As the group entered the forest, the feeling of being watched intensified. The shadows seemed to move on their own, and the wind rustled the leaves above them in a way that felt almost ominous. Sarah's heart was racing, and she found herself glancing over her shoulder every few steps.
"Do you guys feel like we're being watched?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly shaky.
"I thought it was just me," Ben replied, also sounding a bit nervous. "It feels like someone - or something - is watching us, doesn't it?"
"Haha," he burst into laughter as if mocking Sarah with the words he said at first.
The others shook their heads at this, it's Ben's typical character.
Always making fun of things, creating jokes from every little thing he could find to entertain himself and those around him except the unlucky scapegoat he is using at the moment who would feel bad and mad at him.
If you get to know him, you understand you can't keep malice with him either. No matter how mad you are at him.
In fact, it's the same for the three musketeers as people come to tag them, Adrian, Ben, and Matt.
Sarah was both relieved and annoyed by Ben's laughter. On the one hand, it was a sign that he wasn't as afraid as she was, and that made her feel less anxious. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that he wasn't taking the situation as seriously as she was.
Adrian, ever the voice of reason, spoke up. "Do not get too worked up, Sarah. It's probably just your imaginations getting the best of you. Just try to relax and enjoy the hike."
"Easier said than done, Ad," Gary replied, he isn't cut out for this kind of thing. To be honest he feels more agitated than Sarah, though not for the same reason. But yes, he feels scared and worried.
But seeing the others kicking the knag of things makes him want to man up.
Especially when he gets a beauty he needs to prove himself to. With that thought he drew closer to Sarah, taking her hands into his as he lends her his shoulder in time of need and it seems to be working as Sarah calmed down more and was now relaxed.
Ignoring the nagging feeling still bugging her mind, after all what could possibly go wrong? Ben got a gun around.
So, no need to be so apprehensive, she should just relax and enjoy the hike.
As Sarah relaxed, the atmosphere seemed to change. The shadows no longer felt as ominous, and the wind no longer sounded so eerie. The only sounds were the crunch of their footsteps on the leaves and the gentle chirping of birds in the trees above and crickets.
Ben, ever the comedian, started telling jokes to lighten the mood. And before long, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves.
It became like every other adventure they've embarked on, the hike was turning out to be more fun than they had expected.
As they neared the ruins, they could see them more clearly. The stone walls were covered in moss and vines, and the entrance was partially blocked by spiderwebs and a huge cave-like stone.
Adrian was overjoyed, he actually for the first time wants to explore ruins.
Something he had always dreamt of since he was a child after watching those cave diver documentaries.
He always wanted to get a feel of it and discover ancient lost relics or humanity history and here is his opportunity for a true dive.
Gary, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. The ruins seemed ancient and mysterious, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. But he pushed the feeling down and tried to focus on the task at hand. After all, they were here to explore, not to be afraid.
He took out his camera and started snapping pictures of the ruins. As they approached the entrance, he could see that it was completely dark inside. He wondered what they would find as they ventured deeper into the unknown.
Sarah seemed to share his sense of wonder, her eyes were wide with excitement, too, her worries long gone.
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The three musketeers got to work and with the help of the others were about to shift the stone away from the entrance as the stench of dirt and dust permeates the air indicating how long this place had been left untouched.
As the stone was moved aside, the group entered the ruins with great anticipation. The air was musty and stale, and the only light came from their flashlights. But despite the darkness, the group was determined to explore every nook and cranny of the place.
As they made their way through the narrow passages, they noticed strange markings on the walls. Some looked like symbols or hieroglyphics, while others seemed to be pictographs depicting strange figures and creatures.
The further they ventured into the ruins, the more the feeling of unease grew. They began to hear strange sounds echoing from the depths of the ruins.
But no matter how absurd it is, the determination to ravage the entire ruins made them pass that strange sound off.
But something bizarre start to happen as a portion of the ruins soon start depicting the presence of life and activities.
