The Lantern by the Woods

The wind howled through the trees, their skeletal branches clawing at the sky. A full moon hung above the dark forest, casting an eerie glow over the narrow path winding through the woods. Sarah and her younger brother, Ethan, stood at the edge, staring into the thick darkness beyond.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Ethan asked, his voice wavering. “I mean, it’s pretty late…”

“Don’t be a baby,” Sarah replied with a grin, trying to mask the unease she felt. She had heard the stories, of course—the ghostly lanterns that floated in the woods, guiding lost souls to their final resting place. But she wasn’t about to admit that she was scared.

“I’ll go first,” Sarah said, pushing forward into the woods, Ethan reluctantly following behind.

They walked deeper, the trees growing thicker and blocking out much of the moonlight. The only sound was the crunch of dead leaves beneath their feet and the occasional snap of a twig breaking under their weight.

After what felt like hours, Sarah suddenly stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

“What is it?” Ethan asked, his voice tight.

“Look,” Sarah whispered, pointing ahead.

There, floating between the trees, was a faint, glowing light. It hovered in mid-air, swaying slightly as if carried by an unseen hand.

“It’s a lantern,” Sarah breathed. She had heard of them—ghostly lights that wandered the woods, beckoning travelers to follow them.

“Are we really going to follow it?” Ethan asked, his face pale.

Sarah hesitated. The stories always told of the lantern leading people deeper into the woods, to places they shouldn’t be, until they were lost forever. But something about it felt different tonight—compelling, even.

“It’s just a lantern,” she said, trying to convince herself. “Let’s go.”

With a deep breath, she stepped forward. The light flickered, and the lantern moved, drifting slowly away from them. Without another word, Sarah began walking after it, Ethan close behind. The glow seemed to stay just out of reach, leading them deeper into the forest.

The woods grew silent, the wind no longer rustling the leaves. The further they went, the darker it became, as if the trees themselves were closing in around them.

“Sarah… we should turn back,” Ethan whispered, fear thick in his voice. “This doesn’t feel right.”

But Sarah didn’t listen. The lantern continued to move, slowly swaying as it drifted further down the path.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a small clearing. The lantern floated in the center, its light growing brighter, more intense. And there, in the center of the clearing, was a large stone well, its edges worn and covered in vines.

“What is this place?” Ethan asked, his voice shaking.

Sarah stepped forward, mesmerized by the lantern’s light. She reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of the stone well. As she did, the ground beneath them seemed to tremble.

A voice, cold and hollow, whispered from the darkness.

“Not all who follow the lantern return.”

Sarah turned, her blood running cold. The lantern was no longer floating ahead of them. It was right in front of her, its light blinding.

Ethan grabbed her arm, his face stricken with fear. “We need to leave. Now.”

But it was too late. The lantern flickered and dimmed, and the whispering grew louder, circling them from all sides.

The ground trembled again, and then, without warning, the earth beneath their feet gave way. The well’s stone walls crumbled, and Sarah and Ethan were sucked into the darkness below, the lantern’s light fading into nothingness.

The forest grew silent once more.

The lantern, now floating aimlessly in the dark, flickered once more, as if waiting for the next unwitting traveler to come upon it.

And somewhere, far beneath the earth, two figures, their faces pale and hollow, stood beside the well, forever trapped in the woods they had tried to escape.

The lantern flickered once more.