Whispers of The Unseen

Lockdown

Morning came, but it didn't feel like the start of a new day. The air was heavy with the weight of what had happened last night, and the house was eerily quiet. I blinked awake, my eyes gritty from lack of sleep. Max's house, usually filled with the smell of fresh coffee and the soft sounds of morning routines, was instead silent, the only noise coming from the hum of the TV in the living room.

I sat up on the couch, where Theo and I had finally drifted off to sleep after staying up until dawn. The blanket that had kept me warm felt stifling now, as if the world outside was closing in.

Theo stirred beside me, his hair a mess and his expression dazed. "Morning?" he muttered, stretching. But there was no usual lightness in his voice.

"Barely," I replied, rubbing my eyes. "You think it's safe to check the news?"

Theo didn't answer right away, but he reached for the remote and turned up the volume. The local news anchor's face appeared on the screen, but there was no sense of normalcy in her tone or expression. Her voice was tense, the kind of voice that belonged in a disaster movie.

"In breaking news, the town of Ridgewood has officially been placed under lockdown. Authorities have confirmed multiple sightings of an individual matching the description of the infamous Ghostface. In response, all entrances and exits to the town have been closed off until further notice. No one is allowed in or out, and a curfew has been set from 6 PM to 6 AM. Residents are urged to stay inside and avoid any unnecessary travel. Police are advising everyone to remain vigilant, lock their doors, and report any suspicious activity."

Theo sat up straight, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Lockdown? Like, we're stuck here?"

I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the flood of messages. The panic from last night hadn't faded-it had only grown worse. I opened a text from my parents, my stomach twisting in knots as I read their words.

Mom: 'We're trying to get back, but they've blocked off all the roads. We're stuck outside of town, honey. Stay with Theo and Max. Do not go outside. Be safe. We love you.'

I stared at the screen, my heart sinking. My parents were out there, just beyond reach.

"Theo," I said softly, showing him my phone. He looked over, reading the message, his face darkening.

"I'll check mine," he said, fumbling for his own phone. After a moment, he sighed heavily. "Same. My parents can't get back either. They're stuck outside of town too."

Panic began to gnaw at me. Being stuck here felt suffocating enough, but knowing our parents couldn't even make it back into town made it all worse.

Max's footsteps echoed down the hall before he appeared in the living room, his face hard and determined. He had his phone in his hand, glancing at it briefly before shoving it into his pocket. "Just got the same news. Our parents are stuck outside too. No way in or out of town."

I stood up, my body still stiff from the couch. "What are we going to do? How long are we going to be stuck like this?"

"I don't know," Max said, his voice tight. "But we need to be smart. I'm going out to get supplies-food, water, whatever we need to last a few days. And I'm buying a gun. This whole situation is too dangerous."

Theo's head shot up, alarm flashing across his face. "A gun? Max, you don't even know how to use a gun."

"I know how to defend us," Max replied, his tone unyielding. "This town's not safe, and I'm not taking any chances. The cops are swamped, and they can't be everywhere at once. If this Ghostface wannabe is out there, I'm going to make sure we can protect ourselves."

I felt a chill run down my spine at the thought of it. A gun felt like such a final, desperate move, but I couldn't argue with him. Not after last night. Not with the way things were spiraling.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to go out?" I asked, glancing toward the window. The streets were quiet, but it felt like the calm before the storm.

"I'll be quick," Max said, grabbing his jacket from the chair. "The grocery store's close. I'll get what we need and come right back. You two just stay inside. Lock the doors. Don't open them for anyone."

Theo nodded, though his face was pale. "We'll be fine. Just... don't take too long."

Max looked at both of us, his expression softening for a moment. "I won't. I'll be back soon."

He turned and left, the front door clicking shut behind him. The sound echoed through the house, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

Theo stood up, walking over to the window and pulling the curtain back just enough to watch Max leave. "I hate this," he muttered, his voice low. "I hate not knowing what's going to happen next."

I joined him at the window, looking out at the empty streets. "I know. It feels like we're just waiting for something bad to happen."

The sun was high in the sky now, casting long shadows across the neighborhood. It was almost surreal-how normal everything looked, how quiet. But the tension in the air was undeniable, like the whole town was holding its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We stood there for a few minutes in silence, watching Max's truck disappear down the street. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my gut, the sense that we were trapped in something far bigger than any of us realized.

"We should check the locks again," Theo said after a while, turning away from the window. "Just to be sure."

I nodded, following him through the house as we double-checked every door, every window, making sure everything was secured. With each lock we tested, I felt a little more on edge, as if all the barriers we were putting between us and the outside world weren't enough.

When we finished, we sat back on the couch, the sound of the news droning in the background. I pulled my knees up to my chest, glancing at my phone again. No new messages. No updates. Just the same anxious texts from friends and family, all of them saying the same thing: Stay safe. Stay inside.

Theo was scrolling through his phone too, his face tense. "You think Max will be okay out there?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "He'll be fine. He knows what he's doing."

But even as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that something bad was waiting just beyond our reach. We were stuck in this house, surrounded by an invisible danger, and no amount of locked doors or curfews could keep the fear from creeping in.

All we could do was wait.