Chapter 13: Too good to be true

Still shaken from their encounter with the ghostly figure, Chloe and Ava tremblingly yet hurriedly rushed towards Ethan and Ryan's room. Their hearts pounded with a mix of fear and relief as they reached for the doorknob. Chloe's hand shook as she tried to turn it, her gaze shifting to Ava, who stood by her side, her eyes wide with anxiety.

"Come on, Chloe, we need to find them," Ava urged, her voice quivering.

"I know, I know," Chloe stammered, finally managing to open the door. They stepped into the dimly lit room, their eyes darting around in search of their missing friends. But Ethan and Ryan were nowhere to be found.

"Where could they be?" Ava asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Chloe's heart raced as she looked at Ava. "I don't know, Ava. Something's not right." She tried to calm her racing thoughts, reminding herself that they needed to find Ethan and Ryan before anything else.

Frantically, they screamed Ethan and Ryan's names, hoping for a response. Their pleas were met with silence, causing their restlessness to escalate. Just as they were

about to give in to despair, the main entry of the hotel swung open, and there stood Ethan and Ryan, carrying fruits they had fetched from the nearby forest.

Chloe and Ava let out cries of relief, launching themselves towards their friends. Chloe gave Ethan and Ryan a tight hug, her trembling hands gripping their shirts as if they might vanish again. Ava maintained her distance, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

"What happened to you two?" Chloe asked, her voice choked with emotion. "We thought something terrible had happened."

Ava's anxiety broke free, and she stepped forward, peering intently at Ethan and Ryan. "Please say it's you," she pleaded, her voice barely audible.

Ethan exchanged glances with Ryan before answering, concern etched across their faces. "It's us, Ava, it's really us. Not ghosts," Ethan assured her, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

Ryan nodded, a sincere smile on his face. "Yes, Ava, it's us. We're here."

Relief washed over Ava, and she threw her arms around them, tears streaming down her face. "I was so scared," she choked out, clinging to them.

Curiosity got the better of Chloe, and she questioned Ethan and Ryan about their sudden disappearance. Their friends explained that they had gone out to forage for food and had managed to find some fruits in the forest.

"We were terrified too," Chloe admitted, wiping away her tears. "We wanted to leave this place."

Ethan and Ryan exchanged glances once more before nodding in agreement. "We understand," Ethan said softly. "Let's go."

With limited belongings, they grabbed Ava's bag, all that remained after their car had been destroyed in the forest. As they stepped out of the hotel, they felt an eerie calmness. No supernatural events occurred, and they were able to exit the hotel without incident. However, instead of feeling relief, they became even more tense. Everything seemed just a little too perfect.

"It's too quiet," Ava murmured, a shiver running down her spine.

Chloe agreed, scanning the surroundings with caution. "Stay alert, guys. We can't let our guard down."

Just as they conversed, a voice called out to them from behind. The sound was distant, but it drew their attention like a magnet. They turned around, but saw nothing.

"What was that?" Ryan whispered, his voice filled with unease.

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he squinted into the shadows. "I don't know, but we can't ignore it."

Before any of them could dwell on the implications, a familiar figure emerged from the darkness. It was the old man they had encountered before, the one who had warned them about the forest's sinister nature.

"Wait!" Ethan shouted, recognizing him. "It's the man we met earlier."

The old man approached them, his weary eyes scanning their faces. "You shouldn't have come her," he said, his voice grave. "Evil doesn't like to be disturbed."

Chloe's heart pounded as she drank in his words. "What

do you mean? What's happening here?"

The old man took a deep breath, his gaze filled with sorrow. "You've irritated her"

A chill ran down Ava's spine, and she felt her grip on reality slipping. "We have to get out of here."

The old man nodded, his voice laden with urgency. "No, you will not be able to leave."

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