THE VILLAGE THAT DIES EVERY MIDNIGHT

The First Midnight

Bellgrave had always been afraid of the forest.

Elias Vale had never understood why.

As a child, he had asked his mother about it.

“What's inside?”

“Trees.”

“Then why can't I go there?”

“Because some trees are better left alone.”

That had been her answer every time.

Bellgrave sat in a valley surrounded by dark mountains, and beyond the northern edge of the village stretched the forest. Its trees were taller than any Elias had seen elsewhere, their branches twisting together until they formed a wall of darkness even during the day.

The villagers called it the Blackwood.

They avoided it after sunset.

They avoided it during storms.

And they never, ever went beyond the old stone markers at its edge.

Elias had grown up believing those rules were simply old people's superstitions.

Until the night the village died.

It began like any ordinary evening.

The sun had disappeared behind the mountains, leaving a faint orange glow over Bellgrave.

Elias sat outside his mother's house, sharpening a small hunting knife.

The blade wasn't particularly impressive.

Neither was Elias.

At nineteen, he was strong enough to work the fields, quick enough to hunt small game, and stubborn enough to get himself into trouble.

But he wasn't a warrior.

He wasn't a mage.

He wasn't special.

As far as Elias knew, he was simply Elias Vale—the son of a village healer.

Across the road, children were playing around the fountain while their parents called them home.

A merchant was closing his shop.

Smoke rose from chimneys.

Someone was laughing loudly near the tavern.

Everything felt normal.

Elias looked toward the church.

The old stone building stood on the highest hill in Bellgrave.

Its tower was visible from almost every street.

At the top hung the village bell.

It was enormous, blackened by age, and covered with strange markings that Elias had never been able to understand.

The bell rarely rang at night.

Usually, it sounded only in the morning and evening.

But tonight, Elias couldn't explain why, he kept looking at it.

“Elias.”

He turned.

His mother stood in the doorway.

Mara Vale carried a wooden basket filled with herbs.

“You've been sharpening that knife for ten minutes.”

Elias looked down.

The blade was already sharp.

“Can't hurt to make sure.”

“You're going to cut yourself.”

“I won't.”

“You said that last week.”

“That was different.”

“You cut your finger opening a sack.”

Elias smiled.

“That sack attacked me.”

His mother laughed.

For a moment, everything felt warm.

Safe.

Mara walked over and sat beside him.

She had dark hair tied loosely behind her head, and faint lines had begun appearing around her eyes.

Elias had never thought of his mother as old.

But lately, he had started noticing little things.

The way she rested after carrying heavy baskets.

The way she sometimes rubbed her back when she thought he wasn't looking.

The way her hands trembled slightly when she was tired.

He didn't like it.

He wanted to become strong enough to take care of her.

“Dinner is ready,” she said.

“In a minute.”

“Now.”

“I'm coming.”

She stood.

Then stopped.

Her eyes moved toward the church.

Elias noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You're staring at the bell.”

Mara looked away.

“It's nothing.”

“You always say that when something is something.”

She gave him a warning look.

“Come inside.”

Elias followed her.

Neither of them noticed the black bird sitting on the roof across the street.

It was watching the church.

Dinner was simple.

Bread.

Stew.

A little meat.

Mara complained that Elias ate too quickly.

He told her he was hungry.

She told him hunger wasn't an excuse to swallow food like a wild animal.

They argued about it for several minutes.

It was ordinary.

Comfortable.

The kind of evening Elias would later wish he could return to.

After dinner, he helped his mother wash the dishes.

Then he stepped outside to collect firewood.

The village had grown quieter.

Most children had gone home.

The tavern was still busy, but even the laughter coming from it seemed distant.

Elias looked toward the church again.

The bell remained still.

He turned away.

Then—

Dong.

Elias froze.

The sound rolled through the valley.

One deep strike.

He slowly turned toward the church.

The bell was moving.

His stomach tightened.

That was strange.

Very strange.

Bellgrave's evening bell had already rung hours ago.

Another strike came.

Dong.

Elias counted without meaning to.

Two.

He walked back toward the house.

“Mother?”

Mara came to the doorway.

“What happened?”

“The bell.”

She looked toward the church.

Her expression changed.

“Get inside.”

Elias frowned.

“Why?”

“Now.”

Something in her voice made him obey.

He stepped inside.

Mara locked the door.

Then she locked it again.

Elias stared at her.

“Mother?”

She didn't answer.

The bell rang for a third time.

Dong.

Then a fourth.

Dong.

Mara moved toward the window.

Elias followed.

“What is happening?”

“I don't know.”

“You do.”

She looked at him.

For a moment, Elias saw something in her face he had never seen before.

Fear.

Real fear.

“Mother?”

“Stay away from the window.”

“Why?”

“Just listen to me.”

The fifth bell rang.

Dong.

The sound seemed deeper.

The glass in the windows trembled.

Elias swallowed.

Outside, people had begun leaving their houses.

A man stood in the middle of the street looking toward the church.

“What is going on?” someone shouted.

Nobody answered.

The sixth bell rang.

Dong.

Then the seventh.

Dong.

A woman screamed.

Elias turned sharply.

“What happened?”

Mara grabbed his arm.

“Don't go outside.”

“But—”

“Don't.”

The eighth bell rang.

