MAYA'S POV...
The forest floor beneath Maya's feet was slick with mud, a constant reminder of the torrential downpour that had chased her from the Davies' house. She stumbled through the dense undergrowth, her lungs burning, exhaustion gnawing at her limbs. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig sent her heart leaping into her throat.
The terrifying events of the night replayed in her mind in a sickening loop – Mr. Davies' lifeless body, the pulsating mass of spiders forming the monstrous Evelyn-Arachne, and finally, the chilling silence that followed. Grief battled with a fierce determination to survive. She wouldn't become another victim in Evelyn's web of terror.
Driven by a desperate instinct, Maya plunged deeper into the woods, the fog clinging to her like a shroud. Just as despair threatened to engulf her, a flicker of light caught her eye in the distance. Hope, a fragile flame, sparked within her. She stumbled towards it, praying it wasn't another horrifying trick of the fog.
As she emerged from the dense undergrowth, the source of the light revealed itself – a small, ramshackle cabin nestled amidst towering trees. Smoke curled from its chimney, a comforting sight in the damp chill of the morning. With a deep breath, Maya approached the cabin door.
A weathered wooden sign creaked above the doorway, inscribed with faded lettering – "Hermit Jacob." Hesitantly, Maya knocked. Silence. After a moment of deliberation, she rapped on the door again, harder this time.
The sound creaked open, revealing a narrow space filled with shadows. A gruff voice boomed from within. "Who dares disturb an old man's peace?"
"Please," Maya stammered, her voice hoarse. "I need help."
A long pause followed, filled only by the crackling fire from within. Then, the door creaked open a fraction further, revealing a sliver of a weathered face and a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through Maya.
"Help? Troublesome thing, that," the voice rumbled. "But come in, child. Seems the forest has brought an unexpected visitor today."
Maya stepped inside, the warm air a welcome contrast to the damp chill outside. The cabin was small and cluttered, filled with an assortment of animal pelts, dried herbs hanging from the rafters, and strange, otherworldly trinkets scattered on a rough-hewn wooden table.
A hunched figure, clad in worn leather clothes, emerged from the shadows. This was Hermit Jacob – his face a map of wrinkles etched by time and solitude. His gaze was both sharp and strangely kind.
"Lost? Or running?" Jacob asked, his voice a low rumble.
Tears welled up in Maya's eyes. She stumbled through her story, the attack at the Davies' house, the monstrous creature, Evelyn's transformation. Jacob listened intently, his expression unreadable.
When Maya finished, a heavy silence descended upon the cabin. Finally, Jacob spoke, his voice low and gravelly. "Evelyn, you say? A troubled soul, entangled in a darkness older than these very woods."
A glimmer of hope flickered in Maya's chest. "You know about her? About the creature?"
"I know," Jacob said, his gaze flickering towards the strange trinkets on the table. "The Arachne… an ancient curse passed down through generations. A darkness that feeds on vengeance."
"But there has to be a way to stop her!" Maya cried, her voice desperate.
Jacob regarded her for a long moment. "There may be," he said, his voice a flicker of hope. "But the price is high, child. Are you willing to pay it?"
Maya straightened her back, a newfound resolve burning in her eyes. "Yes," she said, her voice unwavering. "I won't let her take anyone else. I won't let her win."
A faint smile touched Jacob's lips. "Then, child," he said, picking up a small, intricately carved wooden staff, "we have much to discuss."
As dawn crept over the forest canopy, casting long shadows through the cabin windows, Maya felt a flicker of hope. She had found an ally, a cryptic hermit wielding knowledge that could be the key to defeating the monstrous Evelyn-Arachne. The fight was far from over, but within the confines of the ramshackle cabin, nestled amidst the whispering woods, a plan began to take shape. A plan fueled by grief, determination, and a whisper of ancient magic, all aimed at silencing the screams and severing the ties that bound Whispering Pines to a darkness it could no longer ignore
YOU ARE READING
The perfect neighbor (a short thriller & horror story)
Mistério / SuspenseWhispering Pines was a sleepy town known for it's friendly faces and uneventful days. That is until Evelyn arrived. she wasn't Just new, she was flawless, perfect grades, flawless smile and a perfect home and an uncanny ability to excel at everythin...
