Elliot had been driving for hours, lost on winding back roads with no signal on his phone. The gas gauge was dangerously close to empty when he saw the sign.
WELCOME TO ASHWOOD
He frowned. That wasn’t on his map. In fact, he was sure there was supposed to be nothing but forest for miles. But at this point, he had no choice—he had to stop.
The town was small, but strangely picturesque. Old brick buildings lined the streets, their windows glowing warmly despite the late hour. A few people strolled down the sidewalks, nodding politely as Elliot drove past. It felt… untouched, like a place frozen in time.
He pulled into a gas station, relieved to see an old man behind the counter. “Evening,” Elliot said as he stepped inside. “I almost ran out of gas. Lucky I found this place.”
The old man didn’t respond right away. He just stared.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” the man finally said.
Elliot let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t planning on it. Got lost.”
The man’s expression didn’t change. “No one finds Ashwood by accident.”
Elliot felt a chill crawl up his spine. “What does that mean?”
The old man sighed and rubbed his temples. “Look, son. Fill up your tank. Leave before midnight. And whatever you do—don’t talk to them.”
Elliot frowned. “Don’t talk to who?”
But the old man just shook his head.
Uneasy, Elliot stepped back outside. The street now seemed… different. The air was heavier, and the people walking by no longer looked so friendly. Their faces were too still. Their movements, too smooth—like puppets trying to mimic humans.
A woman in a long dress stopped in front of him. Her eyes were dark, too dark. “You’re new,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elliot took a step back. “I was just leaving.”
The woman smiled—too wide. “No one leaves.”
The streetlights flickered. The world around him seemed to ripple, like a reflection on water. The town was changing. Or maybe… revealing itself.
Elliot didn’t wait to find out. He sprinted to his car, heart pounding as he turned the key. The engine roared to life. As he peeled out of the gas station, he saw the people—or things—standing still in the street, watching him.
The last thing he saw as he sped out of Ashwood was the town’s sign in his rearview mirror.
Except this time, it didn’t say Welcome to Ashwood.
It said: YOU WERE NEVER HERE.
And then… the town was gone.
