking as they built a fire the flickering Flames cast Long Shadows against the trees their Twisted branches stretching like hands into the night but as the evening wore on the atmosphere shifted the wind which had been a gentle breeze when they first arrived began to pick up it howled through the trees carrying with it the unmistakable sound of Whispers faint at first but growing louder with each passing minute did you hear

that Sophie asked her voice barely audible over the wind Tyler who had been poking at the fire looked up his brow furrowing here what the voices it sounded like names Sophie's voice was uneasy now her eyes darting nervously to the Shadows that seemed to dance around them Tyler Chuck brushing it off probably just the wind we're in the middle of nowhere soft more the trees play tricks on you but Sophie wasn't convinced there was something about the way the wind whispered like it was trying to tell them something she couldn't shake the feeling that they

weren't alone not truly the night deepened and the fire burned low casting flickering Shadows that seemed to shift and twist in the darkness the whispering had grown more distinct now clearly audible though the words themselves were still unclear Tyler who had been trying to ignore the growing sense of unease stood up and grabbed a flashlight I'm going to check out the forest a bit get some fresh air Sophie hesitated her hand reaching out to stop him Tyler Maybe we should just stay here it feels wrong Tyler smiled the glint of excitement in his eyes don't

be such a worry wart it's just a forest I'll be back in a few minutes Sophie Sophie it was her name spoken softly but urgently as though it was a plea she stood her breath catching in her throat but before she could take a step the wind picked up again carrying with it a low Hollow sound almost like a distant scream suddenly the fire sputtered out plunging the camp Into Darkness Tyler hadn't been gone long but Sophie's fear began to escalate with each passing second the forest seemed to close and around her and every crackle

of the branches in the wind sounded like footsteps gr closer Sophie the whisper was now directly behind her soft but insistent she spun around her flashlight flicking frantically through the trees but there was nothing nothing but the darkness her pulse quickened and she called out Tyler is that you there was no answer only the growing Whispers that surrounded her now the trees seemed to hum with life their limbs creaking and groaning like ancient beings stretching after a long Slumber Sophie's heart pounded in her chest she couldn't explain it but she felt as though the forest

itself was alive watching her waiting for her to make a mistake she knew she had to find Tyler had to get out of the woods but the more she moved the more The Whispers seemed to guide her further into the heart of the forest meanwhile Tyler had wandered deep into the woods drawn by an inexplicable pole the deeper he went the more he felt as if something was guiding him pushing him forward The Whispers were louder now but they weren't words they were like a song an ancient haunting Melody that wrapped around him making him

feel like he had been here before the trees towered over him their Twisted forms like grotesque Sentinels watching him with eyes that could not be seen Tyler stopped in his tracks when he saw it at first it was just a shadow just a shape that flickered at the corner of his vision but as he turned toward it he saw what it was a figure standing among the trees a tall man cloaked in Shadow His Face obscured the man didn't move didn't speak but Tyler felt an overwhelming sense of recognition like he had seen him before

long ago in a dream or a nightmare Who Who Are You Tyler called out his voice shaking despite his attempts to sound calm the figure didn't answer instead the forest around Tyler seemed to shift the trees bending inward as if closing off any Escape The Whispers grew louder their words clearer now it was his name they were calling Tyler the figure stepped forward and Tyler could see his face now Hollow eyes a twisted smile he wasn't a man he was something else entirely something born of the forest of the dark heart that had been there

long before the first settlers came something ancient something hungry welcome come home the figure whispered back at the campsite Sophie had begun to panic the darkness felt suffocating and The Whispers now felt like a physical presence pressing in on her from all sides she grabbed her backpack and turned toward the path where Tyler had gone her feet stumbling over the roots of the trees as she tried to find him she wasn't sure how long she had been walking but it felt like hours the forest was endless every direction looked the same every tree the same

Twisted shape the same oppressive Darkness finally she stopped breathless her heart racing she couldn't do this she couldn't stay here any longer and then she heard it the sound of someone Tyler calling her name his voice was distorted warped by the the forest but it was unmistakable Sophie she turned toward the sound her eyes desperately scanning the darkness Tyler she called out her voice trembling and then as if in answer a figure emerged from the trees at first it looked like Tyler tall wearing the same jacket the same worn boots but as the figure stepped

into the light Sophie froze it wasn't Tyler his face was twisted and pale his eyes Hollow and dark like the man in the forest a smile stretched across his face but it wasn't a smile of recognition it was the smile of something that knew its prey Tyler she whispered her voice barely audible the figure didn't answer instead he reached out his hands unnaturally long like branches from the trees Sophie backed away her heart hammering in her chest but it was no use the forest had claimed them both by Dawn The Whispers had stopped the forest

was silent again and somewhere deep within its Shadows the names continued to Echo Tyler Kofi Ryan Ellie Grand and The Whispers promised in their chilling song we are not finished the town of Oak Hollow was no more swallowed whole by the insatiable hunger of the Whispering Woods no one remained to remember its streets its homes its history time had passed but the forest had not forgotten it was an Ancient Forest older than any of the town towns people older than the settlers older than the myths the forest lived breathed and waited and still it was

hungry it was a crisp autumn morning when Alex and Marie two local journalists arrived in the area intrigued by the rumors of a forgotten town they had heard bits and pieces of the stories over the years Tales of disappearances of Whispers In The Wind of people driven mad by what they believed to be the cursed Forest Alex was skeptical a man of logic always looking for a scientific explanation Marie however was a dreamer someone who wanted to believe in the Supernatural to find the truths hidden in the shadows together they thought they could solve the

mystery that had long haunted the town they had read about Oak Hollow and about the strange events that had plagued the place for as long as anyone could remember what better story could there be than to uncover the truth of a vanished town do you really think we'll find anything Marie asked looking out the car window as they drove along the overgrown path that had once been the main road leading into the town the trees around them were thick and ancient their branches twisting together like fingers reaching for the sky Alex glancing at her with

a confident smile said probably just an abandoned settlement maybe some old photographs or newspapers the usual stuff nothing Supernatural Marie wasn't so sure the air felt thick with something she couldn't quite place an unsettling presence that pressed against her chest but she kept her doubts to herself she had learned not to voice her fears in front of Alex he never took her seriously when it came to things like this they parked their car on the outskirts of the forest and made their way on foot the path was barely visible covered by the growth of wild

plants and Tangled Roots despite the weight of the moment the quiet of the woods wasn't peaceful it was impressive each step felt like a challenge as though the forest itself was testing them the further they ventured the more it seemed like the trees closed in around them Shadows stretched unnaturally long and the silence was deafening broken only by the occasional Creek of branches or the distant rustling of leaves but what unsettled Alex most was the feeling that something someone was watching them are you sure we should be this deep in Marie asked her voice low

and uncertain her eyes scanning the trees nervously we're fine Alex replied trying to reassure her with a forced smile we just need to find some old buildings look for any signs of life but it was clear that the further they went into the forest the more the air around them thickened there was something off about it something unnatural as if the trees themselves were alive and not in a peaceful way hours passed and the forest only grew darker as though the sun had been swallowed by the canopy above the Whispers began slowly almost imperceptibly at

first just a faint sound on the edge of their hearing so distant they thought they were imagining it did you hear that Marie whispered stopping in her tracks Alex paused and looked around it's probably just the wind there's nothing here but the Whispers came again this time louder more insistent it sounded like a hum a low vibrating tone that seemed to come from the very Earth beneath their feet Alex frowned brushing it off he was trying to rationalize it but Marie could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end this isn't

normal she said her voice shaking I don't like this Alex took a deep breath and forced a smile though he was beginning to feel the same unease creeping into his own chest let's just keep going we've come this far they reached what appeared to be the remains of a Town Square Stone foundations rusted street signs and what was left of a few crumbling homes but something about it felt wrong like the place itself had been forgotten left to rot by time and nature there were no animals no birds no signs of life it was as

though the entire town had been swallowed by the Earth Marie shivered this place feels wrong Alex nodded yeah it's definitely creepy but there's nothing Supernatural here as they explored the ruins Marie's attention was drawn to a small weathered photograph lying half buried in the dirt she bent down and picked it up her breath catching in her throat it was a picture of a family a man a woman and two children but it wasn't just any family Marie recognized one of the faces it was Ryan one of the names she had read about in the old

newspaper clip the same Ryan who had disappeared all those years ago one of the first victims of the forest's hunger this can't be Marie muttered staring at the photograph in disbelief Alex stepped closer peering over her shoulder he was about to make a sarcastic comment when his eyes widened the man in the photo Ryan looked eerily familiar but not from any history books no Alex realized with a sinking feeling it was someone he had seen before someone in a dream in a nightmare that's he started to say but his voice faltered he couldn't finish the

