Ruth followed along, her thoughts muddled, uncertain whether she was awake or still dreaming. She had thought it was all a dream—a dream where she wandered through a dense forest beside a soul named Ellese. The dream had shown her vivid, brutal glimpses of Ellese's suffering and punishment.
She only snapped back to reality when someone pulled her—Jasmin. She thought Jasmin had only been part of the dream, too. But she was fully awake, and Ericka and Thalia were there, following behind them.
After the bonfire that night, the usual routine resumed until the activities concluded the following day. Ruth had fallen asleep again when she heard a woman's voice call her—not by her name, but by another name, one she didn't recognize. The voice urged her to follow.
That voice led her back to the abandoned warehouse. It felt like they were being hunted again, fleeing from something or someone unknown. The forest felt endless, and they had no idea which way led back to safety.
"Where are we?" Ericka asked, panting. They were all exhausted and disoriented, unsure of where to go.
Jasmin trembled as she scanned the area. She pointed ahead. "There—come over there."
At first, no one saw what she was pointing at. The thick grass obscured everything. But then they spotted it—a small, hidden hut made of wood and nipa.
"That could be a trap," Thalia warned.
"It's not," Ericka said confidently.
Jasmin nodded. "I stayed there the night I got lost in the forest."
Suddenly, they heard rustling—footsteps.
"Let's go, quickly! They might see us!" Ericka whispered urgently. She pushed them forward as they scrambled toward the small nipa hut.
Once inside, Ericka immediately began tapping the floor, searching for something. Then she found it—a hidden staircase leading downward.
Ruth furrowed her brow. The stairs... they felt familiar. Too familiar. There was something buried in her memory, struggling to rise.
"Let's go," someone whispered.
They descended the stairs and shut the trapdoor behind them. The darkness swallowed them whole. Jasmin switched on a small flashlight.
"Jasmin, what if they see the light?" Thalia asked anxiously.
"They won't find us here," Ericka said.
She spoke with too much certainty, making both Thalia and Ruth exchange suspicious glances.
They found a small bed, just enough to fit four people. Ruth froze. Something in her stirred. This room—this bed—she had been here before. She had lived here before. But when?
Jasmin sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Jasmin," Thalia asked carefully, "how did you find this place?"
"Honestly… there was a woman. She guided me here."
"Who?"
"She said her name was Felisa."
Ruth blinked. Felisa?
Felisa... Ellese...
The murdered sisters.
Thalia's face twisted in confusion.
"Felisa Fuego?" Thalia asked quietly.
A long sigh came from Ericka.
"If I told you I can talk to them… that my spirit travels and I see them—would you believe me?" Ericka asked.
"Spirit traveling? Like dreaming but it feels real?" Thalia responded.
Even Jasmin turned her gaze toward Thalia.
"I don't just dream—I see what they go through when I travel."
"You see—but you don't feel what they feel?" Thalia asked again, her voice tense.
"What do you mean, Thalia?" Ericka asked, confused.
Thalia didn't answer. She sat down on the edge of the bed, unsettled by everything.
"Never mind. What matters is, Jasmin's safe now."
Jasmin shook slightly. Her eyes reflected memories too dark for someone her age to carry.
"After I used the restroom," she began, voice trembling, "I saw a shadow. I thought it was Ruth returning to the tent, so I followed it. I assumed Thalia had already finished."
"I followed that figure deep into the forest. But it wasn't Ruth—it was a man. A man in a hooded jacket. He looked like a shadow. I was terrified. Then I smelled something… like a sleeping gas. I passed out."
"When I woke up, my hands were tied. My eyes weren't covered, though. I was in a warehouse. I could smell blood. I heard women screaming—not far from where I was. Crying. It was awful."
Ruth could see the terror in Jasmin's face, even as she struggled to stay composed.
"Don't continue, Jasmin," Thalia said gently. "We understand."
"I managed to escape. A man helped me."
They all exchanged startled glances.
"Did you see who helped you?" Ericka asked.
Jasmin shook her head. "His face was hidden. He let me go when his companions weren't around. I don't even know why he helped me."
"I ignored hunger, thirst, exhaustion… just to escape. I wasn't sure if I would make it out alive."
"Then why did you return to the warehouse again?" Ruth asked.
"Felisa appeared to me again. I saw you walking toward it, Ruth. I knew you were being led into danger, so I pulled you away."
Ruth swallowed hard. Jasmin had saved her.
Thalia sat in the corner, flashlight flickering across her thoughtful face.
"What else did you hear, Jasmin?" Ericka asked.
"While I was running through the forest, I heard them talking. Their territory is so large—I didn't know if I was escaping or running in circles. They said that if I was found again, they'd kill me. They thought I'd report them to the police."
"You need to report it," Ericka insisted. "We'll help you."
"I'm scared," Jasmin whispered.
"We'll get through this together," Thalia reassured her. "We'll survive this."
None of them knew what time it was. But Ruth knew she wouldn't sleep. She was afraid—afraid of what might happen if she closed her eyes again. Afraid of dragging them into another strange vision or being led away again.
"Get some sleep, Ruth," Thalia told her softly. "Don't worry—I'm staying awake, too."
Ruth didn't reply. This place made her feel strangely safe.
She noticed Jasmin had already dozed off, her body visibly drained.
"Are you going to tell her the truth?" Ruth asked Ericka quietly. "That the one who helped her was a spirit?"
"There's no need," Ericka answered. "She already knows."
"Isn't she afraid?"
"At death's door… you'll accept help from anyone—living or dead," Ericka said calmly.
Ruth fell silent. If that had been her—if she had endured what Jasmin did—she might have already lost her mind.