Echoes Of The Abyss.

Chapter 1: What Was That?

The Appalachian Trail stretched out before them like a ribbon of earth winding through ancient forests. Constance adjusted the straps of her backpack, feeling the weight of their supplies and the anticipation of their journey ahead. Lorelai stood beside her, her hazel eyes bright with excitement despite the mist that clung to the trees like ghostly fingers.

"This is it, Constance," Lorelai said, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and determination. "Months of planning and finally, we're here."

Constance nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "It's beautiful, but... it's also kind of eerie, don't you think?"

Lorelai chuckled softly. "That's the thrill of it, isn't it? Besides, we're together. Nothing out here can scare us."

They set off down the trail, their footsteps crunching on fallen leaves and twigs. The forest enveloped them in a quiet that seemed almost tangible, broken only by the occasional rustling of wildlife and the distant call of a bird.

"Do you hear that?" Constance asked suddenly, pausing in her tracks.

Lorelai stopped too, listening intently. "I don't hear anything... What did you hear?"

Constance furrowed her brow, scanning the trees. "I thought... I thought I heard whispering."

Lorelai's expression turned slightly serious. "Whispering? Out here?"

"Yeah," Constance replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was faint, but I'm sure I heard something."

They continued walking, unease settling in the pit of Constance's stomach. The whispering persisted at the edge of her hearing, elusive and indistinct. She stole glances at Lorelai, whose brow was furrowed in concentration as she strained to hear any sound out of place.

"Maybe it's just the wind playing tricks on us," Lorelai suggested after a while, trying to lighten the mood.

Constance nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The trail wound deeper into the woods, the canopy overhead casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The whispering grew louder, swirling around them like a chilling breeze.

"I don't like this," Constance admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

Lorelai hesitated, her usual confidence wavering. "Yeah... It's kind of freaky. But it's probably just our minds playing tricks on us. Let's keep going."

They quickened their pace, the trail narrowing and twisting through the dense undergrowth. Shadows danced around them, elongated and distorted by the slanting rays of sunlight. The whispering seemed to follow them, a haunting refrain that echoed through the trees.

"I think we should go back," Constance suggested again, her heart pounding in her chest.

Lorelai shot her a determined look. "No way. We've come too far to turn back now."

But the whispering persisted, growing more insistent with each step. Constance's nerves frayed as they rounded a bend and stumbled upon a small clearing. In the center stood an old, dilapidated cabin, its weathered boards groaning under the weight of time.

Lorelai gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "What is that doing here?"

Constance's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the cabin. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this."

They approached cautiously, the whispering now a cacophony that filled the air around them. Lorelai reached out tentatively to touch the cabin door, but Constance grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"We shouldn't be here," Constance urged urgently, her eyes darting around nervously.

Before Lorelai could respond, the door creaked open slowly, as if pulled by an unseen force. A cold gust of wind rushed out, carrying with it the unmistakable sound of voices-whispers that seemed to call their names.

Lorelai turned to Constance, her eyes wide with uncertainty. "What do we do now?"

Constance's mind raced, torn between curiosity and terror. "I... I don't know. But we shouldn't stay here."

As they hesitated, the whispering intensified, wrapping around them like a suffocating shroud. With one last glance at the cabin, Constance grabbed Lorelai's hand, pulling her away from the clearing and back onto the trail.

They ran, their footsteps echoing loudly in the stillness of the forest. The whispering faded behind them, but its echoes lingered in their minds, a haunting reminder of the darkness that lurked within the Appalachian woods.

After what felt like an eternity, Lorelai finally broke the silence, her voice shaky. "What was that back there?"

Constance shook her head, her thoughts racing with unanswered questions. "I don't know. But I think we should get as far away from here as possible."

They continued down the trail, casting fearful glances over their shoulders. The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows deeper and more menacing than before. They didn't stop until they had put several miles between themselves and the cabin, the sounds of the forest returning to normalcy.

Lorelai finally spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think... do you think we imagined it?"

Constance hesitated, her gaze fixed on the trail ahead. "I don't know, Lorelai. But I do know one thing-we're not going near that cabin again."

They walked in silence for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts. The whispering had stopped, but the memory of it lingered like a ghostly echo in the corners of their minds.