Into the forest part 3 The first step

The whisper disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Ethan remained frozen.

Jake stared at him.

Neither of them spoke.

Finally, Jake whispered,

"That wasn't me."

"I know."

Ethan slowly turned toward the darkness.

Nothing.

Only tall trees standing silently beneath the cloudy sky.

Jake raised his flashlight and pointed it toward the place where the figure had appeared.

The beam moved between the trees.

Empty.

"It's gone," Jake said.

Ethan didn't answer.

Something about that voice bothered him.

It hadn't sounded angry.

It hadn't sounded threatening.

It had sounded...

familiar.

"Let's keep moving," Ethan finally said.

Jake looked at him.

"After that?"

"We came here for answers."

"Yeah, but I didn't think the forest would answer back."

Ethan said nothing.

They continued down the narrow path.

The further they walked, the darker the forest became.

The last traces of daylight slowly disappeared behind the trees.

Jake checked his phone.

"No signal."

Ethan checked his own.

Nothing.

"Mine too."

"Great," Jake muttered.

They walked for several more minutes.

Then Ethan stopped.

Jake nearly walked into him.

"What?"

Ethan pointed ahead.

A large pine tree stood beside the path.

One of its branches curved downward, almost touching the ground.

Jake looked at it.

"So?"

"We've seen this tree before."

Jake frowned.

"No, we haven't."

Ethan walked closer.

Three deep scratches marked the trunk.

He remembered seeing them earlier.

"We passed this."

Jake looked behind them.

The path stretched into darkness.

"But we've been walking straight."

Neither of them could explain it.

Jake lowered his flashlight.

"Maybe we took a turn without noticing."

"There wasn't a turn."

A cold silence followed.

Then Jake noticed something beyond the trees.

"What's that?"

Ethan followed his gaze.

Something dark stood between the trees.

They moved closer.

It was an old wooden building.

Small.

Abandoned.

Its walls were covered with moss and vines.

One window was completely broken.

The front door hung slightly open.

Jake stopped.

"Please tell me we're not going inside."

Ethan looked at the building.

"We don't have to."

He pointed toward the doorway.

"Look."

Something was lying on the floor.

Ethan stepped inside.

Jake followed reluctantly.

Dust covered everything.

The air smelled old and damp.

Ethan noticed an old wooden box near the wall.

He picked it up.

A strange mark was carved into its lid.

Ethan's expression changed.

Jake noticed.

"What?"

Ethan ran his fingers over the carving.

"I've seen this before."

"Where?"

Ethan stared at the mark.

"At my grandmother's house."

Jake's eyes widened.

"You're sure?"

Ethan nodded.

"She has an old wooden box with the same mark."

Before they could say anything else—

CRASH!

Something fell from a shelf behind them.

Both boys jumped.

Jake turned around.

"Someone's here."

Ethan raised the flashlight.

The beam swept across the room.

Nothing.

Only broken shelves, old papers, and dust.

Jake swallowed.

"Let's get out."

Ethan looked at the box again.

Then he noticed something underneath it.

A small black notebook.

He picked it up.

The cover was almost completely destroyed.

There was no name.

Only the same mysterious mark.

Ethan opened it.

Most of the pages were blank.

But one sentence had been written near the middle.

THE FOREST REMEMBERS EVERY NAME.

Jake leaned closer.

"What does that mean?"

Ethan slowly turned the page.

Another sentence was written underneath.

This time, the ink looked darker.

DO NOT ANSWER.

Jake immediately stepped back.

"We're leaving."

Ethan closed the notebook.

For once, he didn't argue.

They walked outside.

The forest was darker now.

Much darker.

Ethan looked back at the abandoned building.

For a brief moment...

he thought he saw someone standing inside the broken window.

A tall figure.

Watching them.

He blinked.

Nothing.

"Come on," Jake said.

Ethan turned away.

They started walking.

Neither of them noticed...

that the door of the abandoned building slowly closed behind them.

Creak...

Ethan suddenly stopped.

"Jake..."

"What?"

Ethan looked back at the building.

For a few seconds, he remained silent.

Then he shook his head.

"Nothing."

Jake stared at him suspiciously.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

They continued walking.

Neither of them noticed the old wooden box still lying inside the abandoned building.

Its lid slowly opened by itself

The pages of the black notebook began turning one after another.

Until they stopped at a completely blank page.

A thin, dark mark slowly appeared across it.

The same mysterious mark Ethan had seen on the box.

And beneath it...

a single word slowly formed.

ETHAN.

Outside...

Ethan suddenly stopped walking.

He looked around.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

Ethan stared into the darkness.

"I thought..."

He paused.

"I thought someone was watching us."

Jake looked toward the trees.

Nothing moved.

"Let's just keep going."

They walked deeper into the forest.

Neither of them noticed the faint sound of footsteps following behind them.

One step.

Then another.

Slowly getting closer.

End of Part 3...