Part 7 of Chapter 5

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Chapter 5:

Into the Unknown

Part 7:

The Dark History of the Town

The moon hung low in the sky, casting long, ghostly shadows over the landscape as Ethan followed Sarah along the winding path to the river. The air was damp and cool, the scent of wet earth and decaying leaves heavy in the air. The rush of water in the distance was the only sound that broke the stillness of the night, a subtle but constant presence that made the darkness feel less oppressive. Yet, the tension between Ethan and Sarah hung thick, unspoken but palpable.

Sarah led him down a narrow dirt trail that ran parallel to the riverbank. Ethan’s footsteps were muffled by the soft ground beneath him, and he could barely make out Sarah’s form just ahead. She had been silent since they’d left the café, her face a mask of tension as if every step closer to the truth weighed heavier on her.

They finally stopped at a secluded clearing, far enough from town that the distant lights were barely visible. The river rushed by just a few feet away, its dark, swirling waters reflecting the pale moonlight in broken ripples. Sarah turned to face Ethan, her expression unreadable.

“We’re far enough,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “No one will hear us here.”

Ethan nodded, his pulse quickening. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Whatever Sarah was about to tell him, it was going to change everything. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for it, but there was no turning back now.

Sarah hesitated for a moment, her eyes scanning the river as if searching for something—perhaps reassurance, perhaps courage. Then, with a heavy sigh, she sat down on a large rock near the water’s edge, motioning for Ethan to do the same.

“This town,” she began, her voice low, “it’s not what it seems. It never has been.”

Ethan crouched down beside her, his gaze fixed on her face. He could hear the undercurrent of fear in her words, see the haunted look in her eyes. She wasn’t just telling him a story—she was reliving something.

“For decades,” Sarah continued, “there were rumors about secretive projects, experiments that were being carried out on people. But no one ever talked about it openly. People who asked too many questions either disappeared or ended up in accidents. Everyone knew something was wrong, but the fear was stronger than the need for answers.”

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. “What kind of experiments?”

Sarah’s jaw tightened. “Unethical ones. They were using people as test subjects for psychological manipulation, mind control—things that went way beyond anything you’d imagine. They called it ‘Project M.’ Your mother… she wasn’t the only one involved.”

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of his mother. The dread that had been gnawing at him since he found the document in the factory returned with full force.

“You’re saying my mother was a test subject?” he asked, his voice thick with disbelief. “That she was part of this… project?”

Sarah nodded, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. “She wasn’t a willing participant. None of them were. They were chosen, taken without their consent, and used in these experiments for years. Most of the subjects were people who wouldn’t be missed—runaways, drifters, those without families. But some, like your mother, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Ethan clenched his fists, trying to process what he was hearing. His mother hadn’t just disappeared—she had been taken, forced into something horrific. The weight of this revelation crashed down on him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in anger and grief.

“Why?” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rushing water. “Why would they do this? What were they trying to achieve?”

Sarah shook her head slowly, her gaze distant. “Control. Power. They wanted to find a way to break people down mentally, to manipulate them without their knowledge. It started as a government project, but it went off the rails. The people running it got greedy, started pushing the limits of what they could do. They didn’t care about the lives they were destroying.”

Ethan felt a hollow ache in his chest, a deep sense of betrayal. He had always believed his mother was a victim of some terrible, unfortunate event—but this? This was far worse. She had been used, manipulated, experimented on. And he had been living his entire life unaware of the truth.

“Why didn’t anyone stop it?” he asked, his voice shaking with anger. “How did something like this go on for so long?”

Sarah looked down at her hands, her expression pained. “There were attempts to shut it down. Some people tried to expose the truth, but it was always covered up. The project was officially terminated years ago, but the damage had already been done. Some of the survivors… they never recovered. Others disappeared. Your mother… she was one of the ones who tried to escape.”

Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest. “What happened to her?”

Sarah hesitated, the silence stretching between them. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know for sure. She was one of the last to be taken, one of the few who managed to break free. But after that, she vanished. No one’s seen her since.”

Ethan felt the ground shift beneath him, his world tilting on its axis. His mother had escaped, but she was still out there—somewhere. And she had been running from something far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.

“I have to find her,” Ethan said, his voice firm with determination. “She’s still alive. I know it.”

Sarah looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and fear. “I don’t know, Ethan. She might have survived, but the people behind this… they don’t just let people walk away. They’ll come after anyone who knows too much.”

Ethan met her gaze, his resolve hardening. “I don’t care. I’ve come this far—I’m not stopping now.”

For a long moment, they sat in silence, the sound of the river rushing by as the weight of the truth settled between them. Ethan felt a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him—fear, anger, desperation. But there was also something else: a flicker of hope. He was closer to the truth than he had ever been, and despite the danger, he knew he couldn’t turn back.

Sarah stood slowly, brushing dirt from her hands. “If you’re really going to do this, you need to be careful. These people… they’re still watching. They’ll come for you if they think you’re getting too close.”

Ethan rose to his feet, his heart heavy but his mind clear. “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “But I need to find my mother. No matter what.”

Sarah nodded, but there was doubt in her eyes. She knew the risks, and now, so did Ethan. But it didn’t matter. The truth was out there, and he wasn’t going to stop until he found it.

As they walked back toward town, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The trees seemed to close in around them, the darkness pressing down, and for the first time, he truly understood the danger he was in.

This town, with its dark history and buried secrets, wasn’t just a backdrop to his search—it was a trap. And now, he was caught in it.

But he wasn’t alone anymore. Sarah had revealed more than she intended, and though their bond was fragile, it was enough to keep them moving forward. Together, they would uncover the rest of the truth.

No matter the cost.

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