Whispers of the Forgotten Pines

Ethan stumbled back against a tree, his mind spinning. His breath was ragged, heart hammering against his ribs. The vision the girl had shown him—what was it? A memory? A warning?

The fire. The screaming. The name Eleanor Bell.

He clenched the newspaper clipping in his fist, the paper crinkling under his grip. If this was some kind of message, then he needed to figure out what it meant. And fast.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and turned back toward town. The trees pressed in around him, their shadows stretching unnaturally long under the moonlight. Every step felt heavier, like the forest itself was reluctant to let him go.

By the time he reached the edge of the woods, a faint orange glow touched the horizon. Dawn. He had been in there all night.

As he made his way back through the quiet streets, an uneasy sensation prickled at the back of his neck. Someone was watching him. Again.

He spun around. The street was empty.

Or at least, it looked empty.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to keep walking, but the feeling didn't fade. Whoever was watching him wasn't just some curious neighbor peeking out their window. This was something else.

The Inn

When Ethan finally reached his room, exhaustion settled over him like a heavy blanket. His hands shook as he fumbled with the key, finally shoving the door open. The moment he was inside, he locked it behind him and exhaled sharply.

His mind raced. He needed a plan.

He grabbed a notepad from the bedside table and flipped to a blank page.

Things I Know:Eleanor Bell was real. She was connected to this town.The girl in the woods—she knows something.Clara lied when she said she didn't recognize the girl's description.The fire in my vision—was it real?

Ethan tapped the pen against the paper. If there was a fire, there would be records of it.

He glanced at the clock. 6:45 AM. The library would open soon.

He had to talk to Clara again.

Ethan arrived just as Clara was unlocking the doors.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You look like you haven't slept in a week."

"Yeah, well." He forced a half-smile. "Didn't feel like sleeping."

Clara studied him for a second before stepping aside to let him in. "What are you looking for this time?"

He hesitated. "Old news archives. Specifically, anything about a fire that happened here. Something big."

Her expression barely flickered, but Ethan saw it. That brief moment of recognition.

She walked to the desk, her fingers tapping against the wood. "We don't get many fires in Whispering Pines."

He leaned forward. "Then it should be easy to find, right?"

Clara hesitated. Then, finally, she nodded. "Follow me."

She led him down a narrow aisle lined with old wooden bookshelves, the air thick with the scent of aged paper. At the back of the library, she stopped in front of a tall metal filing cabinet.

"This is where we keep the old town records," she said, unlocking one of the drawers. "You'll have to dig through it yourself. I have work to do."

Ethan nodded, but he could tell—she didn't want him looking.

The moment she walked away, he pulled open the drawer and started flipping through the files. The papers were old, yellowed with time, but he scanned them quickly.

Then—his fingers froze.

There it was.

FIRE DESTROYS BELL ESTATE – TRAGEDY STRIKES WHISPERING PINES

His pulse pounded as he read the article.

The Bell Estate. A grand mansion at the edge of town. Burned to the ground twenty-five years ago.

Two bodies had been found inside.

One of them was Eleanor Bell.

The second—was never identified.

Ethan's skin crawled. He scanned the article for details. The fire had been ruled an accident, but the town's rumors suggested otherwise. Some claimed it was murder. Others whispered about something worse.

His vision blurred slightly as he stared at Eleanor's name.

She had died in that fire.

Then how was her face staring back at him from the woods last night?

A noise snapped him back to reality.

A soft creak.

Ethan's head shot up. The aisle was empty, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He wasn't alone.

Slowly, carefully, he placed the newspaper clipping back into the drawer. Then he turned the corner—

And nearly crashed into Clara.

His heart jumped into his throat. "Jesus—Clara."

She didn't move. She was staring at him, her expression unreadable.

"Find what you were looking for?" she asked softly.

Ethan studied her, searching for any sign of hostility. But her face remained neutral. Too neutral.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I think I did."

Clara nodded, her fingers tightening around the edge of the bookshelf. Then, after a moment, she leaned in just slightly and whispered:

"Be careful what you dig up, Ethan. Some things are buried for a reason."

She turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the aisle, his blood running cold.

The Estate

Ethan barely remembered leaving the library. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of the ruins of the Bell Estate.

The once-grand mansion was nothing but crumbling stone and overgrown weeds. The remains of a scorched foundation stretched out before him, skeletal beams jutting from the earth like broken ribs.

This was where Eleanor had died.

Or at least—where she was supposed to have died.

Ethan stepped forward. His boots crunched against charred debris.

Then, suddenly—he felt it.

The air shifted.

The forest behind him went silent. The kind of silence that wasn't natural.

Slowly, he turned—

And saw her.

The girl.

Standing at the edge of the ruins, half-hidden in shadow.

But this time… something was different.

She wasn't alone.

A second figure stood beside her.

Taller. Dressed in dark clothing. Face obscured.

Ethan's stomach dropped.

The girl had been watching him. But she wasn't the only one.

The second figure lifted a hand.

And pointed directly at him.

A gust of wind howled through the trees, kicking up ash and dust. Ethan shielded his eyes for half a second—

And when he looked back—

They were gone.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

Who was that?

And more importantly—

Had he just been warned?