Whisper of the Crypt

Chapter 1-4

Her surroundings turned so dark that she could not see anything but the figure.
"Please," the voice whispered again, this time more urgent, filled with haunting desperation. "Help me."

Sherry's heart pounded in her chest as she summoned the courage to respond.
"How can I help you? Who are you?"

The figure's form shifted, its shape twisting like swirls of smoke. A deep, haunting chuckle reverberated through her ear. "You're next"

Sherry's mind reeled. She had never encountered anything like this before.
"What... what do you want from me?" she stammered, her voice wavering with trepidation.

After the form dissipated into nothingness, her vision cleared up, and she then noticed that she was in the cemetery. Alone and cold, she ran to get away. And as she ran, she stumbled upon a newly made wooden casket. She could hear a voice inside, as if someone was trapped. As she opened it, she saw a body, with only the bones on fire, screaming.

*Click Click* As the light in her bedroom turned on, Sherry heard her brothers' voices mixed with the sound of tinnitus, waking her up from a nightmare. Sherry sat bolt upright. "It's going to kill me," she gasped.
"You're gonna be okay. We are here. It's just a nightmare." Joseph said.
It was surreal what Sherry experienced that night. She thought that the sights and sounds that she saw and felt were all real.
"You good? What was your dream about?" Joseph asked.

"I heard a mumbled scream, saw a very frightening black smoke that spoke, with this creepy casket in the middle of the cemetery." Sherry shivered as she recounted the details of her nightmare to Joseph. The lingering fear still clung to her, making her question her own sanity. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"I don't know, bro," Sherry replied, her voice trembling.

"It felt so real. The voice, the figure, the burning bones... It was terrifying. I can't shake off this feeling that something bad is going to happen." Joseph sat beside her on the bed, concern etched on his face. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze.

"Nightmares can be unsettling, but they're just dreams, Sherry. They don't reflect reality. You're safe here."

Sherry nodded, trying to convince herself that Joseph was right. However, the vividness of the nightmare still lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away completely. She wondered if it meant something more, something beyond the realm of ordinary dreams.

The next morning, as she started her day at home, Sherry couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled within her. She found herself unable to sleep properly last night, fearing that her nightmares might become reality. Her daily routine became disrupted, her mind consumed by thoughts of darkness and the unknown. As she began to eat breakfast with her siblings. She unknowingly focused on what the news was saying.

Newscaster: Good morning, ladies, and gentlemen. This is a breaking news report. We interrupt our regular programming to bring you an urgent appeal from a family in desperate search of their missing daughter. Today, we stand together in the hope that our collective efforts will help reunite this family and bring their beloved daughter back home.

[Camera pans to the distraught parents standing together]

Mr. Sanchez: (with tears in his eyes) Thank you, everyone, for your support during this incredibly difficult time. Our daughter, Jennifer, means the world to us, and we are pleading with anyone who may have seen or heard anything to come forward. Honey, if you're watching, please know that we love you, and we are looking for you. We miss you so much.

Mrs. Sanchez: We love you, honey.

As Sherry tied all the knots between her missing friend and her mysterious dream, she could not help but think both were related. And sooner or later they are to receive bad news about Jennifer.

"No, it can't be!" Sherry anxiously murmured.