The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay was a welcome sight after the unsettling events at Burnham Park. The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth, a comforting contrast to the heavy atmosphere that had clung to them all evening.
As they pulled up to the lodge, the girls were quiet. Marian, still shaken from her encounter with the lake, clung to Lila, her eyes wide with fear. Ana, usually bursting with energy, was subdued, her gaze fixed on the shadows that danced in the fading light. Even Stella, usually the most carefree of the group, seemed subdued, her usual exuberance replaced by a quiet concern.
Camille, noticed the tension in the air. "You guys okay?" she asked, her voice soft. "You all seem a little… off."
Stella nodded, her voice low. "It was a weird night, that's for sure. I still can't believe what happened to Marian."
Ana chimed in, her voice laced with suspicion, "Yeah, and Lila appearing out of nowhere… it's just… strange."
Lila, who had been quiet throughout the drive, finally spoke. "I told you guys, I don't know what happened. I just heard Marian scream and ran towards the sound."
"But how did you get there so fast?" Ana pressed, her eyes narrowed. "It felt like you were already there, waiting for her to fall in the water."
Lila sighed. "I don't know, Ana. It felt like something was pulling me there. Like I had to be there, to save Marian."
The girls exchanged uneasy glances. They couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that there was something more to Lila's sudden appearance than she was letting on.
Just then, Ms. Reyes, their advisor, approached them. "Girls, I know it was a long and unsettling day," she said, her voice soothing. "Why don't you all go to your rooms and get some rest? We can talk about what happened tomorrow morning."
Ms. Reyes' words were a welcome relief. The girls were exhausted, both physically and emotionally. They nodded in agreement and filed into the lodge. The heavy silence still hung in the air. As they walked through the lobby, the girls couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The air felt heavy, as if a dark cloud had descended upon them. The usually bustling lobby seemed strangely quiet, the usual chatter replaced by an unsettling silence.
"Something feels wrong," Ana whispered, her voice barely audible.
The girls exchanged worried glances. They couldn't explain it, but they felt a sense of foreboding, a prickling sensation on their skin, as if they were being watched.
Marian, her gaze fixed on the shadows that seemed to dance in the corners of the lobby, felt a shiver run down her spine. She had a feeling that the darkness wasn't gone. It was still out there, waiting for them, lurking in the shadows, watching their every move.
"Maybe we should just go to our rooms," Stella suggested, her voice barely a whisper.
The others nodded in agreement. They needed to rest, to try and forget the unsettling events of the evening. But as they walked towards the elevator, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to move, the silence seemed to press in on them.
They were not alone.
*****
The heavy silence of the Forest Lodge pressed in on them as they reached their room. A strange, invisible barrier seemed to have formed around them, isolating them from the rest of the lodge. Their shouts, their frantic calls for help, were swallowed by the air, as if a soundproof dome had been erected around their room.
Lila, her eyes narrowed, felt a cold dread seep into her bones. "Protect Marian," she whispered, her voice urgent. "That entity wants to steal her body."
The girls, instinctively understanding the gravity of the situation, formed a protective circle around Marian. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces pale with fear, their eyes darting nervously around the room, searching for any sign of the unseen threat.
Marian, however, stood frozen, her gaze fixed on a spot in the corner of the room, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance. "I won't let you take my body," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I won't let you hurt my friends. Leave. You can't intimidate me."
The entity, unseen but undeniably present, whispered words that Marian couldn't understand. The air grew colder, a sudden breeze swirling around them, picking up in intensity until it felt like a miniature typhoon was raging within their room. The furniture rattled, the curtains billowed, and the faint scent of ozone filled the air.
Ana, Stella, and Camille exchanged terrified glances. They couldn't see the entity, but they could feel its presence, a cold, malevolent force that seemed to be closing in on them. Their hearts pounded in their chests, their hands trembling, their minds racing with fear.
The wind intensified, whipping around them, threatening to tear them apart. The entity's presence grew stronger, its whispers turning into a guttural growl that seemed to shake the very foundations of the room.
The girls huddled closer together, their fear palpable, their faces illuminated by the flickering light of the bedside lamp. They were trapped, surrounded by an unseen force, their only hope the silver locket that Lila held tightly in her hand. It was the same locket they had found at the Diplomat Hotel, the one Marian had lost.
As the entity's power surged, the locket began to glow, a soft, silver light that seemed to push back the darkness. Lila, her eyes closed, chanted words in an ancient tongue, words that echoed through the room, resonating with the locket's power.
A blinding flash of silver light erupted from the locket, filling the room with an ethereal glow. The girls closed their eyes, shielding themselves from the intense light, their bodies trembling with anticipation. Then, a deafening roar echoed through the room, followed by a sharp, piercing shriek. The sound was so powerful, so full of rage and agony, that it seemed to shake the very walls of the lodge.
When the girls finally dared to open their eyes, the room was silent, the wind had died down, and the oppressive darkness that had enveloped them was gone. A strange, echoing crack, like the shattering of a mirror, filled the air. Lila, her face pale, collapsed onto the floor, drained of energy.
They gently lowered Lila onto the bed, her body limp and still. A heavy silence descended upon them, each girl grappling with the surreal events that had just unfolded. The air felt thick with unspoken fear and confusion.
Stella, her eyes wide and unfocused, seemed to be caught in a trance, replaying the events in her mind. A wave of shock washed over her face, a mixture of disbelief and terror. She couldn't believe what had just happened, questioning if it was all just a figment of her imagination.
Camille, unable to bear the silence any longer, broke the tension. "I remember," she said, her voice a low whisper, "before our trip, my siblings and I went to Quiapo Church. After Mass, we were walking around, and there was this stall with candles and an old woman. She suddenly spoke to me, even though we were just passing by." Camille sighed, a wave of unease washing over her. "She said, 'Miss, I see you in my cards. You're going through a lot right now. And I warn you, if you have any plans to travel far, don't go through with it.' She kept reading her cards, but I just thought she was talking to someone else. But now, thinking about it...it seems she was right."
The girls exchanged worried glances. The events of the evening had shaken them to their core, and now, with Camille's unsettling revelation, a sense of foreboding settled over them. They were no longer just on a school trip; they were caught in something far more sinister, something that transcended their understanding.