And Soon The Darkness -

They stopped at a crossroad where a rusted sign pointed toward a town neither of them recognized. As they debated which way to turn, a man appeared from the tree line. He was lean, dressed in a faded canvas jacket, carrying a heavy wrench. He didn’t wave; he just watched them.

"The shortcut looked fine on the map," Cathy replied, though her voice lacked conviction. The road here was little more than a cracked ribbon of asphalt hemmed in by dense, silent woods. And Soon the Darkness

"Stay close," Cathy breathed, reaching for her heavy bike lock. They stopped at a crossroad where a rusted

"It’s a puncture," Jane whispered, her eyes darting to the shadows. "Cathy, I don’t like this." "It’s okay. We’ll just walk." He didn’t wave; he just watched them

The sun was a bruised orange, hanging low over the French countryside. Cathy and Jane had been cycling for six hours, their legs burning, the map flapping uselessly against Cathy’s handlebars.

They stopped at a crossroad where a rusted sign pointed toward a town neither of them recognized. As they debated which way to turn, a man appeared from the tree line. He was lean, dressed in a faded canvas jacket, carrying a heavy wrench. He didn’t wave; he just watched them.

"The shortcut looked fine on the map," Cathy replied, though her voice lacked conviction. The road here was little more than a cracked ribbon of asphalt hemmed in by dense, silent woods.

"Stay close," Cathy breathed, reaching for her heavy bike lock.

"It’s a puncture," Jane whispered, her eyes darting to the shadows. "Cathy, I don’t like this." "It’s okay. We’ll just walk."

The sun was a bruised orange, hanging low over the French countryside. Cathy and Jane had been cycling for six hours, their legs burning, the map flapping uselessly against Cathy’s handlebars.