Echoes of the Dark Room

Prologue

The moon hung low in the night sky, casting a silvery light over the dense forest. Shadows danced and flickered amongst the trees as the girl sprinted through the underbrush, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Twigs snapped underfoot, and leaves rustled in her wake, a cacophony of noise that seemed to grow louder with each passing second. Her heart pounded in her chest, a wild, erratic rhythm that echoed the sheer terror driving her forward.Behind her, the figure referred to only as the Big Bad Wolf loomed, a dark silhouette against the moonlit trees. His presence was palpable, an oppressive force that seemed to suffocate the very air around him. His heavy footsteps pounded the earth, a relentless pursuit that sent a surge of adrenaline through the girl's veins."Keep running," she told herself, her mind racing as fast as her feet. "Don't look back."But curiosity, mixed with fear, got the better of her. She stole a glance over her shoulder, and her eyes widened in horror. The Big Bad Wolf was closer than she had thought, his eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger. His breath came out in deep, guttural growls, a chilling sound that sent shivers down her spine.The girl pushed herself harder, her legs burning with exertion. Branches reached out like skeletal hands, scratching at her skin and snagging her clothes as she tore through the forest. The cold night air stung her lungs, each breath a painful reminder of her desperation to escape. She stumbled over a root, nearly falling, but caught herself just in time and kept going.Ahead, the trees began to thin, revealing a small clearing bathed in moonlight. Hope flickered in her chest-perhaps she could lose him there, find some way to hide or escape. She burst into the clearing, her feet pounding against the soft earth, and scanned her surroundings frantically.There was a large, ancient tree at the center, its gnarled roots twisting and turning, creating a small hollow. Without a second thought, she dove for it, squeezing herself into the cramped space and pressing her back against the rough bark. She tried to steady her breathing, clamping a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound.The forest fell silent, the only noise the blood rushing in her ears. She could hear the heavy, deliberate footsteps of the Big Bad Wolf as he entered the clearing. Her heart seemed to stop as he paused, sniffing the air, his gaze sweeping over the open space. She could feel his presence, a dark, malevolent energy that sent waves of fear crashing over her."Come out, come out, little girl," the Wolf's voice was a low, menacing growl, dripping with malicious intent. "You can't hide forever."She pressed herself deeper into the hollow, willing herself to become invisible. The Wolf's footsteps drew closer, each one a countdown to her discovery. She bit her lip, the taste of blood sharp and metallic, as tears streamed down her face.Suddenly, the Wolf stopped right in front of her hiding place. She could see his shadow through the small opening, could hear the slow, deliberate breaths he took. The world seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with tension. Then, with a snarl, the Wolf turned and began to move away, his footsteps receding into the distance. She stayed still, hardly daring to believe her luck, until she was certain he was gone. Only then did she allow herself to exhale, the breath coming out in a shuddering gasp.She knew she couldn't stay hidden for long. She had to keep moving, keep running, if she wanted to stay ahead of the Big Bad Wolf. With a determined look in her eyes, she crawled out of the hollow and into the moonlit clearing once more, ready to continue her desperate flight through the dark, foreboding woods.The girl burst out of the hollow and back into the moonlit clearing, her legs trembling but her resolve unbroken. She knew she had to keep moving, keep running, if she wanted to stay ahead of the Big Bad Wolf. Her heart pounded in her chest, a relentless drumbeat urging her onward as she plunged back into the dense forest.But the reprieve was short-lived. Behind her, the Wolf's growls grew louder, more insistent, his footsteps pounding the earth with renewed vigor. She pushed herself harder, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her muscles screaming in protest. The forest seemed to close in around her, branches reaching out to snag her clothes and scrape her skin, the shadows deepening with each passing moment.The Wolf was gaining on her. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck, could hear the snapping of jaws just inches away. Panic surged through her, lending her a final burst of speed as she tore through the underbrush, her mind a whirl of fear and desperation.But it wasn't enough. With a triumphant snarl, the Wolf lunged, his claws raking across her back. She cried out in pain, stumbling forward and falling to the ground. Before she could scramble to her feet, the Wolf was upon her, his massive form pinning her down."Did you really think you could escape me?" he growled, his voice a low, menacing rumble.She struggled beneath him, her breath coming in sobbing gasps as she fought to break free. But his grip was unyielding, his strength overwhelming. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, a suffocating void that seemed to swallow her whole.And then, as if the world itself had shattered, she was lost to the darkness. The forest, the Wolf, the pain-all of it faded away, replaced by an all-encompassing blackness that consumed her senses. She felt herself falling, spiraling downward into an abyss with no end, her screams swallowed by the void.In the depths of the darkness, she floated, weightless and disoriented. Time seemed to stretch and distort, each second an eternity. She could hear faint whispers, ghostly echoes that seemed to come from all around her, but their words were incomprehensible, lost in the void.Slowly, the darkness began to change. Shadows coalesced into indistinct shapes, the faint outlines of a new landscape forming around her. She could feel a chill in the air, a cold that seeped into her bones and left her shivering. The ground beneath her was hard and unyielding, a stark contrast to the softness of the forest floor.As her senses returned, she realized she was no longer in the forest. She was in a place of shadows and echoes, a world of darkness where the light of the moon could never reach. The Big Bad Wolf was gone, but the sense of foreboding remained, a constant reminder of the danger she had escaped only to find herself in a new, more terrifying realm.With a deep breath, she steeled herself. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there, but she knew one thing for certain: she had to find a way out. The darkness might have swallowed her, but she would not let it keep her. She would fight, she would survive, and she would escape this world of shadows.