THE CURSED TOWN

The ties that bind

Sophie couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. As she stepped out of the mausoleum, the damp morning air felt colder than before, biting at her skin like unseen hands. The fog had returned in full force, thick and suffocating, clinging to the trees like a shroud that refused to lift. It felt as though the world had grown smaller, more confined, as if the town itself were closing in on her.

Elliot followed her out of the mausoleum, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a tension Sophie hadn’t noticed before. He seemed on edge, his jaw clenched tight, his gaze darting to the shadows between the gravestones. It was as though he, too, could feel the curse tightening its grip around the town, watching, waiting for them to make the wrong move.

For a moment, Sophie didn’t know what to say. The weight of everything they had learned hung heavy between them—the pact, the curse, the sacrifices. And yet, despite all the horror she had uncovered, there was still a part of her that refused to believe. It was too much, too dark. But as she looked at Elliot, his face drawn in lines of weariness and grief, she couldn’t help but think that he knew something she didn’t. He had lived with this curse for longer than she had—maybe even longer than anyone else in Cedar Hollow—and now, he was offering her a glimpse into its horrors. Sophie felt a strange bond forming between them, even if she didn’t entirely trust him yet.

“I don’t know what to do,” Sophie said finally, her voice quiet but resolute. “Everything in that book—everything about the curse—it’s so… overwhelming.”

Elliot didn’t immediately respond, his eyes flickering to the fog that curled around the edges of the cemetery like a living thing. “The hardest part isn’t learning about the curse, Sophie,” he said softly. “It’s living with the knowledge. The town is… different. It’s like it has a mind of its own. It will keep you here, whether you want to stay or not. And the more you fight it, the more it takes.”

Sophie frowned, frustration bubbling inside her. “That’s not an option. I’m not giving up on Nathan. Not when I’m this close.”

Elliot’s eyes hardened. “You don’t know how close you are. And that’s what scares me.”

They stood in silence for a few moments, the weight of his words settling over them. Sophie’s gaze shifted to the town beyond the cemetery. The mist seemed to be receding now, though it still clung to the rooftops of the old houses, winding its way down the streets like a living creature. It was quiet, too quiet. It was as though the whole town was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

“We need to find out more,” Sophie said, her voice steadying with a new determination. “I can’t let Nathan be another sacrifice. I won’t let this place take anyone else.”

Elliot hesitated, then nodded. “We need to find the source of the curse. And for that, we need to understand the town’s history. The founders—those who made the pact—are buried somewhere here, in the oldest part of the cemetery. If we can find their graves, we might uncover more about what they did, how they sealed the curse.”

Sophie felt a chill run through her at the mention of the founders. They weren’t just figures in a history book. They were the architects of the town’s suffering, and their actions had rippled through generations, affecting everyone who lived here. Sophie had to find them, had to understand what they had done and how it could be undone.

Without another word, they turned and began walking deeper into the cemetery, following the winding path that led toward the oldest section. The gravestones here were older, crumbling with age, some toppled and half-buried under the weight of the years. The mist swirled around them, obscuring their path and making the air thick with a sense of dread. Every step Sophie took felt heavier, as though the earth itself were reluctant to let her move forward.

Elliot walked beside her, his silence speaking volumes. Sophie could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the burden of years spent living under the weight of the curse. She wondered what had driven him to stay in Cedar Hollow for so long, why he hadn’t left like so many others. But there was something else, too—a deep sadness that seemed to weigh him down, something he hadn’t shared with her. She wondered if it had something to do with his family, the Voss family. Had they also been marked by the curse?

As they reached the farthest corner of the cemetery, Sophie’s gaze landed on a large, imposing tombstone. The name carved into it was barely legible, worn down by centuries of rain and wind, but she could just make out the word Voss. The tombstone was surrounded by smaller, equally weathered markers, all bearing the same name. These were the founders, the ones who had made the pact. And Sophie knew, without a doubt, that this was where the answers lay.

Elliot stopped in front of the tombstone, his hand brushing against the stone as if in a silent salute. “This is where it all started,” he said quietly. “This is where they sealed the curse.”

Sophie studied the tombstone, her breath catching in her throat. The symbol she had seen in the Book of the Pact—the interlocking circles, the crescent moon—was etched into the stone, worn but unmistakable. It was the same mark, the one that tied everything together.

“They’re still here, aren’t they?” Sophie asked softly. “Their spirits.”

Elliot nodded, his face drawn with grief. “Yes. The founders’ souls are trapped here, bound to the land by the curse they created. They thought they could control it. They thought they could bargain with it, keep it at bay. But they were wrong. The curse has a mind of its own. It doesn’t just take— it feeds.”

Sophie’s throat tightened as she looked at the gravestones. “And the price they paid… it was the souls of their children.”

“Not just their children,” Elliot said, his voice growing colder. “Everyone. The curse doesn’t care about who you are or who you were. It only cares about the bloodline. And once you’re marked, you can’t escape.”

Sophie swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. “So Nathan… he’s one of them now. He’s marked. Just like me.”

Elliot’s eyes flickered with something close to regret. “You’ve been marked since the moment you set foot in this town. It’s in your blood. It always has been.”

Sophie felt a shiver run down her spine. She had known there was something wrong with Cedar Hollow, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but hearing it like this, spoken aloud—it was almost too much to bear.

“I’m not like them,” Sophie said fiercely, turning to face Elliot. “I’m not going to let this town claim me. Not like it claimed my brother. And not like it claimed you.”

Elliot’s expression softened for a moment, but only for a moment. “You don’t understand. The curse doesn’t just claim your life—it claims your soul. It will never let you go. And the more you resist, the more it will try to pull you in.”

Sophie stepped forward, her fists clenched. “Then I’ll break it. I don’t care what it takes. I’m not going to let it win.”

Elliot studied her for a long moment, his gaze calculating. “You don’t know what you’re up against. You can’t just destroy a curse like this. It’s not that simple.”

“I’ll find a way,” Sophie said, her voice filled with unwavering determination. “I’ll make the town give Nathan back.”

Elliot shook his head, his face drawn with weariness. “There’s no ‘giving back’ once you’re marked. The only way out is death. And I won’t let you die because of me.”

“I’m not dying,” Sophie said sharply. “Not now. Not when I’m this close.”

There was a long silence between them as they both stared at the graves, the oppressive weight of the curse settling around them. Sophie could feel the eyes of the founders on her, their spirits lingering in the shadows, watching her every move.

“I won’t give up,” Sophie said at last, her voice low but fierce. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to free Nathan from this. I promise.”

Elliot sighed, his shoulders slumping in resignation. “Then let’s find the rest of the answers. But be careful. The deeper we go, the harder it will be to get out. And once the town knows what we’re trying to do, it won’t stop until we’re gone.”

Sophie nodded, her resolve hardening. “I’m ready.”

And with that, they turned away from the graves, heading deeper into the mystery of Cedar Hollow, knowing that each step forward would bring them closer to the heart of the curse—and to the truth about Nathan’s disappearance.