Echoes of the night , chapter 2

 The Vanishing

Mara grabbed her flashlight and cautiously opened the door. The cold night air wrapped around her like a shroud. A young woman stood near the motel’s parking lot, shivering. Her eyes darted around as if expecting something—or someone—to come for her.

“Who are you?” Mara asked, stepping closer.

“Lina,” the girl whispered. “They’re coming.”

Before Mara could ask who they were, the whispers surged, growing louder, more insistent. The streetlights flickered, and the shadows stretched unnaturally. Lina gasped, clutching Mara’s wrist.

“They took my brother last week. I thought I escaped, but they know I spoke to you.”

Then, just as suddenly as she had appeared, Lina’s body convulsed. A sickening crack echoed through the night as her form twisted, her mouth open in a silent scream. The air rippled, and in a blink, she was gone—vanished into the darkness.

Mara stumbled back, horror clawing at her throat. Her tape recorder was still running. Trembling, she rewound and pressed play.

Static. Then whispers. Then a voice, distorted yet unmistakable.

“You should not have come.”