章 1: Night 1- The Echoes (1/3)
Echoes 1
The dim light of Claire's dorm room cast long shadows on the walls, where her posters of horror movies hung, each featuring the eerie grins of masked killers and supernatural beings. The flickering of her laptop screen illuminated her face as she typed an essay, the words blurring together in a haze of caffeine and anxiety. Just as she hit the last period, her phone buzzed, breaking the silence.
"Hey, Claire! You free to chat?" The text was from Jenny, her best friend since childhood.
Claire smiled and typed back, "Sure! What's up?"
A moment later, Jenny's voice crackled through the phone, excitement evident in her tone. "I have a plan! You, me, Mark, and David should come to my family's farmhouse this weekend. It's time we got out of this place!"
"Isn't that the old Holloway place?" Claire asked, unease creeping into her voice. Stories of the farmhouse haunted her memories—of people going missing during the harvest moon, whispers of the past echoing in the wind.
"Yeah! It'll be fun! We can carve pumpkins, tell scary stories, and maybe explore the woods. It's been ages since we've all hung out together!" Jenny's enthusiasm was infectious, but Claire felt a knot tighten in her stomach.
"Sounds… great. But you know I'm not a fan of those creepy stories," Claire admitted.
"Oh, come on! It's not like the legends are real. I promise you'll have a blast. Just think of it as a little getaway from exams. I'll even make my famous hot chocolate," Jenny teased.
With a resigned sigh, Claire replied, "Alright, I'm in. But only if you promise to keep the scary stories to a minimum."
"Deal! I'll text you the details," Jenny chimed before hanging up.
Claire glanced out of her window, the pale moonlight filtering through the trees. The distant sound of a wolf howling sent shivers down her spine, and she shook her head, dismissing the feeling. It was just an old farmhouse. What could possibly go wrong?
The drive to the Holloway farmhouse was long, winding through the dense forest that enveloped the road like a shroud. As they approached, Claire's heart raced with anticipation and dread. The air grew cooler, the trees pressing in around them, their branches clawing at the car like skeletal hands.
"Look at that place," Mark said, breaking the silence. He leaned forward in his seat, his eyes wide. "It's perfect for a horror movie."
"It looks like it's about to fall over," David muttered, his tone less enthusiastic. The older brother had a penchant for the macabre, but Claire could sense a flicker of discomfort in his eyes as they drew nearer.
The farmhouse loomed before them, a crumbling structure with sagging eaves and broken shutters. Weeds grew wild in the yard, and the paint peeled like the skin of a sunburned survivor. A feeling of foreboding wrapped around Claire like a cloak.
"Welcome to my family's castle!" Jenny declared, stepping out of the car with a grin, her enthusiasm unwavering. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah, if you like haunted ruins," Mark said, rolling his eyes, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
As they unloaded the car, Claire's gaze drifted toward the woods that bordered the property. The trees seemed to whisper secrets, shadows dancing at the edges of her vision. She shuddered, brushing it off as nerves.
Inside, the house was dark and musty. Dust motes floated in the beams of sunlight that pierced through the grimy windows. "The charm is all in the history," Jenny said, trying to instill some positivity into the dilapidated space.
"More like in the cobwebs," David quipped, pointing to the corners where thick webs hung like curtains.
"Let's make it cozy!" Jenny suggested, bustling around to open the windows. The wind whistled through the gaps, sending a chill through Claire's bones.
"Maybe we should get some candles," Claire said, her voice barely above a whisper, the air thick with tension.
As night fell, the farmhouse transformed. The warmth of the day gave way to an oppressive darkness, and the wind outside howled like a creature in pain. The four friends gathered around a bonfire, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames, casting eerie shadows on their features.
"Alright, let's share some ghost stories!" Jenny exclaimed, her excitement infectious despite the growing chill in the air.
"Pass," David said, crossing his arms. "I'd rather not risk a heart attack."
"Oh, come on!" Jenny persisted. "You're such a spoilsport. Claire, how about you?"
Claire hesitated. "I'm not sure… the stories about this place—"
"They're just stories!" Mark interjected. "Let's hear it, Claire. I could use a good scare."
Reluctantly, Claire took a breath and began. "There's a legend that a family disappeared from this house many years ago during the harvest moon. Some say they were taken by something in the woods, something that stalks the darkness."
"Seriously? That's it?" David scoffed. "People disappear all the time in rural areas. It's not like it's a horror movie."
"Maybe, but the rumors say their spirits still haunt the woods, waiting for someone to join them," Claire continued, her heart racing as she spoke.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the clearing, extinguishing the bonfire momentarily. The darkness seemed to swallow them whole, and Claire felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck.
"Okay, that was creepy," Mark said, laughing nervously as he tried to reignite the fire.
"Or maybe just the spirits saying hi," Jenny joked, but her smile faltered as she glanced at the trees swaying ominously in the distance.
Claire couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them from the shadows. She shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders. "Let's just go inside," she suggested, her voice laced with unease.
Back inside the farmhouse, the air was thick with tension. The flickering lights cast strange shadows on the walls, and Claire could feel the unease creeping back in. They settled in the living room, huddled together under a pile of blankets.
