Tales from the Dark

18.

It was the start of a new semester at Ravenwood University, and a group of four students found themselves seated around a table in the library, faces illuminated by the flickering fluorescent lights above. They were all strangers: Emma, the overachiever; David, the laid-back jokester; Maya, the quiet artist; and Tyler, the brooding literature major. They had formed a study group for their notoriously difficult English class, hoping to boost their grades. As they settled in, Emma pulled out a dusty old book she had found in the library's archives. "Look what I found! It's a collection of local ghost stories," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. David grinned. "Great! Nothing like a little horror to spice up a study session." Maya's interest piqued, but Tyler frowned. "I wouldn't mess with those stories. Some of them are based on real events." "C'mon, it's just a book!" Emma laughed, flipping through the pages. "What's the worst that could happen?" The group took turns reading the stories aloud. Most were typical tales of hauntings and mischief—until they reached a chilling account about an ancient ritual performed in the woods near campus. According to legend, a group of students had vanished decades ago while attempting to summon a spirit known as "The Watcher." The ritual required participants to chant a specific phrase three times at midnight, then wait for the Watcher to reveal itself. "Let's do it!" David said, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Seriously?" Maya looked uneasy. "It sounds dangerous." "Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" David persisted, and soon enough, everyone reluctantly agreed. That night, they met at the edge of the woods, the moon hanging high and bright above them. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and a hint of dread. Emma held the book open, its pages fluttering in the cool breeze. "Alright, everyone," she said, glancing at her friends. "We say the phrase three times and wait." The group stood in a circle, hands joined. The words felt heavy on Emma's tongue as she began to chant, "Watcher of the night, we call to thee..." On the third repetition, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves around them. A moment of silence followed, thick and suffocating. Emma looked around, unease creeping into her chest. "Did anything happen?" Maya asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly, a low growl echoed from the darkness, sending chills down their spines. David laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "Just the wind, right?" But as they stood there, the growl morphed into a series of haunting whispers. "Leave... now..." Emma's heart raced. "We should go back." Just as they turned to leave, a figure emerged from the shadows—tall and obscured, its eyes glowing faintly. The group froze in terror, unable to move. "Who dares disturb my rest?" it hissed, its voice echoing in their minds. Panicking, they broke away from each other, running in different directions. Emma sprinted deeper into the woods, branches clawing at her clothes. She could hear her friends' frantic screams echoing behind her, but she couldn't stop. After what felt like hours, she stumbled into a clearing and collapsed, gasping for breath. The woods were eerily silent now, the air thick with an oppressive darkness. "Guys!" she yelled, hoping for a response. Nothing but silence answered her. Just as despair began to set in, she heard the whispers again, growing closer. "Join us... forever..." With a surge of determination, Emma got to her feet and began to retrace her steps, calling out for her friends. "David! Maya! Tyler!" Suddenly, she spotted movement ahead. A shadow darted between the trees. "Is that you?" she called, her heart racing. As she approached, she realized it was David—but he looked different. His eyes were wild, and he was muttering incoherently. "It's too late, Emma... we shouldn't have done it..." "Where are the others?" she asked, panic rising. "I don't know! They're gone!" His voice trembled, and as he spoke, the whispers surrounded them, growing louder, more frantic. "Leave... now... join us..." Emma grabbed David's arm, pulling him away from the sound. They ran together, but the whispers seemed to follow them, echoing through the trees. Eventually, they stumbled back to the edge of the woods, the library lights flickering in the distance. But as they emerged, the whispers faded into the night, leaving only a suffocating silence. Breathless, they looked back into the darkness. "What about Maya and Tyler?" Emma asked, her voice shaking. David's face paled. "We have to go back for them." But when they tried to re-enter the woods, an invisible barrier seemed to push them back. They were trapped at the edge, helpless. "Help us... join us..." The voices drifted through the trees, a haunting promise that echoed in the night. Days turned into weeks, and the campus buzzed with rumors of the missing students. Emma and David tried to speak out, to warn others, but no one believed them. They were left haunted, their lives overshadowed by the weight of what they had unleashed. As the semester drew to a close, Emma found herself alone in the library, the dusty book open in front of her. Each page was a reminder of that fateful night. The whispers grew louder in her mind, echoing the words she had read so carelessly. And then she felt it—a cold breath on her neck. She turned slowly, and there in the shadows stood the Watcher, its eyes glowing with a sinister light. "Join us..." it whispered, beckoning her into the darkness. As she took a step forward, the words of her friends echoed in her mind. But it was too late. The woods were calling, and she was ready to answer.