The guest house stood at the edge of the village, just before the road curved toward the trees.
Liam stepped onto the porch and bounced slightly. "If this thing collapses, I'm blaming the forest."
"It's wood," Ava said. "It creaks. That's normal."
"It's been standing longer than you've been alive," Sarah replied calmly. "I think it'll survive."
Mia smirked. "She's right."
The door opened with a long wooden creak.
Mia stepped inside first. "Oh. Wait. This is actually kind of nice."
"Define nice," Noah said, walking in behind her.
"Rustic nice," she clarified.
The main room was simple but neat — wooden table, worn couch, stone fireplace, old framed photographs on the wall.
Sarah walked toward the pictures. "These look old."
"How old?" Liam asked.
"Like… film camera old."
Ethan zoomed in. "Village festival, 1987. Look at those haircuts."
"Focus," Ava said, though she was smiling.
Liam leaned beside Sarah. "You think any of them are still here?"
"Probably," she answered. "Small places don't change much."
Upstairs, they checked the bedrooms.
"Okay, who's sharing?" Mia called from one bedroom.
"Not with Liam," Ethan replied immediately.
"Wow."
Noah tested a window. "This one sticks."
"Of course it does," Ava said.
"Front door locks fine," Noah added as he came back downstairs. "Back door needs a push."
Sarah stood by the kitchen sink, looking out toward the trees behind the house.
Liam followed her gaze. "Still dramatic back there?"
"It's closer than I thought," she said.
"The forest?"
"Yeah."
Ethan appeared between them with the camera. "Alright, give me that line again but more mysterious."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "No."
—
Later, they headed out to film.
Mia walked backward with the camera.
"Day one in Redwood Hollow," she narrated. "Population small. Vibes… questionable."
"Hey," Liam said, spreading his arms. "We respect all vibes."
A curtain shifted in a nearby window.
Ava lowered her voice. "They're definitely watching us."
"Small town," Noah said. "New faces."
"Or they think we're idiots," Ethan added.
"Both can be true," Sarah said.
They stopped near the old well.
"So," Liam said to the camera, "last week three tourists were found near the northern trail."
"Found how?" Mia prompted.
"Dead," Ava said plainly.
"Straight to the point," Ethan muttered.
"Official story?" Liam continued.
"Animal attack," Noah replied. "That's what was reported."
"And unofficial?" Mia asked.
Noah shrugged. "People here don't like talking about it."
"Which makes us want to talk about it more," Ethan said.
Sarah looked toward the direction of the northern path.
"And that's exactly why we're here."
Liam glanced at her. "Still confident?"
"Yes."
They walked briefly toward the tree line.
The air shifted slightly cooler under the shade.
"Let's not go too far today," Ava warned.
"We won't," Liam said. "Chief's rule, remember? Indoors after sunset."
"Which is still weird," Mia added.
"Okay, we've annoyed the forest enough for day one," Noah said. "Let's head back."
They headed back before the light changed too much.
—
Dinner that evening was loud in a comfortable way.
"Who bought this pasta?" Ava asked.
"It was on sale," Noah defended.
"It tastes like it was on sale."
Liam leaned back in his chair. "I still can't believe the entire village shuts down after sunset."
"Maybe they just value sleep," Mia said.
"Or maybe," Ethan said dramatically, "they don't want to be outside when—"
"No," Ava cut him off. "We are not starting that."
"Most small towns have weird traditions," Sarah said. "It doesn't automatically mean something's wrong."
"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," Mia teased gently.
Sarah gave her a look. "I suggested this trip. I'm not backing out because of a curfew."
Ethan pointed his fork at her. "That's the energy."
As the sky deepened outside, Noah stood and pulled the curtains shut.
"Precaution," he said.
"Responsible king," Mia replied.
They checked the locks.
"Front door?" Ava asked.
"Locked," Noah said.
"Back door?"
"Locked."
"Windows?"
"All closed," Ethan confirmed.
"See?" Liam said. "We're model guests."
Upstairs, the house settled into quiet.
From one room:
"Ethan, stop scrolling."
"I'm checking comments."
"At this hour?"
"Yes."
"Go to sleep."
—
Two days passed.
They filmed interviews. Shot scenic footage. Explored different parts of the village during daylight.
The villagers remained reserved, though slightly less tense.
No one mentioned the forest at night.
—
On the third day, the shopkeeper finally spoke more clearly.
"Second bend on the northern trail," he said quietly. "Near the creek."
Sarah nodded. "Thank you."
"You sure about this?" Ava asked once they were outside.
"Yes," Sarah said. "It's daytime."
They reached the start of the northern trail before noon.
"Day three," Ethan said into the camera. "Location where the last tourists were found."
"Still broad daylight," Liam added.
They walked in a loose line.
The forest felt larger once inside it.
Ava glanced around. "It's quieter here."
"Forests are quiet," Noah said.
"Not this quiet."
Mia pointed ahead. "That must be the bend."
The creek came into view — shallow water flowing over smooth stones.
"This should be it," Noah said, checking his phone.
They spread out slightly.
"There aren't any broken branches or signs of struggle," Ava observed. "Just… stillness."
"Yeah," Liam said. "It doesn't look like anything happened."
"That's what makes it strange," Mia replied.
Ethan filmed the water. "If it was an animal, there'd usually be disturbance."
Sarah crouched near the water, scanning the ground carefully.
"The moss isn't disturbed," she said. "And there aren't any deep impressions."
"So?" Ethan asked.
"So whatever happened didn't leave obvious damage."
Liam stepped over a few stones. "Maybe the details weren't made public."
"Or maybe people assumed," Ava said.
They recorded short theory clips.
"Predator," Liam suggested.
"Accident," Noah countered.
"Cover-up," Ethan said with a grin.
Mia turned the camera toward him. "Stop."
Sarah stood calmly.
"There's always an explanation," she said. "We just don't have enough information yet."
She lowered her hand.
"Time?" she asked Noah.
He checked. "We should head back."
"Already?" Liam asked.
"Yes. Already."
"Alright," she agreed.
The walk back felt lighter, filled with discussion about editing angles and titles.
By the time they reached the village, the sun had started lowering.
Golden light stretched across the rooftops.
A few villagers stood outside their homes, watching the sky as evening approached.
"Timing's good," Ava said. "Still light."
"See?" Liam said. "We're following the rules."
They entered the guest house yard.
Sarah glanced once toward the tree line beyond the houses — thoughtful, but steady — then stepped inside.
Inside, the house felt the same — quiet, steady, familiar after a few days.
Liam dropped onto the couch. "Day three footage? Solid."
"Agreed," Ethan said.
"Tomorrow we edit the creek segment first," Mia added.
Outside, the daylight gradually thinned as evening settled over Redwood Hollow once again.