Liam and Ben had been friends since they were little, always exploring the woods behind their neighbourhood. Today was no different, except the sun was sinking faster than usual and the air felt colder, heavier, but neither of them wanted to seem scared, so they went on walking towards the middle of the darkening woods on.
"Do you hear that?" – Ben whispered, eyes wide with fear. There was a faint rumble beneath their feet, like the earth was groaning.
"Stop trying to freak me out" – Liam chuckled, but his voice was shaky.
Suddenly, the ground gave way. With a sharp cry, Ben slipped, his foot catching on a root. Liam spun around just in time to see his friend tumble backward. Ben’s scream echoed as he plummeted into a gaping abyss that had appeared beneath them.
"BEN!" – Liam screamed, rushing to the edge. He could see nothing below but deep and endless darkness.
His heart pounded so loudly it drowned out all other sounds. His breath hitched, his chest tight. He fell to his knees, staring into the black hole where his best friend had vanished. Sweat dripped down his forehead, mixing with the tears that had begun to pool in his eyes.
"Ben...?" – His voice was barely a whisper, as if saying his name any louder would confirm the worst.
There was no reply. Just silence.
Panic surged through Liam, his body frozen. His throat felt like it was closing, and his legs refused to move. He wanted to scream again, to call for help, but nothing came out. His entire body trembled, and his vision blurred as fear took over.
He tried to inch closer to the edge, desperate to see something—anything—but terror gripped him tight. What if he fell too? What if the earth opened up again and swallowed him whole, just like it had done to Ben?
The woods were too quiet. The usual sounds of birds or rustling leaves were gone, replaced by an eerie stillness that seemed to swallow every sound. Liam’s mind raced, filled with visions of Ben falling forever, lost in the darkness. His hands shook violently, and his heart felt like it might burst from his chest.
"Ben..." – he whispered again, but his voice cracked. He was alone. Completely alone.
About the Creator
The daughter of silence
It all started when Echo was five. She kept having these nightmares where she would just fall into a dark pit, screaming insanely loud, yet no one, not even her own parents would hear her. It was terrifying. But the most horrible part was that when she'd wake up panting, her parents were nowhere to be found, just like in her dream. She'd always cry herself to sleep alone and helpless.
By Anna Exclusive • about a year ago
Golden Time of Day
When the snow melted, the spring air brought the pungent smell of trees blooming. Their pinks and fuchsias and whites created a panoply of color. Sedgwick Vorman, 39, carried the flowers in the same way to the same grave at the turn of the season. His skin looked like chestnuts and his strong cheek bones and hands shot through the neck and the sleeves of his designer jacket. He dusted off the marker and replaced the flowers. He set up a blanket and a beach chair. He then opened the newspaper. News about the worst day in stock market history since the 1929 crash alerted his attention as he turned on the radio.
By Skyler Saunders6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (5)
lovely written
Your story tells me also, no need for a real abyss to feel completely alone. But maybe that is why I sometimes dreamt as a child that I was falling into an abyss. Maybe I was too alone.
Oh my, like how did that even happen?? Would you continue this story? I loved it!
You make terrifying use of the elemental fears of being alone, falling and death in this story. They are each the stuff of nightmares. Really well done, Anna!
I sense the psychological fear you're trying to communicate here....that we all fear falling into traps, holes in our lives. A very well-written story.