Chapter 2

Signs of Doubt

The walk back to Jake’s garage was silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts, haunted by the final words carved into the base of the statue. The air was thick with an unspoken fear, each step accompanied by a shared dread.

When they reached the dimly lit space, Sam broke the silence with a shaky laugh, though it was clear he was just trying to mask his fear.

“Well, we found our ghost, didn’t we?” he said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. “Or some messed-up prankster with a violin.”

Ellie sank into an old couch, hugging herself. “Did that look like a prank to you?” she whispered, her eyes darting from face to face. “No one knew we’d be there. And what about the words on the statue?”

Jake leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. “I don’t know. Maybe… maybe we just saw what we wanted to see? You know how it is when you’re freaked out—your mind plays tricks.”

Zara wasn’t convinced. She had felt something out there, something real. And yet, she couldn’t ignore the tremor in her own voice when she finally spoke.

“We all saw it, Jake. The statue, the words… I didn’t imagine that.” She glanced around at the others. “We’re in this together, okay? We can’t just ignore it.”

Sam scoffed, but his hands fidgeted as he spoke. “So what, Zara? We sit around waiting for the ghost to come back next Halloween? No way. I’m out. Whatever we saw, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Ellie shot him a pleading look. “Sam, don’t do this. If it’s real… if that thing comes back next Halloween, one of us could—could—” She couldn’t finish the thought, her voice breaking.

Sam threw up his hands. “No. I don’t believe in curses or ghostly violinists, and I’m not waiting around to see if it’s real. Let’s just… forget it.”

But Zara wasn’t ready to let it go. “What if we don’t have time? What if there’s a way to stop this—whatever it is—before next year?”

Jake let out a long breath. “So, what are you suggesting, Zara? That we dig into Meadowbrook’s ghost stories? The whole town has been talking about this violinist legend for decades, and no one knows where it started.”

Zara thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Look, every story has some grain of truth in it, right? Maybe if we dig into history, we’ll find out who or what is behind this curse.” She gave each of them a determined look. “If we figure out who the ghost was in life, we might be able to understand why it’s haunting the town.”

Ellie nodded slowly, though fear still lingered in her eyes. “So… we try to learn what happened to the violinist? Maybe find out why he targets people?”

“Exactly,” Zara replied. “Maybe it’s some kind of unfinished business. Or maybe there’s a way to… I don’t know, break the curse.”

Sam folded his arms and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t leave. “Fine, we go ghost hunting. But where do we even start?”

Jake raised a hand thoughtfully. “The library has old newspaper archives. If this thing’s been haunting Meadowbrook for years, maybe there’s something in the old headlines. Something that’ll tell us who the violinist was.”

Zara’s eyes brightened. “Good idea. We can check tomorrow. If we find anything, maybe it’ll give us some direction.”

The group settled on the plan, their resolve growing stronger. But an unspoken fear hung between them, each of them secretly wondering who the ghost had marked to “play” for him next Halloween. They parted ways for the night, each feeling the weight of the dark promise etched on the statue.

The next morning, Zara was the first to arrive at Meadowbrook Library, the smell of aged paper and dust filling the air as she stepped inside. The librarian, Mrs. Keller, was perched at the front desk, her sharp eyes watching Zara approach.

“Morning, Zara,” she said with a knowing smile. “Halloween must be in the air if you’re here this early. Let me guess, ghost stories?”

Zara tried to keep her voice steady. “Something like that, Mrs. Keller. We’re trying to look into the history of the town. Maybe… anything on strange occurrences around Halloween?”

Mrs. Keller chuckled knowingly. “Ah, the Halloween melody? I remember hearing about that as a girl. People say it started generations ago. But if you want more, try the archives in the back. Old newspapers, journals, even some personal notes from past librarians.”

Soon, Zara was joined by Jake, Ellie, and a begrudging Sam. They buried themselves in stacks of newspapers and yellowed town records, searching for anything that could explain the ghostly violinist. Hours passed as they combed through headlines, piecing together fragments of Meadowbrook’s history.

Finally, Ellie let out a gasp, her finger tracing a faded newspaper article from the late 1800s.

“Guys, listen to this,” she said, her voice trembling with excitement. “‘Tragic Death on Halloween Night: Local Violinist Edward Hargrove Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances.’”

“Hargrove…” Jake said thoughtfully. “Same as the statue in the square.”

Ellie nodded, continuing, “According to this, Edward Hargrove was the town’s most celebrated musician. He performed every Halloween at the town’s annual festival. But one night, he died right on stage. They say he collapsed mid-performance, his face frozen in terror. Witnesses claimed they saw… shadows, surrounding him, just before he died.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “So he dropped dead on Halloween night, and now he’s back to haunt people with his violin? That’s still not much to go on.”

Zara flipped a few more pages, her eyes scanning the text. “But it makes sense! If he died performing, maybe he was cursed or left unfinished business.” She paused, noticing something in a column beside the article. “Look here. Apparently, his last song was supposed to be something special. They called it his ‘Farewell Melody,’ but no one knows why he named it that.”

Jake scratched his head. “So he died playing some special song… and now every Halloween, we hear it?”

Zara nodded slowly, piecing it together. “Maybe that melody is tied to the curse. Maybe he never got to finish it, and that’s why he’s stuck here. If we can figure out the meaning of his final song, maybe we can break the curse.”

Ellie’s voice was barely a whisper. “But… who did he mean to say farewell to? And why does he need one of us to finish it for him?”

Sam groaned, pushing the papers away. “So, what? We dig up his grave and ask him?”

Jake looked thoughtful. “Actually, his grave might have some answers. If he’s really the ghost, maybe there’s something there that’ll help us understand why he’s haunting Meadowbrook.”

Zara took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. “Tonight, we’ll go to the cemetery and visit Edward Hargrove’s grave. If we’re going to stop this, we need to understand him—his song, his death, everything.”

Ellie shivered. “Tonight… as in after dark?”

Sam groaned again, but his usual bravado faltered as he looked around the group. “Fine. But if any of you start hearing violins, we’re out. Got it?”

The friends exchanged nervous glances, the gravity of their plan settling over them. They had no idea what awaited them in the cemetery that night, but one thing was clear: if they were going to survive the next Halloween, they had to face Edward Hargrove and confront the secrets that bound him to his haunting melody.

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