Shattered reality

The vanishing

Chapter 1: The Vanishing

The morning of August 14th began like any other summer day in the small town of Briarwood. The cicadas buzzed lazily in the oak trees lining the quiet streets, and a warm breeze stirred the air, carrying the sweet scent of wildflowers from the fields on the outskirts of town. But by the time the sun dipped below the horizon that evening, something dark had settled over the heart of Briarwood, something that would leave the town reeling for years to come.

Lily Grant was twelve years old, with a wild tangle of auburn hair and a constellation of freckles across her nose that deepened under the summer sun. She was known around town as a bright, adventurous girl, always seen with her best friend, Emma Dawson, trailing after her. The two girls were inseparable, spending their days exploring the woods behind the Grants' house, or pedaling their bikes through the town's winding roads.

That morning, Lily had begged her mother, Sarah, for permission to go to the old quarry on the edge of the forest. It was a place whispered about by the children of Briarwood—a forbidden place, both thrilling and terrifying. Sarah had refused at first, her motherly instincts prickling at the thought of her daughter near those steep, jagged rocks. But after much pleading from Lily, and reassurance that she and Emma would be careful, Sarah had relented, setting strict rules for when Lily had to be home.

"By sundown, no later," Sarah had said, her voice firm as she tousled Lily's hair.

"Promise!" Lily had chirped, grinning as she raced out the door, her backpack slung over one shoulder.

The day passed in a blur of laughter and summer heat as Lily and Emma ventured into the forest, their excited chatter echoing through the trees. The woods were thick, the canopy above blotting out much of the sun, casting long, eerie shadows across the forest floor. But the girls were fearless, daring each other to climb higher into the trees, or to walk along the narrowest parts of the trail.

By late afternoon, they had reached the quarry. It was larger than Lily had imagined, a deep, yawning chasm in the earth, with jagged rocks jutting out from the sides. The water at the bottom was dark, almost black, and still as death. The sight of it sent a shiver down Lily's spine, but she shook it off, determined not to show any fear.

They spent hours there, skipping stones across the water, and daring each other to approach the edge. As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting the forest in a golden glow, Emma noticed the time.

"We should head back," she said, glancing nervously at the darkening sky.

Lily nodded, reluctantly agreeing. They began the trek back home, the path now shrouded in shadows, the woods eerily silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze.

But something was different. The woods felt...wrong. The air had grown cold, and a heavy silence pressed down on them, broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot. Lily felt a prickle at the back of her neck, a sense that they were being watched. She turned to Emma, her voice small.

"Do you feel that?"

Emma nodded, her eyes wide. "We should hurry."

They quickened their pace, but the feeling only intensified, the shadows seeming to stretch out towards them, the trees closing in. They were almost running now, breath coming in ragged gasps, when Lily stumbled. She fell hard, her hands scraping against the rough ground, and when she looked up, Emma was gone.

Panic surged through her. "Emma?" she called, her voice trembling. There was no answer. She scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she frantically searched the surrounding trees. But there was nothing. No sign of Emma. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Lily's breath came in shallow, terrified gasps. She turned to run, desperate to reach the safety of her home, but the woods had changed. The path she knew so well was gone, replaced by a twisted maze of trees and shadows. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she ran, not knowing where she was going, only that she had to get away from whatever was out there, lurking just beyond the trees.

She didn't make it home that night.

When Lily didn't return by sundown, Sarah's worry turned to dread. She had called Emma's house, hoping the girls had simply lost track of time, but when Emma's mother answered, her voice tight with concern, the dread settled deep in Sarah's bones.

The search began that night, with the townspeople combing the woods, calling out Lily's name into the darkness. But the woods were silent, their calls swallowed by the thick air, and by dawn, there was still no sign of the girl.

The days that followed were a blur of tears and unanswered questions. Search parties scoured the woods, but all they found was Lily's backpack, discarded near the quarry, as if it had been tossed aside in a hurry. There was no sign of a struggle, no footprints leading away. It was as if Lily had simply stepped off the edge of the earth and disappeared.

Emma was found the next morning, alone and disoriented, at the edge of the forest. She couldn't remember anything after Lily had fallen, her memories a jumbled mess of shadows and fear. She was the last person to see Lily, but she could offer no answers to the burning question that haunted the town.

Where had Lily gone?

Sarah was inconsolable, her mind plagued by visions of her daughter lost in the woods, or worse, taken by something far more sinister. The town of Briarwood was left in a state of uneasy limbo, the mystery of Lily's disappearance hanging over them like a dark cloud.

And deep in the forest, the shadows stirred, watching, waiting.