Echoes of the lost

ldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The sun had already begun its descent behind the trees, casting long shadows across the road as she drove back toward town. The woods that surround

st the crumbling foundation of what might have been a cabin or a small house. But even in its dilapidated state, it felt significant. Eliza crouched down beside a stone slab that jutted out of the ground, brushing away the dirt and moss to reveal something carved into the stone. Symbols. They were faint, worn down by time, but they were unmistakable-strange symbols she didn't recognize. They looked ancient, older than the town itself. She traced her fingers over the markings, her mind racing with questions. What were they? Had Isabelle-or even Celia-known about them? A sudden rustle behind her snapped Eliza out of her thoughts. She stood up quickly, shining her flashlight toward the sound. The beam flickered for a moment, and her stomach dropped. "Hello?" she called out, her voice betraying a hint of unease. "Is someone there?" The woods remained silent. Her flashlight flickered again, and for a brief second, Eliza thought she saw movement-just beyond the trees, a figure standing in the shadows. But when the light steadied, there was nothing there. She swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. The clearing suddenly felt much smaller, more confined, as though the trees had crept closer while she wasn't looking. The Voice in the Dark "Eliza..." The whisper sent a jolt of terror through her. She spun around, her flashlight shaking in her hand. The voice had been low, almost inaudible, but she had heard it-someone calling her name. But no one was there. "Eliza..." The voice came again, this time from deeper in the woods, just beyond the edge of the clearing. She stepped toward it, her body moving before her mind could catch up. The beam of her flashlight scanned the trees, searching for the source. Then she saw it. A shadow. A figure standing just inside the treeline, watching her. "Eliza..." The whisper was louder now, more insistent. The figure remained motionless, its features obscured by the darkness. Eliza's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know whether to run or to confront whatever-or whoever-was out there. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shaky. The figure didn't move, didn't speak. It just stood there, watching. Eliza took a step back, her legs trembling. She needed to leave. She needed to get out of the woods. But as she turned to run, something caught her eye-on the ground, near the edge of the clearing. Another stone slab, partially buried in the dirt, with something glinting beneath the leaves. Her instincts told her to fl