sentence he didn't want to suddenly The Whispers returned louder than before echoing through the ruins the wind picked up swirling around them and the trees seemed to groan bending and twisting in unnatural ways the Shadows between the buildings grew deeper darker as if something was waiting Marie clutched the photograph in her hand and for the first time Alex saw the fear in her eyes it was real all the stories all the warnings they were true the forest the hunger The Whispers it was all real then then as they both turned to leave something caught their

eye a figure standing at the edge of the square just out of the light it was a man but his face was obscured by Shadows his posture was rigid and his presence was uning still who's there Alex called his voice shaking slightly the figure didn't move it just stood there waiting and then the whispering stopped in the Dead Silence that followed the man stepped forward his face coming into view it was Ryan but it wasn't Ryan not anymore his eyes were Hollow his skin pale and stretched tight over his skull his smile was wide and

unnaturally sharp a twisted grotesque thing you shouldn't have come here he said in a voice that was both familiar and otherworldly Marie's breath caught in her throat as Alex froze unable to speak the Shadows behind Ryan shifted and suddenly the forest seemed to come alive the trees moving the ground trembling The Whispers began again louder now filling the air with a sound that was both a warning and an invitation Ryan's smile widened and as his hand reached out the darkness closed in the forest had claimed them too back at the edge of the Woods The

Whispers faded to silence once again the only sound now was the soft rustling of leaves the same sound that had haunted the people of Oak Hollow for so long the forest stood as it always had silent still and waiting and still it was hungry the names would continue to be whispered the souls would continue to be claimed and the Whispering Woods would never be finished the town of Oak Hollow was a place erased by time yet its memory lingered in the undercurrent of the land an ancient pulse that vibrated beneath the Earth beneath the roots

of the forest it had taken so much from the world and still it hungered for more but now a new presence had arrived a presence unaware of the Terri terrible force that lurked in the shadows Jared and Ellie had heard the stories every local had but unlike most they were determined to uncover the truth both were fascinated by the supernatural eager to unravel the mysteries of the world to expose what lay beneath the surface of the everyday they had heard about the Whispering Woods about the cursed town the strange disappearances the unsettling ing Whispers that

echoed from the trees they had been warned of course but those warnings only fueled their desire to know more what could be so terrifying that people had vanished never to be seen again Jared the skeptic remained doubtful it's just a bunch of Legends he insisted people love to tell ghost stories but that's all they are ghost stories Ellie on the other hand was a Believer there's more to it than that Jared there's something out there in those woods you can feel it people don't just disappear for no reason it was early evening when they arrived

at the edge of the forest the sun hung low in the sky casting Long Shadows through the trees the wind had picked up whistling through the branches with an eerie almost melodic sound the air was thick with a foreboding silence that made Ellie's skin crawl let's just get through the night and head back tomorrow Jared suggested pulling his jacket tighter against the growing chill we'll explore a bit get some pictures and then head home Ellie nodded though her heart wasn't in it she had a nagging feeling in her gut that something was wrong the atmosphere

here was too heavy too oppressive as though the forest was watching them waiting for them to make a mistake they set up their Camp just beyond the tree line the last rays of sunlight fading as they prepared a fire Ellie kept glancing over her shoulder her eyes darting between the trees the wind had died down but the air still felt thick and Alive like the forest was holding its breath I don't know Jed Ellie said her voice trembling this place isn't like the others it feels wrong Jared ever the pragmatist laughed and waved her off

it's just a forest Ellie let's not get carried away we'll be fine trust me but Ellie couldn't shake the feeling it wasn't just the silence it was the Stillness that hung in the air even the rustling leaves had quieted as if the world itself had stopped moving as Darkness fell the fire crackled and popped throwing flickering Shadows across their campsite the woods were nearly pitch black beyond the circle of light and the only sound was the occasional snap of a twig or the distant call of an owl Ellie sat with her back to the fire

her eyes scanning the woods her her mind racing with doubts Jared ever The Optimist had settled into a comfortable silence though his eyes too seemed to linger a little too long on the trees they had both heard the stories of Oak Hollow the town swallowed by the forest the voices the disappearances they had come looking for answers but as the darkness deepened the questions only grew more pressing Jared Ellie began and her voice barely above a whisper do you ever wonder if the stories are true Jared Shrugged unwilling to admit any unease I told you

it's just Superstition the people here are just afraid of the unknown but there's nothing Supernatural going on trust me just then a sound broke the silence faint but distinct a rustling in the underbrush followed by a low whisper carried on the Wind Ellie's breath caught in her throat the voice was clear though it was too faint to make out the words it sounded like someone was calling her name Ellie The Voice whispered she froze it wasn't the wind it was too deliberate too clear someone or something was out there just beyond the reach of the

Fire Light did you hear that Ellie asked her voice trembling Jared looked up his brow furro here what the whispering Ellie replied her voice shaking it it called my name Jared chuckled though there was no humor in his tone you're imagining things there's nobody out there it's just the wind but Ellie wasn't convinced she had heard it and it wasn't the wind the voice was too clear too personal it was as if someone was standing just outside the circle of light watching them waiting she stood up Suddenly her heart pounding in her chest I'm going

to check it out she said her voice barely AB above a whisper Ellie wait but she was already moving walking cautiously toward the trees Jared hesitated for a moment Then followed her the rustling in the underbrush had stopped but the air still felt charged thick with The Whispers that seemed to be swirling just beyond the Fire Light the deeper they ventured into the woods the more oppressive the atmosphere became the trees were taller are here their Twisted branches intertwining to block out the little light from the Moon leaving them in near total darkness every step

seemed to Echo in the silence amplifying the unease that gnawed at Ellie's insides are you sure this is a good idea Jared asked his voice low I have to know Ellie replied her voice shaking I have to know if we're really alone out here as they walked further The Whispers grew louder now a constant hum in the air like a low chant that seemed to pulse from the very ground beneath their feet Ellie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up something was wrong she could feel it in Her Bones suddenly the

whispering stopped and in the sudden deafening silence Ellie heard a sound that froze her blood footsteps slow and deliberate coming from behind them she whipped around but the forest was empty no one was there Jared she whispered her voice trembling did you hear that Jared was standing still his eyes wide his breath shallow I I heard it before Ellie could respond a figure emerged from the darkness at first it was just a shadow a shape moving between the trees but as it stepped into the dim light of the Moon they could see it clearly it

was a man tall gaunt with skin pale and stretched tight over his bones his eyes were wide empty and his mouth was twisted into a grotesque unnatural smile the figure stepped closer and Ellie's breath caught in her throat as she recognized ized him it was Ryan but it wasn't Ryan not anymore his features were too Twisted too alien he had the look of someone who had been lost to the forest swallowed by it consumed by whatever Darkness dwell within Ellie Ryan whispered his voice Hollow distant it was as though the sound came from the very

trees themselves from the roots of the Earth Ellie come home Jared stepped back his face pale with Terror this this isn't possible but it was happening the figure reached out its fingers impossibly long its hand like a claw run Ellie whispered her voice cracking with fear they turned and fled their footsteps crashing through the underbrush but the for Forest seemed to shift around them the trees loomed larger their branches twisting and turning their Shadows stretching toward them The Whispers were back now louder angrier Ellie Jared they were calling their names pulling them deeper into the

woods and all around them the forest waited it had been hungry for so long and now it had them the next morning the campsite was abandoned no sign of Ellie or Jared remained not even a trace of where they had gone and the forest as it always had stood silent but beneath the Earth beneath the roots of the trees The Whispers continued and the hunger of the Whispering Woods was far from satisfied the names would always be whispered always the for Forest had not changed it never did the trees still whispered their ancient Secrets their

