The ghosts of our past

Into the dark

Ethan’s lungs burned as he sprinted through the forest, Rachel’s hand locked in his. The echo of footsteps pounded behind them, growing louder, faster. Branches whipped across their faces, tearing at their clothes, but they didn’t stop. They couldn’t.

“They’re gaining on us,” Rachel gasped, her voice jagged with exhaustion.

Ethan’s mind raced, searching for a way out. The forest felt endless, the towering trees stretching like prison bars around them. But then he spotted it — a crumbling stone wall, half-hidden by overgrown vines.

“This way!” he hissed, dragging Rachel toward it.

They slipped behind the wall, pressing themselves against the cold stone. Ethan clamped a hand over Rachel’s mouth, both of them struggling to quiet their frantic breathing. The footsteps slowed, crunching through the leaves like predators savoring the hunt.

Through a gap in the stones, Ethan spotted Caleb. He stood eerily still, head tilted like he was listening to the forest itself. The other figures fanned out, their dark shapes barely visible in the shadows.

“I know you’re close,” Caleb called out, his voice low and taunting. “You can’t outrun this.”

Rachel trembled against Ethan, tears welling in her eyes. He squeezed her hand, silently promising he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not again.

Caleb took a slow step forward, his boots crunching on twigs. “Your father tried to run, too,” he said, his voice drifting through the trees like smoke. He thought he could protect him. Thought he could bury the past.”

Ethan’s chest tightened. He wanted to scream, to fight, to do anything but sit there in silence. But he knew they couldn’t afford to be reckless.

“Your mother made the same mistake,” Caleb continued, his voice a cold caress. She begged me to let her go. She offered herself instead.”

Rachel’s breath hitched, a muffled sob breaking free. Ethan’s heart shattered at the sound, but he held her tighter, willing her to stay quiet.

“I wonder,” Caleb mused, his voice laced with cruelty. “Will you beg, too?”

To be continued...