"Okay, who's next?" Jenny asked, trying to break the mounting tension.
"Not me," David replied, glancing at the windows as if expecting to see something lurking outside. "I just want to sleep."
"I'll go," Mark said, his bravado returning. "You all need to lighten up. How about a story about the time I nearly fell off a cliff during a hike?"
As he launched into a tale of adventure and near-misses, Claire's mind wandered back to the woods. Outside, the wind howled louder, and she caught a glimpse of movement at the edge of the trees—a flash of white, like a figure darting just out of sight.
"Did you see that?" Claire blurted, her heart racing.
"See what?" Mark paused mid-story, looking at her with concern.
"I thought I saw something in the woods," she replied, her voice trembling.
"Probably just a deer or something," Jenny said, dismissing her fear. "They're everywhere out here."
But Claire couldn't shake the feeling that something more sinister was at play. The hairs on her neck stood on end, and the shadows seemed to grow longer, twisting and turning as if alive.
"Let's go check it out," David suggested suddenly, standing up. "If there's something out there, I want to see it."
"Are you crazy?" Claire shot back, panic creeping into her voice. "We shouldn't go out there!"
"Come on, it'll be fun," David insisted, his eyes glinting with a mix of bravado and recklessness.
As they debated, Claire felt a knot tightening in her stomach, a primal instinct urging her to flee. But they all moved toward the door, curiosity and adrenaline driving them forward.
With one last glance at the darkened woods, Claire followed her friends outside, unaware that the true horror was just beginning to unfold.
The cool night air wrapped around Claire like an unwelcome embrace as she stepped outside, her heart thudding against her ribcage. The moon hung high, a pale disc casting ghostly light over the farmhouse and the woods beyond. The trees swayed in the wind, their branches scratching against one another like skeletal fingers reaching out for something—or someone.
"Alright, let's go," David said, his voice a mix of excitement and bravado. He stepped ahead, leading the way into the shadows that loomed just beyond the safety of the porch light.
Mark and Jenny followed closely behind, their laughter mingling with the rustle of leaves. Claire hesitated, glancing back at the warmth of the farmhouse. "Are we really doing this?" she murmured, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind.
"Come on, Claire! Don't be such a wuss," Mark teased, turning to face her. "It'll be an adventure!"
"Yeah, we'll just take a quick look. Nothing's going to happen," Jenny added, though the edge in her voice betrayed her own uncertainty.
Swallowing her fear, Claire took a deep breath and joined them, the crunch of leaves beneath her feet sounding alarmingly loud in the oppressive silence. The path into the woods twisted and turned, shrouded in shadows. The trees towered over them, and the air grew colder with each step.
As they ventured deeper, the laughter faded, replaced by an uneasy silence that enveloped them like a heavy fog. Claire glanced around, half-expecting to see something lurking in the shadows. "You guys think we'll actually see anything?" she asked, trying to break the tension.
"Probably just some raccoons," David replied dismissively. "But if we do see something, I'll be the first one to run. You know me."
"Very brave of you," Jenny shot back, rolling her eyes. "Let's just keep going. It'll be fine."
But as they walked further, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt charged, as if something unseen was watching them. Claire's instincts screamed at her to turn back, but she pressed on, her curiosity battling her fear.
They reached a clearing, the moonlight illuminating a small, weathered cabin that seemed to emerge from the darkness like a ghost. Its walls were sagging, and the windows were boarded up, remnants of an old structure long forgotten by time.
"Whoa. Look at that!" Mark exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. "What do you think it's doing out here?"
"Probably a hunting shack or something," David replied, stepping closer. "Let's check it out."
"No way," Claire said, her voice rising slightly. "We shouldn't go inside. It's probably unsafe."
"Come on, Claire! Don't be boring!" Mark urged, pulling open the creaky door. It protested with a low groan, revealing a dark interior that smelled of mildew and decay.
Claire hesitated at the threshold, her heart racing as the shadows inside seemed to beckon her. "Guys, I really don't think—"
"Just a quick look, okay?" Jenny said, pushing past her. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Before Claire could protest further, Jenny stepped inside, and the others followed, leaving Claire to linger at the door. She could feel the weight of the darkness pressing in around her, and her instincts screamed at her to leave.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind her with an ominous finality. The interior was dimly lit by a sliver of moonlight filtering through a crack in the boarded window, revealing a small room filled with old furniture, dusty shelves, and a rickety table.
"What do you think happened here?" Mark asked, running his fingers over the surface of a table covered in dust.
"Probably just a bunch of old junk," David replied, kicking a rusted can across the floor. "But it's still cool to see."
As they explored, Jenny noticed something on the far wall. "Hey, look at this!" she called, her voice echoing slightly. She approached a series of old photographs, their surfaces marred by age and grime.
Author's Note:
Thank you for diving into "Echoes" in "Hundred Nights of Fear." I'll be updating this story over the next three days, so prepare for more chills and thrills! If you want to read the entire story and enjoy exclusive content, consider joining my Patreon at [patreon.com/MrFlashXO](https://patreon.com/MrFlashXO).
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