That Night in the Woods

Trapped in the haunting legacy of a family tragedy, Noah returns to the lake house where his life shattered. But the past isn't just a memory; it's a living, breathing entity. As he grapples with phantom apparitions and a wife whose secrets run deeper than the lake itself, Noah must confront the terrifying truth of that night in the woods before he loses everything—or everyone—he has left.

That Night in the Woods

Trapped in the haunting legacy of a family tragedy, Noah returns to the lake house where his life shattered. But the past isn't just a memory; it's a living, breathing entity. As he grapples with phantom apparitions and a wife whose secrets run deeper than the lake itself, Noah must confront the terrifying truth of that night in the woods before he loses everything—or everyone—he has left.

The scent of lavender, a ghost of a memory, wrapped around me as I stepped into the lake house. Twenty-five years. Twenty-five years since the blaze that took Mom, since the laughter of Jenny and Dad echoed through these rooms. Now, only silence. The seal on the front door was broken, a sign of intrusion, but the chill in the air wasn't from an open door.

I moved meticulously through the dust-laden living room, each creak of the floorboards a jarring symphony against the stillness. Sounds from the kitchen, a soft clatter, pulled me forward. "Mom?" The word was a fragile whisper, a desperate hope against the undeniable truth.

Then she turned. Not Mom, but a girl with a fresh wound on her heel, her hazel eyes wide with apprehension. The lavender scent, the floral dress, they were a cruel trick of memory. My heart, a panicked drum, began to pound.