Twisted limbs still clawed of the sky and the wind continued its Eerie song Through the canopy but deep within the woods the hunger grew ever Relentless the names of the Lost of those who had wandered too deep echoed among the roots and shadows and still the forest waited it had been months since Ellie and Jared vanished news of their disappearance spread quickly but as with all the others before them there was no Trace Left Behind no bodies no signs of struggle just empty space consumed by the forest as if they had never existed life in

the nearby town of Hollow Creek continued though there was an unspoken tension in the air a quiet understanding that the forest held sway over the land it was a force that none could understand nor defy but not everyone had forgotten about the strange events that surrounded Oak Hollow there were still those who believed in the curse in the dark presence lurking in the trees among them was Lucas a young man who had grown up hearing stories about the Whispering Woods and his older sister Olivia who had never quite believed the tales but but had always

felt uneasy around the forest the two had lived in Hollow Creek all their lives but had never ventured into the woods until now Lucas unlike many others was determined to uncover the truth I'm going in he told Olivia one chilly evening his eyes gleaming with determination I have to know what happened to them to Jared and Ellie to all the others Olivia who had long been wary of the woods hesitated Lucas I don't think it's a good idea people go in there and they don't come back you've heard the stories you know what happens Lucas

only smiled at her with a mix of arrogance and excitement that's just Superstition you can't let fear control you I'm going to find out what's really going on and I'll prove it he packed a small bag a flashlight a map of the area and a camera he wasn't sure what he'd find but he was determined to get to the bottom of it after all How could a whole town vanish Without a Trace something had to explain it Olivia watched her brother with a mixture of concern and disbelief she knew the risks she knew the the

forest had a way of drawing people in twisting their minds making them forget who they were the stories had always been passed down through Whispers those who ventured into the woods often returned changed or not at all I'll go with you Olivia finally said her voice tight with worry if you're really going I'm not going to let you go alone Lucas looked at her with a soft smile you don't have to come live I'll be fine you can stay here where it's safe but Olivia wouldn't let it go she had seen the way the forest

had taken people the way it had consumed Oak Hollow if Lucas was going she would follow no matter the cost and so that evening they set out together toward the forest's edge the Dying Light of the sun casting long Shadows across the land the wind had picked up again whistling between the trees carrying a whisper that seemed to beckon them forward the forest greeted them in silence it felt colder here than it should have and the air was thick heavy with an unnatural Stillness the once familiar sound of crickets and rustling leaves was absent the

trees seemed to lean in close their gnarled branches twisting like claws that threatened to snatch them up stay close Lucas said his voice low as he glanced nervously at the trees we'll stick to the path we won't get lost but as they moved deeper into the woods it was clear that the path was no longer a simple guide it was an illusion the trees closed in on them their branches twisting overhead to form a canopy that blocked out most of the sky the path itself seemed to shift beneath their feet twisting in ways that defied

logic what had once been a simple Trail now felt like a maze a trap slowly closing in what the hell is happening Olivia whispered her voice tight with panic I don't know Lucas admitted his heart pounding it wasn't like this when I came here before the further they went the more more the air seemed to thicken it wasn't just the oppressive silence it was something else something deeper The Whispers had started again faint at first then growing louder as if a thousand voices were speaking at once they couldn't make out the words but the tone

was unmistakable a low haunting hum that seemed to come from every direction do you hear that Olivia asked her eyes wide her grip tightening on Lucas's sleeve it's it's just the wind Lucas said though his voice wavered he was beginning to feel it too the sense that they were no longer alone in the forest we just need to keep moving but the Whispers only grew louder more insistent the trees creaked and groaned as if they were alive and the ground beneath their feet seemed to shift the path changing with every step they took the air

grew colder and the Darkness deepened swallowing them whole and then without warning the figure appeared it was a man a tall figure his form half hidden in the shadows of the trees his face was pale stretched tight over his bones his eyes Hollow and dark his mouth Twisted into a grotesque grin the skin pulled Todd making his smile appear too wide too unnatural Who Who Are You Olivia asked her voice trembling the man didn't answer he simply stared at them his eyes locked onto theirs unblinking and then The Whispers came again louder this time circling

around them like a swarm of insects it was as though the very air was alive with the voice voices of the Lost The Whispers of those who had wandered too far into the forest and never returned Ryan Olivia whispered her heart freezing in her chest the face of the man before them was too familiar it was Ryan the man who had vanished long ago one of the first to disappear but this wasn't Ryan anymore this was something else something twisted and wrong we shouldn't be here Lucas whispered his throat dry this is where it all

started but it was too late the figure moved toward them its movement slow and deliberate each step an echo in the silence the ground beneath their feet began to tremble and the trees seemed to shift closing in around them The Whispers grew louder swirling around them in a maddening chorus the darkness of the forest pressed in on them suffocating until there was no way out you came for the truth the figure spoke its Voice Low and guttural but the truth is not for you to know the forest will claim you as it has claimed all

the others with that the figure lunged at them and the world around them shattered Into Darkness the next morning Hollow Creek awoke to a fresh layer of fog rolling in from the woods the air was thick and the distant sound of the wind seemed to carry with it an unsettling hum a sound that no one could explain no one saw Lucas or Olivia again they had gone into the forest and the forest had taken them just like the others before and deep within the woods where the trees whispered their Eternal hunger the names of the

Lost echoed on wait to be heard by the next Unfortunate Souls who ventured too far into the darkness and the forest it still waited the village of Hollow Creek once filled with Whispers of old Legends had grown eerily silent the forest ever present at The Village's Edge had become more than just a part of the landscape it had become a symbol of the town's unspoken fear people still passed through the Village Square carrying on with their lives but the air had grown heavy suffused with a tension that was impossible to ignore The Disappearance of Lucas

and Olivia was the latest in a long line of Vanishing acts but it was different this time the forest was no longer just a place for Ghost Stories it had claimed lives left an indelible mark on Hollow Creek and no one dared speak of it openly anymore the Old Town had accepted the Whispers and now they had become a part of their everyday life but not everyone in Hollow Creek had forgotten far from it at the edge of the forest the tall crumbling building that had once been a home to the town's Elders Stood Still

its windows cracked its doors boarded up the old archives of Hollow Creek had once been a place where stories of the past were preserved but as the years passed the archives had been neglected forgotten by all except for one person Elanor Eleanor had lived in Hollow Creek her entire life she had seen the town grow and Fade with the seasons but unlike many others she hadn't allowed herself to forget she remembered the stories the ones that the elders used to tell she remembered the first Whispers of the woods how it started small but grew into

something something bigger something Insidious her grandmother had often told her of the older darker days of the town when it was known as ollow she spoke of a curse of an ancient power that had once controlled the land its roots growing deep into the Earth twisting everything around it Eleanor had heard the stories but she had never truly believed them until recently after hearing the accounts of the disappearances that had started with Ryan and and continued to this day and now with Lucas and Olivia lost to the woods Elanor knew it was time to act

the air was thick with fog as Eleanor made her way into the old building she had visited the archives many times but tonight something felt different the weight of the past seemed to press down on her more heavily than ever before the stories whispered of something much older than the town itself something ancient something that had always been there waiting inside the building the air was cold and stale the shelves that lined the walls were packed with Dusty volumes filled with the faded ink of generations past Eleanor knew that somewhere in these shelves buried under

layers of Forgotten time lay the truth she reached for an old leatherbound book one that had been packed passed down through generations of town Elders the book's Pages were brittle the words barely legible but Elanor knew the significance of the text her grandmother had once told her it held the key the truth about Oak Hollow and the forest's curse as she opened the book the musty scent of aged paper filled the air the first few pages were filled with stories of Oak hollow's founding how the town had prospered in in its early years but as

Eleanor flipped through the pages the tone of the book began to shift the stories grew darker the ink more frantic it spoke of a force deep in the woods an ancient presence that bed on The Souls of the lost a power that had been there long before the town was founded before even the trees had begun to take root she skimmed over the words her fingers trembling as she read aloud to herself the forest calls to the lost its whispers are the voices of those who have strayed too far it is the hunger of the

Earth the longing of the trees to claim what is theirs and those who enter will never return Eleanor's heart pounded in her chest she had heard these words before spoken by the elders in hushed tones in warnings meant to keep the children in line but now they felt different they felt real the forest was alive and it was calling to her flipping to the next page Eleanor found a faded map of the Old Town Oak Hollow and the surrounding Woods at the center of the map drawn in red ink was a symbol a twisted shape

an intricate design that seemed to move on the page it was the same symbol she had seen in in the woods carved into the bark of the ancient trees and then she found it a passage buried deep in the pages its words scrolled in hurried panicked writing beware the roots the trees speak to each other and the Earth listens it is the roots of Oak Hollow that bind us and the roots that will take us the forest grows stronger with every life it claims it is not just a place of death but a place of

rebirth those who are lost will return but not as they once were Eleanor felt a cold shiver run through her the words seemed to burn into her mind each one like a nail driven into her thoughts she couldn't stop herself from reading on the forest is not a place of trees it is the embodiment of the curse the curse that Oak Hollow has forgotten but which the forest remembers and it will never let go the book suddenly felt too heavy in her hands the truth was out there hidden in the woods waiting to be uncovered

but the more she read the more she realized the forest wasn't just a place of Darkness it was a living thing it fed on fear on regret on the memories of those who had been lost the forest had been waiting for for someone like her it knew she would come she slammed the book shut her breath shallow and uneven there was no more time she had to go now but as she turned to leave something stopped her a sound a whisper it came from deep within the building a low hum that seemed to vibrate through

