Trapped in from

Chapter 1

Dakota's hands gripped the steering wheel as she squinted at the fading sunlight, which filtered through the dense canopy of trees that lined the road. Her phone buzzed again, another useless notification from her now-defunct GPS. She huffed in frustration and tossed the device onto the passenger seat, where it joined the map she had purchased at a gas station miles back.

"Figures," she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes at the dead zone she had driven into. The road trip had been spontaneous—a desperate attempt to clear her head after weeks of stress and sleepless nights. She hadn't planned for it to turn into a backwoods adventure, but there she was, with no signal and no clue where she was headed. All she knew was that she couldn't stop now. Not yet.

As the road twisted and turned, Dakota caught sight of something through the trees. A town. Relief washed over her as she pressed the gas a little harder, eager to find a place to rest, maybe ask for directions. She was tired, and the idea of a warm meal and a bed that wasn't the backseat of her car was too tempting to pass up.

But as she rolled into the town's main street, her enthusiasm faded. It was quiet. Too quiet.

The storefronts were dark, their windows grimy and streaked with age. No signs of life stirred in the fading daylight. It looked like a town forgotten by time, untouched by the modern world. Dakota's stomach knotted with unease.

"Hello?" she called out through her open window, her voice echoing back at her as it bounced off the empty buildings.

No answer.

Just then, her car sputtered and lurched forward. She glanced down at the dashboard as all the lights blinked out one by one, and the engine gave a final, desperate cough before falling silent.

"Are you kidding me?" Dakota groaned, slamming her palms against the steering wheel. She turned the key in the ignition again and again, but the engine was dead.

"You have got to be kidding me," she repeated, leaning back against her seat in defeat. She looked out at the town, now cloaked in shadow as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Great, she thought. Just great.

Before she could contemplate her next move, a figure appeared at the edge of her vision. Dakota froze, her heart pounding in her chest. The figure, a man, stepped out of the shadows, his movements slow and deliberate. He had a strong build, with dark hair that caught the last sliver of sunlight, and his eyes, though kind, were guarded—wary of her presence.

Dakota swallowed hard, rolling down her window just enough to speak. "Hey, um, I'm sorry to bother you, but my car—"

"Is dead," the man finished for her, his voice calm but tinged with something she couldn't quite place. He stepped closer, and she could see the worn edges of his clothes, the tired lines etched into his face. "Yeah, that happens around here."

Dakota blinked. "It... happens?"

The man nodded. "It does. Not much use fighting it. You should come with me."

"Come with you?" she echoed, feeling her nerves flare up. "I don't even know you."

The man hesitated, then offered a small, weary smile. "You're right. Name's Ellis. Ellis Stevens. I live here."

"Here?" Dakota repeated, glancing around the ghostly town. "In this place?"

Ellis' smile faded, replaced by a somber expression. "It's not safe to be out after dark. You're going to want to come with me."

Her instincts told her to stay put, to wait in the car until morning, but something in Ellis' tone told her that wasn't an option. There was an urgency in his voice, a seriousness that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Look, I get that this is all a bit... weird," Ellis continued, sensing her hesitation. "But trust me, it's better if you come with me now. I'll explain everything once we're safe."

Dakota looked at him, searching his face for any sign of deceit. But all she saw was a man worn down by whatever this place had done to him, a man who was offering her a way out of the dark.

"Okay," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay, I'll come with you."

Ellis nodded, relief flashing briefly in his eyes. "Good. Follow me. Stay close."

Dakota grabbed her jacket and stepped out of the car, locking it behind her out of habit. She jogged to catch up with Ellis, who had already started walking toward one of the buildings at the end of the street. As they walked, the shadows deepened, and the town seemed to close in around them, the air thickening with an oppressive weight.

"What is this place?" Dakota asked, her voice hushed.

Ellis glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "A prison," he said simply. "A prison with no bars."

Before Dakota could ask what he meant, they reached the building—a large, worn-down structure that looked like it had once been a hotel. Ellis pushed the door open, motioning for her to step inside. She hesitated on the threshold, casting one last glance at the darkened street behind her, before following him in.

As the door creaked shut behind her, she had the unsettling feeling that her life had just changed forever.

And she wasn't sure if it was for the better.