The forest enveloped Amélie and Luisa in a dense shroud of mist. It was as if the night itself tried to pull them back, urging them to return to the safety of the village. The trees loomed overhead like ancient sentinels, their branches twisting and curling toward the stars. The moonlight barely penetrated the thick canopy, casting only faint, silvery patches of light on the ground. Every crackle of a twig or rustle of leaves made Amélie's heart race, her senses heightened by the unfamiliarity of the path ahead.
They walked in silence, neither of them daring to speak. The weight of their decision hung in the air between them, unspoken but ever-present. Luisa had been beyond Saint-Clair before, visiting neighboring villages with her family. For Amélie, this was the first time leaving the village's borders. The familiar cobblestone streets, the cottage, the life she had known for nineteen years- everything was now behind her. With every step forward, the distance between her and the past grew, yet her fear of what lay ahead did not diminish.
Finally, Luisa broke the silence. "Do you know where we're going?"
Amélie hesitated, her mind still clouded with doubts. "I'm not entirely sure... I think we might have to go to Germany. But maybe we need to go to Paris first."
Hearing Amélie's response, Luisa smiled softly, thinking to herself, "Yes, we... we definitely have to go to Germany."
"I've heard stories," Luisa said gently, as if fearing the trees might overhear. "Some people have seen ghosts in these forests. They say the woods are cursed."
Amélie's chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat. "Cursed?"
"Just old tales, probably nothing," Luisa quickly added, glancing at Amélie with a mischievous look. "But I thought you should know, just in case…"
Amélie's mind raced. She had heard the villagers talk about strange happenings in the forest-disappearances, eerie lights in the night- but she had always dismissed them as superstition. Yet now, walking through the darkness with only Luisa beside her, she wasn't so sure.
"I'm not afraid," Amélie whispered, though her hands trembled slightly as she gripped her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
Luisa didn't reply. Instead, she quickened her pace, her eyes scanning the trees, as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows at any moment.
The path grew narrower as they ventured deeper into the forest, the mist thickening and muffling the sounds of their footsteps. Amélie's thoughts drifted back to her mother. She pictured Marguerite waking in the morning, finding her bed empty, and realizing that her daughter had gone. Would she understand why Amélie had to leave, why she needed to find the answers that had haunted her for so long? Or would she see it as another betrayal, another reminder of the man who had left them both?
A pang of guilt twisted in Amélie's chest, but she forced herself to push it aside. This wasn't just about her; it was about uncovering the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
After what felt like hours, they reached a clearing. The trees opened up to reveal a small, abandoned chapel, its stone walls crumbling, vines creeping up its sides like the hands of time itself. The wooden door hung askew, half-open, as if inviting them in. A cold gust of wind swept through the clearing, carrying with it the faint scent of damp earth and decay.
Luisa shivered. "We should rest here for the night."
Amélie nodded, though something about the chapel unsettled her. It was as though the place had been forgotten by the world, just like the village of Saint-Clair. But there was something else too- an eerie sense of being watched, even though no one else was in sight.
They made their way inside. The air was thick and musty, the floor covered in fallen leaves and debris from years of neglect. A few broken pews lay scattered across the floor, and at the far end of the chapel stood a stone altar, cracked and worn with age. A single, shattered window allowed a sliver of moonlight to stream in, casting strange, shifting shadows on the walls.
As Luisa spread a blanket over the ground, Amélie busied herself gathering scattered dry twigs, bundling them together before starting a fire for warmth. As she worked, her mind wandered to thoughts of the journey ahead. Her eyes flicked around the crumbling chapel, her heart pounding in her chest. Almost unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the pendant in her hand, its cold surface grounding her amid the uncertainty.
In the flickering firelight, Luisa's figure emerged, her flowing golden hair cascading to her shoulders and shimmering like pure gold. Her green eyes sparkled like a sea of stars, radiating a beauty that was both innocent and mesmerizing. Amélie was aware that they both possessed their own unique allure, yet Luisa's charm contrasted sharply with her own gentle beauty.
Luisa noticed her unease. "Are you alright?"
Amélie nodded quickly, slipping the pendant back into her satchel. "I'm fine. Just tired."
They settled in for the night, but sleep did not come easily. The sounds of the forest crept in through the broken window- strange, distant noises that made Amélie's skin prickle. The wind howled through the trees, and every gust seemed to carry with it whispers, voices that seemed to call her name.
At some point, she must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew, she was standing outside the chapel, her breath visible in the cold night air. She wasn't sure how she had gotten there- had she been sleepwalking? The mist had thickened, swirling around her, and for a moment, she felt completely disoriented.
Then she saw it- a figure standing at the edge of the clearing, barely visible through the fog. It was tall and gaunt, with eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the darkness. Amélie froze, her heart racing. She blinked, and the figure was gone, swallowed by the mist.
She stood there, rooted to the spot, her mind racing. Had it been a dream? Or had she really seen something? Before she could decide, a voice broke through the silence- a voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
"Amélie…"
Her blood ran cold. It wasn't Luisa's voice.
Slowly, she turned toward the sound, her pulse pounding in her ears. The mist swirled around her, and for a moment, she thought she saw the figure again, just beyond the trees.
"Amélie…"
It was the same voice, insistent, beckoning her deeper into the forest.
Without thinking, Amélie took a step forward.