Alex spent the rest of the night poring over the book. The text grew stranger the deeper he went, detailing old myths and rituals tied to the forest. It spoke of The Watchers, beings that lived in the shadows of Silverwood, keeping a hidden secret safe for centuries. But what were they protecting? As the clock ticked past midnight, Alex’s eyes grew heavy. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he imagined the spiraling eye from the book watching him, pulling him closer to the mystery of the woods.
The next morning, he woke up with one thought burning in his mind: Silverwood. He had to go.
He was packing his bag when his grandfather knocked on the door, opening it without waiting for a response. Mr. Parker was an old man, his face weathered from years of hard work, but his eyes were still sharp. Today, though, there was something different about him. He looked... worried.
“What are you up to, Alex?” his grandfather asked, his voice gruff but concerned.
“Just... getting ready to head out for the day,” Alex said, his hand instinctively moving over the backpack where the book was hidden. He hoped his grandfather wouldn’t notice the lie.
But Mr. Parker’s eyes narrowed, and Alex could feel the weight of his gaze. “I saw you go up to the attic yesterday,” he said. “You found something, didn’t you?”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
His grandfather sighed, rubbing his temples like he was fighting off a headache. “There are things in that attic better left alone, Alex. Especially that book. It was hidden for a reason.” His voice dropped, becoming almost a whisper. “Silverwood is not a place for you to explore.”
“Why not?” Alex asked, trying to sound casual. “It’s just a forest. People only avoid it because of those dumb stories from years ago.”
His grandfather’s face hardened. “Those ‘dumb stories’ saved lives. People think it’s just an old tale, but something in Silverwood changed after those kids disappeared. It’s dangerous, and I won’t let you go there.”
Alex swallowed, torn between obeying his grandfather’s warning and the burning curiosity the book had ignited in him. “I’m not a little kid anymore, Grandpa. I can handle it.”
“No, Alex.” His grandfather’s voice was firm. “You can’t. Whatever that book is telling you, whatever it’s showing you, leave it alone. Don’t go looking for something that doesn’t want to be found.”
There was a finality in his tone that left no room for argument. But as his grandfather left the room, Alex’s mind was already made up. He couldn’t let the mystery go. Whatever was in Silverwood had been waiting for years. And tomorrow, he would find it.
Write a comment ...