A party of friends sought adventure deep inside Eldridge Forest, where the daylight fought to break through the thick canopy. For a weekend camping trip, Mia, the fearless leader, gathered her pals, the dreamer Lila, the joker Jake, and the skeptic Tom. They pitched their tents close to an old, gnarly tree, its twisted branches reaching above.
Shadows flickered around their bonfire as darkness fell. Lila started telling stories of the Whispering Woods, a location said to be haunted by spirits of the dead. The others scoffed, writing her tales off as simple folklore. But as the wind increased, they felt shivers down their spines as a quiet, unsettling murmur passed through the trees.
Tom answered,
“Probably just the wind,” but he didn’t seem to be persuaded.
They gathered closer together and exchanged ghost stories until Jake dared the whispers to approach him by going into the dark. He never showed back. They yelled for him, and panic struck, but there was only quiet. The whispers became louder one by one, drawing them closer to the forest.
Fear driving her, Mia took a lantern and set out to follow Jake. Twisted roots and shadowy entities hiding just beyond her field of view were revealed by the beam cutting through the darkness. The murmurs became desperate screams that echoed her name.
Lila and Tom were searching wildly in the meanwhile, but soon they heard the whispering too. They sensed something drawing them more into the woodland.
They gave in to the temptation of the jungle one by one, until just the flickering campfire remained. Eldridge Forest was calm as dawn broke, with the exception of rumors that more lost souls would arrive.
