Chapter 1- RAVENWOOD

John sits nervously in the back of the taxi as it makes its way down the dark, winding road toward Ravenwood. The driver seems to sense his discomfort and glances back at him through the rear-view mirror. "You sure you want to go to Ravenwood?" he asks, his voice low and wary.

John nods, trying to appear more confident than he feels. "I have important business there," he answers firmly.

The driver nods slowly. "Be careful," he warns. "They say something strange is happening in Ravenwood; that it's cursed by a mysterious secret. I wouldn't go prying if I were you."

John rolls his eyes, his annoyance growing. He doesn't believe in curses or any other superstitious nonsense. But he has to admit the driver's warning has given him pause. He shrugs it off and leans back in his seat. "I can handle myself," he says confidently. "Besides, I'm sure Ravenwood is just as normal as any other town."

The driver gives a noncommittal grunt but doesn't argue. He pulls the car up to a small, old-looking lodge and stops. John pays the driver and steps out of the car, taking in the weathered facade of the building. He notices the driver watching him intently, his expression unreadable. “Good luck,” the driver says finally.

John ignores him, grabs his suitcase, and makes his way up to the entrance of the lodge. He can feel the driver's eyes on him until he steps inside, the door creaking ominously behind him.

As he approaches the reception desk, he notices an old woman sitting behind it, her head down and her hands clasped in prayer. She seems to be muttering to herself, and John can make out words about a curse. He gulps, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Excuse me," he says, reaching out and tapping the desk.

The woman jumps to her feet, her eyes widening when she sees him. "Oh, hello!" she says, her voice shaking slightly. "I didn't expect to see anyone here this late."

John clears his throat, trying to hide his unease. "I, uh, need a room for the night," he says hesitantly.

The receptionist nods, her gaze darting around the room. "Of course," she says quickly, her gaze still glued to the floor. "It'll be ready soon."

John shifts uncomfortably, watching as the woman shuffles around the desk, mumbling a curse under her breath. He is about to ask her what is wrong when she suddenly grabs his hand.

"You need to be careful," she hisses, her grip tightening on his hand. "The curse of Ravenwood is real. People disappear here, never to be seen again. Don't go wandering around at night, tempting fate."

John pulls his hand away, a chill running through his body. He thanks the receptionist and heads to his room, noticing a strange symbol etched onto its surface. He shakes off the strange feeling and unlocks the door, finding an eerie stillness that almost seems oppressive.

Just then, he hears a creaking noise coming from the bathroom. He cautiously makes his way over, pushing the door open to find an empty room. As he turns to leave, the tap suddenly starts to run and John jumps back, startled. He quickly turns it off and takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

But his relief is short-lived, as he suddenly hears a faint whisper echoing through the walls. He can barely make out the words but they fill him with a sense of dread. "Hellspawn...the key".

John quickly turns off the lights and dives into bed, pulling the covers over his head. He lies there, unable to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of the mysterious curse he's heard about. He doesn't believe in such things before, but now he can't help but feel a chill running down his spine.

John eventually dozes off, but his sleep is interrupted by nightmares of being chased through a dark forest by unseen forces sighting an oak tree from afar. When he wakes up the next morning, he feels more exhausted than when he went to bed.

As he begins to unpack his suitcase, he finds a small photo of his wife and young daughter. He stares at it for a moment, unable to shake the feeling of sadness he feels whenever he thinks about them. He quickly puts the photo away and focuses on unpacking the rest of his things.

Just as he finishes, he hears a knock at the door. He answers it to find a man. The man at the door is wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat. He grins widely at John and sticks out his hand.

"Hiya, buddy! My name's Pete, and I'm here to welcome you to Ravenwood. It's quite an interesting place if I do say so myself!"

John shakes Pete's hand, a little taken aback by the man's enthusiasm.

Pete continues, "So, you must have heard of Ravenwood's cursed- they just love talking up that sort of nonsense around here. Don't worry though, it's nothing to be too worried about."

Pete grins again and adds, "Anyway, why don't I give you the grand tour? Of course at only $5. I'm sure you've got plenty of questions about the place."

