2025-08-22 02:28:55The Journey Begins
The morning of their departure arrived with a strange mix of excitement and unease. Daisy woke before dawn, her room cloaked in shadow, the air still and heavy. She lay in bed for a long moment, listening to the faint rustle of leaves outside her window. A cool breeze slipped through the cracks of the curtains, brushing against her skin, but it did little to soothe the nervous tension running through her veins. Lucia had stayed over again, sprawled comfortably on the mattress on the floor, her breathing deep and even. She seemed at peace, but Daisy’s heart pounded erratically, as though it knew something she didn’t. Rising quietly, Daisy packed the last of her things into her bag, double checking everything: clothes, notebooks, toiletries, her laptop. The contest deadline still hovered at the back of her mind, an invisible weight pressing against her shoulders. By the time Edith entered the room, Daisy was zipping up her bag. Her mother leaned against the doorframe, studying her with worried eyes. You didn’t sleep, Edith said softly. Daisy shook her head. Couldn’t. Edith crossed the room and adjusted the strap of her daughter’s bag. Promise me again. Promise me you’ll be careful. I promise, Daisy whispered, though her voice wavered. Edith embraced her tightly, as though she feared this might be the last time. I’ll be praying for you. Moments later, the honk of a car horn broke the silence. Lucia stirred awake, groaning, then shot up quickly. They’re here already? she asked, rubbing her eyes. Seems so, Daisy replied. Together, they carried their bags outside, where Alex’s car waited at the curb. Alex was behind the wheel, grinning from ear to ear, his beard neatly trimmed and his eyes gleaming with excitement. Dave sat in the passenger seat, arms folded, already looking impatient. Took you long enough, Dave said as they approached. Good morning to you too, Lucia shot back, rolling her eyes. She shoved her bag into the trunk with a bit more force than necessary. Daisy hesitated, glancing back at the house. Edith stood at the doorway, watching them. Their eyes met, and Edith lifted her hand in a slow wave, her face etched with silent worry. Daisy forced a smile and waved back before climbing into the car. The engine roared to life, and soon the city streets rolled past them. The early morning air was cool, the sky a pale blue, tinged with streaks of orange as the sun began its climb. Traffic was light, and for a while, the drive carried a rare sense of calm. Alex, ever the talker, filled the silence. This is it, guys. Our first trip together, away from everything. No parents, no school stress, just us and three days of freedom. Freedom? Dave scoffed. I call it wasted training time. Lucia groaned. You can’t survive without flexing, can you? Dave smirked. Muscles don’t grow on their own. Daisy leaned her head against the window, letting their banter wash over her. Outside, the city slowly gave way to quieter roads, lined with tall trees swaying in the morning breeze. She tried to lose herself in the view, but the unease in her chest refused to fade. After about an hour, they stopped at a roadside eatery for breakfast. The small building smelled of fried yam and akara, and the chatter of early travelers filled the space. They sat together at a wooden table, sharing plates of food. Alex pulled out the lodge’s brochure, spreading it on the table for everyone to see. "Look," he said excitedly, pointing at the pictures. Pool, games room, theater, it’s all there. Moses promised us the place would be quiet, almost like we’ll have it to ourselves. Lucia scanned the brochure skeptically. I’ll believe it when I see it. Daisy studied the pictures. The lodge looked beautiful modern architecture surrounded by greenery, a sparkling pool under open skies. Yet something about the images unsettled her. She couldn’t explain it, but the stillness in the photos felt unnatural, like the silence of her dreams. Dave snorted. As long as there’s enough food and a place to work out, I’m fine. Lucia leaned closer to Daisy and whispered, See? He’s predictable. For the first time that day, Daisy laughed. It was a small laugh, quiet, but it felt good to release the tightness in her chest, even if only for a moment. Back on the road, the journey grew longer. The smooth tarred roads eventually gave way to rougher terrain, and Alex had to slow the car as potholes and bumps jarred the vehicle. The trees grew denser on either side, forming tall walls of green that seemed to close in around them. Shadows lingered between the trunks, and the further they drove, the less of civilization remained. Lucia leaned forward, frowning. Are you sure this is the right way? Alex nodded confidently. Moses gave me clear directions. Besides, the GPS still works. Daisy glanced at the screen. The blue dot blinked on a thin line cutting through what looked like endless forest. Her stomach tightened. They passed through small villages, clusters of huts and shops where children waved as the car went by. The simplicity of life there felt like another world compared to their own, but Daisy couldn’t enjoy the sight. Her thoughts kept returning to Edith’s warning and the faceless figure from her dreams. By late afternoon, the road stretched into silence. Few cars passed by now, and the forest pressed closer. The sun hung lower in the sky, casting long shadows that seemed to follow them. Alex hummed along to a tune on the radio, but his cheer only emphasized the growing tension in Daisy’s chest. Finally, they reached a signpost: Silver Crest Lodge 2km Ahead. Relief swept over the group, though Daisy couldn’t shake the sense that the sign looked weathered, as though untouched for years. Minutes later, the car rolled to a stop at the entrance of the lodge. A tall iron gate loomed before them, its black paint chipped, its frame half swallowed by creeping vines. The air felt different here, cooler, heavier, as though the forest itself held its breath. Lucia shifted uneasily in her seat. This… doesn’t look like the pictures. Dave raised an eyebrow. Maybe it’s just the entrance. Don’t judge too quickly. Alex honked the horn, and after a moment, the gates creaked open. An elderly guard waved them through, his eyes unreadable, his expression blank. As the car moved forward, Daisy gripped her seatbelt tightly. The lodge appeared ahead, its silhouette rising against the dimming sky. It was grand, yes, but in a way that felt cold, distant. The windows glinted like watchful eyes, and the silence that greeted them was too deep, too absolute. Her heart pounded as she whispered, almost to herself, “What have we gotten ourselves into?”
