Web of lies

Unsettling Silence

The door handle twisted slowly, the soft metallic sound echoing in the small room. Rhea’s heart raced, and for a moment, she felt as though the world around her had come to a standstill. The room was suffocating, filled with a tension so thick it seemed to pulse in the air.

Her instincts screamed at her to retreat further into the shadows, to hide from whoever—or whatever—was trying to enter. But her feet felt glued to the ground, rooted in fear as she watched the handle turn, then jiggle once more as if someone were testing their luck.

“Rhea?” a voice called out, breaking the suffocating silence.

It was a voice she recognized, yet the sound sent a shiver down her spine. Zoya.

“Rhea, are you in there? It’s me, Zoya!”

Relief washed over her like a wave, but it was quickly tempered by a new fear. How had Zoya found her here? Had she come to check on her after all? The last conversation had left her feeling vulnerable, and the idea that Zoya might be involved in whatever was going on unnerved her.

With shaky hands, Rhea moved to the door, glancing through the peephole once more. Zoya stood in the dim light of the hallway, her silhouette framed by the flickering overhead light. There was no one else around, but Rhea couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Zoya’s expression looked tense, her brows furrowed in concern.

“Rhea, open the door! I need to talk to you,” Zoya urged, her voice filled with urgency.

Rhea hesitated for a moment, then slowly turned the lock and pulled the door open. Zoya rushed in, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting someone to follow.

“Are you alright?” Zoya asked, closing the door behind her. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I was worried when you didn’t answer your phone.”

“I—” Rhea began, but her voice faltered as she noticed the wild look in Zoya’s eyes. “I saw someone outside. They were watching me.”

“What do you mean?” Zoya said, her face paling. “Did you see who it was?”

Rhea shook her head, feeling the weight of the note in her pocket. “No, but they were just standing there… across the street. Then they disappeared when I looked away.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “And then I heard knocking on the door, but it was only you.”

Zoya ran a hand through her hair, looking more agitated by the second. “This is worse than I thought. You shouldn’t be here, Rhea. Not now.”

“What do you mean?” Rhea pressed, confusion mixing with dread. “What’s going on in this town? You said things were different, but you didn’t explain.”

Zoya looked around the room, her eyes darting to the window, then back to Rhea. “There have been… incidents. Strange things happening. People have gone missing. They think it’s related to the old rumors about the woods.”

Rhea felt a chill creep up her spine. “The woods? What rumors?”

“There are stories about people disappearing in the woods, Rhea. It’s like a curse or something. They say it’s a place where people vanish, and no one ever finds them. Lately, there have been sightings—figures lurking, shadows that move on their own.” Zoya’s voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes wide with fear. “You being back… it’s like you’ve stirred something up.”

Rhea’s heart raced as the pieces fell into place. “Is that why I found the note? Someone knows I’m back. Someone is trying to scare me.”

“We need to leave,” Zoya said urgently. “You can’t stay here. We need to find somewhere safe.”

“Where can we go?” Rhea asked, glancing nervously at the door. “I can’t go back to my house, not after what happened.”

Zoya’s expression hardened, determination shining through her fear. “I know a place. A cabin on the outskirts of town—my family’s. It’s been empty for a while, and it’s safe. We can figure this out there.”

Just as Rhea opened her mouth to respond, a loud bang reverberated from outside the motel, making both girls jump. Rhea’s heart raced again, and she rushed to the window, pulling the blinds apart slightly to peek outside.

In the darkness, she caught a glimpse of movement—a shadow darting away from the motel, disappearing into the thick cover of trees lining the road. Rhea felt her breath hitch as she squinted, trying to see what had caused the noise.

“Did you see that?” she breathed, stepping back from the window. “There was something out there!”

Zoya nodded, her face pale. “We have to go, now.”

They moved quickly, Rhea grabbing her jacket and the small backpack she had brought with her. Zoya led the way, glancing back frequently as they crept out of the motel room. The hallway felt colder now, as if the very walls were pressing in on them. Each creak of the floorboards echoed, amplifying the fear that pulsed through Rhea.

As they reached the door, Zoya opened it slowly, peering into the night. The parking lot was still and quiet, but Rhea couldn’t shake the feeling that something lurked just out of sight.

“Stay close to me,” Zoya whispered, stepping outside first. Rhea followed, her heart racing as they crossed the empty lot, the gravel crunching under their feet.

They reached Zoya’s car, a small sedan parked farthest from the entrance, the windows fogged slightly from the chilly night air. Zoya fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking, as Rhea kept glancing back at the motel, half-expecting to see someone watching them from the shadows.

“Get in, quick!” Zoya urged, finally unlocking the doors and sliding into the driver’s seat. Rhea jumped in beside her, and they both locked the doors as if that simple act could shield them from whatever was out there.

“Drive,” Rhea said, her voice urgent. “Please, just drive!”

Zoya nodded, her expression serious as she turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, breaking the unsettling silence of the night, but before she could shift into gear, the headlights illuminated a figure standing at the edge of the parking lot, half-hidden by the darkness.

Rhea’s breath caught in her throat. “Zoya, look!”

But Zoya was already hitting the gas pedal, and the car jolted forward. Rhea turned to look back as they sped away, the figure standing motionless, watching them disappear into the night.

“Who was that?” Rhea asked, her voice trembling.

“I don’t know,” Zoya replied, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. “But we need to get to the cabin. Fast.”

As they drove deeper into the woods, the trees loomed overhead like dark sentinels, swallowing them in shadows. Rhea felt a gnawing sense of dread settle in her stomach, the feeling that they were heading straight into something they might not be able to escape.

And somewhere in the depths of the night, a whisper floated on the wind, chilling her to the bone.

“Welcome back, Rhea.”