The breathing behind them stopped. They landed on the island at dark. It was as if the whole night had suddenly been caught in a frozen breath wind, waves, even the rustling of the palm fronds seemed to hold still. Then, from the shadows between the trees, a figure stepped into the clearing.
She was tall, her posture straight despite the weight of the long shawl draped over her shoulders. Its fabric shimmered faintly as if it drank in the moonlight, turning it into a soft glow. Her hair was a silver so pale it could have been frost. But it was her eyes glistening like wet stones that made Ash's stomach clench.
"You're lost," the woman said, her voice smooth, melodic, and pitched just low enough to make everyone lean in to hear. "The tide will be high soon. You shouldn't be here."
Windy crossed her arms. Her tone was dismissive, but her body leaned ever so slightly toward her friends. "We're fine. We just… we just need to find somewhere to stay."
The woman smiled, a slow curling of lips that revealed no teeth. "Of course you do. Follow me, children. The hotel isn't far."
Nobody moved right away, the only sound was the distant wash of the ocean and the tiny metallic tap of the lantern's handle against the woman's knuckles as she held it. The flame inside burned steady as though shielded from wind that didn't even exist anymore.
"It's better than staying out here," Zoe whispered finally.
"Or sleeping in the jungle," Mira added, rubbing her arms.
Leo grumbled but didn't protest, Jayden gave a skeptical shrug while the cheerleaders Kara, Lila, and Beth seemed relieved, muttering about how at least this meant a hot shower.
Ash trailed behind the group as they followed the woman down a narrow, winding path. The flowers along the edges tiny blossoms that should have been white looked black under the moon. Their smell was sweet, but it had a sharpness beneath it, almost metallic.
Windy tried to strike up a conversation. "So, uh, do you live here?"
"Of course," the woman said without turning her head. "I take care of those who visit."
"How many visitors do you get?" Zoe asked.
The woman paused for only a moment before answering. "Enough."
Ash glanced at the lantern again. The light wasn't flickering at all. It wasn't fire. It couldn't be fire. It was too clean, too constant like light trapped in a bubble. He thought of the strange drawings in his sketchbook, the ones he couldn't explain. The lines that seemed to come from somewhere else, One had been of a woman with a lantern. Her face had been blank, just empty space where her features should have been.
He tried to push the memory away.
The path spilled into a clearing, and there it stood an old but Sparkly building, tall windows glowing with golden light. A carved wooden sign above the arched entrance read The Haven Inn. Soft piano music drifted from within, the kind you might hear in an old movie where everything is safe and polite and entirely wrong.
The woman stopped at the base of the stone steps. "Here we are."
A man in a perfectly pressed black suit opened the door before she could even knock. His face was thin, his smile practiced. He gave a small bow. "Welcome, My name is Saka" he said in a voice that was neither warm nor cold, but precise. "We've been expecting you."
That last part made Ash's pulse skip.
Inside, the lobby was an inviting world away from the damp chill outside. A fire crackled in a stone fireplace, casting orange light over plush armchairs and rugs so soft they seemed to swallow footsteps. The air was perfumed faintly with lavender.
The cheerleaders lit up immediately.
"Oh my gosh, this is perfect," Lila said, spinning slowly to take in the room.
Kara was already eyeing the cushioned seats near the fire. "Finally, somewhere with actual chairs."
Beth smoothed her hair and whispered to Windy, "I told you it will definitely work out."
The receptionist at the front desk was a woman in her late forties with hair coiled neatly into a bun. She wore a deep red dress and a constant smile that somehow never touched her eyes.
"You must be tired," she said, her tone dripping with a kind of sympathy.
"We've prepared your rooms." she smiled.
From a polished wooden drawer, she took out brass keys, each engraved with a name Ash, Zoe, Mira, Jayden, Leo, Windy, Kara, Lila, and Beth.
Jayden frowned. "Wait… how did you....?"
"It's just our way," the receptionist said smoothly, handing them out. "We make things ready for our guests before they even arrive."
The group seemed too tired and relieved to question it. Even Zoe, usually quick to point out weirdness, simply took her key and smiled faintly.
Ash lingered by the wall, glancing around. His eyes caught on a framed painting above the desk.
It was the inn. The very same lobby they stood in now.
Outside, lanterns glowed along the path and walking toward it was their exact group, nine figures. The clothes matched. Even the way Jayden slouched, the way Windy tilted her chin it was all there.
His chest tightened, He knew this picture, Not this exact one but the scene. Weeks ago, in the quiet of his bedroom, he had drawn something really similar and he hadn't known why.
In his drawing, the building's windows were dark. The path was empty except for nine silhouettes walking toward it… and the words scrawled beneath: None return.
"Mr. Ash?" The receptionist's voice was suddenly close. He looked down to find her holding out his key. "Your room is waiting."
He took it slowly, trying not to let his hand shake. "Thanks." he muttered faking his composure.
The man in the black suit reappeared, offering to carry their bags. They followed him up a wide staircase lined with thick red carpet. The walls were hung with portraits of people who seemed to watch them as they passed.
Windy, oblivious, was already planning a late night snack raid with the cheerleaders, Leo was complaining about the lack of Wi-Fi, Jayden muttered about how it felt like stepping into an old movie, Mira kept close to Zoe, whispering about how nice everyone seemed.
While Ash said nothing...
When they reached the second floor, the man stopped at each door, opening it for them. Inside, the rooms were cozy, with heavy curtains, soft beds and antique lamps. Everything smelled faintly of lavender, just like downstairs.
"This is amazing," Kara said, throwing herself onto her bed.
Windy twirled once in her room. "We should totally stay here for the rest of the trip."
Ash stepped into his own room last. The fire in the small hearth was already lit. On the desk by the window lay a single sheet of paper and a pencil. The paper was blank except for a faint outline.
He leaned closer.
It was a sketch of the inn But in this one, the windows were black, the doors shut, and the path outside was empty. Above it, in faint pencil, were the beginnings of words he knew too well.
His throat tightened. He backed away, glancing toward the hallway where the others laughed and unpacked.
Downstairs, the piano music swelled, though no one had touched the keys.
He shivered swallowing hard on his saliva. This Trip just got scarier.....
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