Echoes (Novella)

Chapter 4: Whispers in the Dark

Zack: The dreams were becoming relentless, each one more vivid and terrifying than the last. Every night, I found myself plunged into a nightmare where masked figures lurked in the shadows, their intentions deadly and clear. I woke up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding, the images seared into my mind.

Today was no different. As I sat up in bed, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare, I couldn't help but feel the weight of impending doom pressing down on me. I knew I had to tell Dani, Gabby, and Ryan about the latest vision. Time was running out.

I met them at our usual spot in the park, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the grass. Dani was the first to notice my arrival, her worried gaze meeting mine. She immediately rushed over, concern etched on her beautiful face.

"Zack, you look awful," she said, her voice soft but filled with worry.I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Thanks for the confidence boost, Dani."She didn't smile back. "I'm serious. Are you okay?"I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Not really. The dreams... they're getting worse."

Ryan and Gabby joined us, their expressions mirroring Dani's concern. We sat down together, and I took a deep breath, recounting the latest nightmare in detail.

"In this one, it was night. We were all together, but we were being hunted. Those masked killers... they were everywhere. I could feel their presence, and hear their whispers. They were planning something, and it felt so real like it could happen any moment."

Gabby shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around her. "This is so messed up. What do we do?"Ryan, ever the conspiracy theorist, leaned forward. "We need to start looking into these counter-protesters. Who they are, what they want. There has to be a connection."

Dani nodded. "Agreed. But we also need to be careful. We can't let them know we're onto them."I appreciated their determination, but I couldn't shake the fear that gripped me. "We need to stay together, watch each other's backs. And if anything feels off, we need to trust our instincts."As we discussed our plan, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The visions were getting stronger, and more urgent. And the line between dreams and reality was beginning to blur. I needed to use my psychometric touch more, and try to piece together any clues from the objects we had from the protest.

That night, I sat in my room with the protest signs spread out before me. I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of the cardboard, trying to tap into the residual energy. Images flashed before me—snatches of conversations, fleeting glimpses of faces hidden behind masks. But nothing concrete, nothing that could give us a clear lead.

Frustrated, I pushed the signs aside and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The whispers from the dreams echoed in my mind, growing louder, more insistent. I knew we were running out of time.

The next day, we decided to dig deeper into the counter-protesters. Ryan had managed to find some online forums where people discussed the protest and the violent clashes that followed. We spent hours sifting through posts, looking for anything that might give us a clue.

As we worked, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every rustle of leaves, every shadow seemed menacing. I knew it was just my paranoia, but the sense of danger was real. Just as we were about to call it a night, Ryan found something. "Guys, look at this."

He showed us a post from someone claiming to have insider information about a group planning to disrupt the anti-war protests. The details were vague, but it mentioned a meeting place—a warehouse on the outskirts of town.

"We need to check this out," Ryan said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Dani looked worried. "It's risky. What if it's a trap?"I nodded. "We have to be careful. But if this is our only lead, we can't ignore it."