The trees swallowed the road long before the gates appeared. For miles, the world vanished into towering walls of green—ancient oaks and pines so thick they blotted out the sun, turning afternoon into twilight. Madison drove with predatory grace through the serpentine road, but even she'd gone silent as civilization dissolved behind us.
"This is some Friday the 13th shit," she finally said, slicing through the quiet. "How far out is this place?"
"Far enough that the neighbors won't complain about noise," I said, forcing casual through the hammer-bones of my heart.
Sofia pressed closer in the backseat. "The trees... they're so dense. It's like they're hiding something."
She had no fucking idea.