the floorboards the air grew thick as if something was stirring beneath the Earth calling to her Eleanor's heart raced she knew the sound it was The Whisper of the woods calling her pulling her toward the darkness she couldn't resist it she couldn't run from it and just as she reached for the door a cold hand wrapped around her wrist her breath caught in her throat the hand was cold its fingers long and bony with skin stretched tight over its Knuckles she spun around but there was no one there nothing but the oppressive darkness that filled

the room The Whispers grew louder and the door slammed shut behind her the forest had found her back in Hollow Creek life carried on as usual the town's people went about their daily routines unaware of the dark Forces that were once again stirring in the forest but in the dead of night a figure appeared at the edge of the woods a shadow slipping between the trees it was Eleanor but she was not the same her eyes were wide empty vacant and in her hand she held the book now covered in a layer of fresh dirt

its Pages torn and worn she did not speak as she walked toward the village only the soft Whisper of the trees could be heard following her every step the forest had claimed another soul and The Whispers once again called to the next no one would ever be the same in Hollow Creek again the morning after Eleanor's return to Hollow Creek was unlike any the town had ever known the sky was thick with a strange heavy fog that lingered well into the afternoon the sun struggled to pierce through casting an eerie pale light over the cobblestone

streets the usual bustle of the Market Square was replaced by a silence that seemed unnatural as if the very air itself had been frozen in time though the town's people went about their usual routines the sense of for boing was undeniable Whispers spread from house to house stories of Eleanor's return from the woods of her empty eyes and the strange disquieting way she moved through the village no one had seen her arrive she simply appeared walking from the forest's edge her hands clasped tightly around the book that had once been hidden in the old archives

the villagers tried to go on with their lives but every glance toward the woods sent a ripple of unease through them they had lived in the shadow of the forest for Generations but something had shifted something darker something far far more Insidious had taken root Eleanor did not speak to anyone that day she wandered the streets in a days as though she were not truly part of the Town anymore her movements were slow deliberate as if she were walking through water her mind far from the world around her the town's people whispered but none dared

approach her when the sun set and the sky darkened Eleanor finally found herself at the edge of the forest again she stood there for a long time staring at the trees The Whispers From Within the Woods calling to her beckoning her back she could hear them clearly now the voices of the lost the ones who had wandered too far and never returned they spoke of The Hunger that lived deep within the roots of the ancient presence that had waited patiently for the right moment to claim its next victim Eleanor's fingers tightened around the book she

knew the truth now the forest was not just a place of death it was something much older something that had always been there hidden beneath the soil its roots stretching out like veins pulling everything toward it with a deep breath Eleanor stepped into the woods as she moved deeper into the forest the fog grew thicker the trees closing in in on her the path beneath her feet seemed to shift and twist leading her in directions that made no sense the wind whispered through the branches carrying with it the faint voices of the lost their Whispers

were not kind they were desperate pleading for help but there was no mercy in the forest the air grew colder as she ventured deeper the darkness swallowing everything in its path the trees loomed like silent Sentinels their gnarled branches reaching down toward her their Twisted forms casting long unnatural Shadows then she saw them figures Shadows of people standing in the distance barely visible through the fog their eyes glowed faintly their faces Twisted in expressions of horror their bodies gaunt and Hollow they were the lost the ones who had disappeared over the years their souls trapped

in the forest forever bound to its Darkness Elanor felt Their Eyes Upon her their Silent Gaze piercing her soul they whispered their voices muffled by the wind but she could hear the desperation in their tones they were warning her leave leave before it's too late but Eleanor didn't listen she couldn't she was beyond the point of turning back now the forest had already claimed her just as it had claimed so many others she had come for the truth and now she would face whatever it was that lurked beneath the Earth she pushed forward deeper into

the heart of the Woods The Whispers growing louder more insistent the trees seemed to close and around her their branches like hands reaching grasping pulling her closer to the heart of the darkness it wasn't long before she reached it the center of the forest a clearing shrouded in darkness where the trees stood in A Perfect Circle their trunks Twisted in strange patterns in the center of the clearing was a massive tree its roots sprawling outward like the fingers of a monstrous hand digging deep into the Earth it was ancient older than the town older than

the land itself the tree bark was dark and cracked and its branches stretched High into the sky blocking out what little light remained Eleanor stood there for a moment her heart pounding in her chest this was it this was what the Whispers had led her to the heart of the forest the wind picked up howling through the clearing and the voices of the Lost grew louder their Whispers now a deafening chorus filling her mind with their cries the ground beneath her feet trembled and the air grew thick with the smell of Decay and then from

the roots of the ancient tree something stirred a shape dark and formless began to rise from the ground the Earth cracked open as the shape emerged a mass of Shadows and writhing tendrils it was as though the very Forest itself was alive its roots pulling itself out of the earth forming a creature of darkness something born from the soil and The Whispers Eleanor stood Frozen her body trembling she could feel the weight of the forest's Gaze upon her as if it were watching her studying her every move the creature's eyes if they could be called

eyes glowed faintly in the dark and its voice rumbled like thunder as it spoke you sought the truth but the truth is a curse the forest claims all who seek to understand it you are now part of the roots part of the hunger There Is No Escape Elanor felt the weight of the creature's words settle on her chest pressing down suffocating her she had come seeking answers but now she understood that there were no answers to be found in the forest only endless darkness and hunger the creatures tendrils reached out wrapping around her pulling her

toward the ancient tree her body fought against the pole but it was no use the roots were stronger than her will she screamed but the sound was swallowed by the forest lost Among The Whispers of the lost and as her body was consumed by the Earth the forest grew darker its roots spreading further claiming more land more souls back in Hollow Creek the fog never fully lifted the villagers spoke of Eleanor's disappearance but they no longer ventured too close to the forest they had seen what it could do they had seen the change it wrought

in those who sought its secrets and so the Whispering Woods remained waiting hungry the long would always find their way back and the forest would always claim its due you were always a part of it it said its voice soft but filled with a terrible certainty you were drawn here for a reason the house called you and now you will stay the Shadows closed and around them suffocating them consuming them as the figure's hand reached Closer Closer there was no Escape no hope no salvation the house had claimed them and they were lost to it

forever the figure's hand touched Daniel's shoulder cold as ice sending a jolt of Terror through him but just as it did something shifted in the air a crack faint but distinct reverberated through the room the house trembled the Shadows faltered for a brief moment there was a glimmer of something else something powerful something that had not been there before and in that moment the house seemed to recoil as if in fear but before they could react the darkness surged once more swallowing everything the last thing they heard was the voice of the figure it's tone

cold and final it is done the darkness enveloped them completely suffocating and impenetrable a void that seemed to pulse with a life of its own Daniel and Sarah clung to each other their breaths shallow their bodies trembling under the crushing weight of the Shadows the house or whatever this entity truly was had bound them trapping them in a prison where time and reality Twisted endlessly reshaping the world around them into a reflection of pure Terror they couldn't see couldn't move couldn't even scream their voices fell trapped within their chests silenced by the overwhelming presence that

had taken hold it was as though they were submerged in a cold Inky Abyss a place where sound and light could not reach moments passed or were they hours until something finally shifted a faint glow distant and dim began to appear cutting through the Shadows the light pulsed gently like a heartbeat and seemed to draw them forward urging them deeper into the darkened space that no longer resembled the house they'd once entered despite their fear the glimmer offered the only escape from the pressing Blackness and they moved toward it with desperate hope as they walked

the ground beneath them softened like walking through mud or thick tar their steps were slow each movement dragging them further into an unknown depth the light grew brighter revealing faint shapes ahead distorted grotesque forms that seemed to Ry and Twitch in the dim glow Sarah gasped as one of the shapes came into focus a figure Bound in place its form twisted and broken its face contorted in a Silent Scream the light illuminated more of these shapes as they moved closer and the horror became clear the these were people or what remained of them Souls trapped

their bodies distorted and fused to the walls around them their eyes empty yet somehow filled with unspeakable pain Daniel turned away unable to look his stomach twisting with revulsion and fear what is this place he muttered though he knew there would be no answer they moved cautiously stepping past the trapped figures feeling the pull of the light ahead the air grew colder with every step and the silence around them thickened pressing in on their minds filling them with an overwhelming sense of dread it was as if they were walking into the heart of the darkness

itself the core of whatever entity had ens snared them the light became blinding and as they finally reached its source they froze before them stood the figure they had seen in the house the tall shrouded entity whose presence had haunted them since they first stepped inside but now in the Stark glow they could see its face a Hollow Mask devoid of features a face that was both human and monstrous a face that seemed to shift and change with each heartbeat the figure spoke its voice a low resonant hum that seemed to reverberate through their very

bones you have come to the end it said its tone devoid of emotion you are part of the house now part of me its hand reached out toward them and this time they could not move could not turn away the Shadows coiled around them binding them in place as the figure's hand touched their foreheads cold as death filling them with a sensation so dark and empty that they could hardly breathe Visions flooded their minds images of the house through time of countless others who had entered and never escaped of souls twisted and bound in Eternal

