Chapter 5: Tale of the a Echoe Man

"Where have you brought us, map guy?" Ellie asked, eyeing the demolished building skeptically.

"Impossible. It says here that building is supposed to be well-made and furnished," Thomas said, consulting the map. It had taken them a week to reach this point, and Thomas's leg was finally better, allowing him to walk somewhat comfortably. They all looked worn out and exhausted.

Suddenly, a haunting melody began to echo through the air. Ellie gasped, recognizing the tune.

"Anything you want to tell us, Ellie?" Dr. Isaac asked, noticing her reaction.

"That sound... it's bad," Ellie replied, her voice trembling as she stood frozen in place.

"Okay, so what happens?" Thomas asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"It's the legend of the Echo Man," Ellie explained in a hushed tone. "When you hear his music, you must look down and make your way to safety, no matter what. If you see him, you're gone."

"The Echo Man is coming! Look down!" Ellie suddenly yelled as they heard approaching footsteps.

They all froze, eyes glued to the ground or shut tightly, trying to ignore the haunting melody that grew louder and slower.

...

They all stood there for about half an hour, not moving an inch out of fear.

"Did I mention that when the song ends he kills us all?" Ellie spoke up

"What?!" The three of them yelled

"We have to keep moving. The song ends in fifteen minutes," Ellie said urgently

James took a deep breath and started running with his eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?!" a deep voice shouted as they heard the Echo Man's approach.

"Quick, run!" Dr. Isaac shouted, urging Ellie and himself forward. But Thomas hesitated, unable to move as fear gripped him.

The three of them managed to reach the other side of the building, panting and relieved, except for Thomas who remained frozen in place.

"Thomas, just a few more minutes! You can do this!" Ellie called back to him, her voice filled with urgency.

"Come on, look up. Whatever they say is a lie. When you look at my eyes, all your stress is washed away," the Echo Man's voice taunted from behind Thomas.

Thomas slowly looked up, his heart pounding with fear. He saw the Echo Man's eyes locking onto his own.

And there, they stood frozen in a chilling gaze, Thomas unable to look away, his mind racing with terror.

No...

"Run!" Ellie's voice boomed, jolting Thomas into action despite the pain in his leg. James hurried back, lifting Thomas onto his shoulders, and they dashed away as fast as they could.

Behind them, the forest seemed to part and bushes rustled ominously as the Echo Man drew near.

"There's a nearby cave! It's said to ward off spirits, let's go!" Isaac shouted over the escalating melody.

"Thomas, can you find the way there?" Isaac asked urgently.

Thomas shakily unfolded the map and quickly scanned it.

"This way!" Thomas called out, pointing in the direction they needed to go.

They sprinted toward the cave entrance, with the Echo Man relentlessly pursuing them. They reached the mouth of the cave and scrambled inside, narrowly escaping as the Echo Man tried to breach the protective boundary but failed.

Inside the cave, they caught their breath, relief washing over them as the haunting melody faded into the distance.

They sat there for about an hour before Ellie spoke up

"Do you guys think we can keep this up? I mean how can the echoe man be real?!" Ellie said, holding back her tears. "How can such a creature be real?" She repeated sniffing

"I mean...how was I supposed to know? It was just a childhood game in my village!" Ellie broke down crying. "I never thought it could actually exist!"

"Well, next time, warn us before someone almost disappears!" Dr. Isaac yelled, throwing a random rock.

"Excuse me, but you didn't exactly brief us on the dangers either!" Ellie barked.

"Wait... does this mean that everything people think is imaginary actually exists here?" Thomas interrupted, trying to diffuse the argument.

"Did any of us think giant serpents were real? Or that some freaky ghost would be chasing us?" Thomas chuckled nervously. "I must be dreaming."

"You're not waking up from this reality, little boy," Ellie hissed.

"Little boy?! Stop calling me that.!" Thomas snapped.

"Fine, big boy Thomas!" Ellie shot back sarcastically. "But your curiosity has put us all in danger!"

"He's gone now, okay? The Echo Man is gone," Thomas insisted.

"Gone? Oh, he's not gone. He'll haunt you forever until you leave this world!" Ellie declared angrily. "And you know what? I'm done with this. Who cares about money? I'm leaving!"