Echoes of the Abyss || ✓

Chapter 2: The First Encounter

As the group stood in the foyer of Blackwood Manor, an unspoken agreement hung in the air. The chilling encounter upon their entry left them jittery, but curiosity propelled them forward.

"Let's split up," Laura suggested, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Alex and I will check out the upstairs. Sarah, Mark, you two can explore the ground floor."

With a nod, the group separated. Laura and Alex took the grand staircase, each step groaning under their weight. The second floor, shrouded in darkness and dust, exuded an oppressive silence that made their skin crawl.

"We'll start with the rooms on the left," Laura whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alex nodded, clutching his flashlight tightly. The first room they entered was a bedroom, the furniture cloaked in white sheets, resembling ghostly apparitions. Laura snapped a few photos, her camera's flash illuminating the room in brief, harsh bursts.

"This place must have been something back in the day," Alex remarked, running his fingers over an ornate dresser. The craftsmanship was evident, even under layers of dust and neglect.

Laura's attention was drawn to a large, ornate mirror on the wall. As she approached it, a cold draft brushed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She caught her reflection in the mirror, but something seemed off. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a shadow move behind her. She spun around, but the room was empty.

"Did you see that?" Laura asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"See what?" Alex replied, furrowing his brow.

"Nothing," Laura said, shaking her head. "It's probably just my imagination."

They continued to the next room, a library filled with dusty books and cobwebs. The air was thick with the scent of old paper and decay. Laura and Alex scanned the titles, but most were too faded to read.

As they moved deeper into the library, the temperature dropped noticeably. Laura wrapped her arms around herself, trying to fend off the chill. That's when they heard it—the faintest whisper, like a breath of wind rustling through the pages of a book. They froze, listening intently.

"Did you hear that?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Laura nodded, her pulse quickening. The whispers grew louder, more distinct, as if the very walls were speaking to them. The voices were urgent, warning them of something unseen.

"We should get back to the others," Laura suggested, her voice shaking. "I don't like this."

As they turned to leave, a book fell from the shelf, landing with a thud at their feet. Alex picked it up, his hands trembling. The cover was blank, but when he opened it, the pages were filled with handwritten notes and sketches of shadowy figures.

"Let's take this with us," Alex said, tucking the book under his arm. "Sarah and Mark need to see this."

Meanwhile, Sarah and Mark were exploring the ground floor. The air was thick with dust, and cobwebs hung in every corner. They moved cautiously, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

"Look at this," Sarah said, pointing to a dusty old journal on a small table. The cover was worn, the pages yellowed with age.

Mark picked it up, blowing off the dust. "Dr. Jonathan Blackwood," he read aloud. "This must have belonged to the original owner."

Sarah shivered. "Do you think he's the one haunting this place?"

Mark chuckled. "If he is, he's probably just lonely. Let's see what he has to say." He opened the journal and began to read aloud. The entries detailed Dr. Blackwood's experiments with contacting the afterlife, each entry becoming increasingly desperate and unhinged.