The town of Ashland was like any other sleepy village tucked away in the English countryside, with its cobblestone streets, ageing cottages, and the constant hum of life that never seemed to change. But for those who lived there, it held a darker secret – one buried deep beneath its picturesque surface. And it began, as most old tales do, with a forgotten place.
At the heart of the town square stood an ancient whispering well, long disused, its moss-covered stones leaning together like the bowed backs of old men. The well had been sealed decades ago after too many stories of strange accidents and unexplained disappearances. The locals told their children to avoid it. Visitors were warned with placards and polite smiles. But children, as they often do, ignored such warnings.
It was late October when Stacy and her younger brother, Noah, first noticed the well. They had only just moved to Ashland, their parents seeking refuge from the hectic pace of London. It was meant to be a fresh start, a place to slow down, breathe, and reconnect. But Ashland felt different from other towns. Stacy, sharp and observant, noticed the way people glanced nervously toward the square at dusk. The townsfolk walked faster as they neared the well as if it tugged at some unspoken fear.
One evening, after a particularly dull day at school, Noah convinced Stacy to go with him to explore the square. “It’s just an old well,” he said, laughing off her concern. “Nothing’s going to happen.”
The square was quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Stacy hesitated at the edge, her eyes fixed on the well’s weathered stones. Something about it felt wrong. The air around it was too still, as if the well held its breath, waiting.
Noah, ever curious, crouched beside it, peering over the rim where the old stones met the black void below. “Do you think it’s deep?” he asked.
Stacy didn’t answer. Her pulse quickened. The well had a presence, a heaviness that pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She stepped back.
Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. “Let’s see.” He tossed it into the well and grinned. They waited for the sound of the coin hitting water or stone, but none came.
The silence stretched, growing unbearable.
“That’s odd,” Noah murmured. He tossed another, this time with more force. Again, silence.
Stacy’s skin prickled. “Let’s go,” she urged, but Noah ignored her.
Then, just as they turned to leave, they heard it—a faint whisper so soft it could have been the wind. But it wasn’t. The whisper came from below, sending a shiver down their spines.
“Stacy…”
Her name, carried on a voice that wasn’t her brother’s, drifted up from the well. She froze, her heart hammering in her chest.
“Stacy, come closer…”
She spun around, searching Noah’s face for a prankster’s grin, but he was pale, his eyes wide. He had heard it, too.
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the well. They stumbled back, nearly tripping over the uneven cobblestones, the voice still calling after them, growing more insistent.
“Stacy, don’t leave…”
They ran all the way home, their breath ragged and hearts pounding, but the whispering stayed with them, clinging to their thoughts like a shadow.
That night, Stacy couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the well and heard the voice. It wasn’t just calling—it was beckoning, pulling her mind toward it like a moth to flame.
The next day, she tried to shake it off. But Noah wasn’t himself. He barely spoke, his usual energy drained. By evening, he was feverish, his skin clammy, and his eyes distant, as though he was listening to something only he could hear.
Stacy’s stomach churned with dread. She knew it had something to do with the well. It was as if something had latched onto her brother, something that wouldn’t let go.
Three days passed, and Noah’s condition worsened. The local doctor could find no reason for his illness, shaking his head in confusion. “It’s like he’s wasting away,” he muttered, more to himself than to Stacy’s parents. The boy barely moved, his lips occasionally parting as if to speak, but no sound came out.
Late that night, Stacy heard it again.
“Stacy…”
The whisper was unmistakable, drifting through her open window. Her heart raced, and she knew what she had to do. If she didn’t go back to the well, she would lose Noah. She had to act, and she had to act now.
So, she snuck out – dressed in her thick coat, the cold air biting at her skin. The village was eerily silent that night; as she made her way toward the square, her footsteps echoed on the empty streets. And in the dead of the silence, the well waited for her, looming in the dim light of the half-moon, a black mouth gaping wide.
She approached slowly, her heart thudding in her ears. This time, the whisper came immediately.
“Closer…”
Swallowing her fear, Stacy stepped to the edge, peeking at the endless darkness below – a void that threatened to swallow her whole. Still, she mustered up her courage and leaned over, breathing carefully, waiting for the voice to speak again.
But what she saw next stole the air from her lungs. Deep within the well, a pair of eyes glowed faintly, staring up at her—cold, hungry, and hollow. The voice rose, more urgent now.
“Come down, Stacy… come down…”
Her body shook, frozen with terror, but she couldn’t pull away. Something from the depths of the well tugged at her, like invisible fingers wrapping around her mind, coaxing her to step forward, to fall.
Just as she felt herself swaying, a hand grabbed her shoulder.
“Don’t listen!”
It was Mr. Haversham, the village’s oldest resident, his face lined with fear. He yanked her back, pulling her away from the edge with surprising strength.
“They want you,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “They always want more.”
He led her home, saying little, his grip tight around her arm. Stacy never returned to the well after that, but the whispers never fully left her. Neither did the memory of those glowing eyes, waiting below, always watching.
Noah recovered slowly, but he was never quite the same. His eyes sometimes drifted toward the window at night as though listening for something only he could hear.
And though the well in Ashland Square remains sealed to this day, no one dares go near it. Not even the children.
For some whispers, once heard, are never forgotten.
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