Then the village lights began going out.

One by one.

A house at the far end of the street became dark.

Then another.

Then another.

Not because the people inside had extinguished them.

Something was moving through the village.

Something that swallowed the light.

Elias stepped toward the window.

Mara grabbed him.

“No.”

“Mother, people are outside.”

“I know.”

“We have to help them.”

“We can't.”

“How do you know?”

Mara's grip tightened.

“Because there's nothing we can do.”

The ninth bell rang.

Dong.

A shadow moved past their window.

Elias stopped breathing.

It had the shape of a person.

But it moved incorrectly.

Its arms were too long.

Its body seemed to bend in places a human body shouldn't.

Then it disappeared into the darkness.

“What was that?” Elias whispered.

Mara pulled him away from the window.

“I don't know.”

For the first time, Elias realized his mother was lying.

She knew something.

She was terrified.

And she wasn't telling him.

The tenth bell rang.

Dong.

Then came the screaming.

Not one person.

Dozens.

The entire village erupted.

People ran through the streets.

Someone shouted for the church.

Someone else screamed that the gates were closed.

Elias heard a child crying.

Then a man's voice.

“RUN!”

Elias couldn't remain inside.

He pulled away from his mother.

“I have to help them.”

“Elias!”

He opened the door.

Mara grabbed his shirt.

“Don't!”

He turned.

“I'll come back.”

“You don't understand!”

“Then tell me!”

Her eyes filled with tears.

Before she could answer, something crashed into a house across the street.

The building shook.

A cloud of black dust exploded through its windows.

Elias stared.

A woman stumbled into the street.

She was screaming.

Something followed her.

Elias couldn't understand what he was seeing.

It looked like a creature made from darkness.

Its body was thin.

Its limbs were unnaturally long.

Two pale eyes glowed within its face.

The creature reached for the woman.

She disappeared.

Elias's blood turned cold.

Mara pulled him inside and slammed the door.

“Lock it!”

He did.

Then they heard scratching.

Slow.

Heavy.

From the other side of the door.

Mara whispered a prayer.

Elias held the knife.

The eleventh bell rang.

Dong.

The scratching stopped.

Silence.

Then—

Dong.

The twelfth.

Elias looked at his mother.

She was crying now.

“Mother?”

She took his hand.

“Whatever happens,” she whispered, “don't let go of me.”

Elias squeezed her fingers.

“I won't.”

Outside, Bellgrave had gone completely silent.

No footsteps.

No screams.

No wind.

Nothing.

The silence was worse than the chaos.

Elias could hear his own heartbeat.

Then the church bell moved.

He watched through the window.

The great black bell swung backward.

Forward.

Backward.

Forward.

And stopped.

For one terrible moment, there was no sound.

Then the thirteenth strike came.

DONG.

The world changed.

Every flame in Bellgrave went out.

The darkness outside became absolute.

Elias couldn't see his own hands.

Then something screamed.

Not a human scream.

It was deeper.

Older.

It seemed to come from beneath the ground itself.

The floor shook.

A crack appeared across the wall.

Mara pulled Elias toward her.

“Stay with me!”

The front door exploded inward.

Elias screamed.

Something entered the house.

He couldn't see it.

He could only hear its breathing.

Slow.

Wet.

Close.

Mara pushed Elias behind her.

“Run!”

“No!”

“RUN!”

The creature moved.

Elias swung his knife.

The blade struck something.

A horrible sound filled the room.

The creature screamed.

Then it threw him across the floor.

He hit the wall hard.

Pain exploded through his back.

“MOTHER!”

Mara stood between him and the creature.

She was holding a small silver pendant.

It glowed faintly.

The creature stopped.

For one second, Elias thought she had saved them.

Then the creature whispered.

Not with its mouth.

Inside Elias's head.

Found you.

Mara's face went white.

“No.”

The creature lunged.

Elias crawled forward.

“Mother!”

Mara turned.

Their eyes met.

Elias saw fear.

But beneath the fear was something else.

Regret.

“I love you.”

Then darkness swallowed her.

“MOTHER!”

Elias screamed.

He crawled through the darkness, reaching for her.

His fingers touched her hand.

For one brief second, he held it.

Then something pulled her away.

Her fingers slipped from his.

Elias grabbed the floor.

“No!”

He couldn't see anything.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't think.

He only knew that his mother was gone.

He crawled toward where she had been.

“Mother!”

Nothing.

He tried to stand.

His legs failed.

Outside, the village was burning without fire.

Shadows moved through the streets.

People screamed.

Then one by one, the voices disappeared.

Elias dragged himself toward the door.

He needed to find her.

He needed to save her.

He needed—

Something struck him from behind.

Pain tore through his body.

He fell.

Warmth spread beneath him.

Blood.

His blood.

His vision blurred.

The ceiling disappeared.

The darkness surrounded him.

He could hear the church bell again.

Not thirteen times.

Just one.

Dong.

Elias tried to breathe.

His fingers moved weakly against the floor.

He thought about his mother.

Her voice.

Her cooking.

Her laughter.

The way she always told him to slow down when he ate.

He wished he had listened.

His eyes closed.

The last thing Elias Vale heard was a whisper from somewhere beyond the darkness.

“Remember.”

Then his heart stopped.

And Bellgrave died with him.