Chapter 5 The Roads That Lead Nowhere

The morning light spilled through the curtains, casting soft beams across the room. The stillness in the air was stifling. Alex had barely slept, haunted by the shadow in the woods and the unsettling photo of themselves from the 1920s. The whispers had only grown louder in their mind, swirling like a storm, and the shadow in the woods remained a constant presence, an unshakable feeling that they weren't alone.

After a restless night, Alex had finally made up their mind. They had to leave. They had to escape Ravenwood, the town that seemed to bend and twist in unnatural ways, with its smiling faces and questions that had no answers. It was suffocating, and the more they stayed, the more they felt like they were losing themselves.

They couldn't trust Ellie-couldn't trust anyone here.

With resolve, Alex dressed quickly, their movements sharp and determined. They didn't say a word to Ellie, who was still asleep, her face relaxed and serene in a way that made Alex feel both uneasy and disconnected. There was a nagging feeling at the back of their mind, as if Ellie was more a part of this strange place than a person they could truly trust.

They slipped out of the house and into the cool morning air, the scent of damp earth lingering in the breeze. The town was quiet, but there was something wrong about the silence-it wasn't natural, as though the very essence of Ravenwood was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Alex headed toward the main road, their footsteps quick but deliberate. They needed to leave. They needed to get away from the town, away from the shadows and the whispers that felt like they were closing in. The road in front of them stretched endlessly, the black asphalt cutting through the quiet woods. They didn't know where they were going, but they knew they couldn't stay here any longer.

But as they walked, the landscape began to blur. The trees on either side of the road became indistinct, like a painting smudged by an unseen hand. The road itself seemed to stretch further ahead without end, like a never-ending loop. Alex quickened their pace, their breath growing more frantic, but no matter how far they walked, the scenery never changed. The same twisted trees. The same empty road.

It was as if they were stuck in some kind of nightmare.

They turned around, but the town of Ravenwood was nowhere in sight. Instead, the road stretched out behind them in a perfect loop, as if the world itself had bent in on itself, trapping them in an endless cycle.

No matter which direction they took-whether forward or back-the road led them to the same place.

Frustration built within them, and for the first time, Alex felt a pang of real fear. They tried to recall the map of the town, to picture the roads and the layout, but nothing came together. It was as though the town itself had been erased from their mind. It was all just... gone.

Alex's heart pounded in their chest, their mind racing. They began running, not caring which direction they went, but it didn't matter. The road didn't change. The same twisted trees surrounded them, and the feeling of being watched loomed over them, relentless.

Just as they began to doubt their sanity, they saw something ahead of them-a figure, standing in the middle of the road. A man, tall and imposing, his features obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. He stood perfectly still, as if waiting for them.

Alex slowed to a cautious stop, their breath ragged. The man didn't move, didn't speak. His presence was a heavy weight on the air, as if the entire world held its breath.

"Lost?" the man asked, his voice calm but unsettling, like the wind through dead leaves.

Alex swallowed hard. "I'm trying to leave. I need to get out of here. Can you help me?"

The man tilted his head, studying Alex with an almost predatory gaze. There was something familiar about him, but Alex couldn't place it. His smile, thin and tight, sent a chill down their spine.

"You can't leave," the man said softly, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow. "No one leaves Ravenwood."

Alex took a step back, their pulse racing. "What are you talking about? I have to leave. I-I don't belong here. This place... it's wrong."

The man's smile widened, but it was cold. "You were never meant to wake up," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "None of you were."

Before Alex could respond, the man raised his hand and pointed down the road, toward the town. Alex turned, following his gesture, and for the first time, they saw it clearly-a looming church, perched at the edge of the woods. Its tall spire rose against the darkening sky, its windows dark and empty, its doors slightly ajar.

The man's voice echoed in their mind. "You'll find the truth there. But remember, once you open the door, there's no going back."

Without another word, the man turned and disappeared into the woods, his figure vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Alex stood still for a moment, frozen. Then, with dread filling their chest, they turned back toward the church. Every instinct told them to turn away, to run, to escape before it was too late. But something-something-pulled them forward, urging them toward the church, toward the answers that seemed to lie in the shadows.

With each step, the sense of reality slipping through their fingers grew stronger. The town, the road, the people-they were all part of something larger, something darker than Alex could understand. The walls between what was real and what wasn't were crumbling.

And the more Alex walked toward that church, the more they knew that there would be no escape from Ravenwood-not unless they confronted the truth.

The roads that led nowhere had brought them here.

Now, Alex had no choice but to face whatever awaited them at the door.