The rich, earthy scent of damp soil and pine needles drifted into Brooke's nose as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead weights, but she fought to open them, blinking against the haze clouding her vision. When the world finally sharpened, the first thing she saw was a massive tree stretching endlessly toward the night sky. The stars twinkled faintly above, scattered across a sky that looked darker and deeper than normal like it was pressing down on her.

The cool, wet ground beneath her shifted slightly as she adjusted her weight. She brushed her fingers across the long, thin sticks tangled beneath her palms. They carried the sharp, crisp scent of pine. Her head spun as a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. She breathed in slowly and exhaled in measured gasps, waiting for the sensation of falling into nothingness to pass.

Groaning, she touched her stomach and rolled to her side. Her gaze lifted to the full moon floating above the treetops, but something about it was off. The glowing orb seemed farther away than it should have been, and its light was dim and cold, barely illuminating the landscape around her.

As her senses sharpened, she realized the towering tree beside her wasn't the only one. Massive trunks surrounded her on all sides, their thick branches intertwining above like a woven canopy. She felt impossibly small, dwarfed by the sheer size of the forest. These trees were larger than any she'd seen, even the famous redwoods from her family trip to California. The one she lay against could easily be the tallest tree she'd ever encountered, its bark rough and gnarled, smelling faintly of moss.

Her muscles trembled as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Why was she on the ground? Her fingers brushed one of the sticks again, and she picked it up, examining its smooth, flexible surface. A frown tugged at her lips. It looks like a giant pine needle.

She turned her head and froze. Eric lay face down a few feet away, his body sprawled awkwardly across the dirt and scattered leaves. Dirt clung to his clothes and matted his disheveled blond hair. He looked as awful as she felt—maybe worse.

"Eric," she said softly, crawling toward him. Her knees pressed into the cool, damp earth, leaving smudges of dirt on her jeans. She shook his shoulder gently. "Eric, wake up."

He didn't stir.

Her chest tightened. Panic clawed its way up her throat, and she shook him harder. "Eric, wake up!" Her voice cracked, rising as a tremor of fear gripped her.

No, no, no. Don't be dead. Please don't be dead.

Tears stung her eyes. "You can't be dead. I won't let you be dead." Her breath hitched. "I need you."

A low groan rumbled from his chest, and he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbows. His hand combed through his hair, dislodging bits of leaves and dirt.

Brooke released a shuddering breath and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. "Oh, thank the Lord. You're alive."

Eric blinked, his expression groggy and confused. "What in the..."

She quickly released him, her cheeks flushing. She stood, crossing her arms over her chest to create some distance. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm just glad you're not dead—I don't need that on my conscience." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and scuffed her sneaker against the dirt. The warmth in her face burned hotter, but at least he couldn't see her blush in the darkness.

Eric patted the ground until his hand found the flashlight. He switched it on, the beam slicing through the thick darkness around them. "Where are we?" His voice was raspy, and he winced as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Brooke lifted her gaze to the towering treetops again, her amazement shifting to unease. Nothing looked familiar. The trees stretched impossibly high, their twisted branches blocking most of the sky.

She shivered. "I was hoping you'd know," she admitted.

Eric shook his head slowly, confirming her worst fear without saying a word.

A quiver of panic ran up her spine, and she took a steadying breath. "I don't remember the haunted house having trees like this in the yard—or any pine trees at all."

"It doesn't," Eric muttered, shining the flashlight across the forest floor. "The last thing I remember is staring at the book... the mist..." His gaze locked with hers.

Her breath hitched. "It looked like fingers. Hands reaching out."

He nodded. "Yeah. Then everything went white."

A chill settled in her bones, and she tightened her arms around herself. "How did we get here? Where is here? And what happened to the book? It's gone."

Eric exhaled sharply and brushed the dirt off his jeans. "You don't get it, do you? I warned you. That book isn't normal—it's evil." His voice was low, bitter. "Not that it matters now."

Brooke scowled, her stubborn side kicking in. There's no way this is magic. She refused to give him the satisfaction of being right.

"This is just a dream," she said, forcing confidence into her voice. "We'll wake up any second."

"We can't both be having the same dream," Eric snapped. His face was hard, but his eyes glistened with something deeper—fear.

She sighed. "Okay, fine. If it's not a dream, then what is it?"

"There's no guessing about it." He swallowed, his voice cracking. "We're inside the book. We're the next ones to disappear."

"That's ridiculous!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air. "There's no way—"

"It's not just any book," he interrupted, dragging a hand across his face. His shoulders slumped, and for the first time, he looked completely defeated. "This book has ruined my family for ten generations. Do you get that? Ten generations."

Brooke opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she saw the anguish in his eyes. Could it really be true? Could a book cause all of this—the drinking, the isolation, the way Eric had shut himself off from everyone? "What did you mean when you said you didn't want me to become the book's keeper?" she asked quietly.

Eric hesitated, then exhaled. "Because it was my turn to keep the book hidden and away from people. And I've already failed. Now I worry that the responsibility has been given to you."

Brooke's chest tightened. "Eric, I—"

"Don't." He held up a hand, cutting her off. "Let's just focus on finding a way out of here."

