Eliot sat at their small kitchen table, a letter in hand. It was from Mark, filled with enthusiastic descriptions of college life, new friends, and the excitement of the city. The last letter, though, had been different. It was a bit shorter and contained a brief mention of feeling homesick. That was the last they had heard from him.
The town's quietness felt heavier now, and Eliot’s mind was often occupied with thoughts of Mark. They couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. One evening, Eliot met with a few friends at the local diner. The conversation turned to Mark, as it often did.
"You think he’s okay?" asked Sam, a friend who worked at the hardware store. "I mean, he’s probably just busy with school."
"I hope so," Eliot replied, stirring her coffee.
"It just feels strange that he hasn’t contacted us. Mark was always so good about staying in touch."
Mara, who ran the town’s café, leaned in. "I heard some odd rumors from my cousin in the city. She said there were rumors of people disappearing around the outskirts of the college."
Eliot's heart sank. "Disappearances? You don’t think—"
Mara shook her head. "I don’t know, Eliot. It could be nothing. Just rumors. But it’s strange how things have been in Stillwater lately."The conversation drifted to other topics, but Eliot’s thoughts remained fixed on Mark. They felt a growing sense of unease that they couldn’t shake.
YOU ARE READING
ECHOS OF UNSEEN
Mystery / ThrillerIn the quiet, secluded town of Stillwater, Eliot Sanderson finds solace working at the local library, a place where the world seems to slow down, allowing them to immerse themselves in books and introspection. However, the town's peaceful facade beg...