John nods, grateful for the offer. "I do have a few questions. I'm a journalist, and I'm here to do a feature on Ravenwood."

Pete's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "A journalist? Well, this is a rather interesting turn of events! I'd love to help you out, buddy. I know all the best stories around these parts." He grins and winks at John, adding, "I even know a few that are too good to be true!"

John chuckles, amused by Pete's enthusiasm. "Let's start with the basics," he suggests. "What can you tell me about Ravenwood and the curse it's supposedly under?"

Pete slides his hat off and scratches his head thoughtfully. "Well, it's been said that Ravenwood is cursed by an ancient spirit, one so powerful that no human could hope to face it in battle. It's said that those who wander here at night are at risk of being taken away for eternity - never to be seen again." He shudders and takes a deep breath before continuing. "There's also lots of tales of strange creatures lurking in the shadows here, ones that aren't seen anywhere else. It's not a place you want to explore alone, my friend."

John listens intently to Pete's stories, feeling a sense of unease wash over him. He remembers the whispers from the night before - "Hellspawn...the key." He turns to Pete and asks, "Do you know what Hellspawn means?"

Pete's eyes widen in fear and he quickly shakes his head. "No, no! Don't ever say that name out loud. That's the name of an ancient demon, one that lurks in the shadows of Ravenwood. To even speak its name is to invite its wrath." He looks at John with a serious expression, his voice grave. "Trust me, my friend. You don't want to stir up the beast that dwells here. Just be careful."

John nods, taking Pete's warning to heart. "I'll be careful, thank you for the advice. And I appreciate all of your help so far."

Pete grins and pats John on the back. "No problem, buddy. Glad to be of service." He hands John a business card with his address on it. "If you ever need anything else, just give me a call. I've lived here my whole life, so I know all the ins and outs of Ravenwood."

John thanks Pete and watches him leave. Once he's gone, John sits down on the bed, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, his phone rings, startling him out of his thoughts.

John answers, "John, it's your boss," says the voice on the other end of the line. "How's the trip going so far?"

"It's been...interesting," replies John cautiously. "I've met a few people who seem to take the whole 'cursed' thing pretty seriously."

His boss huffs in response. "Yes, that's why I sent you there. I need you to get me an exciting story, something that will draw readers in. You know what? Now that you mention it, why don't you focus on the legend of Hellspawn? That could be a great angle for your article."

John gulps nervously. "Um, yeah...okay, sure."

"Good. Make sure you get all the details - the more you can find out, the better the story. I need this by the end of the week."

"Got it," John replies. "I won't let you down."

"Excellent," his boss says. "Now get out there and find me a story!"

John sighs heavily as he hangs up the phone. He knows that finding information about Hellspawn won't be easy, especially since he's only been in Ravenwood for a day and he's already encountered some resistance from the locals.

But the reality of the situation sets in: he's on a mission, and he's determined to get results. He sinks into his hotel bed and takes a few moments to rest before getting up to grab his laptop and journalist's tools.

For hours, John pours through old texts and newspapers, searching for anything that could give him an insight into the legend of Hellspawn. He reads reports of strange disappearances and strange occurrences in Ravenwood and even finds a few first-hand accounts from people who claim to have seen the creature.

Finally, John finds what he's looking for a book written by a local author about the history of Ravenwood and the legend of Hellspawn. He hurriedly flips through the pages, hungrily devouring the information it contains. As John reads through the book, he realizes that the founders of Ravenwood made a deal with a demon to ensure the prosperity of their town. In exchange, the demon was allowed to haunt the town as long as the people referred to as the curse was kept in check.

But as he gets to the page that holds the most important detail of this bargain, he finds that it is mysteriously torn out of the book. This leaves John with more questions than answers. He knows the only way to potentially solve this puzzle and get to the bottom of the legend of Hellspawn is to go look for the part that completes the torn page.

John takes a deep breath and decides to go toward Pete's address. He grabs his coat and heads out into the strange town of Ravenwood. The streets seem eerily quiet, and John can't shake the feeling that he's being watched. As he walks, he looks around and notices a few people sporadically scattered about. He eventually sees a small restaurant filled with a few people inside who seem to be huddled together in conversation.

