The Shadow In the Swamp pt2

 I am to happy to continue The Shadows in the Swamp. Here's my finished novel 🙏🏻💖 

As they drove away from the swamp, Maria couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She kept glancing in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see the dark shape still standing there, watching them leave. But every time she looked, there was nothing but the trees, swaying gently in the breeze.

It wasn't until they reached the safety of their hotel that Maria finally felt like she could breathe again. She gathered her team around her, determined to debrief and process what had just happened.

"Alright, let's go over what we know," she said, her voice firm and steady. "We captured evidence of a voice, a presence. It's clear that whatever is out there, it's not human."

The team nodded in agreement, still looking shaken. Jake, the young man who had stumbled to his feet earlier, spoke up.

"What if it's not just the swamp?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if it's been watching us all along?"

Maria's eyes locked onto his. "We'll look into it," she promised. "We'll research the history of the swamp, see if we can find any connections to other paranormal activity."

But as they settled in for the night, Maria couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She kept hearing faint whispers in the darkness, the soft susurration growing louder and more urgent.

She knew she wasn't alone. The others were hearing it too.

One by one, the team members began to disappear. At first, Maria thought they had just gone to get some air, but as the hours ticked by and they didn't return, she knew something was wrong.

She searched the hotel, her heart pounding in her chest. She called out to the others, but there was only silence.

And then, she saw it. A piece of paper on the bed, with a message scrawled in red ink: "I'm still here."

Maria's blood ran cold. She knew she had to get out of there, to warn the others. But as she turned to leave, she felt a presence behind her.

She spun around, but there was no one there.

That's when she saw the mirror. It was an old, ornate thing, hanging on the wall. And in the reflection, Maria saw a dark shape standing just behind her.

She tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat.

The shape began to move closer, its presence suffocating.

And then, everything went black.

When Maria came to, she was alone in the hotel room. The others were gone, and the equipment was still. But on the table, there was a small recorder, with a message playing on repeat.

"I am the shadow in the swamp," it whispered. "And I am always with you."

Maria knew she had to get out, to escape the clutches of the shadow. She grabbed her bag and ran, not stopping until she was far away from the hotel, from the swamp.

But as she looked back, she saw it. A dark shape, standing just beyond the trees, watching her.

And she knew she would never be able to escape. The shadow in the swamp would always be with her.

The end! ... or is it!!

Ashley Marie 👽🖖🏻👻 

I hope you enjoyed as much as I did writing it. I was going to share it this October but I felt it needed to share it now. A sequel is in the process 😈 

Thank yall so much!! Love ya 😘💗

🧡