Chapter 4: Beneath the Surface
The night hung heavy over Alder Creek, suffocating the town in its silence. The shadows seemed deeper than usual, stretching long across the streets, as if something unseen was lurking just beyond the reach of the dim streetlights. Elias drove home in a daze, the weight of John Carter’s words pressing down on him like a stone lodged deep in his chest. The idea of a curse—a supernatural force behind the disappearances—was absurd. Yet, there was no denying the growing sense that the town was hiding something, something that went beyond the confines of reason and logic.
He parked outside his house and sat there for a moment, staring at the dark windows. His home should have felt like a refuge, a place to escape the chaos of the case. But tonight, it felt like a cage, the walls closing in on him, suffocating him. He could already hear the echo of Emily’s voice in his mind: “You’re looking in the wrong place.”
Was she right? Were they missing something?
He shook the thought away. There was no room for doubt, not when so much was at stake. His family—his wife, Caroline, and their young daughter, Sophie—were still out there, completely unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by whispers of curses and legends. His job was to find the truth, to bring the missing people home, to protect his own.
As he entered the house, the scent of Caroline’s perfume lingered in the hallway. She had always loved the lavender-scented candles she kept on the mantelpiece. But tonight, even the familiar smells of home felt foreign, unsettling.
“Caroline?” Elias called, stepping into the living room.
There was no answer.
His heart quickened, the unease that had followed him all evening surging into something more tangible. He moved quickly, checking the kitchen, the hallway, and finally the bedroom. His gaze flickered to Sophie’s room, but the door was ajar. He stepped inside, half-expecting to find his wife in there, sitting on the bed, reading a book to their daughter. But the room was empty, the bed neatly made, the only sound the soft creak of the old floorboards beneath his feet.
A sense of dread settled over him, thick and heavy. Where were they?
A sharp pain lanced through his chest as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He yanked it out, relief flooding him as he saw the name on the screen: Caroline.
“Where are you?” Elias asked, his voice tight with barely-contained panic. “Why weren’t you home?”
“Sorry, Elias,” Caroline’s voice came through, calm and steady. “I’m just down the street at the park with Sophie. We’re watching the stars.”
Elias let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “The park? It’s almost midnight.”
Caroline chuckled softly on the other end. “I know. I didn’t want to wake you, but Sophie was insistent. You know how she gets when she gets an idea in her head. We’re fine, Elias. Don’t worry.”
Elias paused for a moment, the tension in his shoulders not easing. “I just… I just had a bad feeling.”
“I’ll be home soon,” Caroline promised. “Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.”
Elias hung up the phone and stood there for a moment, his gaze fixed on the empty room. He had been on edge all day, and now, the nagging voice in the back of his mind wouldn’t go away. He knew he should feel relieved, but he didn’t.
Instead, he grabbed his coat, pulling it on quickly. He had to know. He had to see for himself.
The park was a quiet place this time of night, the kind of place that felt like a world apart from the rest of the town. The swing set creaked gently in the breeze, its chains rattling in the darkness. A solitary lamppost cast a weak, flickering light over the empty space, its glow fighting against the ever-encroaching darkness.
Elias could see Caroline and Sophie in the distance, sitting on the grass, their faces tilted upward as they stared at the stars. Caroline had always had a fascination with the night sky, her mind forever wondering about what lay beyond. Sophie, on the other hand, had inherited her father’s skepticism about the supernatural. She was the kind of child who believed in facts, not fairy tales.
As Elias walked closer, a strange sense of discomfort washed over him. The air felt thick, as if the very atmosphere was charged with something that didn’t belong. It was the kind of feeling he’d get when walking through a crime scene, when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and the world seemed to pause, holding its breath.
“Caroline,” Elias called softly, stepping into the dim light.
His wife turned, her face softening when she saw him. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone warm but with an underlying edge of concern. “I thought you were working.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Elias said, his gaze flickering to Sophie, who had stood up now, her eyes wide and unblinking as she stared at something just beyond the tree line. “Everything okay?”
Caroline followed his gaze, then quickly turned back to him, her expression tight. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
But there was something in her voice—something that didn’t sit right with Elias. He could feel the unease creeping in, slowly creeping up his spine. Sophie’s eyes didn’t leave the trees, her gaze fixed on something Elias couldn’t see.
“Sophie?” he asked, kneeling down in front of her.
She didn’t answer.
“Sophie, hey,” Elias said, his voice firm now, trying to get her attention.
Slowly, she turned to him, her eyes wide and distant, as though she hadn’t heard him. “It’s them,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “The people in the trees.”
Elias’ blood ran cold. His mind raced as he glanced nervously toward the dark silhouette of the trees on the edge of the park. The shadows seemed deeper there, darker. For a moment, it felt as though they were watching, waiting.
“What do you mean, Sophie?” Elias asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
But Sophie didn’t answer. She only pointed, her small finger trembling as she pointed toward the line of trees, her eyes fixed on something that wasn’t there—at least, not in the way Elias could see. He followed her gaze, but the trees were empty. The night was still.
Caroline reached for Sophie’s hand, pulling her closer. “It’s okay,” she murmured, her voice soothing. “There’s nothing out there. You’re just tired, sweetheart. Come on, let’s go home.”
But Sophie shook her head, her eyes wide with terror. “They’re coming,” she whispered. “They’re coming for us.”
Elias felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Something wasn’t right, and every instinct he had screamed at him that they weren’t alone.
“Let’s go,” he said quickly, his hand grabbing Caroline’s arm as he pulled her away from the park.
As they made their way back toward the car, Elias couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The sense of unease clung to him like a second skin, pressing in from every side. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, but all he saw was the empty darkness of the park, its shadows stretching long and ominous.
He couldn’t explain it, but something had shifted. The air was different now, heavier. And Elias knew, without a doubt, that the darkness that had begun to creep into Alder Creek was only getting closer.
