Nine Night

Night 5: The Gathering Dark

The night air was thick with an eerie silence as Sarah sprinted away from the house, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest. The shadows of the forest loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, but she knew there was no turning back. The laughter and whispers chased her, echoing through the trees, a haunting melody that tugged at her mind.

She stumbled into the forest, branches scratching at her arms as she pushed through the underbrush. The moon hung high above, casting ghostly beams of light that flickered through the leaves, illuminating her path just enough to keep her moving. But each step felt heavier, as if the very ground was trying to pull her back, to ensnare her in its dark embrace.

"Sarah... come play with us..."

The voices were growing louder, surrounding her. They called her name in unison, a chorus of haunting echoes that sent chills racing down her spine. Every instinct told her to run faster, to escape the chilling pull of their words, but her legs felt like lead. The shadows shifted around her, darting between the trees, flitting just out of sight.

Panic surged through her as she stumbled upon a small clearing. The trees parted, revealing a circle of stones at the center, ancient and weathered, their surfaces etched with strange symbols. It looked like a forgotten altar, a place that had been abandoned long ago, but something about it felt alive, pulsating with dark energy.

Against her better judgment, Sarah stepped closer, drawn to the center. The whispers intensified, urging her to join them, to surrender to the darkness that enveloped the clearing. She could feel the ground beneath her vibrating, a low hum resonating through her bones.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling behind her. She spun around, heart racing, flashlight beam flickering over the trees. The shadows twisted and writhed as if alive, closing in on her from all directions. Fear gripped her tightly.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, brandishing the flashlight as if it were a weapon.

In the flickering light, she saw them: the children-faces pale and hollow, their eyes sunken deep into their skulls. They emerged from the darkness, their expressions twisted into unsettling smiles, moving closer with an unnatural grace.

"Join us, Sarah," one of them said, a boy with matted hair and a dress shirt that looked tattered and old. "You don't have to be afraid."

"You'll never be alone again," another child echoed, her voice a haunting melody that sent a shiver down Sarah's spine.

"Why are you doing this?" Sarah shouted, her voice cracking. "What do you want from me?"

The children exchanged glances, their smiles growing wider. "We just want to play," the little girl whispered, her voice dripping with a sweetness that was anything but innocent.

Sarah took a step back, heart racing as the shadows crept closer, hungry for her fear. "I won't play with you! I won't!"

But the children only laughed, a cacophony of sound that echoed through the clearing, mingling with the whispers that clawed at her sanity. The world around her felt like it was closing in, the darkness pressing against her from all sides.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet trembled, and the stones in the clearing pulsed with a sickly light. The symbols carved into the stones began to glow, casting an eerie illumination over the scene.

"Come closer, Sarah," the boy beckoned, his voice seductive, laced with a sickening charm. "We're waiting for you."

As if drawn by an invisible force, Sarah stumbled forward, feeling the darkness wrap around her like a shroud. The whispers grew louder, drowning out her thoughts, pulling her toward the center of the circle. The children began to chant softly, their voices blending into a haunting lullaby that echoed through the trees.