“That sound,” she said, her eyes wide. “It was like … whispering.”
The night in the little coastal town of Evermore was pretty silent, the sun was at the evening part of its daily route, shining brightly orange. The air was filled with the pleasant noise of waves against the shores. Everything felt so serene, and yet Emma had that inescapable fidget in her chest.
“Are you sure about this?” Emma asked, her arms crossed as she stood at the edge of the old pier.
Liam turned back to her, holding a flashlight. “Trust me, Emma, this is the place,” he said confidently.
She frowned at the rickety old warehouse ahead, its wooden boards falling apart and windows either broken or shuttered. “It’s something out of a horror movie,” she muttered.
Liam laughed, though he didn’t sound super convinced. “Relax. Nothing’s going to jump out at us.”
They stepped inside and the door creaked loudly behind them. Liam’s flashlight lit up the room in a wave of dust that carried old tools, broken crates, and tons of cobwebs. The place smelled musty, like it hadn’t been touched in years.
Emma froze. “Did you hear that?” she whispered, her voice shaking.
Liam turned to her. “Hear what?”
“That sound,” she said, her eyes wide. “It was like… whispering.”
Liam sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re probably just imagining stuff.”
“I’m not,” Emma said firmly, though her voice still shook. “It said something like, ‘Leave now.’”
Liam waved the flashlight around the room, but there was nothing there. “Well, whatever it was, it’s gone now,” he said, but he sounded unsure.
Suddenly, a loud creak echoed from deeper inside the warehouse. Both of them jumped.
“What was that?” Emma whispered, grabbing Liam’s arm.
“I don’t know,” he said, his voice quiet. “But we need to keep moving.”
Footsteps echoed behind them. Emma froze. “Liam, someone’s following us,” she whispered, her heart pounding. Liam looked behind them but saw nothing.
“Don’t panic, Emma. Let’s just check it out,” he said, trying to sound brave.
“Check it out? Are you nuts?” Emma hissed. “That’s how people die in scary movies!”
“I have to know what’s going on,” he said, clutching the flashlight tightly.
They turned toward the noise, and suddenly, a shadowy figure stepped out of the darkness. The person wore a hood that covered their face, and they moved slowly toward them.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the figure said, their voice low and rough.
Emma’s heart raced. “Who… who are you?”
The figure tilted its head slightly. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you leave. Now.”
Liam stepped forward. “We’re not leaving until we get some answers,” he said, trying to sound tough.
The figure let out a creepy laugh. “Answers won’t help you. Not here, not now.”
Emma tugged on Liam’s arm. “Please, can we just go? This feels all kinds of wrong.”
Liam hesitated but nodded when he saw how scared she was. “Fine,” he said, lowering the flashlight.
As they backpedaled out of the warehouse, the figure melted into the shadows like they had never been there.
Outside, the cool night air hit Emma’s face, and she let out a shaky breath. “Next time, we’re sticking to exploring beaches, not creepy old buildings,” she said, crossing her arms.
Liam gave a weak smile. “Yeah. Deal.”
But as they walked away from the pier, neither of them noticed the faint whispers growing louder behind them. Something told Emma they hadn’t seen the last of whatever was in that warehouse.