Darkness Daniel and Sarah felt their bodies growing heavy their vision fading as though they were being pulled into the Shadows themselves absorbed by the house and all its Horrors they struggled tried to resist but the pull was too strong too overwhelming The house's hunger was insatiable its desire to consume absolute they they could feel their own memories slipping away their sense of self dissolving replaced by the dark consuming presence of the entity the last thing they saw was the figure's hollow shifting face its empty eyes staring back at them with a cold indifference and then

there was only Darkness the silence was suffocating Daniel and Sarah were submerged in a void so deep it felt as if they'd been stripped of any essence of the themselves elves left drifting in a place beyond time and reality they had no sense of their own bodies now only an overwhelming emptiness that stretched in all directions a darkness that pulsed faintly as though it held a heartbeat of its own and yet somewhere in the infinite black a sound began to emerge a distant faint whisper that felt as though it was both inside and around them

it was a murmur indistinct but filled with a chilling familiarity and it grew louder echoing through the hollow space reverberating against their fading thoughts Hollow Creek had become a place of quiet mourning where the villagers had learned to live with a shadow of fear looming over them the disappearances the strange occurrences The Whispers from the woods these were no longer just stories they were the fabric of their reality and each day the tension in the town grew a collective awareness of the inevitable no one dared to venture into the forest anymore it was an unspoken

rule one that everyone had come to understand even if they could never explain it fully but there were still those who refused to believe those who felt the pull of the unknown who couldn't accept that the town had been swallowed by the curse of the Whispering Woods among them was a young man named Thomas Thomas had grown up hearing the stories the stories that filled the cold nights with fear that made the walls seem thinner and the Shadows longer but he had never believed in them he had always thought it was a way to control

the children a means of keeping them safe and out of trouble but now with Eleanor Gone With The Whispers growing louder every night Thomas couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong his curiosity began to take root the more the villagers whispered about the woods the more he felt an undeniable pull toward them he had known Lucas Olivia and Eleanor and he couldn't accept their Fates there had to be more to the story there had to be an explanation one evening after the last remnants of sunlight had faded from the sky Thomas stood at

the edge of the for Forest staring into the darkness the wind rustled the leaves and the distant call of an owl echoed through the trees he could feel it the presence of something watching him from the depths of the woods just beyond his reach but Thomas wasn't afraid his mind was made up tonight he would enter the forest and he would find out what had taken his friends he took a deep breath and stepped forward his boots crunching on the dry leaves that covered the ground the air was thick with moisture and the smell of

Earth and Decay was strong as though the very ground beneath him was alive the further he walked the darker it became until the last glimmers of moonlight were swallowed by the dense canopy above the deeper Thomas ventured the more the world around him seemed to shift the trees grew taller ER their trunks Twisted in unnatural ways their branches bending toward him as though reaching out to touch him the path He Walked on grew indistinct disappearing into the underbrush as though the forest itself was intent on hiding the way and then it came the whisper at

first it was faint a soft murmur carried on the wind like the rustling of leaves but then it grew louder clear clearer Thomas couldn't understand the words but he could feel the desperation the pole it was as though the forest itself was calling to him urging him to go deeper come closer come closer he froze his heart pounding in his chest he had heard stories of The Whispers but hearing them now feeling them crawl into his mind was something entirely different the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and the air grew

thick and oppressive we are here we have been waiting the voices were not human they were too old too twisted and yet they felt familiar like the echo of something long forgotten something deep in his mind stirred a memory a flicker of recognition but before he could grasp it the whispering stop leaving him in an unsettling silence Thomas Stood Still his breath shallow something was wrong he couldn't explain it but he could feel it something was waiting for him watching him he turned scanning the trees around him but there was nothing only the endless dark

of the forest its eyes hidden behind the Shadows suddenly the the ground beneath him trembled the trees shook their branches rustling like a distant storm Thomas stumbled falling to his knees as the Earth shifted beneath him he looked up and his heart stopped from the Shadows a figure emerged a tall thin figure its face hidden beneath a hood its movements were slow deliberate as though it were part of the forest itself it was impossibly still its presence both commanding and terrifying The Whispers returned louder now reverberating through the air filling Thomas's mind with their clamoring

voices you should not have come here Thomas the figure spoke its voice a low grally rasp that sent a chill down his spine he tried to move but his body refused to obey the figure stepped closer its presence pressing in on him like a suffocating weight the air around him grew colder and The Whispers grew louder swirling around him in a cacophony of voices we are the forgotten the lost the ones who never left Thomas's heart pounded in his chest as the figure Drew closer its Hollow empty eyes staring down at him the figure's face

remained hidden but he could feel its gaze cold unfeeling like the abyss itself why are you here Thomas whispered his voice barely audible Over The Whispers his fear gripped him but he forced himself to speak the figure tilted its head as though considering the question The Whispers seemed to pause for a moment as if waiting for an answer finally the figure spoke again its voice softer now though still filled with an unsettling calm because the forest calls to you Thomas you too are part of it now you have always been the word sent a shock

through him and his body trembled it was as though the ground beneath him had just Fallen away and he was plummeting into an abyss of darkness and despair the figure's words rang in his ears reverberating through his very Soul you came here seeking answers but the answers were always here waiting in the roots before Thomas could respond the figure extended a long bony hand and a wave of cold rushed through him filling his chest with a hollow a he wanted to scream to run but his body was paralyzed as though the very air was thick

with a force that held him in place The Whispers rose again growing louder more frantic the figures face was no longer hidden by a hood it was the face of someone he knew someone he had seen countless times in Hollow Creek it was Lucas or at least it looked like Lucas his eyes were wide empty Hollow a reflection of the same emptiness that Thomas had seen in Eleanor's eyes when she returned the figure that stood before him wasn't Lucas of course it was something else something born from the forest a twisted reflection of the soul

that had once been human you you are the one who is lost Thomas you you belong to the forest now and then the ground beneath him gave way the Earth opened its roots stretching upward like fingers pulling him into the darkness his last breath caught in his throat as the forest consumed him The Whispers growing louder filling every part of him back in Hollow Creek the villagers awoke to the sound of rain pouring from the sky but it wasn't just the rain that they heard somewhere in the distance in the Deep dense forest they could

hear the wh Whispers the ones that had once claimed their loved ones and they knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before the woods came for them too the forest had not forgotten and it would never let go it was waiting the Whispering Woods had claimed another Soul Hollow Creek had always been a quiet Town tucked away from the prying eyes of the World hidden beneath the dense canopy of trees trees that surrounded it but ever since the disappearances had begun the town had felt different the once familiar paths felt like

Haunted Trails the faces of the town's people more drawn and anxious their eyes constantly shifting toward the forest no one spoke it aloud but they all shared the same unspoken truth the forest was alive and it was waiting for them with Thomas now missing The Whispers grew louder more insistent the villagers could hear them in their dreams feel them in the air there was no Escape they had become prisoners of their own fear their own silence and the creeping dread that something was growing inside the Whispering Woods it was only a matter of time before

it would come for them all the night was thick with fog the moon barely visible through the clouded Sky a cold wind rustled through the trees carrying with it the faintest Echoes of the lost souls who wandered The forest's Depths but tonight something was different the air felt charged with an unnatural energy as though the forest itself was about to awaken in full force the villagers could sense it an anticipation that had been building for days ever since Thomas's Disappearance in the center of Hollow Creek at the old in by the river a meeting was

taking place a small group of villagers had gathered all we all afraid among them were a few familiar faces Olivia's older brother Samuel Eleanor's cousin Rachel and Thomas's close friend Henry they sat in the dimly lit room their eyes darting toward the door as though they feared someone or something would walk in in at any moment I think we've all known this was coming Samuel said his voice low but firm he ran a hand through his dark hair his face etched with worry the disappearances The Whispers it's all connected we can't keep ignoring it Rachel

