Chapter 37: Ghosts of the Road
The dirt road stretched before them, its ruts like scars etched into the earth. The forest had thinned enough to let more sunlight through, but the air still carried an unsettling weight. Each step felt heavier, as though the forest itself disapproved of their presence.
Henry adjusted his grip on the crowbar he'd taken from the truck. "You think that guy was just crazy, or is this place actually cursed?"
Adam didn't answer immediately. His mind churned over the man's words about spirits and deals. There was something about his tone—not just fear, but conviction.
"Weird things happen in places like this," Adam said finally. "Whether it's supernatural or not, we can't take anything for granted."
After a few minutes of silence, Adam pulled out his phone.
Adam smirked. "Really? You can calculate ghosts?"
"Great," Adam muttered. "So it's either ghosts or just our imaginations messing with us."
Henry leaned over to glance at the phone. "What's it saying now?"
Adam sighed. "That it's probably all in our heads. But there's still a chance we're dealing with the real deal."
Henry grunted. "Comforting."
As they rounded a bend in the road, they spotted something lying in the middle of the path. It was small and dark, partially obscured by dirt.
"What's that?" Henry asked, stepping forward.
Adam held up a hand. "Wait."
Henry paused, raising an eyebrow.
"Let me check it first," Adam said, pulling out his phone again.
Adam crouched down and carefully picked up the pouch. It was heavier than he expected, and the leather felt strangely warm, as though it had been sitting in sunlight for hours.
"What's in it?" Henry asked, his curiosity overtaking his caution.
Adam untied the pouch and emptied its contents into his palm. A set of old coins clinked together, their surfaces tarnished but intricately engraved.
"Coins?" Henry said, unimpressed. "What's so special about those?"
Adam frowned. The engravings were unlike anything he'd seen before—symbols that seemed to twist and shift under his gaze.
"Cursed coins," Adam said, his tone half-joking.
Henry groaned. "Of course. Because everything in this forest has to be creepy."
They continued walking, the pouch safely tucked into Adam's jacket. The road began to narrow, the trees pressing closer again. Shadows lengthened as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
"Do you hear that?" Henry asked suddenly, stopping in his tracks.
Adam listened. A faint sound reached his ears, like the murmur of voices carried on the wind. It was impossible to make out any words, but the tone was unmistakably urgent.
"Yeah," Adam said quietly.
The voices grew louder as they walked, but no matter how much they strained their eyes, there was no one in sight.
"Okay, this is officially weird," Henry said, gripping his crowbar tightly.
Adam's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out.
"That's the plan," Adam muttered.
They quickened their pace, but the voices seemed to follow, growing louder with each step.
The road opened up suddenly into a clearing. At its center stood a stone structure, weathered and overgrown with moss. It looked like an old well, though the wooden cover was long gone, leaving a gaping hole that seemed to swallow the light.
"Why is there always a creepy well?" Henry asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
Adam couldn't help but chuckle. "Because it's classic horror movie material."
They approached cautiously, the voices now fading into an eerie silence. Adam peered into the well, his flashlight barely illuminating the bottom.
"Nothing down there," he said, stepping back.
Henry frowned. "Then why do I feel like something's watching us?"
Adam's phone vibrated again.
"Great," Adam muttered. "A vanishing well. Just what we needed."
As they turned to leave, a low groan echoed from the well. It wasn't the wind—it was deep and resonant, like the earth itself was speaking.
Henry froze. "Tell me you heard that."
"I heard it," Adam said, gripping his flashlight tightly.
The groan grew louder, rising to a wail that made the hairs on the back of Adam's neck stand up.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Adam said, already backing away.
They hurried down the road, the wailing fading into the distance. Neither of them spoke until the forest was completely silent again.
"What the hell was that?" Henry finally asked, his voice shaky.
"No idea," Adam said. "But I'm starting to think that guy wasn't entirely crazy."
Henry nodded grimly. "Let's just keep moving."
They pressed on, the clearing far behind them, but the uneasy feeling lingered. The forest might have let them go for now, but Adam knew their troubles were far from over.
End of Chapter 37