Shadows at the edge of the woods

It was a little past midnight by the time the boys finished pitching the tent.

They picked a hidden spot near the woods — close enough for cover, just in case someone drove by.

Dylan and Mark stayed close together, letting Ben take the lead as they explored the area.

“Guys, wait a minute,” Dylan whispered, his voice shaky. “I swear I just heard something… in the woods.”

Ben turned, unimpressed.

“Dude, it’s the woods. What do you expect? Kids laughing? Car alarms? It’s just animals,” Mark said sarcastically.

Still, they moved carefully, every snap of a twig putting them more on edge.

Suddenly, headlights flashed up the road.

The boys froze, panic setting in.

Without thinking, they bolted — sprinting toward the lake, away from the road.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Mark hissed, stumbling over a root. “This is insane. We should’ve skipped this dare! I could be with Cassidy right now — not stuck here with dead people!”

The headlights slowed at the gates to the cemetery…

And then, in an instant, the car vanished.

The boys rubbed their eyes, sure they were imagining things — but when they looked again, there was nothing. No lights. No engine. No car.

“Great,” Dylan said, throwing up his hands. “We’ve been here, what, three hours? And we’re already seeing freaky shit! This place is gonna make us lose our minds!”

Mark and Dylan kept arguing in hushed tones.

Meanwhile, Ben… just wandered off.

“Where the hell are you going, Ben?!” the twins whispered harshly, scrambling after him.

“Shh,” Ben hissed. “I keep hearing someone talking… but I can’t hear it over you two idiots.”

Mark tried to reason with him.

“Dude, you’re tired. We all are. Let’s just crash at the tent and get the hell out of here at sunrise.”

But Ben ignored them, pushing further into the field.

Reluctantly, Dylan and Mark followed.

As Dylan jogged to catch up, he noticed a headstone off to the side. Something about it made him stop.

The inscription was barely readable in the moonlight:

“1894–1902. In loving memory of Nadia Grace. Daughter and Sister.”

He stared at it for a long moment, feeling an eerie connection he couldn’t explain.

With a shiver, he ran after the others, silently cursing himself for always getting dragged into this kind of mess.

Ben led the way toward the woods, the twins close behind, when all three boys suddenly froze.

Somewhere nearby, faint voices drifted through the trees:

“It’s time again, Sue. See? I told you you’d get another chance. There’s enough for both of us… and they look pretty healthy too. Not like the usual bone bags we get.”

The boys stared at each other in horror, barely breathing.

Another voice — softer, almost regretful — answered:

“I don’t know, Willy… I haven’t done it in so long. They put me here for a reason, remember? So I’d stop… They’re just boys. They haven’t even lived yet. They have futures, families…”

Ben gave Dylan and Mark a look, silently urging them to back away. But the twins, terrified, refused to leave his side.

“Damn it, Sue!” the harsher voice snapped. “We barely ever get out, and tonight we got lucky! You’re either gonna kill one of them, or I will. It’s just like when you killed that little bitch you shared a room with, remember?”

Ben had heard enough.

Without thinking, he turned and bolted, crashing through the underbrush. Dylan and Mark sprinted after him, their hearts hammering.

Back at the tent, Ben didn’t waste a second.

“Pack. Now,” he barked.

The fear in his voice was enough; neither twin asked questions. They grabbed their bags and started tearing down the tent in frantic silence.

But then — snap — a twig broke nearby.

The boys froze.

Don’t look. Don’t move.

Get out.

They abandoned the tent, running as fast as they could toward the road.

That’s when they saw her.

A girl, standing alone by the path.

She looked about eight years old, in a tattered white dress, her hair hanging in tangled waves.

Ben slowed, cautious.

“Hey… are you okay?” he asked.

No answer.

He took a step closer — and the girl finally lifted her head.

Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

One word: Run.

Dylan and Mark didn’t need to hear it twice. They took off toward the truck.

But Ben — something made him stay.

“Who are you?” he asked. “What’s going on out here?”

The girl, her voice eerily calm, answered.

“My name is Nadia,” she said. “My parents put me here when I was six… after I drowned my baby brother.”

Ben felt the blood drain from his face.

“He didn’t deserve a life when my kittens didn’t,” she whispered. “I just wanted him to feel the pain I felt.”

Nadia looked around the dark woods nervously.

“Once a month, the guards let some of us out… We get to roam the grounds. Sometimes, people like you come. Most of us just watch. But some… they hurt people. Willy and Sue — they’re out there now. They were watching you.”

Ben’s stomach twisted.

“Come with us!” he begged. “We can get you out of here — my mom’s always wanted a daughter, she’d love you!”

Nadia smiled sadly.

“I can’t leave. This place won’t let me. If I tried… it would drag me — and you — back.”

“Now run!”

Before Ben could move, Nadia vanished — disappearing into the air like mist.

Heart pounding, Ben sprinted toward the gate.