--- Whispers of Everhollow Chapter 1: The Silent Town Ezra Clarke had never known silence like this before. He sat in the backseat of his dad’s car, staring out at Everhollow as they drove past its quiet streets. The town was beautiful—red-brick buildings, sprawling oak trees, and a picturesque town square—but it was eerily still. No music from cafes, no distant laughter, not even the sound of a barking dog. “Are you sure people actually live here?” Ezra asked, glancing at his dad. His dad chuckled. “Of course, they do. It’s just a peaceful town.” Ezra wasn’t convinced. He had lived in the city his whole life, where noise was everywhere—cars honking, people talking, music spilling from stores. Here, the silence felt unnatural. When they arrived at their new house, an old Victorian with ivy climbing its walls, Ezra sighed. It looked like something out of a ghost story. That night, he lay in bed, struggling to sleep. The silence pressed in on him like a thick fog. He was used to noise—without it, his thoughts felt too loud. Then— A whisper. Soft. Barely audible. Ezra froze, his pulse spiking. He held his breath, listening. Nothing. He let out a shaky exhale. It had to be his imagination. But deep down, he wasn’t so sure. --- Chapter 2: The Girl Who Knew Too Much The next morning, Ezra wandered through town. It felt normal enough—people walked the streets, small shops lined the square, and the library loomed in the distance. But something still felt… off. At the town fountain, he noticed a girl sitting on the edge, flipping through a notebook. She looked about his age, with curly dark hair and sharp, observant eyes. “Hey,” Ezra said. She looked up, surprised. “You’re new.” “Yeah. Just moved in yesterday. I’m Ezra.” She studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Mira.” Ezra hesitated before asking, “Is it just me, or is this town… weird?” Mira smirked. “Oh, it’s weird, all right.” She glanced around before lowering her voice. “Let me guess. You heard them, didn’t you?” Ezra frowned. “Who?” “The Echoes.” Ezra stared at her, unsure whether she was messing with him. But her expression was serious. “You don’t believe me,” she said, standing up. “That’s fine. But you will.” She walked away, leaving him with more questions than answers. --- Chapter 3: The House That Whispered That night, Ezra lay awake again, straining to hear something. And then— A whisper. This time, it was clearer. A single word, stretched thin like an echo: “Remember.” Ezra bolted upright. His room was empty. The window was shut. Heart pounding, he grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight. He scanned the room, feeling ridiculous but unable to shake the unease. And then— A creak from the hallway. Swallowing his fear, Ezra stepped out of his room. The whisper came again. “Remember.” Ezra’s breath hitched. It wasn’t coming from a person. It was coming from the walls. --- Chapter 4: Secrets in the Library The next day, Ezra found Mira in the same spot by the fountain. “I need to know everything,” he said. Mira gave him a knowing look. “Told you.” She motioned for him to follow. They walked to the Everhollow Library, an ancient-looking building with arched windows and towering bookshelves. Inside, Mira led him to the history section. “I’ve been researching this town for years,” she whispered. “Everhollow wasn’t always like this.” She pulled out an old book and flipped to a section titled The Vanishing of Everhollow. Ezra read the first few lines: "In 1923, a tragedy befell Everhollow. A group of performers—musicians, actors, and storytellers—vanished after their final show at the town’s amphitheater. Witnesses claimed their voices lingered, as if the town itself refused to forget them." Ezra’s blood ran cold. “You think they’re still here?” Mira nodded. “Not ghosts. More like… remnants of sound. The Echoes.” Ezra exhaled. “That’s what I heard last night. A whisper. It said, ‘Remember.’” Mira’s eyes widened. “Then they’re trying to tell you something.” Ezra wasn’t sure he wanted to know what. --- Chapter 5: The Clock Tower’s Warning Mira took Ezra to the abandoned clock tower, a place she claimed held more clues. “People say the last sound the performers made was a final, unfinished song,” she explained. “If we find it, maybe we can break the silence.” Inside, dust covered the wooden floorboards. As they climbed the spiral staircase, a faint humming filled the air. Ezra stopped. “Do you hear that?” Mira nodded. “They know we’re here.” The humming grew louder, transforming into scattered whispers. Ezra pressed his hands over his ears, but the voices seeped through. Then— The clock hands moved. For the first time in decades, the great bell rang. The sound was deafening. Ezra and Mira stumbled back as the entire tower seemed to breathe. A final whisper filled the air: “The amphitheater. Finish the song.” -