Whispers by the Waterfall.

Chapter 15: Secrets and Storms

Jane nodded. “And we have to be careful. If someone’s been watching us—watching Jake—they might know we’re together now.”

Chelsea looked at Kayla, then the group. “Maybe we should split up. A few of us can check the falls, the rest keep watch here. That way, if anyone comes looking for Jake, we’ll know.”

Kayla hesitated, weighing her options. Splitting up meant more risk, but it also meant covering more ground. She glanced at Jake, saw the fear and hope mingling on his face.

“I’ll go to the falls,” Kayla said. “Matt, Jane, and Steve, come with me. Chelsea, you and Nic stay here with Jake and Paul. Keep your phones on. If anything happens, call.”

The group nodded, tension easing as roles solidified. Matt grabbed a flashlight from his bag, Jane tucked Jake’s notebook into her backpack, and Steve double-checked his phone’s signal.

Kayla turned to her sister, squeezing her hand. “We’ll be back soon. Keep Jake safe.”

Chelsea nodded, her eyes fierce. “I promise.”

The group split, Kayla leading her team out into the gathering storm. Rain began to fall, first in scattered drops, then in a steady sheet, drumming on the mill’s tin roof and soaking through their jackets as they hurried along the riverbank toward the falls.

Branches whipped at Kayla’s arms, mud squelched underfoot. The world felt smaller, the woods closing in around them. But Kayla pressed on, the image of her sister’s determined face pushing her forward.

When they reached the waterfall, the roar was deafening, the spray icy on their cheeks. Jane scanned the rocks, searching for the carved symbol. Matt climbed onto a slick boulder, flashlight beam darting over the surface.

“There!” Jane called, pointing to a faint circle and cross etched into the third stone from the left.

Kayla knelt beside it, her fingers tracing the grooves worn by decades of rain and river. Carefully, she pried at the base of the stone, her heart pounding. It shifted, then lifted, revealing a dark, narrow crevice.

Inside, wrapped in oilcloth, was a small metal box. Kayla’s breath caught. She glanced at Jane, who nodded encouragement, and together they pulled the box free.

Before they could open it, a shout echoed from the woods behind them—harsh, angry, close.

Matt spun, flashlight raised. “We’re not alone!”

Kayla shoved the box into her backpack, adrenaline surging. “Run!”

They scrambled back up the path, rain and mud slowing their flight. Kayla’s mind raced. Had Travis found them? Or was it someone else—someone even more dangerous?

Back at the mill, Chelsea paced the floor, phone clutched tight in her fist. Jake watched the door, every muscle taut with dread. Nic peered through a c***k in the boards, searching for movement among the trees.

When Kayla burst through the door, soaked and breathless, she held up the backpack, her voice trembling with relief and fear.

“We’ve got it,” she gasped. “But someone’s coming. We have to get out—now.”

The group sprang into action, gathering their things and hurrying into the storm. Behind them, the mill stood silent and empty—its secrets, for now, safe in Kayla’s hands.

As they disappeared into the rain-drenched woods, Kayla looked back once, her heart hammering. Whatever was in that box, whatever dangers lay ahead, she knew one thing for certain: together, they stood a chance.