Thomas Hale arrived in Gravenmoor with mixed feelings and a moving truck that had broken down three times. Bramble, his loyal but stubborn dog, refused to get out of the passenger seat for nearly an hour. Thomas sat by the roadside, chewing the last bite of a rest-stop sandwich, staring at the town's faded welcome sign.
Welcome to Gravenmoor – A Quiet Place to Call Home.
Someone had scratched out "Quiet" and replaced it with "Cursed." The red paint had faded, but the message was still clear.
"Well, at least they're honest." Thomas muttered.
His grandmother's house stood at the end of a gravel road, surrounded by old trees that looked like they were whispering to each other. The paint was peeling, the windows were fogged over, and the front door leaned slightly to the left. Bramble finally jumped down, but froze at the porch, the fur on his neck bristling.
"Don't start, Bramble," Thomas said, half-hoping the dog would talk back.
That first night felt strange. Thomas unpacked one box, then sat on the living room floor with a cup of instant coffee and a flickering desk lamp. Bramble slept near the long-dead fireplace, occasionally growling softly in his dreams.
It was 2:13 a.m. when Thomas finally decided to go out. Old habit—night walks calmed his mind. The world felt more honest when everyone else was asleep.
Gravenmoor at night looked like a painting that had hung too long in someone's grandmother's living room: gloomy, but full of stories. Fog crept along the streets, wrapping around the old lamps. Bramble walked ahead, light on his feet but alert.
They passed the old church, the antique shop with porcelain dolls in the window, and a park bench that looked like it hadn't been sat on in years. Then, as they neared the small woods at the edge of town, Thomas heard something.
Not a sound.
More like... a breath.
Close.
Cold.
He stopped.
Turned.
No one there.
Bramble stood still, tail rigid.
Thomas took a deep breath.
"Okay." he said quietly.
"Maybe this place is a little weird."
And somewhere behind the trees, something was watching them.