John takes a few steps closer, then stops in his tracks as a woman's voice breaks the silence. He turns his head to find a woman standing just outside the restaurant entrance.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me what time it is?" she asks.

"It's 7:30 pm."

"Oh thank you! Are you looking for Pete by any chance? That's my husband, and I know he's expecting someone."

"Yes, I'm looking for Pete. I'm an investigative reporter, and I believe he might be able to help me with my article."

"Yes, that must be you," she says with a smile. "My name is Michelle, and I'm Pete's wife. Come on in, I'll go fetch him and have him meet you at the table."

John follows Michelle into the restaurant where they find Pete sitting alone in a booth. As John approaches, Pete stands up

Pete excitedly stands up and moves in for a hug, but John awkwardly backs away, finding the gesture strange. Pete retreats slightly, but quickly recovers, urging John to sit down and have a meal with him.

John hesitates, but eventually gives in and sits down. "Thanks," he says nervously.

"No problem," Pete replies with a smile. "I'm sure you could use some fuel after your journey. I just happen to have a delicious plate of Mexican food here that I brought back from my last trip. It's not very expensive, so I thought it'd be a nice way to welcome you to Ravenwood."

John thanks Pete as he takes a bite of the flavorful meal. As he savors the flavors of the dish, Pete begins to explain how the locals of Ravenwood are very superstitious and rarely willing to speak about the legend of Hellspawn. He then tells him about the best source of information would be the local library.

John finishes the meal and quickly stands up. "Thank you for the meal," he says. "I appreciate it. Can you tell me how to get to the library?"

Pete nods and explains the directions to the library. With a thankful farewell, John heads off toward the library, excited and anxious to learn more about the mysterious being that haunts Ravenwood.

John approaches the town library, a foreboding brick structure that towered over its surroundings. The moon cast an eerie glow over the building, sending shivers down his spine. The tall windows and arched entrance gave it a fortress-like appearance that filled him with excitement and anticipation.

He glances about for any sign of life, but seeing none, he took a deep breath and decided to climb the wall and break in. His heart races as fear threatens to overwhelm him, but he keeps going until he was inside.

Making his way through the library, he could feel the oppressive silence that hung in the air. The only sound was an unnerving chanting that seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. As his skin prickled with dread, he keeps going, searching for anything related to the missing page. He peers around corners and explores every corner of the library, even poking through piles of dust and discarded books.

Finally, John stumbles upon a hidden section of the library. There were old, decaying tomes stacked everywhere, and among them was a lone book that catches his attention. He reaches out and grasped the book, shaking off the thick layer of dust on its cover. Its title was "The Deal with the Devil: Curse of Ravenwood." His heart raced as he opened the book and begins to read.

The text contained the story of the founding of Ravenwood and the dark bargain made between its settlers and a demon known as Hellspawn. According to the text, the settlers had promised the devil the soul of their firstborn child in exchange for certain services. In the years following, a few children had been born in the village, yet none ever vanished. The text revealed that the founders had found a loophole in the agreement, never specifying whose firstborn would have to be sacrificed.

John's heart sank when he read this. He realizes that the missing page held the key to revealing the identity of the cursed firstborn, and he kept looking--but unfortunately, he soon runs out of leads. He has to find a way to complete the torn page and solve the puzzle.

Stuffing the book into his bag, John sets out of the library, his excitement draining away. He notices a figure lurking in the shadows and felt his heart race with fear. He ran down the alleys, desperately trying to escape, but the figure was fast. Breathless and panicked, he decided to make a run for Pete's restaurant, which was closer than his hotel.

He dashes into the eatery, relieved to see that the hooded figure hadn’t followed him. But his relief quickly vanished as the figure glided into the room. Its burning eyes fixed upon John, and it spoke in a deep, demonic voice: “John Smith.”

John sank to the floor, unable to take his eyes off the hooded figure as it moved closer and closer, scythe in hand. With no other means of escape, he could only watch with bated breath and dread.