nodded her hands trembling as she clutched her Shaw tighter around her shoulders but what are we supposed to do the forest it's not like anything we understand none of us even know what it is or why it's taken them she looked up at Samuel her eyes pleading I don't want to lose anyone else Henry sitting quietly in the corner finally spoke up his voice was quiet but it carried an edge of urgency we need to end it whatever it is that's in there it has to be stopped we've Let It Grow too powerful we tried

before Samuel reminded him his tone Grim the elders they went in years ago long before any of us were born and none of them ever came back Rachel shuddered at the thought she had heard the stories as a child the tales of brave men and women who had entered the Forest to uncover its Secrets only to disappear Without a Trace they were not the first to suffer at its hands and they wouldn't be the last but if we don't try Henry pressed on his eyes burning with determination then we'll be next the forest doesn't stop

it doesn't care who you are or how long you've lived here it takes what it wants the room fell into a heavy s silence they all knew the truth of his words they had seen it with their own eyes Eleanor Lucas Thomas and countless others who had disappeared without warning without a trace the woods had claimed them one by one and no one had dared to challenge it I'm going Samuel said after a long pause his voice steady we'll go together we'll find out what's really going on maybe we can end this before it takes

anyone else he looked at Henry and Rachel his eyes firm are you in Henry met his gaze his face pale but Resolute I'm in Rachel hesitated her mind racing her heart thumping in her chest she didn't want to go into the forest she didn't want to face whatever evil had claimed her cousin but she knew there was no choice she had to do this for Eleanor for Thomas for everyone I'll go she said quietly her voice barely above a whisper I'll go if it means we can stop it the three of them set out that

night armed with little more than their resolve and the knowledge of the forest's Eerie unpredictable path they didn't know what they would find but they had no other their choice the town the people they loved were all at the mercy of the forest and it was up to them to break the cycle as they approached the edge of the woods the temperature seemed to drop the fog had thickened rolling in from the forest like a living thing the trees stretched out before them dark and twisted their branches swaying in the wind they could feel the

weight of the forest's Gaze as if the very Tre trees were watching them judging them waiting for them to make a mistake hey stepped into the forest and the world around them changed instantly the air grew thick and damp the ground soft beneath their feet the trees seemed to close and around them their gnarled Roots reaching out like Twisted fingers the path they followed was barely visible obscured by the dense underbrush and yet they knew they had no choice but to press on 4 hours they trudged through the dark the silence broken only by the

occasional Creek of a branch or the distant rustle of leaves the deeper they went the heavier the atmosphere became it felt as though the forest itself was alive its pulse echoing in the ground beneath their feet a constant reminder of the danger they faced they hadn't spoken much save for quick whisper Whispers And urgent glances there was no need for Words the terror in their hearts was shared it was a fear they couldn't escape a dread that clung to them like a second skin they had no idea where they were going or what they would

find but they had to keep moving the forest was patient it was relentless and they had no time to waste as they reached a small clearing the ground beneath their feet shift Ed the Earth trembled ever so slightly the air thickening with a sense of wrongness they stopped their eyes darting around the clearing seeking any sign of Life any hint of what was happening and then they heard it a whisper it was faint at first barely audible over the rustling of the leaves but it grew louder clearer until it filled the air around them echoing

off off the trees invading their thoughts you shouldn't have come the voice was low almost a growl and it came from all around them there was no place to hide no place to run the forest had already claimed them the ground beneath their feet shook violently and the clearing seemed to come alive the trees creaked and groaned as if they were waking from a deep Slumber their Roots twisting and reaching upward Samuel Henry and Rachel stumbled backward their hearts racing as the forest began to close in on them run Samuel shouted his voice filled with

panic but it was too late from the Shadows figures began to emerge pale gaunt forms their eyes wide and empty their bodies twisted and unnaturally thin they were were the lost the ones who had disappeared before them and they were coming for them now drawn to the three who had dared to step into the heart of the Whispering Woods as the figures closed in their Hollow eyes fixated on Rachel Henry and Samuel The Whispers grew louder more frantic the forest had awoken and it would never let them leave the figures moved closer their movements jerky

and unnatural like marionet controlled by invisible strings their Hollow eyes once human now reflected the darkness of the forest and their mouths hung open as if they had forgotten how to speak but still carried The Echoes of words long lost Rachel's breath caught in her throat her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the approaching figures Henry gripped her arm tightly his face pale his eyes wild with fear Samuel ever the leader stepped forward his hands trembling but his voice steady stay back he ordered but his voice lacked The Authority it once had

it felt fragile lost in the oppressive air of the forest the first figure reached out its fingers long and skeletal and Rachel recoiled but it was too late its cold hand brushed against her arm and an iy chill spread through her body Sinking Deep into her bones the moment it touched her the whispering grew louder a deafening Rush of voices that echoed in her mind each one pleading begging crying for release they came for us now they come for you forever bound to the woods Samuel drew his knife from his belt and lunged at the

figure slashing at its thin brittle form the blade passed through it as if it were made of smoke and the figure didn't even Flinch it merely tilted its head its Hollow eyes locking onto Samuel with an unsettling vacant gaze get away from her Samuel shouted but his voice wavered the desperation creeping in Henry his face contorted in fear pulled Rachel back stumbling toward the edge of the clearing but the forest seemed to move with them the trees creaked and groaned their branches twisting in impossible angles as if the woods itself was reshaping to trap them

the ground beneath them gave way Roots springing up to block their path the once familiar path now felt like a maze of Shifting shadows and dark Whispers the figures continued their Relentless approach each one gliding forward without making a sound their gaunt bodies flickering in and out of sight as if they were part of the very air the whispering filled the air growing more urgent more frenzy you can never leave we will never let you leave Henry's grip tightened on Rachel's arm as they backed away his face pale and drenched in sweat he could feel

it too the suffocating presence of the forest the weight of its ancient power they were caught there was no way out the forest had claimed them we need to Samuel began but his voice trailed off as he saw something in the distance a shape moving in the darkness between the trees it was tall impossibly tall and its figure was shrouded in Shadow for a moment everything seemed to freeze the whispering stopped and even the figures paused as if acknowledging the new presence the tall Shadow stepped forward its silhouette slowly becoming clearer and they saw it

a man or what had once been a man his eyes Hollow and empty his skin stretched tight over his bones Lucas Rachel whispered her voice breaking it was Lucas or at least it looked like like him the same angular face the same dark hair but his eyes were empty devoid of any light as though whatever had been Lucas had long since vanished his lips parted and the whispering returned now coming directly from his mouth you are not meant to leave none of us are we are bound to the forest just as you will be Rachel's

knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground overwhelmed by the sight of her old friend now nothing more than a twisted reflection of what he had once been tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out her voice trembling Lucas please you have to remember us you have to fight it but Lucas didn't respond instead he stepped forward his movement slow and deliberate as he approached his figure seemed to shift distorting as though his very essence was being twisted and reshaped by the forest's power his hands reached toward Rachel his fingers long

and thin his grip unyielding as he touched her arm in that moment Rachel felt it a sharp cold ache spreading through her veins as though his touch was drawing something from her the world around her began to spin the trees and the figures blurring together into a single nightmarish entity the whispering grew louder the voices of The Lost Ones filling her head until she could no longer distinguish them from her own thoughts you belong here now you belong to the forest her body went rigid as the cold crept deeper into her chest she gasped for

air but it felt as though the very atmosphere was suffocating in her the forest had her its grip tightening around her heart pulling her closer to the abyss but then through the haze of darkness and fear a voice broke through Samuel's voice shouting her name Rachel he cried his voice strained with panic you have to fight it we need to get out of here now Samuel rushed forward his knife raised High and with all his strength he swung it at the figure of Lucas the blade sank into the figure's chest but instead of blood it

was as though the knife passed through a shadow Lucas's body flickered and for a moment he disappeared into the air leaving behind only a chilling echo of his whisper you cannot Escape we will follow you Samuel's eyes widened in horror as he reach realized that the forest was not just alive it was conscious aware of their every movement and it would never let them go the woods had a will of its own a hunger that was insatiable and once you stepped inside you became part of it but Rachel didn't have time to process that her

vision was growing dim her body growing weak as the forest's cold seeped deeper into her being she tried to stand tried to fight but her limbs felt heavy her mind clouded Henry was pulling her dragging her back toward the edge of the clearing but the Figures were closing in the forest was closing in they had no chance Samuel's shout rang out one last time filled with despair we can't run anymore Rachel looked up her eyes blurry but she saw it at the edge of the clearing a figure stepped forward this one was different it wasn't

