In His Footsteps part 2 Eternal Echoes

The wind’s howl had turned into a relentless roar by the time Justine stirred awake in the middle of the night. She wasn’t sure what had woken her, but an oppressive unease pressed down on her chest. The fire in the stove had burned low, casting long, flickering shadows on the walls of the cabin.

Adrian’s chair was empty.

Panic jolted her fully awake. “Adrian?” she called out, her voice hoarse and trembling.

The only response was the sound of the door creaking open. Heart pounding, Justine grabbed the flashlight from her bag and rushed to the door. Snow swirled in the moonlight, erasing footprints almost as quickly as they were made. She scanned the clearing and caught sight of a figure moving toward the edge of the forest.

“Adrian!” she shouted, stepping out into the biting cold.

The figure didn’t turn.

She followed, her breath coming in quick, visible bursts as she trudged through the snow. The flashlight’s beam danced across the trees, illuminating only fleeting glimpses of movement. “Adrian, stop!” she pleaded, the sound of her voice swallowed by the wind.

Just as she reached the treeline, the figure disappeared. Justine hesitated, her gut screaming for her to turn back. But she pressed on, driven by the same relentless need that had carried her across states. The forest was eerily silent, the towering pines blocking out the moonlight. Her flashlight flickered, the beam sputtering weakly.

Then she heard it — a low, gravelly voice.

“Do you really want to know?”

She spun around, the flashlight shaking in her grip. The stranger from the park stood a few feet away, his green eyes gleaming unnaturally in the darkness.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice cracking.

He tilted his head, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. “I could ask you the same thing. But you already know the answer, don’t you?”

“I don’t have time for your cryptic nonsense,” she snapped. “Where’s Adrian?”

The stranger stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “You’re not asking the right questions, Justine. You’re looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found. The real question is… why?”

Before she could respond, a deafening crack echoed through the forest, and the ground beneath her feet gave way. Justine screamed as she fell, her flashlight slipping from her grasp. The world blurred into darkness.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*

She woke with a start, her heart racing. The cabin was quiet, the fire crackling softly in the stove. For a moment, she thought it had all been a nightmare.

But then she noticed the chair.

Adrian’s chair was empty.

“No,” she whispered, her pulse quickening. She jumped to her feet, running to the door. The snow was untouched, the clearing undisturbed. Yet the same oppressive unease gripped her chest.

“Adrian?” she called out, her voice trembling.

The door creaked open on its own, the wind howling as it did before. She hesitated, her mind racing. This had happened. She had done this.

Her flashlight was in her hand again, though she didn’t remember picking it up. It felt heavier, colder. She stepped outside, and the clearing looked exactly as it had the first time — smoke curling lazily from the chimney, the snow reflecting the pale moonlight.

And there he was. The figure, moving toward the forest.

“No,” she muttered, shaking her head. “This isn’t real.”

But her legs moved anyway, carrying her forward despite her protests. She followed the figure to the treeline, her breath visible in the frigid air. The flashlight flickered, the beam faltering just as it had before.

The same voice, low and gravelly, stopped her in her tracks.

“Do you really want to know?”

She turned, and there he was. The stranger. The same piercing green eyes, the same faint, unsettling smile.

“This isn’t happening,” she said, backing away. “This isn’t real.”

“Oh, it’s real,” he said, his tone almost amused. “But it doesn’t have to be.”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “What is this?”

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “This is what happens when you go looking for answers you’re not ready for. You get stuck.”

“I’m not stuck,” she said, her voice shaking. “I’m going to find Adrian.”

The stranger’s expression darkened. “Are you? Or are you just running in circles, chasing a ghost?”

Justine shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” He leaned in, his breath visible in the cold. “Tell me, Justine. How did you get here?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. Her mind felt like a jumble of fragmented memories, none of them connecting. She remembered the café, the map, the trail — but everything beyond that was a blur.

“I…” she stammered. “I don’t know.”

The stranger smiled, but it was a cold, empty thing. “Exactly.”

The ground cracked beneath her feet again, and she fell.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*

She woke up in the cabin. The fire crackled softly. Adrian’s chair was empty.

Justine sat frozen, her mind racing. This time, she didn’t call out for Adrian. She didn’t grab the flashlight. Instead, she stayed in the cabin, staring at the door, waiting for something — anything — to change.

Hours passed, or maybe minutes. Time felt meaningless. The door creaked open, and the wind howled, just as it had before. She closed her eyes, willing it all to go away.

When she opened them again, the stranger was sitting in Adrian’s chair, watching her.

“You’re learning,” he said, his voice low.

“What do you want from me?” she whispered.

“It’s not about what I want,” he said. “It’s about what you’re willing to see.”

“I just want to find Adrian,” she said, her voice breaking. “I want to bring him home.”

The stranger leaned forward, his green eyes piercing. “And what if he doesn’t want to come home? What if the truth about Adrian is something you’re not ready to face?”

“I don’t care,” she said fiercely. “I have to try.”

The stranger studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “Very well. But know this — every step you take will cost you. And when you finally reach the end, you may wish you had stayed in the dark.”

With that, he vanished, leaving the chair empty.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*

The cycle repeated, but each time, Justine found herself breaking away from the pattern — small changes, tiny rebellions. One night, she didn’t leave the cabin. Another, she chased the figure into the forest, only to find herself back at the clearing. Each iteration felt like peeling back a layer of an onion, revealing something darker and more complex beneath.

And then, on what felt like the hundredth iteration, she found Adrian again. But this time, he wasn’t alone.

The stranger stood beside him, their expressions grim. Adrian’s eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw something she hadn’t noticed before- fear.

“Justine,” he said, his voice trembling. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Adrian,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m not leaving without you.”

The stranger placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder, his green eyes gleaming. “That’s the problem,” he said. “You already did.”

Justine froze, her breath catching in her throat. “What… what are you talking about?”

Adrian’s face crumpled, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Justine. I didn’t mean for you to get stuck here.”

“Stuck where?” she demanded. “What is this place?”

The stranger’s smile was razor-sharp. “This is where the lost go. And now, you’re one of them.”

Justine’s world tilted as the truth crashed over her. The postcards, the trail, the cabin — they had all been pieces of a puzzle she hadn’t realized she was trapped inside.

“No,” she whispered, backing away. “This isn’t real.”

“It’s as real as you make it,” the stranger said. “But don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to figure it out.”

The ground cracked beneath her feet, and she fell again.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*

When she woke in the cabin, the fire had burned out. The chair was empty.

And this time, Justine didn’t get up.