The Unease Grows

"I've been trapped in this curse for three years without even knowing. I thought I had finally escaped, but I was wrong. That was never the truth."

A pause.

"Do you want the truth, Ethan?"

Her lips trembled as she spoke.

"It's not too late for you. You can still escape the curse. Because the curse—the game—hasn't even started yet. And you can always leave a game... before it begins."

"Emily, it's time to open the library. We can just sit and talk, okay? We'll figure this out together. We'll find a way to get through this curse." I moved toward the table and sat down, the weight of the situation sinking in.

Emily went towards the library door and opened it and and slowly sat in the chair across from me.

"Ethan, you know what? Someone said that to me three years ago."

"What?" I was stunned.

"We could get out of this together."

Was there someone else who suffered from this curse three years ago? Did they also die because of it?

"What happened to him? Did he... survive?"

My voice trembled in the heavy silence.

"No, he didn't," Emily said quietly. "And do you know why? He ignored what I said—just like you're doing right now—and didn't leave the curse early."

Her words struck me, but my resolve was still firm.

"But this time, nothing like the curse wants will happen. We'll find our own way to destroy it. Believe me, we will."

I stood up and began walking back home. This was the last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow, I would have to go to school, and I needed rest. I collapsed into bed once I reached home, my mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

"Do you really not believe me?" The voice rang in my ears, deep and chilling. "You are part of this curse, Ethan. You can't escape, and neither can your loved ones. Your friends, your family..." A shadowy figure stood in the distance.

I stood at the edge of a massive, gaping pit.

"What? How could this happen?"

The town was in ruins. Buildings lay destroyed, the streets eerily empty. It felt like the life had been drained from the entire place. I screamed, "Hannah! Dad! Lila!"

"No one's going to hear you," the figure said, its voice cold. "You're alone now, and you'll be alone for the rest of your life."

"No! You're wrong. I'll find a way out," I shouted.

"Oh, you will," the figure said, its presence growing impossibly closer.

"You, Ethan, you."

The voice was almost mocking.

"You're so naïve. You think you're protecting Emily, but do you even know who she is? You're not just destroying yourself—you're destroying everyone around you. Just stop and follow the curse. Do what I ask."

"Never! I never will, you hear me? Never!" I screamed defiantly.

And then, without thinking, I turned and jumped.

"No!" I woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. My heart pounded, and I quickly turned my head to glance at the diary. The pages were flipping on their own. I looked at the window—closed. The fan was off. There was no wind. How were the pages turning?

And then I saw him. The figure from my nightmare. He vanished as quickly as he appeared.

I scrambled out of bed. Despite him vanishing, I could feel his presence, lurking, watching from every direction. I knew he wouldn't stop until I gave in to his demands.

"Wherever you are, whoever you are... just stop this."

"Why should I?" His voice, as always, was not one, but many voices. It was a discordant chorus, overlapping, scratching at the edge of sanity. Each whisper carried malice and ancient knowledge.

I approached the diary, trying to close it, but the force to keep it open was far too strong. Then, with a sudden crack, I heard something from behind me. I turned around quickly. The sound came from the cupboard.

I moved cautiously toward it and opened the door. A black shadow surged toward my face, and I fell backward.

My eyes burned. After a moment, when the pain stopped, I stood up slowly, my eyes flickering open. I was back at the pit.

But this time, there was blood. Everywhere. Too much blood.

"Look what you've done, Ethan," the figure's voice echoed in the distance. "Do you even realize what you've caused? You've killed not only someone, but your entire town—your family, your friends, everyone."

"No! You're lying. I could never do something like that. I could never imagine it."

Then, as if in a cruel twist of fate, my phone rang. Suddenly, I was back in my room. The phone seemed so far away, the distance between it and me stretching endlessly.

Finally, when I reached the phone, the ringing stopped. I saw a message from Emily Harper.

It read: Ethan, skip school tomorrow and meet me at the library.

I immediately tried calling her back, but her phone was off. Then I heard something fall. I looked down at the floor. There was the diary, lying there.

I picked it up, noticing a new entry. This wasn't here before.

How did this appear? Where had it come from?

I began reading, my hands trembling. The date on the entry was today, right now. I glanced at my phone, opening the news app.

The headline read:

FOUR PEOPLE DISAPPEARED FROM HOLLOWAY

20th June 2000, 19:07

Four people from Holloway—two 12-year-old friends, a schoolteacher, and a 23-year-old reporter—have disappeared. The police are investigating.

"So... does this diary predict the future?" I wondered aloud. "Or is it telling me what the curse is about to do next?"

I opened to the next entry. It was dated 21st June 2000.

As I read it, my body went cold. Terror filled my chest. I froze.

The figure would indeed destroy everything, and it was up to me to stop it.

I sank back onto my bed. This would be impossible to handle alone. I needed help.

"Lila, I'm really sorry, but I can't do this without you."