ECHOES OF THE DAMNED (ENG)

CHAPTER IV - Needles

A faint light crept over the horizon, casting long shadows from the twisted trees that surrounded the abandoned hospital. The air was cold and still, filled with the eerie silence of dawn. Inside the crumbling building, the group of students slowly stirred from sleep, each one reluctant to leave the meager warmth of their sleeping bags.

Adrianna was the first to sit up, rubbing her eyes and glancing around. Her breath misted in the chilly air. 'Did anyone sleep?' she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

No one answered. Instead, they exchanged uneasy glances, the memories of last night's strange and unexplainable incidents lingering just beneath the surface of their thoughts. The hospital's empty hallways seemed to stretch into the dark, filled with the echoes of things unseen. Adrianna could feel the tension hanging in the air, a silent acknowledgment that none of them wanted to voice—something was very wrong here.

Eventually, they all rose, moving with the sluggishness of half-remembered nightmares. The shadows seemed to cling to them, reluctant to release their hold.

'Wait. Where's Anth?' Joseph's voice broke the silence, a frown creasing his forehead as he looked around the room.

'He was here when we went to sleep, right?' Gregory asked, his voice tinged with concern. He glanced toward the corner where Anthony had laid his sleeping bag, but it was empty, his things scattered as if he had left in a hurry.

'He's probably outside,' Matheo said, forcing a casual tone. 'You know, taking a piss or something.' But his voice wavered slightly, betraying his own unease.

The group began to move, their footsteps hesitant as they made their way through the dilapidated building. The floor creaked under their weight, the sound echoing through the empty hallways. Doors hung loosely on their hinges, and peeling wallpaper curled like old skin. Each step seemed to stretch the silence, amplifying the sense of dread that gnawed at their minds.

They began to move, their footsteps hesitant as they made their way through the dilapidated building. The floor creaked under their weight, the sound echoing through the empty hallways. Doors hung loosely on their hinges, and peeling wallpaper curled like old skin. Each step seemed to stretch the silence, amplifying the sense of dread that gnawed at their minds.

They pushed open the heavy metal door that led to the outside, and a rush of cold morning air greeted them. The clearing was empty, the surrounding trees casting long shadows across the ground. There was no sign of Anthony.

'Anth! Joseph called out for his best friend, his voice sharp in the stillness. It was met with nothing but the rustling of leaves and the distant call of a bird.

They spread out, searching the area around the hospital. The forest loomed dark and uninviting, its depths hidden in shadow. The sky was growing lighter, but it did nothing to dispel the sense of menace that hung over the place. Every rustling leaf, every snap of a twig seemed to whisper warnings in their ears.

'Anth!' Joseph's voice had an edge of panic now, the worry evident in his eyes. They all felt it—the unspoken fear that something terrible had happened. This wasn't like Anthony. He would not just disappear without a word.

'Maybe he just went for a walk,' Alexis suggested, though he didn't sound convinced. His eyes kept darting to the edge of the forest, where the shadows seemed to writhe and shift.

'We need to split up and search,' Matheo said, trying to sound calm. 'He can't have gone far.'

They nodded, forming a loose circle as they each chose a direction. The morning light was creeping higher, but it brought no comfort. As they moved toward the forest, the trees seemed to close in around them, their twisted branches like skeletal fingers reaching for the sky.