2025-08-24 15:17:14WHISPERS 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 Hannah sat quietly, stirring her tea without drinking. Lucia waved Daisy over. Morning, sleepyhead. We were about to send a search party. Daisy slid into the seat beside her, managing a faint smile. Did I miss anything? Not really, Alex replied, flashing his easy grin. We’re just planning today. Pool, games, maybe exploring the grounds. Plenty to do. Dave snorted, already halfway through his food. Exploring’s a waste of time. I’ll be at the pool. Sugar leaned forward with a mischievous glint. You mean flexing in front of the pool mirrors? Dave shot her a glare, but Sugar only laughed, unbothered. Rebecca cleared her throat gently. We should be careful if we explore. The grounds are large, and it’s easy to get lost. Not everywhere is maintained. Her eyes flicked briefly to Moses, who ignored the comment, waving his fork dismissively. It’s fine, Moses said. The lodge is safe. We’ve got everything we need here. Let’s enjoy it. But Daisy noticed Hannah stiffen at those words. The girl lowered her gaze quickly, sipping her tea as if hiding something. The group split up after breakfast. Alex and Moses led Dave and Derek outside toward the pool, their laughter echoing across the patio. Sugar tagged along, tossing playful jabs at Dave every few steps. Rebecca offered to help tidy up the dining hall, and Lucia volunteered too, leaving Daisy with Hannah by the window. The silence between them stretched. Daisy finally broke it. You don’t talk much. Hannah blinked, startled, then smiled faintly. I guess I don’t. She hesitated, eyes drifting toward the misty forest beyond the glass. Places like this… they make silence louder. Don’t you feel it? Daisy nodded slowly. Yes. Her fingers tightened around her cup. Like it’s watching us. Hannah’s lips pressed together, as though she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. Instead, she excused herself and slipped away, leaving Daisy with unease curling in her stomach. That afternoon, the group gathered in the lounge for a round of games. Derek dealt cards with practiced speed, Sugar cracking jokes at every turn. Moses kept the energy high, his charisma magnetic, while Rebecca’s quiet presence kept the chaos balanced. Lucia laughed the loudest, leaning against Daisy, who forced herself to join in. For a moment, Daisy almost forgot the dread. Almost. But then, the power flickered. The lamps dimmed, their glow shivering. The room fell into shadow for a heartbeat before the lights steadied again. Everyone froze, glancing at one another. Old wiring, Moses said quickly, forcing a laugh. No big deal. But Daisy’s skin prickled. In that brief moment of darkness, she could have sworn she saw a figure in the corner, a man, tall and faceless, standing perfectly still. When the light returned, the space was empty. Her hand shook as she set her cards down. Did anyone else See what? Derek cut in, eyebrow raised. Daisy swallowed her words. Nothing. Never mind. Lucia studied her for a moment, concern flickering in her eyes, but she didn’t press. Night came swiftly, the mist swallowing the last of the daylight. The group lingered in the lounge, telling stories, laughing too loudly, filling the silence with noise. Yet the deeper the night grew, the heavier the atmosphere became, until every sound seemed amplified: the groan of the old wood, the hiss of the wind against the windows, the tick of the clock on the wall. When the group finally dispersed to their rooms, Daisy lingered. She walked the empty hallway slowly, every creak beneath her feet making her chest tighten. At one point, she thought she heard whispers, soft, urgent voices, too distant to make out. She turned quickly, but the hall was empty. In her room, she locked the door, though the gesture felt futile. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim her. But when it did, the nightmare was waiting, patient as ever. The faceless man stood at the end of the hall, dagger gleaming. He took one step, then another, his silence heavier than thunder. Daisy tried to run, but her legs refused to move. He reached her, the blade lifting She jolted awake, heart hammering, breath ragged. The room was dark, but she wasn’t alone. She knew it. A shadow shifted by the window, too tall, too still to be her imagination. Her voice trembled as she whispered, Who’s there? No answer. Only silence. And then, slowly, the figure melted into the dark, leaving Daisy trembling beneath her blanket, certain of one thing: The lodge was beginning to wake.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
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,
You may also like
