Whistler’s Cove

Here is an excerpt of the story. I hope you like it:

The wind howled through the empty streets of Whistler’s Cove, whispering secrets long buried. Raven stood at the entrance of the Rodale estate, her heart pounding as the moonlight bathed the weathered stone walls in a pale glow. She’d been here before, in her dreams, but never like this—never with the weight of knowing what lay within.

“Are you sure about this?” Sammy’s voice was a trembling thread behind her, but Raven’s eyes remained locked on the towering silhouette of the house before them. The silence between the trees felt oppressive, like the woods themselves were watching, waiting for her next move.

She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the dagger in her pocket. “I have to be.”

The door creaked open as if beckoning her in, and as Raven crossed the threshold, the past clawed at her mind like cold fingers. There, at the center of the grand hall, stood Roger. The dagger gleamed in his hand, but it was the smirk on his face that sent a chill through her bones.

“Looking for this?” His voice was like ice, cutting through the air.

Before Raven could respond, Priscilla stepped forward, her ghostly form flickering in the dim light. “Don’t let him fool you, Raven. You hold the real power here.”

Raven’s grip tightened around the relic in her pocket as Roger advanced. The echoes of her ancestors whispered in the shadows, urging her forward, reminding her of the responsibility that came with the Rodale name. But doubt gnawed at her. Could she really break the curse? Could she protect her family from the darkness that had haunted them for generations?

There was no time to hesitate. She had to trust in her power—trust that she was ready for this moment.

“Run to the garden,” Priscilla’s voice was calm, but Raven could feel the urgency in her words.

She didn’t look back as the night folded around her, the moonlight guiding her steps. Roger’s footsteps echoed behind her, but it was the sudden flash of white that gave her pause. Dahlia stood at the edge of the garden, her eyes meeting Raven’s with a mix of pride and sorrow.

“You have everything you need,” Dahlia whispered, her voice carried by the wind. “Now, fulfill your destiny.”

Raven glanced at the sundial ahead, her family waiting in a circle around it. This was it—the moment she had been waiting for, the moment where everything would either break or be made whole.