VILLAGE | "Dreadmoore"

5

Without taking my eyes off the vast sea, I whispered, "This isn't Dreadmoore..." I paused, catching my breath. "Or at least, not the Dreadmoore I saw on the map online."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Dorian's face, then he slowly regained his composure. He slid his hands into his pockets and stood beside me, gazing out at the water.

"This place..." he said, emphasizing his words, "IS Dreadmoore... the place where you're safe." He turned to face me, his expression softening with a hint of tenderness. Gently placing his hand on my cheek, he stepped closer.

"Please," he implored, his voice almost pleading, "don't ask me to tell you more. I don't want anything to happen to you," he continued earnestly, "I will protect you, no matter what."

I took a step back. "I don't think I can trust you anymore," I said flatly. "I can't trust anyone in this town." With that, I turned and headed towards the forest, making my way back home.

I entered the house and collapsed onto the couch, my mind drowning in thoughts. I had no idea what to do. I missed my family; it had been so long since I last spoke to them. My belongings no longer mattered; all I wanted was to go home.

The sound of the phone jarred me from my reverie, adding to my growing headache. I had no intention of answering it. I just stared at the phone, willing it to stop ringing. But it seemed it never would. Frustrated, I got up and slammed the receiver down. The noise stopped, but my headache persisted.

No sooner had I sat back down than the phone started ringing again. I was determined not to answer. I wasn't giving blood until someone gave me a good reason why it was necessary, and I certainly wasn't going to roll up my sleeve for any white-coated stranger.

Then, the ringing abruptly stopped, which startled me. Had they given up?

There was a knock at the door, gentle yet insistent. It had to be Dorian. I hadn't wanted him to follow me, yet here he was. I got up and peered through the window. To my surprise, it was Adam, my landlord. Slowly, I opened the door and smiled.

"Welcome, Adam. Come on in."

"Thanks," he said, stepping inside.

"How are you, Nihan?" he asked as he settled onto the couch.

"I'm fine. You?" I replied.

He just nodded and smiled, then got straight to the point. "Why haven't you gone to donate blood?"

I was taken aback. "I'm not obligated to."

"You actually are, Nihan," he said seriously. "It's for the health of everyone here."

I exhaled deeply.

"Okay, okay, don't get upset," he said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Would you like something to drink?" I asked, heading towards the kitchen.

"Sure. Could you make some coffee? With milk, please."

Lacking a coffee machine, I set about making it the old-fashioned way, all the while continuing our conversation.

"Adam," I called out, "I saw the sea today."

"Did you?" he responded, with a tone that felt oddly rehearsed. "Yes, we have a coastline."

"There's something wrong with this town. I have a bad feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" he probed.

"I don't know. Why are people acting so mysterious? Why are they lying to me? And everything here... it feels strange."

"What do you mean, strange?"

He countered every statement with a question.

"For example... I haven't seen any animals in the town. Not even stray cats or dogs. Isn't that odd?"

"Yes, you're right," he said, from just behind me. He had approached so quietly that his presence startled me, but I had no time to react before I felt a sharp pain in my neck. My vision darkened as I fell, vaguely aware of Adam catching me...

I woke up still in my home. But Adam was nowhere to be seen.

"Adam?" I called out. There was no response. As I thought back to the previous night, it dawned on me—they must have knocked me out and taken my blood.

The realization was terrifying.

Without thinking, not knowing what else to do, I fled the house. I walked aimlessly. The people around seemed not to notice me; some were watering lawns, some jogging, others reading newspapers on benches... Wait a minute. I saw a woman walking her cat on a leash through the grass. As I looked around, I noticed stray dogs. Had animals suddenly appeared in the town overnight?

"I think it's time to head back to the highway," I muttered to myself.

Of course, I remembered the way. I started walking the same path I had taken when I first arrived in Dreadmoore. But this time, instead of being ignored, people stared at me. Ignoring their looks, I kept walking and soon reached the highway. The road stretched out with no end in sight, but I started walking anyway. Along the way, I saw more stray cats and dogs, squirrels, and even turtles. No cars passed, just like before. After a while, I realized I had passed the spot where I had first woken up. I didn't bother looking back and kept moving forward.

After half an hour of walking, my breath grew heavy. I had to climb a hill. I paused to catch my breath and cursed myself for not bringing water. The only thing keeping me going was the hope that this highway—wherever it led—would take me out of this cursed town. I began ascending the hill. Exhaustion was setting in, but I pushed on. As I neared the top, I heard it again: the sound of waves. Mustering my last bit of strength, I climbed to the summit and saw, as I feared, the sea. The highway ended at the top of the hill, where gravel began. A little further on was the vast, seemingly endless ocean...

At that moment, I realized I was trapped on an island surrounded by water.

-End of Chapter-

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