Whispers of the past

chapter 1 - Homecoming

The forest-lined passage lay still as the sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon. The dense trees stood like silent sentinels, casting ominous shadows in the moonlight. A motorbike made its way down the narrow path, its engine breaking the otherwise eerie quiet. On the bike, a couple was hurrying through the night, with the husband driving and the wife holding onto him.

Husband: "Why are we going after sunset? We should have waited and stayed at your house for the night. It's too risky to go out this late." His voice was tense, full of worry.

Wife: "Our son is not well. He needs us." She replied with a sense of urgency, adding, "And all those things you hear about this town-they're just rumors. I was brought up here. There's nothing horrific about this place."

The bike continued forward, but suddenly, the wife leaned forward, her hand tapping her husband's shoulder urgently.

Wife: "Stop the bike."

Her husband frowned, hesitating. "Why? What happened?" he asked, confused.

Wife: "Just stop it!" she insisted.

Reluctantly, the husband brought the bike to a halt, the engine cutting off. The silence of the night rushed back around them. He looked at her, concerned.

Husband: "What's wrong?"

She scanned the surroundings, her eyes narrowing. "Can you hear something?"

He strained to listen. "What?" he asked, growing more uneasy.

Wife: "A child... I think a child is crying." She pointed into the darkness of the forest.

Her husband's face grew grim. "No. We're not going in there. It could be a trick-people say the entities of the jungle play these kinds of games." His voice lowered, his worry growing with each second.

But the wife shook her head, stepping off the bike. "I'm just checking. Maybe someone needs help." She turned on her phone's flashlight, its weak beam cutting through the dark as she started walking towards the forest edge.

Husband: "Wait!" he called after her, quickly following, but she had already moved deeper into the trees.

They walked for a few seconds, the cries of the child becoming more distinct. And then, in the dim light, they saw it-a small child sitting near a tree, back turned to them.

Wife: "Hey there," she said softly, approaching the child. "Are you lost? We can help you."

The child didn't respond, sitting unnervingly still.

Husband: "This isn't right. Let's go back." His voice was strained, thick with fear. "This must be a trap."

But his wife, determined, stepped closer, the light from her phone trembling as she moved. As she neared, her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up.

When she stood up again, her breath caught in her throat-the child had turned to face her. But it wasn't a child anymore. Its eyes were hollow, and its face had twisted into a monstrous, grotesque figure.

Both husband and wife screamed, their terror echoing through the silent forest.

Husband: "Run!"

They turned and bolted toward the road, the monstrous figure chasing them, its heavy footsteps thudding behind them. The wife's foot caught, and she stumbled just as the creature grabbed her by the leg, pulling her back into the jungle.

Wife: "Go! Run! Save yourself!" she cried, her voice breaking as she was dragged deeper into the forest.

The husband, heartbroken and terrified, reached the road, his legs weak, his heart pounding. He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. All he could hear were the desperate screams of his wife, fading into the forest's darkness.