Things have changed a lot since you left.

Mustering his speed as high as he could, he made his way out of the cave, only to land in decaying underbrush. He quickly got up and hid behind the foliage, his eyes searching for any sign of someone or something—waiting to devour him. The only sounds were the thumping of his heart and his heavy breathing. Blood trickled down from his palm. He tore a piece of fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around his injured hand. A low, menacing growl caught his attention. He glanced back to find the black, dense forest unfurling into endless paths, with no one around. As he turned his head to view the cave, a bloodshot creature suddenly seized him and flipped him upside down. The boy's scream echoed across the hilly town, only to vanish into the thin air.

**

“So how long are you staying here?” Sam asked, brimming with excitement.

“For two weeks,” I replied, my expression half-frowning.

“What?! No! You’ve come back after so many years and are leaving so soon!”

“Yeah, but I have my exams coming up, so—”

“No worries! We’ll spend every second together. Things have changed a lot since you moved to the city. I’ve decided that first we’ll go camping, then we’ll visit Aunt Jenny, and after that, we can enjoy the picturesque view of the lake, and—”

“It’s time to go to bed. Sam, Alex might be tired from such a long journey. Let her rest,” said Sam's mom, standing in the doorway.

“Oh right! We were just about to head to bed after discussing our plans for tomorrow.”

“Discuss it tomorrow. Good night!” With that, her mom turned off the lights.

My sleep was abruptly shattered by the sound of items shuffling. I quickly turned on my bedside lamp to find Sam's younger brother rummaging through the side drawer. He halted and stared at me with a serious expression, panic flickering in his eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he said, stuttering.

“Hey! Is everything okay?”

“Yes, all good,” whispered Sam’s voice from behind.

“Now get up! Let’s go camping!” she said, her excitement barely contained.

With that, we headed to the forest, accompanied by another friend, Mark. The dawn’s rise and the cold, fresh breeze brushing against my skin was something I had missed the most. This forest held countless memories of our childhood, from haunting expeditions to climbing competitions.

As soon as we reached the edge of the forest hill, the view was unexpectedly horrific. The other side of the forest was so dense and dark that only the eyes of lurking snakes provided any light ahead. The plants and animals were decaying, and the putrid stench tainted the once fresh air.

What is this?” I asked.

“Got no clue. We’re not allowed to go there; we should choose another spot,” said Mark.

“No! We’re going there! Don’t tell me you guys are afraid,” Sam's brother replied, staring at the forest with a serious expression, sweat trickling down his forehead.

“Well, you’re afraid, that’s for sure! We’re not heading there; it’s supposed to be a joyful camping trip with a beautiful view. So we’ll go somewhere else,” Sam insisted.

“But—”

“No buts! Let’s go.”

“I won’t.”

“Okay then, enjoy being alone. We’re leaving…"

As soon as we turned to leave, we heard a loud scream. We spun around to find that his brother had fallen from the cliff.

“Oh my God! Derek!” she screamed from the hilltop.

We quickly raced down the slope and into the haunting forest, searching for him everywhere in that decaying underbrush. Just then, the sound of rustling bushes drew our attention, and our heartbeats quickened as we found Derek crawling through the thicket. We ran up to him, and Sam hugged him tightly.

“Thank God you’re alive! Why do you argue so much, you little rat?”

“I’m sorry, sister. I couldn’t make it,” little Derek replied in a trembling voice.

Just then, a powerful force yanked him from Sam’s lap and into the depths of the endless forest. “Derek!!!” she screamed.

“Pain is a fate that can’t be changed, my dear friends!” said a cold, growling voice.

“What do we do?” I asked, trembling. Never in my worst nightmares had ghosts paid me a personal visit.

“I don’t know. Let’s just go back—”

“No way! I won’t let my brother die with him!” Sam said, her voice filled with anguish.

“But we won’t be able to do anything alone—”

“Debts must be paid; it’s a sacrifice, it’s pain!” she declared, her voice transforming into that of an old woman. She stood up and walked straight into the dense forest, vanishing from sight.

“Sam!!!” I shouted, and as I was about to follow her, Mark gripped my hand.

“We should head back home,” he said with a serious expression.

“How could we—?”

“Just follow me, and you will find your answers,” he said, his tone cold and resolute as we walked out.

Our silence was palpable as we made our way home. “Go inside, and you will find answers trembling in your mind, my dear friend.” He gave a wide grin that sent chills down my spine.

“What’s wrong with you guys?”

“Things have changed a lot since you left,” he said in a haunting voice.

Just then, Derek and Sam emerged, gleaming with excitement. “Oh! Where have you been? We’ve been searching for you! Let’s go camping.”

I turned back to find that Mark had vanished, leaving me frozen in place.

https://shopping-feedback.today/horror/frighten-me-please%3C/p%3E%3Cstyle data-emotion-css="14azzlx-P">.css-14azzlx-P{font-family:Droid Serif,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:1.1875rem;-webkit-letter-spacing:0.01em;-moz-letter-spacing:0.01em;-ms-letter-spacing:0.01em;letter-spacing:0.01em;line-height:1.6;color:#1A1A1A;margin-top:32px;}