Chapter 1 The Whispering Woods

Ellie Carter had always been drawn to the woods surrounding Black Hollow. The villagers spoke of them in hushed tones, warning of shadows that moved on their own and whispers carried by the wind. But Ellie, with her boundless curiosity, couldn't resist. The woods were a place of mystery, a place where the ordinary rules of the world seemed to bend and twist. She often wandered the edges, collecting fallen leaves and listening to the rustle of the trees. But today, she ventured deeper than ever before.

The air grew cooler as she stepped beneath the dense canopy, the sunlight filtering through the leaves in dappled patterns. The forest was alive with sound-the chirping of birds, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the distant gurgle of a stream. Yet, there was something else, something she couldn't quite place. A faint hum, like the vibration of a tuning fork, seemed to resonate through the ground. It was both soothing and unsettling.

Ellie followed the sound, her curiosity pulling her forward like an invisible thread. The trees seemed to close in around her, their branches forming a natural archway. She felt as though she were walking into another planet, a planet where time stood still. And then she saw it-a flicker of movement. A child, no older than herself, standing among the trees. The child had silver eyes that glowed like moonlight, and their hair was a cascade of shimmering strands that seemed to blend with the shadows.

Ellie's breath caught in her throat. She called out, her voice trembling, "Hello? Who are you?" But the child didn't respond. Instead, they turned and vanished into the trees, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air. Ellie stood frozen, her heart racing. Who was this child? And why did they seem so... otherworldly? She felt a strange pull, a sense that this encounter was no accident. The woods had secrets, and Ellie was determined to uncover them.