Whispers in the Hollow

Uneasy Settling

The morning sun filtered through the cabin's small windows, casting long beams of light across the worn wooden floor. Despite the bright day, a heavy tension still hung in the air. Dani sat at the table, poking at her scrambled eggs with her fork, her mind clearly somewhere far away from breakfast. Maya, Marcus, and Jayden sat around the table as well, but the usual banter had vanished, replaced by a brooding silence.

"Did anyone else hear something outside last night?" Dani finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes flicked up to meet the others.

Maya shook her head. "No, but I kept waking up every hour. It was like I couldn't shake this feeling, like something was... watching us."

Jayden pushed his plate away and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't sleep much either. But it was probably just our imaginations. The wind, the cold, this old place creaking—none of that helps."

"It wasn't just our imaginations," Dani said, her voice firmer now. "That handprint on the window wasn't just in my head. Someone—something—was out there last night."

Marcus, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly spoke up. "We're not gonna spend the entire trip freaking out over some stupid ghost story, are we? Maybe it's good that we're heading into town. A change of scenery will help."

Jayden nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's get out of here for a bit. There was that little town we passed on the way up here. We can grab supplies, maybe some extra food and..."

"Beer," Marcus interrupted, with a half-hearted grin. "Definitely need more beer."

Maya smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "Liquor too. If we're gonna deal with creepy handprints, I'm gonna need something stronger."

Dani didn't laugh. She just stared out the window, the unease from last night still weighing heavy on her. "Fine. Let's just... get out of here for a bit."

The drive down to the small town was a quiet one. The snow from the night before had melted into slushy patches on the road, and the cold mountain air seemed to bite at their faces, even inside the car. The town itself was even smaller than they remembered. A few weathered buildings lined the narrow main street, their paint peeling from years of neglect. There wasn't much activity—just a handful of people shuffling down the sidewalks, wrapped in thick coats and scarves.

"This place gives me the creeps," Zara muttered from the back seat. "Looks like it's stuck in the 1950s."

"Yeah, well, small towns like this are always a little weird," Marcus said. "Let's just get what we need and head back."

They parked the car near a rundown convenience store at the edge of town. The faded sign above the door simply read "General Store." A bell jingled as they stepped inside, the musty air smelling of old wood and something faintly metallic.

The store was small, cramped, and filled with mismatched shelves. Everything looked a little... off. The items on the shelves were dusty, and the lights overhead flickered occasionally, casting eerie shadows on the worn floor.

Jayden walked ahead, heading straight for the back where the liquor was. "Alright, let's stock up," he said, pulling out a basket. "Grab whatever."

As the group scattered throughout the store, Dani lingered by a shelf of canned goods, her thoughts still focused on last night. She absentmindedly grabbed a few cans when a creaky voice from behind startled her.

"Where are you folks from?"

Dani turned slowly to see an old woman standing behind her, hunched over with deep-set wrinkles lining her face. Her eyes were milky, and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She wore an old, tattered shawl over her shoulders, her hands thin and bony as they clutched a wooden cane.

"Um... we're just visiting," Dani replied nervously. "We're up in the cabin at Hollow Ridge."

The old woman's eyes widened, and a cold, thin smile curled across her lips. "Hollow Ridge, you say?"

Dani nodded, uneasy under the old woman's intense gaze. "Yeah. We're just here for the weekend. Thought we'd explore the area."

The old woman leaned closer, her voice low and raspy. "Do you know the history of that place? People say that once you stay there... you never leave."

Dani froze, her heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

The woman's bony fingers tapped the handle of her cane, her milky eyes staring right through Dani. "That cabin is cursed. Cursed by the spirit of a woman wronged, long, long ago. They say she haunts the ridge, seeking vengeance on anyone who dares to stay there. You see, no one makes it out of Hollow Ridge... alive."

Dani swallowed hard, her throat dry. "That's... just a legend, right?"

The old woman's smile faded, replaced by a stern, almost sorrowful expression. "Legend, yes. But many legends are born from truth. You best leave that place while you still can."

Before Dani could respond, Marcus called out from the other side of the store. "Yo, Dani, you good? We're ready to head out."

Dani snapped out of her trance and gave the old woman a quick nod before hurrying to rejoin her friends. But as she walked away, she could feel the old woman's eyes burning into her back.

Back at the register, Jayden was paying for the supplies when the old woman shuffled up behind the counter.

"Where are you kids staying?" she asked, her voice softer now but still holding that strange, unnerving tone.

Jayden looked at her, a little surprised by the sudden question. "Uh, up at Hollow Ridge," he replied, handing her the cash.

The woman didn't take the money right away. Instead, she stared at Jayden, her gaze piercing. "You'd be wise to leave that place," she said slowly. "The spirits don't take kindly to visitors."

Jayden frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The old woman's lips tightened, and she leaned closer. "That cabin is cursed. There are things in those woods—things you don't want to see. Mark my words, if you stay there too long, you'll regret it."

Maya, standing beside Jayden, let out a nervous laugh. "Okay, I think we've had enough of the ghost stories for one trip, thanks."

The old woman didn't blink. "It's no story. That place has claimed many lives. It hungers for more."

Jayden forced a smile, trying to keep the situation light. "Well, we're just there for the weekend. We'll be fine."

The old woman finally took the money and slowly began bagging their items. "If you say so," she whispered, almost to herself. "But you've been warned."

As they left the store, Dani walked beside Jayden, her face pale. "She told me the same thing," Dani muttered under her breath.

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "The old lady?"

Dani nodded. "She said no one makes it out alive. And... I don't know, Jayden, but something about the way she said it. It felt real."

Jayden sighed, shaking his head. "It's just some crazy old woman trying to scare us. We'll be fine. Let's just get back to the cabin, okay?"

But as they piled into the car and headed back up the mountain, none of them could shake the lingering feeling that they were being watched, that something ancient and dark had already taken an interest in them.

And that, maybe, the old woman's warning wasn't just a story after all.