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CHAPTER 011
THE ENSHROUDED SECRET The night had stretched too long, and by the time morning crept into the lodge, the air felt heavier, denser, as though the walls themselves carried the weight of what they had seen. No one mentioned the book when they first came down to breakfast, but Daisy could feel it hanging over them, a silent, poisonous presence that clung to every look, every half-spoken word. The dining hall smelled faintly of stale bread and damp wood. Plates scraped against porcelain, spoons clinked against cups, but it was all background noise, dull and distant, as though none of them really tasted what they ate. Daisy pushed her toast around her plate without lifting it to her mouth. She had barely slept, not after seeing the faceless man in her dreams and the drawings that matched him exactly inside that cursed book. The images clung to her mind, seared into her vision every time she blinked. Across from her, Sugar sat with her bandaged arm cradled in her lap. She wore her
CHAPTER 010
THE HIDDEN ROOM The third morning in the lodge was heavier than the last. No one spoke much at breakfast. Sugar’s arm was bandaged, though the angry welts still peeked through, and Daisy caught her flinching whenever she shifted it. Dave refused to meet her eyes, refusing to admit that something unnatural had happened. Rebecca busied herself with pouring tea, her silence a shield. Moses forced jokes that landed flat. Hannah sat at the far end, staring into her cup as though it might tell her something the rest of them didn’t know.Daisy barely touched her food. Hannah’s whispered words from the night before still rang in her ears: once you enter this house, no leaving until the last day. It had carved itself into her mind, gnawing at her. She wanted to scream it to the others, to force them to understand, but Hannah’s plea stopped her: If they know too soon, they’ll panic. And panic is what this place feeds on.So Daisy kept quiet. For now.It was Derek who suggested they explore the
CHAPTER 009
NO WAY OUT The morning after Sugar’s attack dawned with heavy silence. Mist clung stubbornly to the forest outside, thickening like an unbroken wall around the lodge. The sun tried to push through but only managed a gray haze that did nothing to lift the mood. Daisy sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her open suitcase. Her hands moved mechanically as she folded clothes, her heart hammering with every movement. She didn’t care how it looked. She had to leave. Sugar’s screams from the night before still echoed in her ears. The sight of her friend sprawled on the floor, clutching her arm with angry red welts, wouldn’t leave her mind. Daisy didn’t need any more convincing. Whatever lived in this lodge wasn’t just a nightmare anymore, it was here, and it had touched one of them. She zipped the suitcase, grabbed the handle, and pulled it toward the door. Her pulse quickened. She would walk down the stairs, through the front door, and keep going until she found a way out of the forest
CHAPTER 008
CRACKS IN THE CALM The sun rose reluctantly over the mist drenched forest, its pale light filtering weakly through the tall lodge windows. It cast no warmth, only a dull illumination that seemed to emphasize the silence rather than dispel it. Daisy sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the gray morning. Her sleep had been fragmented, her dreams fractured by the faceless man who haunted her nights. She could almost feel him still, lingering in the corners of her room. The air was too heavy, the silence too alive.When she finally mustered the courage to step into the dining hall, the mood of the group mirrored her unease. Where laughter had echoed just the day before, now only quiet clinking of cutlery filled the space. Dave wolfed down eggs without a word, his jaw tight. Lucia scrolled her phone, distracted and unusually subdued. Alex tried half-heartedly to keep conversation alive, but his grin lacked its usual conviction.Moses sat at the head of the table, commanding attention as
CHAPTER 007
WHISPERS IN THE DARK The second morning in the lodge arrived with a pale, washed-out sun struggling to pierce the mist that clung stubbornly to the forest. Dew beaded on the windows, streaking the glass like tears. Daisy pressed her forehead to the cool pane, staring out into the endless green. Even in daylight, the trees looked foreboding, their shadows layered thick, as if hiding something that didn’t want to be seen. She hadn’t slept well. Every time she closed her eyes, the faceless man returned. Each dream brought him closer. In the last one, she felt his breath against her ear, though when she woke, the room was empty. By the time she joined the others in the dining hall, the group was already gathered around the long table. Moses sat at the head, cracking jokes, his booming laugh bouncing off the walls. Sugar lounged with her feet on the chair beside her, smirking at whatever Derek had whispered. Rebecca was buttering slices of bread with her usual calm precision, while
CHAPTER 006
SETTLING IN The morning light crept slowly into the lodge, seeping through tall curtains that hung heavy with dust. It revealed a grand hall that, even in daylight, carried an eerie stillness. The chandeliers above glittered faintly, though the crystals were dulled with age, and the marble floor reflected the pale glow of the sun. For Daisy, waking in such a place felt disorienting, like stepping into a world suspended between dream and reality. She sat up in bed, her heart still beating from fragments of the nightmare that clung to her mind the faceless man, the dagger gleaming in the dark. Shivering, she pressed her hands to her face, whispering, It was just a dream. Yet part of her knew it was more than that. Voices drifted through the hall as the rest of the group began to stir. By the time Daisy gathered her courage to leave her room, she found the others already downstairs. The lounge had transformed overnight into a makeshift gathering space: bags stacked against walls,
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