The First Whisper

The night air was thick with fog as Clara stumbled through the tangled woods of Ravenwood Hill. Her breath came in ragged gasps, the crunch of dead leaves underfoot unnerving in the eerie silence. A distant howl pierced the dark, sending a shiver down her spine. "You shouldn't have come here," a voice hissed from the shadows. Heart pounding, Clara spun around, eyes straining to see. "Show yourself!" she demanded, but only the wind answered. The ground beneath her feet seemed to pulse, and a cold dread settled deep in her bones. What cursed force had she unleashed? The first whisper echoed again, closer, a breath on her neck... and then, silence.