Chapter 1: The Trap Is Set

I was tricked into going to Silver Hollow five years ago.

Even now, when I look back on that experience, a cold shiver runs down my spine. My skin prickles, and my heart races as if the memory itself is a ghost breathing over my shoulder. It still haunts me—especially late at night, when the house is silent and the wind rattles the windowpanes, making every shadow seem alive.

At first, I didn’t dare tell anyone what happened. I’d find myself fidgeting whenever someone asked about that time, avoiding eye contact, and lying awake at night with a knot in my stomach.

I’d lie awake, replaying every moment, wondering if anyone would even believe me. The scenes would loop in my head: the look on Kev’s face, the strange roads, the fear that gripped me. There’s a kind of shame to being fooled, and I wore it like a scar—heavy and impossible to hide.

But with all the recent news—stories about missing persons and local crime reports—I realized that most ordinary people still know far too little about that place.

If I’d shared my story earlier, maybe there wouldn’t be so much tragedy in the news. Maybe there wouldn’t be so many victims. Maybe, just maybe, someone would’ve listened and kept their loved ones safe.