Isabella Sinclair, a young vibrant lady of good heart and pure intentions studied ancient histories and spent time researching on secrets untold. She also very much enjoyed researching and fantasizing of mythical creatures and inexistent being sharing the same air she breathed. She lived a normal life, worked as a museum staff and lived alone in an apartment. With each day that passed by she felt more separated from the people around her. Some days she would feel like a different person and seek solace walking through the woods or glancing at random ancient artifacts. Other days, she just viewed people in a different light. Her interests was never shared with another. What she found intriguing, others found disconcerting. How lonely it was for Isabella.
"How long will I keep up this façade?"
A question she never seizes to ask herself. Truly, how long?
A certain day, she tried living her normal life but it seemed as though the cup was full.
"I can no longer continue." She thought to herself.
She tried confronting her employer but she couldn't. She had lost it in her to speak to the people around her because she felt all they hear from her are just sounds and no words. She quitted.
Sitting alone in her apartment with nothing to do underneath the pitch black night sky, she browsed through her collection marked as 'Locations of Interest'. She slowly looked through each location. They did not make her excited anymore. She came across a location she had never made research on—Silverbrook.
"That's strange." She said to herself.
She took a deeper dive into what Silverbrook was all about. All she found was the location on the map and no other information.
"Very strange." She mumbled.
She was forced by her inquisition to make better research on this Silverbrook. All her researches met a hard wall.
"Interesting."
She turns to the stacks of books all over the floor of her apartment. Where to begin? She, one by one, scrolled through pages of each book she thought helpful. There were more than enough books for her research. Each book had its own secret and hidden codes. Alas, all her research was naught. She did discover that Silverbrook is a town, 9hours South of her current location but that wasn't helpful information, was it?
She lay on the wooden floor of her apartment, looking at the ceiling. She felt a warm bright sting on her eye. It was blinding.
"The sun?" She questioned as a sudden yawn escaped, followed by a stretch.
"Silverbrooks" She whispered.
Then, it hit her. Bolting up from the floor she checked for available cabin, hotels and flights in the city that had Silverbrook, if any.
"Damn it." She bit her lips. Ambivalent as she was she decided to go for her only option.
She packed as much as she could in very short time in a travelers bag. She ordered a ride from the internet that could take her to this Silverbrook or so sure thought.
She waited for her ride, while she tried reaching her mother and informing her of thr change but there wan no response. Isabella didn't expect a response after all.
She heard the loud sound of a car horn, her ride had arrived. She made her way for it.
"Good morning, ma'am" The driver greeted, hopping out of the car and grabbing Isabella's bag.
"I'm so sorry. I should've called earlier if I had known I would be leaving to such a far destination." Isabella pled as the driver placed her bag in the trunk.
"Please, it's nothing. We'll get to your destination in no time." The driver assured.
They both entered the car and the journey began.
It was going to be a long ride.
"Silverbrook, huh?" The driver started catching Isabella's attention. Her eyes caught his in the rear mirror.
"Do you know anything about it?" She asked
"I've never heard of it in all my driving days."
"Oh." Isabella was disappointed but she expected it.
"But the map says it's in a forest. You got relatives there?" The driver peered.
"No, I don't."
"Oh, okay. Would you like some music?"
"Ummm…please. Just nothing too loud."
"You got it."
The driver inserted a C.D into the player and a soft rock music began playing. The music and the sound of the car engine were the only things audible.
The journey was going smoothly. Isabella still hadn't found a place to stay in Silverbrook. She kept it in mind that she would be lost in the middle of nowhere but as long as she had her phone, all would be well. She planned on exploring the place for a day and returning the next day.
She placed her head on the window and gently shut her eyes.
"Please don't kill me." A familiar voice begged.
Isabella opened her eyes to the image of a man drenched in blood and surrounded by other…things. She couldn't make out what they were but they were in a forest.
She examined her surrounding "Where…is…"
"Please, I have a child…and a wife." The voice begged again. "Please, I beg you!"
Confounded, she walked closer to the pleading man. The 'things' did not let her.
"H-Help…me."
Before she knew it, she saw the body of the man, bloodied and battered, laying almost lifeless on the forest grounds. A frightening sight. She tried to help the man but found herself being pulled by something.
"Ah!" She cried as she resisted the pull but it was stronger that she could resist.
"Let me go!"
She fell to the ground, pulled away.
"No! No! No!"
She jerked awake with a rush she could feel in her heart. Looking at her surrounding. It was dark; she heard soft rock music and crickets chirping. The car was pulled over in the middle of nowhere surrounded by bushes and the driver was not there. She tried making sense of everything until she suddenly saw the driver walking to the car.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Awake? That was a long nap. I just went to check around to see if the map was correct."
"How do you mean?" Isabella asked.
"Well, this is Silverbrook." The driver answered.
"What?" Isabella stepped out of the car. "Isn't Silverbrook a town? This is just…nowhere."
"Well, I did see some houses a little up front. Maybe you could ask them for some directions?"
Isabella's caught something move at the corner of her eyes but shrugged it off and got back into the car.
The driver drove slowly, carefully looking side to side.
A sound came into Isabella's ear. "Did you hear that?" She asked the driver.
"No, ma'am. All I hear is my music."
The car came to a halt.
"What happened?" Isabella asked.
"I…don't know." The driver was confused as well.
"Maybe I should get off from here. This is Silverbrook, after all."
"You sure?"
"Yes." Isabella stepped out of the car and the driver took her bag out of the trunk.
She stood, studying everything. Nothing was clear because it was night but she did notice that the air felt different.
The driver managed to pushed his car to face the opposite direction. He hoped for the car to turn on and it did. It felt weird that it did but it's nothing to think about. The driver zoomed off, leaving Isabella alone in Silverbrook.
She turned on her flashlight and noticed trees up front, she took a step further but her body felt heavy and fatigued.
"What is this…feeling?" She fell to the ground–faded.