It's still looking old and ancient, but they were now seeing traces of modern civilization in it. Things that could only have been made in recent era.
Baffled by what they were seeing, the group slowed their pace and began to examine the strange artifacts more closely. They noticed a variety of items, including tools, appliances, and even clothing that seemed to be from different periods of time. Some of the items looked as if they were from a century past, while others seemed to be from the present day.
This has left the group baffled, the entrance doesn't look tampered with but the signs here show otherwise, or is there a second entry?
As they turned a corner, they came upon a large room that seemed to be some sort of sitting room. There were a variety of items and appliances, all powered by an energy source well known to the group.
In the center of the room is a coffin-like bed opened up with no one inside.
No matter how bold and cautious the group had been, this sight threw them all out of balance.
No one dared raise a foot to step forward any further.
The unease had returned only this time in multiple folds stronger than they felt it before now.
Gary, tape recording the exploration, had long put out the camera, a thick sense of premonition evading his sense of reason that he couldn't comfort Sarah that's at a breaking point beside him.
"Mm guys," he called to the group who turned towards him hearing the tone he had used, only for them to see a frightened fidgeting Gary gazing at another end of the room with a terrified expression on his face.
The group slowly turned their heads in the direction that Gary was looking, and what they saw left them frozen with fear. Standing in the doorway was a tall, shadowy figure.
Its features were obscured by the darkness, but they could tell that it was not human, especially with those mildly glowing crimson eyes they could see. It stood motionless, watching them with an unreadable expression.
As the group stood paralyzed with fear, the shadowy figure slowly started to move towards them. With each step, the tension in the room grew thicker, until it was almost suffocating.
The figure stopped a few feet away from the group, revealing a man in his 30s-40s.
Pale skin, smooth skin, nice body build in properly civilized clothing, long pointed nails, well taken care of.
"Welcome," he said with a malicious smile. "I've had my eyes on you like a hawk for a while now. I rarely have visitors in this area."
The group stood frozen in terror as the man spoke, his words sending a chill down their spines. His smile was unnerving, and his eyes were piercing.
"What do you want from us?" Adrian finally found the courage to speak, his voice shaking with fear.
"I just want to talk," the man said, his tone softening slightly. "I've been so lonely for so long, and I'm very hungry too. It's nice to finally have some company." The evil smile growing brighter. "What brings you to these ruins?"
No one in the group knew what to say. They were all still trying to process what was happening and what he meant by very hungry too.
No matter how much their brains decipher the meaning to them, they just don't want to accept those thoughts.
"Hungry?" Ben stammered, his face turning pale. "What do you mean by that?"
The man's smile widened, revealing long, sharp fangs. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." He took a step closer to the group, and they could all feel the terror radiating from his body. "I think we should get better acquainted. Let's start with introductions, shall we? I'll go first - my name is Vincent, and I'm a vampire."
He made it sound so normal and casual, but the receiving end didn't find it anywhere close to being that simple.
The group gasped when they finally realized what they were dealing with.
A vampire - a creature of legend and myth, one only considered to be tales of children nightmare story books and crazy fantasy fanatics imagination of making movies and novels from
But here is a actual living one, and they couldn't deny the fact or doubt it as all evidence prove so
"That's impossible," Gary said, his voice shaking. "Vampires aren't real. They're just stories, made up to scare people."
"And yet here I am," Vincent said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Perhaps your stories aren't as inaccurate as you thought. Or perhaps you've simply been taught to believe that something can't exist just because you haven't seen it with your own eyes."
The group was silent, each of them trying to wrap their minds around what was happening. This couldn't be real, could it?
"I know this is a lot to take in, but you don't have to burn your little brain cells over it as you won't be needing it" Vincent chipped in
"And why is that" Adrian bracingly asked, not liking the direction this conversation is steaming toward and just like he imagined
Vincent answer knocked the live out of them, "because none of you would be alive long enough to understand the mysteries of the shadows" his eyes now glowing crimson a fangs prude out from the side of his lips.