Chapter 3 — The Gathering
Josh
Josh Timmons bounded up the narrow staircase to Chloe’s apartment, his sneakers squeaking on the worn steps with each buoyant stride. His messenger bag jostled against his side, its contents clinking softly—a symphony of his passion: dog-eared folklore books, hand-drawn maps, and a stack of forum printouts. His heart raced, not from exertion, but from anticipation. Blackhollow Forest. Finally, a project that could prove everything he’d devoted himself to.
He knocked twice on the door, then leaned in with a cheeky grin. “Open up, Chloe! The paranormal prodigy is here, and boy, do I have stories.”
The door creaked open, revealing Chloe’s piercing green eyes and a look that balanced irritation with resignation. “Josh,” she whispered sharply, glancing down the hall. “Do you think my neighbors want to hear your stories too?”
Josh’s grin widened as he brushed past her into the apartment. “Maybe they should! It’s not every day someone uncovers the truth about the unexplained.” He gestured grandly to the room, narrowly missing an overfilled mug perched on the counter. “This is where history gets made.”
Chloe shut the door with a sigh. “And this is why you’re not getting a spare key.”
Josh let his gaze drift over the room and let out a low whistle. It was everything he’d imagined: a frenzy of obsession. A massive corkboard dominated the wall, strings of red and yellow thread connecting clippings, photos, and notes into a sprawling web of intrigue. Maps were spread across every surface, covered in scribbled annotations and circles, punctuated with cryptic shorthand. The air smelled faintly of old paper and stale coffee, the apartment illuminated by the soft, uneven glow of string lights.
“Wow, Chloe. You’ve really outdone yourself,” Josh said, stepping closer to inspect one of the maps. His fingers hovered over a bold red circle encircling the words “Hollow’s End,” and he couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine.
“Unlike some people, I don’t wing it,” Chloe replied, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. “I make sure I’m prepared.”
“Prepared?” Josh grinned, swinging his messenger bag onto her sagging couch. “Wait till you see this.” With theatrical flair, he pulled out an aging leather-bound journal, its cover embossed with faintly shimmering symbols that seemed to shift under the light. He set it on the coffee table with reverence.
Chloe raised her brows. “What is that?”
“A diary,” Josh said, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “I picked it up at a swap meet a couple of years ago. The guy who sold it said it belonged to some hermit who lived near Blackhollow in the 1800s. It’s got entries about disappearances, mysterious noises, even golden eyes.”
Chloe hovered over the journal, her skepticism evident despite the glint of curiosity in her eyes. “And you think it’s real?”
Josh hesitated, his confident demeanor cracking just slightly. “Real or not, it’s exactly the kind of thing we need for the documentary. Even if it’s fiction, people will eat this up.”
She tilted her head, studying both him and the journal. Before she could respond, a knock at the door interrupted their exchange.
“That’ll be Mike,” Chloe said, moving to answer it.
Josh flopped onto the couch, sprawling dramatically. “Ah, the voice of reason, here to crush all my dreams.”
The door opened to reveal Mike Lawson, tall and broad-shouldered, his weary expression accompanied by a battered baseball cap and a hoodie that had seen better days. He looked around the apartment with a mix of amusement and disdain.
“Nice place,” Mike said dryly, stepping over a pile of books. “I see we’re meeting in a conspiracy theorist’s bunker.”
Josh sat up with a grin. “Mike! Still the life of the party, I see. Ready to film some ghosts?”
Mike dropped a heavy camera case onto the floor with a thud. “Nope. But I’m here, aren’t I?”
Chloe shut the door behind him and motioned toward the table. “Alright, let’s get started.”
The three of them gathered: Chloe standing with her arms crossed, Mike sitting stiffly in a chair, and Josh perched on the armrest of the couch, his knee bouncing with restless energy. Chloe opened her notebook to a meticulously organized checklist.
“First things first,” she began, tapping her pen against the page. “We need to clarify the plan. Josh, give us the rundown on the legends.”
Josh leaned forward, his earlier hesitation forgotten as excitement surged. “Oh, you’re gonna love this. So Blackhollow Forest has been weird for centuries—disappearances, entire families vanishing overnight, stories about the forest calling people into its depths. And Hollow’s End, the village at the center of it all? Supposedly, the villagers tried to resist, but...” He trailed off, a dramatic pause heavy in the air. “Well, they didn’t win, obviously.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “And you believe all this?”
Josh met his gaze with a smirk. “I believe the stories are worth investigating. Maybe it’s not ghosts or whatever, but something’s out there. Too many accounts for it to be nothing.”
“We’re not here to debate what’s real,” Chloe interjected. “We’re here to document what we find. Stick to the facts.”
Mike shrugged, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. “Fine by me. Just don’t expect me to join hands around a Ouija board.”
Josh opened his mouth, a cheeky quip forming, but Chloe silenced him with a look.
“Mike, equipment status?” she asked.
“Everything’s functional,” Mike replied, his tone all business. “Cameras, mics, drones, you name it. Just don’t be surprised when everything goes haywire. Forests like Blackhollow tend to mess with tech.”
“Noted,” Chloe said, jotting something in her notebook. She paused, looking between them, her expression softening. “Alright. Let’s take a step back. Why are we doing this? Why does this project matter to each of us?”
Josh arched an eyebrow. “Getting all philosophical on us, huh?”
“It’s important,” Chloe said firmly. Her fingers brushed the silver pendant around her neck, the movement subtle but telling. “This isn’t just a hobby. We all have reasons for being here.” She glanced between them. “So, let’s hear it.”
The room fell quiet, the weight of her words settling over them. Josh broke the silence first, leaning back and rubbing the back of his neck.
“Fine,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically subdued. “I guess... I’ve always been drawn to this kind of stuff. It’s like, I want to believe there’s more out there, you know? People think I’m crazy—or they did, back in college. But if we can prove something, even just make people question what they think they know...” He shrugged, his voice trailing off. “That’s enough for me.”
Chloe nodded, her attention shifting to Mike.
Mike sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Honestly? I’m here because it’s a job. But...” He hesitated, his skeptical mask slipping to reveal a flicker of unease. “I guess part of me wants to know if there’s something to all this. Not ghosts or curses, but...” He waved a hand vaguely. “The unknown. Just don’t tell anyone I said that.”
Chloe smiled faintly. “Your secret’s safe.”
She took a deep breath, clutching her pendant as she spoke. “For me, it’s about proving myself. This documentary—it’s not just a project. It’s my chance to make something that matters. To show what I’m capable of.” Her voice faltered slightly, but she pressed on. “And yeah, maybe I want a little recognition too.”
Josh raised an imaginary glass. “To ambition, curiosity, and not getting eaten by a forest.”
Mike snorted, but a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. Even Chloe couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
The next few hours passed in a blur of planning: refining their route, recording preliminary interviews, and testing equipment. The earlier tension eased as they found a tentative rhythm, their shared energy pulling them into sync.
By the time they wrapped up, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the apartment in dusky shadows. Josh stood, stretching and slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Well,” he said with a grin, “this is gonna be one hell of an adventure.”
Mike rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree. Chloe lingered by the corkboard, her green eyes narrowing as she studied the web of maps and notes. A faint unease prickled at the edge of her thoughts, but she pushed it aside.
“Two days,” she said firmly, turning back to them. “Be ready.”
Josh gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Mike nodded, already halfway out the door.
As the apartment fell silent, Chloe’s gaze drifted back to the map. Somewhere in the forest, answers—or horrors—awaited. She clutched her pendant, the faintest whisper brushing her ear. She froze, then shook her head, dismissing it as her imagination.
This was her moment, and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her.
