Return to the Shadows
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Months passed since Delphine and Kora’s terrifying encounter in the cabin of Maplewood Forest, but the memories lingered like a bad dream. Kora often caught herself staring into mirrors too long, expecting to see something unnatural lurking behind her. Delphine, normally the adventurous one, had grown quieter, her wild energy tempered by a newfound caution.
But the shadows hadn’t forgotten them.
One crisp autumn evening, as twilight painted the sky in shades of orange and violet, Kora’s phone buzzed with a message from Delphine: “I need you. Urgent.”
Kora frowned. Delphine had been avoiding the forest and anything remotely adventurous since the incident. She quickly texted back: “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
No reply.
Feeling a pang of worry, Kora grabbed her jacket and flashlight and headed out. She found Delphine waiting at the edge of Maplewood Forest, a bundle of nerves. Her eyes darted to every shadow, and her fingers trembled as she clutched her phone.
“Delphine, what’s going on?” Kora asked, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.
“It’s back,” Delphine whispered, her voice shaky. “The shadow. It’s been following me.”
Kora’s heart sank. “What do you mean? You’ve been seeing it?”
Delphine nodded. “In my dreams, in reflections, even in the corners of my room at night. It whispers to me, Kora. It wants us to come back.”
Kora wanted to dismiss it as lingering fear, but something in Delphine’s eyes told her this was different. “You think it’s… calling us back to the cabin?”
Delphine nodded, clutching a crumpled piece of paper. “I found this under my pillow this morning.” She handed it to Kora. It was an old, yellowed page torn from a journal, with the same frantic handwriting they’d seen in the cabin. It read:96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXvLJhcaI7
“You can’t escape it. The forest binds you. Return to the source, or it will come for you.”
Kora felt her blood run cold. “This doesn’t make sense. How could this page…?”
Delphine interrupted. “We have to go back, Kora. We have to end this.”
Kora hesitated, fear gripping her. But seeing the desperation in Delphine’s eyes, she knew there was no convincing her otherwise. “Fine,” she said. “But we do this together, and we don’t stay any longer than we have to.”
The forest seemed darker than before, the towering trees more menacing. The air was heavy, and the faint rustle of leaves sounded almost like whispers. As they approached the cabin, the memories came flooding back—the journal, the whispers, the shadowy figure.
“This place feels worse,” Delphine muttered, her voice barely audible.
The cabin stood in eerie silence, its boarded windows like hollow eyes. The door creaked open as if inviting them inside. Kora felt a chill run down her spine. “Are we really doing this?” she asked.
Delphine swallowed hard and nodded. “We have to.”
Inside, the air was suffocating. The room seemed untouched since their last visit—dusty furniture, shattered glass, and the remnants of the journal they’d abandoned. But this time, something was different. The shadows were thicker, almost alive, curling at the edges of their vision.
“What now?” Kora asked, gripping Delphine’s arm.
Before Delphine could answer, a low voice echoed through the room. “You came back.”
The shadows coalesced into the same tall figure they had seen months ago, its glowing eyes piercing through the darkness. It smiled a wicked curve that sent a jolt of terror through both girls.
“Why us?” Delphine demanded, her voice trembling but defiant.
The figure tilted its head, amused. “You opened the door. You woke me. And now… you must pay the price.”
Kora stepped forward, fear battling with courage. “What do you want from us?”
The figure’s laughter filled the room, cold and hollow. “A trade. One stay. One leaves.”
“No!” Delphine shouted, stepping protectively in front of Kora. “You can’t have us!”
The shadow chuckled darkly. “You have no choice. Decide… or I will.”
The room began to warp, the walls shifting and groaning. Shadows crawled closer, and the temperature plummeted. Kora grabbed Delphine’s hand. “We’re not doing this. We’ll fight it.”
“How?” Delphine asked, panic in her voice.
Kora remembered the journal and the writer’s last words: “Run. Do not look back.” A desperate plan formed in her mind. “We run,” she said firmly. “And no matter what happens, don’t stop. Don’t look back.”
Delphine hesitated but nodded, trusting her friend. They bolted for the door, the shadow roaring in anger behind them. The cabin seemed to twist, its hallways stretching endlessly, the exit always just out of reach.
“Kora!” Delphine cried, her grip tightening.
“Keep going!” Kora shouted, forcing herself forward. The whispers grew deafening, and the air felt like molasses, dragging them back. But Kora pushed on, focusing on the faint glimmer of moonlight through the door.
Finally, they burst outside, collapsing onto the forest floor. The shadow stopped at the threshold, its glowing eyes watching them with rage. “This isn’t over,” it hissed before retreating into the cabin.
The girls scrambled to their feet and ran without stopping until they reached the edge of the forest. Panting and shaking, they turned to look back. The cabin was gone, replaced by an empty clearing.
“Is it… over?” Delphine asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Kora shook her head. “I don’t know. But we’re not going back.”
As they walked home, the shadows of the forest seemed to stretch further, watching, waiting. And though they had escaped, both girls knew the darkness hadn’t truly let them go.
It never would.
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