Echoes of Yesterday

Part 16 - Unheard Cries

Just as we were beginning to regain our composure, a sudden thud echoed through the woods, causing Maya and me to jump. We turned to see Theo stumble and disappear below the rocky edge of a hidden hole, a gasp escaping my lips as I rushed toward the sound.

"Theo!" Eric screamed, his voice cracking with panic. The urgency in his tone pulled me into action as Maya and I sprinted after him.

"Can you hear me, Theo?" Eric shouted, his voice ringing out against the quiet of the woods. "Answer us!"

After what felt like an eternity, Theo's voice finally came back, faint but clear. "Yes! I can hear you! Just... it's dark down here!"

"Are you okay?" I called, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Everything's dark here. I feel frightened." His words sent chills down my spine, an icy grip of dread settling in.

Maya looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. "What do we do? We can't leave him!"

I glanced around, the weight of our predicament settling heavily on my shoulders. "We have to think," I said, trying to sound calm. "There's got to be a way to help him."

Maya's face fell, tears brimming in her eyes. "It's over. We're trapped," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"No, we're not trapped!" Eric said, his voice steady as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Look! There's a path leading down alongside the canal. If we go down, we can reach him."

I nodded, steeling my resolve. "We'll walk unitedly. Theo can guide us from below."

Maya hesitated, glancing nervously at the dark abyss. "What if we get lost? What if we can't find our way back?"

"We can't go back now!" I insisted, my heart racing with the urgency of our situation. "We need to get to him."

Reluctantly, Maya nodded, and together we turned to face the dark path ahead. The uncertainty was palpable, our faces flushed with fear and adrenaline. Each step we took felt heavy, as if the ground itself was resisting our movement. The maze of rocky paths loomed around us, and Maya held her head in despair. "We're lost! We'll end up missing too!" she cried, the thought making my stomach twist in knots.

Theo's voice broke through again, cutting through the tension like a knife. "I can't keep my phone on much longer! We have to hurry!"

I glanced at Eric, who looked equally concerned. "We'll find a way out," he reassured me, but I could see the worry etched on his face.

With hearts pounding and fear clawing at us, we pressed on, each step echoing in the suffocating silence that enveloped us. The shadows grew longer, stretching out like grasping fingers as we descended deeper into the unknown.