Chapter 9: Into the Depths
The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over Alder Creek. Elias stood at the edge of the woods, the cold bite of night creeping into his bones. His eyes scanned the dark expanse before him, as if the trees themselves might whisper the secrets they had been hiding for years. The figure he had encountered in his father’s house—the thing that had worn Mark Wheeler’s face—was still fresh in his mind, and the weight of its words hung over him like a curse.
You’ll understand soon enough. And when you do, it will be too late.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming for him. The town had always felt like a quiet place, a peaceful little dot on the map, but the darkness he had uncovered was more than he could have ever imagined. And now, with his father’s old journal in hand and the unsettling knowledge that his family was involved in something far more sinister than he could have dreamed, Elias knew there was no turning back.
His footsteps crunched on the gravel path as he made his way toward the small, overgrown cemetery on the outskirts of town. The place had always been a graveyard for the forgotten, its stones weathered by time and its name lost in the shuffle of years. But tonight, it called to him, like an old friend with a warning.
He had to find answers, and they were buried here, in the earth.
The wind howled through the trees, making the branches sway like skeletal fingers reaching out to him. Elias’s breath came in shallow gasps, the cold gnawing at his skin as he approached the first row of tombstones. He ran a hand over the cracked surface of one of the stones, his fingers brushing the faded name etched into the granite. It was a name he recognized—one of the missing.
“Sarah Collins,” he murmured under his breath. The woman had vanished weeks ago, her disappearance just one of many that had plagued the town over the years. Her family had given up hope of finding her, and yet here, in the graveyard, her name was etched in stone—unanswered, unresolved.
Is this where it all begins?
Elias’s thoughts raced as he moved deeper into the cemetery, scanning the tombstones for any other familiar names. His father’s journal had mentioned the cemetery—cryptic references, pages filled with half-finished thoughts, things Elias didn’t yet understand. But as he walked among the graves, he felt a chill that went beyond the cold night air. The hairs on his neck stood on end, the unmistakable sense of being watched creeping over him like a shiver.
He stopped in front of another grave, this one older, its stone cracked and weathered with age. The name on it was unfamiliar, but there was something about it that made Elias’s heart skip a beat. The date of death was recent, but the stone looked centuries old, its inscription worn and barely legible.
As he bent down to inspect it more closely, a sound broke through the night—a rustling in the bushes behind him. Elias spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. But there was no one there. The wind, perhaps. Or something else.
He stood still for a moment, listening, but the silence returned, thick and oppressive. Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught movement. A figure stepped out from the shadows of the trees, moving with an unnatural grace, as if it were part of the darkness itself. Elias’s pulse quickened. He couldn’t make out the face, but the silhouette was unmistakable.
It was the same figure from his father’s house. Mark—or whatever it was that had taken his place.
Elias took a step back, raising his gun, but the figure didn’t flinch. Instead, it took another slow step forward, its voice rasping in the stillness.
“You’re digging where you shouldn’t,” it said, the words barely audible in the night. “The answers you seek are buried deeper than you realize.”
Elias’s mind raced, his grip tightening on the gun. “What do you want from me?” he demanded, his voice low and controlled.
The figure cocked its head, its eyes gleaming in the dim light. “What do I want? I want what’s been taken. What was stolen from us. From the town. From you.”
The words sent a shiver through Elias’s spine. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice tight with frustration.
“You’re starting to understand,” the figure said, its smile widening. “But it’s too late now. You can’t undo what’s been done.”
The figure stepped closer, its movements eerily fluid, as though it were gliding across the ground. Elias raised his gun, but the figure didn’t flinch, didn’t make a move to protect itself.
“You think you can stop it,” it whispered, its voice chillingly calm. “But the town has already chosen. And soon, you’ll see. The darkness will claim you, just like it’s claimed the others.”
Elias’s mind whirled, panic clawing at him, but he refused to let it control him. He couldn’t let this thing, this creature, break him. He had to stay focused. There had to be something, some way to stop this madness before it consumed him and everyone he loved.
He took a step back, his eyes scanning the shadows, but the figure was already gone—vanished into the night like smoke. His heart raced, the weight of the situation pressing down on him with every breath.
Elias turned back to the gravestone he had been examining. The name was still unfamiliar, but there was a distinct feeling that he had just stumbled upon something far more important than he could have imagined. The town’s history was buried here, and the graveyard was the key.
He scanned the surrounding graves, feeling the presence of something ancient and deeply rooted, something that had been waiting for him to arrive. He had uncovered the first layer, but the rest was hidden beneath the earth, waiting to be unearthed.
The town of Alder Creek had been living in the shadow of something dark for generations, and Elias was now at the heart of it. His family had been part of it. And now, there was no turning back.
The wind howled once more, the trees whispering as if they too knew what was coming. Elias stood tall, determined. He wasn’t leaving this place until he had the answers he needed. He wouldn’t let the darkness win.
Not without a fight.
