Chapter 1: The Disappearance Ryan Matthews wasn’t supposed to be in the woods that day. The sun was high, and the air was sticky with humidity as he drove down the winding roads of southern Missouri, looking for a quiet spot to unwind. Life had been stressful lately—work deadlines, family issues, and the usual pressures […]
Author: James
The Silent StalkerThe Silent Stalker
The tri-state region had always been a quiet place, marked by farmlands, sleepy river towns, and old railroad tracks that whispered of forgotten histories. The Mississippi River carved through the landscape, winding its way through southeast Iowa, west central Illinois, and northeast Missouri, dividing states but connecting the people who lived along its banks. It […]
The Echo in the WoodsThe Echo in the Woods
Carter never believed in the stories, at least not until that summer. The people in town called it Whispering Hollow—a patch of dense woods just past the river where the trees twisted unnaturally and no one dared enter after dark. The legends had always seemed ridiculous to him. His friends used to laugh about them […]
The WatcherThe Watcher
Late at night, Emily woke to a sound—a soft scraping, like something dragging across the floor. Her eyes flicked open, body tense as she strained to listen. The house was old, prone to creaks and groans, but this sound was different. It had a rhythm, a deliberate quality that set her pulse racing. She lay […]