Season 2, Episode 2: The Hollow Path
933 Words
The next morning, Thomas sat at the kitchen table, staring at the doll. It rested on the counter, the sight of it like a weight on his chest, a constant reminder of the horrors they had endured—and the horror still ahead. Lily sat beside him, drawing absentmindedly on a piece of paper, her face pale and distant. She hadn’t spoken much since the night before. The whispering voices had left their mark on her.
Thomas couldn't let it go. He couldn’t ignore what he had seen in the woods last night—Elaine, or something like her, watching from the shadows. The Hollow Mother might be defeated, but whatever dark magic bound Elaine to that cursed doll had not gone away. And now, something had changed in the woods. The air was heavier, the trees seemed to groan beneath the weight of an unseen force. It was only a matter of time before the curse found them again.
He had to return.
After breakfast, Thomas kissed Lily on the forehead, promising her he’d be back soon. She didn’t speak, only nodded, her small hands clasping the doll as if it were the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.
The drive to the edge of the woods was tense. Each mile stretched out longer than the last. As they passed the town, the streets grew quieter, the familiar sights growing more distant. Thomas couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
The car pulled to a stop at the familiar clearing where they had first entered the woods months ago. He stepped out, the damp earth squishing beneath his boots. The trees stood before him, dark and menacing, their shadows stretching like fingers toward him. The wind had picked up, but it carried an unnatural chill. Thomas felt the hairs on his neck rise as the breeze whispered through the leaves, sending a ripple of unease through his chest.
He wasn’t alone.
Before he could take another step, an old woman appeared from the thicket, moving slowly, her gnarled hand gripping a walking stick. She was tall, her face hidden beneath a thick shawl, but her eyes glinted with knowing.
“I knew you’d come back,” she said, her voice rough but certain.
Thomas froze. “You—you're the one who told me about the woods. You warned me…”
The woman nodded. “I did. But I knew you'd be back. The woods claim what they want, and it’s never satisfied. You’re not the first to try and break their curse, but the Hollow Mother is not so easily defeated.”
“I’ve come to fix it,” Thomas said, his voice tense. “Elaine—my wife—is still out there, somewhere. Trapped in the doll.”
The woman’s eyes softened, but only for a moment. Then she stepped closer, her voice low.
“You seek the Hollow Path.”
Thomas’ pulse quickened. “What’s that?”
“A route deeper into the woods, one hidden from those who don’t know how to find it,” she said, her voice tinged with both warning and regret. “It’s where the Hollow Mother’s power is at its strongest, where the souls she’s claimed remain. But you must understand this—you can’t go alone.”
Thomas swallowed hard. “Why? I have to find her. I have to get Elaine back.”
“You will,” the woman said, “but there is a cost. The path doesn’t just lead to the Hollow Mother—it leads to the heart of the curse itself. If you walk it, you’ll be tempted, tested. And the price of taking something from the woods is more than you can imagine.”
Thomas clenched his fists. “I’m willing to pay whatever it takes.”
The old woman sighed, shaking her head. “You think so now, but when you stand at the edge of the abyss, when you’re forced to choose, you may not be so certain.”
Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “What do I need to do?”
She gave a small, knowing smile. “There’s a place where the forest parts—a clearing with an old oak tree. The path begins there. But beware: the woods watch. It will show you things that are not real. You’ll be forced to decide what you value most.”
Thomas didn’t need to hear more. He was already turning toward the woods, toward the clearing.
“You don’t understand,” the woman called after him. “There is no going back.”
But Thomas was already walking.
As he disappeared into the trees, the old woman stood silent for a long moment, her eyes glistening with something between sorrow and fear.
As Thomas ventured deeper into the woods, the atmosphere grew heavier. The trees bent in strange angles, their roots rising from the ground like skeletal hands reaching for him. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the distant sound of whispers—muffled, distant voices, like the wind itself carried the secrets of the dead.
The Hollow Path was real. He could feel it.
And with every step, Thomas knew that he was heading toward something that would change everything.
- Writer
