It was a bright, sunny afternoon — the kind where the sky looked endless and the air grew fresher the closer they got to town.
Kai Linden stuck his head out of the car window like an excited puppy, letting the cool wind whip through his hair. They were getting closer and closer to their new home, and the willow trees finally came into view.
"Dad! Mom! Look! Trees! Real trees!" he laughed. "Not the sad, half-dead ones from the city!"
His father chuckled from the driver's seat. "Kai, you've seen trees before."
"Not creaky trees!" Kai said, pointing dramatically. "These ones look spooky. Like they're whispering secrets."
The car rolled past the town sign:
WELCOME TO WILLOW CREAK
Population: 5,201
'Quiet, Safe and Peaceful.'
The last word had been crossed out with thick black marker. Underneath, someone had scribbled:
LIARS.
Kai blinked.
What do they mean by liars?
But he shook off the thought with a soft laugh.
"Oh wow… dramatic entrance!"
He'd read that the town earned its name generations ago. The willow forests made eerie creaking sounds whenever the wind blew — noises that sometimes sounded too much like whispers. Locals called it Willow Creak, and the name stuck.
His dad squinted at the vandalized sign. "Teenagers being teenagers," he muttered.
"Why would they do that?" Kai asked.
"Just stay away from kids like that," his stepmom Hana warned gently from the passenger seat.
"Don't worry, Mom. I will."
Kai smiled at her through the mirror — a real smile. They weren't very close yet, but Hana tried. And Kai appreciated that.
He rested his forehead against the window as the willow trees blurred past. A faint sadness tugged quietly at his chest.
His real mother had always dreamed of living somewhere like this — surrounded by trees, rivers, and open sky.
Nature is where the world breathes, Kai, she used to say.
But she never got to see it.
They stayed in the city because his father's police job kept them there.
And then the accident happened.
After that, Kai knew his father remarried not only for love, but so Kai wouldn't grow up without a mother figure. His dad was rarely home because of work.
Now, finally, they were moving to the countryside.
And that tiny knot of sadness still sat in Kai's heart.
But he covered it with a bright grin.
"Dad, your boss made a great choice posting you here. This place looks like it came straight out of a spooky movie and I love it!"
"That's good to hear," his father said. "I thought you might find it hard… you know, leaving your old friends."
Kai shrugged.
"I can make new ones."
They drove down a long stretch of pines, curving past clusters of houses. Porches stood empty. Curtains hung half-closed.
On the sidewalks, people paused to stare at the passing car. A few parents hurried their children inside. Others frowned or glared, and Kai was almost certain someone mouthed:
"More fuel to the fire."
Kai swallowed.
What is that supposed to mean?
Maybe they weren't very welcoming…
or maybe something else was going on.
That evening, after half-unpacked boxes and a quick pizza dinner—since nothing was organized yet and his stepmom was exhausted—Kai stepped outside to explore. He bounced down the porch steps, humming a tune he made up on the spot.
It didn't take long for his smile to fade.
The street was too quiet.
No kids on bikes.
No parents chatting across lawns.
No dogs barking.
No boys playing football or kids running around.
Nothing.
He had hoped to see someone around his age, maybe even make a new friend. Instead, he was greeted with silence. He was pretty sure he heard a low growl, but he told himself it was just the wind.
The whole neighborhood felt like it was pretending to be normal—
but failing miserably.
Kai kicked a pebble down the road.
"Maybe everyone sleeps early here," he muttered, slipping on his headphones. He walked along, humming to the music.
Then a football rolled to his feet.
He froze, staring at it with sudden excitement.
Finally! Another kid.
He looked up and saw a boy around his age running over from his yard. The boy had messy hair and wore shorts and a T-shirt.
"Hey! Sorry about that!" the boy laughed.
"It's alright, man," Kai said, kicking the ball back. "I'm Kai. I just moved into town and… it's been awfully quiet." He hesitated. "Is everything okay?"
The boy picked up the ball. His smile faded into a small frown.
"People are just… traumatized by a rumor going around."
"What rumor?" Kai asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"A rumor about—"
Before he could finish, a sharp voice barked from the porch.
"Noah! Inside. Now."
A tall man stood there, holding a shotgun. He glared directly at Kai.
"Get off my property, kid."
Noah shot Kai an apologetic look and mouthed, Sorry about my dad and I hope to see you again, before rolling his eyes in annoyance and hurrying inside.
"I'm going, sir," Kai said quickly, raising his hands before heading back toward the street.
He walked for a while until he reached a small park. It was empty—completely still. As he turned to leave, something on the sidewalk caught his eye.
Words.
Messy, blood-smeared writing.
TRY ESCAPE THE END.
Kai stared, his eyebrows raised in utter confusion.
"What the hell?" he muttered. "They sure have a lot of rebellious kids in this small, peaceful town."
He turned to leave, but a piercing scream echoed from the nearby alley—a girl's voice, shrill and desperate. He hesitated for a moment, then rushed toward it.
There, he saw a smoky shadow like a dark cloud dissolving into the air, leaving a dark, charred imprint etched into the brick wall.
On the ground lay a girl, younger than him, still in her school uniform.
Her body was crumpled and shriveled, desiccated as if her very soul and blood had been
drained away.
She had curled inward from the unnatural dryness, her skin cracked like parched earth. A savage claw mark stretched across her small chest, and her eyes remained frozen wide in eternal terror.
Kai stumbled backward, his eyes widening in shock and fear. "Who did this?" His hands trembled, and his legs refused to move.
What a nice, peaceful town indeed...