Mia awoke with a start, her heart pounding as she was pulled from a dream that evaporated the moment she opened her eyes. The fire had dwindled to embers, casting the room in a dim, reddish glow. For a moment, she forgot where she was, her disoriented gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar surroundings. Then it all came rushing back—the frantic escape, the isolated cabin, the unknown danger that loomed over them like a dark cloud.
Jake was still beside her, though his head had slumped forward, his breathing slow and even. He looked so peaceful, so removed from the fear and tension that twisted within her. Mia envied him for it, wished she could feel even a fraction of that calm. But the unease gnawed at her insides, refusing to let go.
She eased herself off the couch, careful not to wake Jake. The floorboards creaked softly under her weight as she made her way to the small window, the cold glass pressing against her fingertips as she peered outside. The night was still pitch black, the forest around them an impenetrable wall of shadows. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or distant call of an owl.
Mia's mind began to wander, replaying the events that had led them here. The strange messages, the feeling of being watched, the creeping paranoia that had driven them to flee. She tried to piece together what little information they had, but it was like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
She didn't know how long she stood there, lost in thought, when a movement in the darkness caught her eye. At first, she thought it was just the wind stirring the branches, but then she saw it again—a faint, fleeting shadow slipping between the trees.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively stepped back from the window, her pulse quickening. She strained her eyes, searching the darkness, but the shadow was gone, swallowed by the night. Had it even been there at all? Or was her mind playing tricks on her, twisted by exhaustion and fear?
Mia's hands trembled as she pulled the curtains shut, shutting out the view of the forest. She wanted to wake Jake, to tell him what she'd seen—or thought she'd seen—but she hesitated. He looked so worn out, so exhausted from everything they'd been through. What if it was nothing? What if she was just being paranoid?
But deep down, she knew that wasn't it. Something was out there. Something that had followed them even to this isolated place. She could feel it, a presence lurking just beyond the edge of the light, watching, waiting.
Mia backed away from the window, her eyes darting around the room. She felt like the walls were closing in, the once-cozy cabin now a trap. She needed to do something, anything, to break the grip of fear that held her.
She reached for her phone, her fingers shaking as she unlocked it. The screen glowed in the darkness, and she scanned through
her messages, hoping to find some clue, some missed detail that might explain what was happening. But there was nothing—just the same cryptic threats that had started this nightmare. No new messages, no clues, no answers.
Mia's frustration boiled over, and she tossed the phone onto the couch beside Jake. She felt helpless, cornered by an unseen enemy. She needed a plan, but every option seemed fraught with danger. Should they leave the cabin? Try to make it to the nearest town? Or would that only put them back in the crosshairs?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, a faint sound reached her ears, barely audible over the crackling embers. It was a soft, rhythmic tapping, coming from somewhere outside. Mia froze, her breath hitching in her throat as she listened. The tapping continued, steady and deliberate, as if someone—or something—was making its presence known.
She crept back to the window, this time only daring to peek through a small gap in the curtain. Her heart raced as she scanned the darkness, searching for the source of the sound. For a moment, she saw nothing but the dense shadows of the trees. Then, her eyes locked onto a figure standing at the edge of the clearing, partially obscured by the night.
The figure was tall and indistinct, its features hidden by the darkness. It stood unnervingly still, facing the cabin as if watching her. The tapping sound continued, and Mia realized with a jolt that it was coming from the figure, who was tapping something against a nearby tree—a slow, methodical rhythm that sent chills down her spine.
She quickly let the curtain fall back into place, her heart hammering in her chest. The urge to scream, to wake Jake and tell him what she'd seen, was overwhelming, but she forced herself to stay silent. Panic wouldn't help them now. They needed to stay calm, to think clearly.
Mia backed away from the window, her mind racing. Whoever—or whatever—was outside knew they were here. There was no denying that now. The safety of the cabin was an illusion, just as she'd feared.
She hurried to Jake's side and shook him awake, her voice a frantic whisper. "Jake, wake up! There's someone outside."
He stirred, groggy and disoriented, but the urgency in her voice brought him fully awake. "What? What did you see?"
"There's someone out there, by the trees," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "They're just standing there, watching us. I don't know what they want, but we can't stay here."
Jake was on his feet in an instant, all traces of sleep gone. He grabbed a flashlight from a nearby shelf and turned it on, the beam slicing through the darkness as he headed toward the door.
Mia's heart leapt into her throat. "What are you doing? You can't go out there!"
"I'm just going to check," he said, his voice tense but steady. "We need to know what we're dealing with."
Before she could protest further, Jake stepped outside, the door creaking shut behind him. Mia stood frozen, her breath held as she watched through the window, the flashlight beam bobbing as Jake moved toward the edge of the clearing.
The tapping had stopped. The forest was eerily silent, the air thick with tension. She watched as Jake's flashlight swept over the trees, searching for the figure she had seen.
Then, without warning, the beam flickered and went out, plunging the clearing into darkness. A gasp escaped Mia's lips, and she pressed her hands against the window, her eyes straining to see what was happening.
"Jake?" she whispered, fear clawing at her throat. But there was no answer. Just the stillness of the night, and the growing terror that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
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Next Chapter will be out soon.
Stay tuned. Bye!
