The Town With No Exit

The Voice In The Static

But something was talking to her.

Violet Noir stood at the edge of Hollow Lake. She had walked here without meaning to. Her feet just... brought her.

Her headphones were supposed to be playing music. But there was no music. Only static. And inside the static, a girl's voice.

"Violet... Violet Noir... you shouldn't have come..."

Violet froze. She looked down at the black water. No one was there. The lake was empty.

"Who's there?" she whispered.

The static cleared for one second and the voice was crystal clear. It was a girl, about her age, crying.

"They told me the town has no exit. I didn't believe them. Now I'm here. In the lake. Violet, please don't listen to the town. It lies."

Violet's heart beat fast. She ripped the headphones off. The voice stopped. But when she looked at the lake again, she saw footprints. Wet footprints leading INTO the lake. But none leading out.

Small footprints. Like a girl her size.

And they were fresh.

Behind her, in the trees, a branch snapped. Someone was watching her.

Violet turned around. No one.

But on the dirt road, there was a second set of footprints. Right behind hers.

She wasn't alone at the lake.