She nodded, swallowing her guilt. She didn't know Eric as well as Rick had, but she could tell that pushing him further would only make things worse.

Eric swept the flashlight across the forest floor, revealing a narrow dirt path winding through the trees. "We should follow this and see where it leads. Maybe we'll find someone who can help."

Brooke hesitated for only a moment. In the distance, the mournful howl of a wolf pierced the night, and her feet moved on their own. Eric quickly fell into step beside her, his flashlight cutting through the dense shadows.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the smell of pine grew stronger, and the darkness around them seemed to thicken. Brooke clenched her fists, hoping they were walking toward a solution and not deeper into the unknown.

Brooke maneuvered over thick tree roots and around enormous pinecones that crunched loudly beneath her sneakers. She cringed with every sound, hyperaware that if anything unnatural lurked in the forest, she didn't want to announce her presence. Eric was quieter than she was, though he let out the occasional groan when he stumbled over a hidden root or snagged his foot on the uneven ground.

Brooke bit her lip, frustration bubbling in her chest. She hated the silence between them—it gnawed on her nerves, making every step feel heavier. If Rick were here, at least she'd have someone to talk to— even if their conversation would be unintelligent and probably annoying.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away, lifting her gaze toward the sky. The stars sparkled brighter than she'd ever seen them before, glowing with a strange, vivid intensity as though they were hanging closer to the earth. It seemed extremely strange, since the moon looked so far away.

A sing-song rhyme popped into her head, and without much thought, she softly recited, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..." She paused, waiting for Eric to comment, but he stayed silent. "Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky," she continued.

From behind her, Eric snorted. "Diamond?" he muttered under his breath.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Yes, diamond."

"Why do people say that?" He didn't stop walking. "Stars don't look anything like diamonds."

Brooke sighed, stopping in her tracks. "It's a metaphor, Eric. It's supposed to paint a picture. Stars sparkle, diamonds sparkle—get it?" She wiggled her fingers in the air as if to mimic the twinkling effect.

Eric ignored her and kept moving.

She sped up to catch him. "Haven't you ever just laid on the ground and looked at the clouds, finding shapes and images?"

"No."

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "Where's your imagination, Eric?"

"I don't have one," he replied, voice flat. "Reality took it away when I was a kid and learned about our family legacy."

Her breath hitched at the unexpected honesty, and she stumbled over a rock, nearly falling. She quickly recovered, but the weight of his words pressed on her. Her heart ached for him. She didn't know the full extent of what he'd endured, but she knew enough to understand how difficult it had been.

Desperate to lighten the mood, she looked up again, searching for a new topic. "Eric, don't you think the moon—"

Hoooo-hoooo.

Her breath hitched, and her head snapped toward the sound. A dark silhouette sat perched high on a tree branch, unmoving except for the slow blink of its enormous, glowing yellow eyes.

"Eric?" she whispered. "What kind of owl do you think that is?"

He stopped beside her, looking up. "Don't know," he muttered. "Those eyes are huge. Too big for an owl."

"Yeah, but it sounds like an owl," she replied.

Eric shook his head. "I know, but—"

Brooke snatched the flashlight out of his hand and pointed the beam directly at the creature. Her heart stopped for a second, and she blinked, struggling to process what she saw.

It was an owl—but it was massive, at least the size of a compact car. Its talons gripped the branch like hooks, and its yellow eyes locked onto her with an unsettling intensity. The pale light from the flashlight reflected off its glossy black feathers, making them shimmer in the darkness.

"What the..." Eric shook his head in disbelief. "That can't be real."

A shiver rippled through Brooke's entire body. The owl's stare was predatory, and given its size, she was sure it didn't see them as human beings. It sees us as prey.

"We need to get out of here," she whispered, gripping Eric's arm.

Suddenly, the owl spread its wings, and the sound of its feathers slicing through the air was deafening. Its wingspan was enormous—easily wider than she was tall—and its body shifted with predatory grace as it leapt from the branch and dove toward them.

Brooke screamed and bolted, her sneakers pounding against the dirt as she weaved between the trees. The sound of flapping wings echoed behind her, growing louder with every beat. She didn't hear any panicked sounds from Eric, but the rhythmic thud of his footsteps right behind her was enough to know he was running too.

"Run faster!" he yelled, his voice strained and breathless.

Brooke glanced over her shoulder, her stomach clenching in terror. The owl was close—too close. Its massive wings flapped silently, propelling it forward with terrifying speed. The glowing eyes narrowed, locked on its target like a predator closing in on its meal.

She zigzagged around the trees, hoping to slow it down. The maneuver worked—slightly—but it also separated her from Eric. She couldn't hear his footsteps anymore.

Her lungs burned, and her heartbeat pounded so hard it felt like it would break through her ribs. A low-hanging tree limb snagged the hood of her jacket, jerking her backward. She stumbled but managed to stay upright, yanking herself free and continuing to run. Another glance over her shoulder showed the owl was no longer behind her. Relief crashed over her like a wave, leaving her gasping for air.

But then she saw it.

The owl had switched targets. Its enormous wings carried it straight toward Eric, who was sprawled on the ground, frantically scrambling to get back to his feet.

"Eric!" Brooke screamed.

The bird's talons extended, gleaming like curved blades in the moonlight.