a shadow it wasn't a lost soul it was someone alive someone from the village it was Eleanor her clothes were tattered her face pale and gaunt her eyes empty like Lucas's but there was something else a flicker of recognition a spark of something that wasn't entirely lost Eleanor's lips moved but it was not her voice that came out the forest has already chosen you and then the world around Rachel went dark the world around Rachel collapsed Into Darkness the last thing she felt was the cold grasping hands of the forest pulling her deeper into its

ancient suffocating Embrace there were no more voices no more Whispers just the suffocating void time seemed to stretch endlessly as if she were floating in a space where nothing could touch her not even her own thoughts but then something shifted a crack of light faint but persistent cut through the darkness like a sliver of Hope Rachel's eyes fluttered open her vision blurry she was no longer in the clearing she was lying on the ground but not in the forest not in the place where the figures had surrounded her she tried to move but her body

felt heavy as though it didn't belonged to her the air smelled different here it wasn't the damp decaying scent of the forest this place was cold dry and smelled faintly of something sweet like old flowers a soft Breeze rustled in the distance carrying with it a sense of peace that felt strange after the Terror of the woods she struggled to sit up her muscles protesting as she did so and blinked rapidly trying to focus her surroundings came into view slowly revealing a large open space a clearing but unlike any she had seen before the ground

beneath her was soft almost cushion-like covered in a thick layer of moss and fallen leaves the trees here were tall their trunks smooth and white their branches reaching upward but unlike the Twisted gnarled trees of the Whispering Woods these appeared calm almost peaceful Rachel's heart raced in her chest this place felt wrong despite the apparent Serenity it was too quiet she couldn't hear the distant rustling of the forest there were no sounds of creatures no Whispering Wind the Stillness was on unnerving as if the world had paused for a moment waiting for something to happen

where am I she whispered to herself her voice forse and trembling as she scanned the clearing she saw something a figure standing in the distance just beyond the trees at first she thought it might be one of the Lost Souls one of the figures that had surrounded her in the forest but as the figure Drew closer her heart skipped a beat it wasn't a shadow nor was it a spectre it was a person Elanor the sight of her friend brought a rush of conflicting emotions she was alive there was no mistaking it but the woman

who stood before her was not the Eleanor Rachel had known she was gone her face Hollow and pale her eyes dark and empty much like Lucas's had been her clothes hung Loosely on her thin frame as though they no longer fit her the image of her friend was unsettling yet a small part of Rachel felt a glimmer of hope perhaps Eleanor had found a way out of the forest just as she had but then Rachel saw it the faintest flicker in Eleanor's eyes a brief moment of recognition before it faded into emptiness once again her

mouth opened but the words that came out were not her own the forest calls to you Rachel it calls to all of us Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she took a step back Eleanor what happened to you to all of you she asked her voice trembling Eleanor's Hollow eyes locked onto her and for the briefest moment Rachel saw something something human deep within them it was a flicker barely noticeable but it was there Eleanor's lips parted again but her voice was not her own not anymore it's too late for us Rachel it's already

chosen you there's no escaping it the ground beneath Rachel seemed to tremble and she could feel it an overwhelming sense of dread spreading through the air it was as though the Forest itself was aware of their presence watching them waiting for them to succumb to its will Eleanor took a step forward her movements slow deliberate her arms outstretched as if beckoning Rachel toward her come she said softly her voice and Eerie blend of the woman Rachel had once known and something far darker more ancient come closer the forest is waiting it wants you just as

it wanted the others Rachel's body stiffened and her mind screamed for her to run to get away from this Twisted version of her friend but her legs wouldn't move fear rooted her to the spot as Eleanor's figure loomed closer her eyes never leaving Rachel's but just as Eleanor was almost upon her something changed a deep thunderous sound echoed from the distance shaking the very air around them the Earth trembled violently and Rachel's Vision blurred once more it was as though the very foundation of the world was cracking apart Eleanor froze her eyes flickering for a

moment the strange calm fading from her face a low guttural noise vibrated from deep within the ground like the groan of something immense waking from a long Slumber no Eleanor whispered her voice faltering not now Rachel's pulse raced as the ground began to crack beneath her the trees shook violently their branches swaying as if caught in a great storm The Whispers grew louder more insistent now echoing from the very Earth itself it's coming it's too late suddenly the ground split open and from the dark n below a massive figure emerged something monstrous something ancient its

shape was indistinct at first shrouded in Shadow but the moment it fully emerged Rachel gasped the creature that stood before her was like nothing she had ever seen its form was shifting constantly changing as if it were made of the very darkness that surrounded them it was tall impossibly tall its limbs long and twisting its face a void of nothingness it seemed to pulse with an ancient terrible power and as it moved toward her the Earth trembled beneath its weight get away from it Eleanor screamed her voice breaking you don't understand it's the forest it's

the heart of it the reason for all the Whispers it controls everything Rachel could barely breathe fear tightening its grip around her chest she tried to move to run but her body refused to obey the creature loomed closer its Hollow empty eyes fixed on her and the whispering grew louder becoming a roar that filled the air the voices of the Lost Souls now deafening in her ears you are mine now the creature's voice rumbled not from its mouth but but from the very ground from the air from the trees themselves it was everywhere a force

that could not be denied and then in that final horrifying moment Rachel realized the truth the forest didn't just want her it needed her she wasn't a visitor here she was a part of it a piece of something ancient something far more terrifying than she could have ever imagined the whisper in woods had claimed her and there would be no escaping its dark Embrace Rachel's mind raced as the creature loomed closer its presence suffocating the air felt thick with its power oppressive and unyielding the ground beneath her feet seemed to pulse with each step the

creature took as if it was alive feeding off her fear her body trembled her breath shallow but it was as if time had slowed leaving her trapped in a moment of pure unrelenting Terror the whispering had transformed into a deafening cacophony the voices of the Lost Souls twisted and anguished swirling around her in a maddening frenzy she could no longer distinguish one voice from another only a collective whale that seemed to Claw at her mind it was the sound of Despair the sound of those who had come before her who who had been taken by

the forest and its monstrous heart the creature's eyes if they could be called eyes fixed on her empty and all consuming there was nothing human about them no trace of compassion or understanding it was a force of nature something born of darkness and fear older than the forest itself and it was here to claim her Rachel stumbled backward but the ground beneath her cracked and split open roots and Earth twisting around her ankles pulling her down her screams were swallowed by the Roar of the creature's voice and her body was dragged forward inch by agonizing

inch toward its terrifying presence you belong to the forest now the creature growled its voice like a thousand Whispers blended into one There Is No Escape you will become like the others you will be part of the Endless cycle her heart hammered in her chest and she felt the overwhelming weight of the creature's words there was no hope no chance for survival she could feel it now the pull of the forest the call to join it to become one of its lost souls the temptation to give in to let go of the fight was powerful

but deep down Rachel knew she couldn't not yet but then something shifted a spark of defiance a flicker of something deep within her pushed through the fear the memories of her friends of the people she had known Henry Samuel Lucas and even Eleanor flashed in her mind she remembered their voices their laughter their courage she wasn't alone they were still here somewhere inside her and they would never give up Rachel took a shaky breath and her hand instinctively reached for the pendant around her neck the one her mother had given her when she was a

child it was a simple silver pendant an old family heirloom but in that moment it felt like a Lifeline the pendant had always been a source of comfort a reminder of her roots of the love that had shaped her life and now it felt like a connection to the world outside this nightmare the creature paused its dark gaze shifting toward the pendant as if it sensed the shift in Rachel's Spirit its form flickered as though uncertain for the first time its immense power wavering for a brief moment the air seemed to grow colder the Earth

beneath them trembling with an intensity that Rachel could feel deep in her bones it was afraid Rachel took another step back pulling her hand away from the pendant and holding it firmly in front of her she focused on it on the strength it symbolized she wasn't just fighting for her own Survival she was fighting for The Souls of those who had been lost to this forest for her friends for everyone who had been consumed by its darkness and she wouldn't let them down not now leave me alone she whispered her voice horar but steady the

words carrying a weight that felt almost unnatural in this place of fear and Shadow I will not be your prisoner the creature recoiled its form shifting violently as if it were being struck by an unseen Force the ground beneath Rachel's feet began to crack open and the roots that had held her fast released their grip pulling back into the Earth the creature roared a sound so so terrible that the very trees around them seemed to shudder in response for a moment Rachel Stood Still the tension in the air so thick that it felt like the

world itself had stopped turning the creature's dark form swayed as though it were struggling to maintain its shape to hold its power over her the whispering voices had grown silent replaced by a deep pulsing hum that vibrated through the ground and into Rachel's chest and and then something miraculous happened the first tree one of the Towering white trees that surrounded the clearing began to bend its branches twisting as though it were being pulled by some invisible force the other trees followed suit their trunks cracking and groaning as they twisted and turned their branches reaching toward

