the monsters of the night (Done)

Hidden secrets and rising fear

Jessica, still shaken, grabs the rotary phone from the living room table and dials her parents’ number with trembling fingers. The sound of the dial spinning back into place feels too slow, too methodical, for the panic that is surging through her veins. When her mother answers, Jessica’s voice is a mix of anger and fear.

"Mom, I want to go home!" Jessica nearly shouts into the receiver, her voice cracking. "There’s something out here, something’s wrong—Mark saw it, and I’m not staying here another night!"

Her mother’s voice on the other end is calm, almost too calm, a tone reserved for dealing with her daughter’s frequent tantrums. "Jessica, darling, calm down. You’re just spooked. This is why we’ve arranged for the local authorities to keep an eye on you. They’re being paid handsomely to make sure you’re safe. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’ll make a call to ensure they patrol the area more frequently."

"I don’t think you understand," Jessica insists, but her mother cuts her off.

"We’ll take care of it, sweetheart. Just try to enjoy your time with your friends. You’ve been looking forward to this trip, haven’t you?" Her mother’s voice is placating, but Jessica can hear the underlying note of dismissal.

Jessica’s shoulders slump as the line goes dead. She hangs up the phone with a frustrated sigh, realizing that her parents’ money and influence won’t be enough to protect them from whatever is out there. Not this time.

The group, meanwhile, has taken to exploring the cabin more thoroughly, driven by a mix of fear and curiosity. The cabin, old and creaky, seems to hold more secrets than they initially realized. In the dim light of their flashlights, they discover hidden rooms behind bookshelves and false walls, each filled with oddities—old, dusty books filled with strange symbols, jars of preserved herbs, and more protective talismans similar to the ones Ethan found in the basement.

The most unsettling discovery, however, is made by Jake. As he carefully treads through the basement, he notices something unusual—a small crack in the floorboards that wasn’t visible at first glance. He calls the others over, and together they pry open the hidden hatch, revealing a narrow staircase that leads even further down, deeper into the earth.

The stairs lead them to what appears to be a medieval panic room, or at least, that’s what they assume. The walls are lined with cold, grey stone, and the air is damp and musty. Ancient symbols are etched into the stone, and in the center of the room is a heavy, iron door with a massive lock, long rusted but still intact.

"What the hell is this place?" Tom asks, his voice echoing off the stone walls. He shines his flashlight around, revealing more runes and symbols, some of them glowing faintly in the dim light.

"Looks like a panic room," Jake says, running his fingers over the cold stone. "But why the hell would a cabin need something like this?"

Ethan, who has been examining the symbols, looks up with a worried expression. "It’s more than that," he says quietly. "These symbols… they’re ancient. This isn’t just a room to hide in; it’s a room to keep something out."

The weight of Ethan’s words hangs heavy in the air. Mark, who has been uncharacteristically quiet, stays close to Ethan, his arm wrapped protectively around his waist. His usual bravado is gone, replaced by a look of genuine fear. He can feel Ethan trembling slightly, and it only makes him hold on tighter.

"We need to be careful," Mark finally says, his voice strained. "Whatever’s out there… it’s not just some animal. It’s something old, something dangerous."

The group nods in agreement, their earlier skepticism now fully replaced by fear. They don’t know what they’re up against, but they know they’re not safe—not here, not anywhere in these woods.