The faintest hint of Evans’ voice reached my ears, though it sounded far off, distant. “Valerie! Where are you?”
But it wasn’t enough to pull me from the trance I was in. The voice continued to call me, steady and rhythmic. Valerie… Valerie… it seemed to say with an almost loving persistence. I had no choice but to follow.
As I ventured further into the woods, the path became unfamiliar. The trees towered above me like dark, looming guards, their branches swaying in the wind. The night was still, but there was an electric hum in the air, a sense of anticipation that set my teeth on edge. The voice was so close now, just beyond the next bend, urging me to keep moving, to follow.
I pushed forward, the sound of my footsteps muffled by the soft earth beneath me. But then, something shifted.