the creature like arms like hands it was as if the forest itself was rejecting the creature pushing back back against the darkness that had claimed it for so long the creature howled in Fury its form flickering between Dimensions its shape growing more distorted with each passing second it was losing its grip its hold on the forest and on Rachel now Rachel cried her voice raw the strength in her words surprising even herself the forest seemed to respond to her command the roots of the trees Rose from the ground wrapping themselves around the creature's limbs pulling

it backward away from her the air grew thick with a scent of burning wood as the creatures form red and screamed in agony the forest once a prison was now fighting for her for its own Survival Rachel stumbled backward as the creature shape began to disintegrate turning into a cloud of dark smoke and Shadow that was torn apart by the force of the trees she watched breathless as the creature was swallowed by the forest it screamed echoing in the distance as it faded into nothingness the silence that followed was deafening Rachel stood there her heart

pounding in her chest as the weight of what had just happened settled over her the forest had one the creature was gone but so much had changed the forest was alive More Alive than she had ever realized and it had its own will its own power but she had resisted she had fought back the trees slowly returned to their original positions their branches returning to their natural peaceful State the air felt lighter as though the dark presence that had loomed over them for so long had been lifted but Rachel knew that the forest was not

free the creatur's hold might be gone but it was not the end she had only one for now the Stillness of the clearing was broken by a faint rustling sound behind her Rachel turned quickly her heart still racing and saw someone emerging from the Shadows of the trees at first she thought it was another of the Lost Souls but as the figure stepped into the light she recognized him it was Henry Rachel he whispered his voice hor but full of relief you you did it Rachel could hardly believe her eyes he was alive he had

made it through tears welled up in her eyes as she ran toward him throwing her arms around him in a desperate Embrace they had survived they had fought the darkness and they had one but Rachel knew deep down that the forest would never let go completely it had claimed so many before them and it would try again but they had found their strength together they could face whatever was to come for now the forest was quiet its Whispers Fading Into the distance but Rachel knew one thing for certain it was not over Rachel held on

to Henry tightly as if by doing so she could anchor herself to reality his presence was a beacon of light in the Aftershock of everything they had just experienced the dark force that had loomed over the forest had been momentarily defeated but she could still feel the weight of its presence lurking just beneath the surface her pulse was slow but steady her body shaking not from fear but from the exhaustion that had built up from the endless hours of Terror she had fought the forest she had won for now how how are you here she

whispered pulling back slightly to look at him his face was pale eyes sunken with exhaustion but he was here alive just as he had been before but there was something different in the way he looked at her a depth to his eyes a hint of something darker and far more settling Henry's lips parted but it took him a moment to speak his voice rough as though he were still trying to make sense of his own thoughts I I don't know I thought I was done for he said looking around nervously his gaze flickering to the

shifting trees when I saw that creature I thought it was the end but then I don't know everything went black and when I woke up I was here Rachel studied him a chill running down her spine he was here yes but there was a strange hesitation in his words a disconnect between his body and the way his mind seemed to be processing the events it reminded her of the way Eleanor had acted when they first encountered her in the forest distant not entirely herself Henry she said slowly her heart pounding as she stepped back just

enough to look him in the eyes are you are you really you he blinked clearly taken aback by the question what do you mean of course I am but Rachel couldn't shake the feeling that something was off the quiet in the clearing the air still heavy with the aftermath of the battle with the creature made her feel as though the ground beneath her feet could crack open at any moment a rustling in the trees caught her attention pulling her gaze toward the Shadows she stiffened her breath catching the wind had shifted and now she could

hear something else voices low and indistinct barely audible above the breeze they were Whispers again but not the same one she had heard before these voices sounded familiar it wasn't just the forest it was something else something she hadn't noticed before something that had always been there but she had only just become aware of it the Whispers had returned but now they weren't calling to her they were calling to Henry Henry Rachel whispered urgently grabbing his arm do you hear that he stared at her his face blank for a moment then his eyes widened what

what is that he asked looking around nervously his hand instinctively reaching out as if to protect himself from The Unseen presence The Whispers grew louder the voices becoming clearer but they were not speaking words they were sounds emotions fragments of memories lost and forgotten they sounded like people Rachel had known friends family but their voices were wrong twisted and distorted by something dark in ancient Henry come back Rachel's heart stopped in her chest she recognized that voice it was Eleanor the words were laced with desperation and it was as if Elanor was calling out to

Henry specifically her voice filled with sorrow and longing it was the same voice she had heard in the forest but now it seemed to have a new purpose a new Target the figure of Henry stiffened his expression blanking as he slowly turned his head toward the trees his eyes lost Focus for a moment as though he were hearing something Rachel couldn't Henry don't listen to them she cried shaking him urgently you can't trust the for Forest it's not her it's not Eleanor but it was too late Henry's gaze softened and before Rachel could stop him

he began to step toward the trees his movements slow deliberate The Whispers were growing louder A Chorus of voices calling to him urging him to come closer no Rachel whispered her heart pounding in her chest Henry please but he didn't stop the pole was too strong he was being drawn into the forest into the very heart of the darkness that had nearly consumed them all in a desperate attempt to save him Rachel ran after him her feet stumbling over the uneven ground Henry uh please she cried out but her voice was drowned out by the

rising intensity of The Whispers which now seemed to come from every direction filling the air with their maddening call as she reached out for him her hand brushed his arm but there was no response his body felt cold almost lifeless as if something inside him had already been lost his eyes were vacant staring ahead as if he were already somewhere else somewhere far from her Henry Rachel cried her voice voice breaking as she shook him harder but it was like trying to wake a sleepwalker from a dream he was lost to her lost to the

forest in that moment the truth became clear to Rachel the creature the forest it was not just a force of nature not merely an ancient evil it was something far older far more Insidious it didn't just want their bodies it wanted Ed their souls it wanted them to forget who they were to surrender to its dark Whispers and become part of its Eternal cycle Rachel felt a deep Pang of Sorrow for her friend she had tried to save him she had tried to keep him grounded to remind him of who he was but the forest

had already claimed him and now it would use him to lure her in and then with a final s sful glance at Henry Rachel turned and ran the forest shifted around her the trees bending and groaning as though they were alive their branches reaching toward her with claws The Whispers became louder more insistant pulling at her mind urging her to give in to stop running to accept her fate but she couldn't stop not yet she wasn't done she wouldn't let them wind the ground beneath her feet trembled again and the sound of the creature's terrible

Roar echoed in the distance reverberating through the trees but Rachel didn't stop she couldn't with one last burst of strength she pushed through the underbrush her heart pounding in her chest her breath ragged she could feel the presence of the forest surrounding her could feel its hunger its need to claim her but she wouldn't let it not this time not ever again and as she ran she realized that the battle was far from Over the forest had taken so much from her already but she wasn't going to let it take anything more not Henry not

herself not her soul not today Rachel's legs burned as she sprinted through the dense forest her breath ragged The Whispers were closing in the voices begging her to stop to return but she couldn't not after everything not after what had happened to Henry she stumbled falling to the ground but quickly pushed herself up there was a light ahead a break in the trees Freedom the creature was behind her its presence a looming shadow in the the darkness the voice of Henry echoed through the woods desperate pleading Rachel come back please but it wasn't him not

anymore it was the forest the creature it was trying to pull her in to make her turn back but she couldn't not for him not for anything with all her strength Rachel pushed forward Ward her feet pounding against the Earth the clearing was Within Reach The Whispers grew louder but she didn't stop she burst into the clearing the Moonlight Illuminating the space but there at the edge of the trees the creature appeared a swirling mass of Darkness its tendrils reaching for her Rachel's heart raced as she felt its hunger its presence suffocating she gripped the

pendant around her neck feeling its power surge through her she wasn't going to give in not now the creature hesitated as if sensing the strength she had she stood tall her voice Steady As She faced it I will not be your prey the creature screamed a whale that shook the Earth and began to dissolve retreating back into the woods then Vanishing into the Shadows silence returned to the clearing The Whispers were gone and the weight of the forest lifted but Rachel knew the truth the battle had been won but the forest would always be with

her lingering in the back of her mind she looked around Breathing heavily trying to steady her thoughts but something caught her eye a figure walking toward her from the trees it was Henry her heart skipped a beat but as the figure Drew closer she saw that it wasn't him it was something else something dark the forest wasn't done with her yet Rachel turned her breath quickening as the Shadows of the woods closed in around her once more if you enjoyed the story be sure to give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe for

more Chilling Tales thank you for listening and until next time stay safe and keep your lights on