Chapter 2 Welcome To Hollow Creek

The car door slammed with a finality that made Mara's stomach clench.

"Holy shit," Juno breathed, his phone was already raised, he was filming the cabin through the golden filter of late afternoon sun. "This is perfect. Guys, say something profound. We're making memories here."

"My ass is numb," Devon announced, stretching dramatically. "That's pretty profound after six hours in Eli's death trap."

"Hey, Gertrude got us here, didn't she?" Eli patted the hood of his ancient Suburban with mock affection. The engine ticked as it cooled, the only sound in the oppressive quiet. "Show some respect."

Mara stepped away from the group, her sneakers crunching on the gravel drive that was more dirt than stone. The cabin sat in a small clearing, surrounded by walls of dense pine and oak that seemed to lean inward, watching. It was larger than she'd expected—two stories of dark wood and river stone, with a wraparound porch that sagged slightly on one side. Rustic, isolated, and according to the rental listing Juno had found, "completely off-grid."

No cell service, no neighbors for fifteen miles. No escape if….

Mara shut down that thought before it could finish.

"Earth to Mara," Sienna said softly, touching her elbow. "You okay?"

"Fine." Mara forced a smile. "Just... stretching my legs."

Sienna's dark eyes searched her face, understanding showing there, but she didn't push. She never did. That's why Mara loved her. Sienna knew when to hold space instead of filling it with empty comfort.

"Alright, listen up, children!" Aria clapped her hands, her efficient tone cutting through the scattered conversations. She stood by the Suburban's open trunk, surveying the chaos of duffel bags and coolers with the clinical assessment of someone planning a military operation. "We unpack in shifts. Perishables first, then sleeping bags, then personal items. Theo, you're on cooler duty. Devon, grab the….Devon, are you peeing on that tree?"

"Marking my territory!" Devon called back cheerfully, zipping up. "This is nature, Aria. We're animals here."

"You're an animal everywhere," Aria muttered, but her lips twitched.

Rhett chuckled, hefting a cooler from the trunk with easy strength. He was the newest addition to their group,, Sienna's boyfriend of three months, and still had that careful politeness of someone navigating established dynamics. "I'll help Theo with the food. You guys check out the inside?"

"Already on it," Juno announced, bounding up the porch steps with her camera still recording. Eli followed, his keys jangling in his hand.

Mara watched them approach the door, her chest tightening inexplicably. The cabin's windows were dark, reflecting nothing but the forest behind them. For just a moment, she could have sworn she saw movement in one of the upper windows—a pale flash, there and gone.

"You coming?" Eli called, his hand was on the doorknob. His eyes found hers across the clearing, and something passed between them. Concern or guilt She couldn't tell anymore. Hadn't been able to read him properly since they broke up eight months ago.

Since she'd started asking too many questions about that night five years ago.

Mara nodded and climbed the steps, each board creaking under her weight like a sigh.

The door swung open before Eli could turn the key.

"Huh," he said, frowning. "That's... weird. I locked it when I picked up the keys yesterday."

"Wind, probably," Juno said, already slipping inside. "Ooh, this is atmospheric."

The interior smelled of pine and old smoke, with an underlying sweetness that Mara couldn't place. Honey or rot, maybe, buried under air freshener. The main room was open-concept, kitchen on the left, living area on the right with a massive stone fireplace that dominated the space. Mismatched furniture clustered around it: a sagging couch, two armchairs, a rocking chair that moved slightly in a breeze Mara couldn't feel.

"Cozy," Sienna murmured, setting down her bag. She moved immediately to the windows, pulling back dusty curtains. Light streamed in, and the room looked less ominous, more simply old.

Theo entered behind them, his medical cooler in hand, his analytical gaze already cataloging details. "The structure's sound. No water damage I can see. Fireplace draws well and chimney's clear." He paused, sniffing. "Anyone else smell that?"

"Old cabin smell," Eli said quickly."They've all got it."

Mara walked slowly through the space, running her fingers along the kitchen counter. No dust. That was wrong, wasn't it? The listing said the cabin had been empty for months, but the surfaces were clean, the dishes in the rack bone-white and dry.

"Bedrooms upstairs?" Devon's voice echoed from the staircase. He was already halfway up, naturally claiming exploration rights.

"Four beds," Aria called after him, consulting her phone even though there was no service. She'd screenshotted everything, of course. "We're doubling up. Couples get priority."

"So Eli's sleeping outside," Devon called back, and Mara heard the grin in his voice.

"Fuck off, Knox," Eli replied without heat.

The group dispersed—Juno filming everything and Aria organizing, Theo doing his systematic inspection. Rhett and Sienna moved together like dancers, already in sync despite their short relationship. Devon's footsteps thundered overhead.

Mara stood still in the center of the living room, listening.

The cabin was quiet. Even with her friends' voices, their movement, the settling of the structure, there was a quality to the silence underneath, like a waiting. Like the building was holding its breath.

Her eyes drifted to the mantle above the fireplace.

There were photographs there, frames lined up precisely. She moved closer, squinting in the dimming light.

The first showed a group of young people in bell-bottoms and wide collars. The second, a family in '80s fashion. The third, teenagers in early 2000s clothes.

The fourth showed eight people standing in front of this cabin, smiling at the camera.

Eight people wearing modern clothes.

Eight people whose faces Mara recognized.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the frame, lifted it, stared at her own face smiling back…

"Yo, Mara!" Devon's shout shattered the moment. "You gotta see this room up here. It's got your name written all over it. Literally. Like, carved into the…."

His voice cut off abruptly.

In the silence that followed, Mara heard it clearly:

She heard footsteps in the room above her head. Slow and deliberately, like it was dragging.

Then Devon screamed.