Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYACH02GW9V75GENP5B6817

Aurora Carter parked her battered scooter at the edge of Richmond Park, the engine's sputter dying into the night's thick silence. She killed the headlights, plunged the deer path into blackness pierced only by moonlight slicing through the canopy. Her fingers traced the small crescent scar on her left wrist, a habit when nerves coiled tight. The Heartstone Pendant hung heavy against her chest, its deep crimson gem pulsing warmth like a second heartbeat. It had started that afternoon during her delivery shift—faint at first, then insistent, tugging her gaze eastward. Online whispers from obscure forums pointed here: the Grove, a forgotten clearing where standing oaks marked something ancient. She needed answers. The pendant's unknown giver had vanished after slipping it into her palm outside Silas' bar, murmuring only, "It'll call when time comes." This felt like the call. She slung her backpack over one shoulder and slipped through the gate, boots crunching gravel that turned soft underfoot as oaks thickened. No streetlamp glow reached this far; the park swallowed light whole. Wind stirred leaves overhead, but no breeze touched her skin. She checked her phone—10:47 PM. Signal bars flickered to zero. Fine. She pressed on, the pendant's glow seeping through her jacket zipper, casting bloody flickers on tree bark. The standing stones emerged first. Massive oaks, twisted into rough pillars, ringed a clearing no bigger than her flat. Wildflowers carpeted the grass—violets and foxgloves blooming defiant against October chill. She stepped over the boundary, air thickening like soup. The stones loomed taller inside, branches weaving a cage overhead. Moonlight pooled center-stage, turning petals silver. Beautiful, almost. But her stomach twisted. No birdsong, no rustle of squirrels. Just her breath, ragged in the stillness. She knelt amid the flowers, pulled out the pendant. It throbbed hotter now, chain slick with her sweat. "Come on," she whispered to it, voice swallowed. "What now?" No answer. She scanned the clearing. Edges blurred where grass met stone—shadows clung wrong, pooling deeper than night allowed. She blinked hard. Imagination. Long shift, no sleep. She stood, circled the perimeter. Petals crushed under her boots released scents too sweet, cloying like overripe fruit. A snap echoed from the treeline. Twig underfoot? But nothing moved. She froze, ears straining. Wind again? No leaves stirred. The pendant warmed further, a insistent prod against her ribs. She gripped it, gem smooth as river stone. Another sound—low scrape, like nails on wood. From behind the nearest oak pillar. She whipped around. Empty grass. Flowers nodded undisturbed. Pulse hammering, she edged closer to the stone. Bark swirled in patterns, faces almost, eyes half-formed in knots. She touched one. Rough, alive under her palm, vibrating faint. Pulled back. Silence stretched, broken only by her shallow breaths. Time check—phone dead now, screen black. How long since arrival? Minutes? Her watch read 10:50. Impossible. She shook her wrist. Still 10:50. The air grew heavy, pressing lungs. Flowers gleamed brighter, petals unfurling as if dawn broke inside the ring. She paced to the opposite stone, boots sinking into soil that clung like wet clay. A whisper then—not wind, shaped almost. "Rooory..." Her name, drawn out, from nowhere. She spun. Clearing empty. Throat dry, she called, "Who's there?" Voice cracked, feeble. No reply. Just the pendant, burning now, chain hot enough to blister. Shadows lengthened at the clearing's rim. Not cast by moon—self-made, coiling from stone bases like smoke. She backed center, eyes darting. Peripheral flicker: shape darted left, tall and thin, gone when she turned. Heart slammed ribs. "Sod off," she muttered, fists clenched. Another scrape, closer, circling. Clockwise. She tracked it—rustle in flowers ten feet off, petals parting smooth, no footprints. The shape ghosted right now, silhouette humanoid but elongated, joints bending wrong. She bolted for the stones' gap, exit path. Soil sucked boots, slowed her. Halfway, cold fingers brushed her ankle—gone in blink. She stumbled, caught herself on a pillar. Bark yielded soft under grip, like flesh. Pulled free, hand sticky with sap? No, darker, tacky. She wiped palm on jeans. Whisper circled again, "Rory... stay..." Multiple voices now, layered, child's treble under gravel growl. From all stones at once. Pendant scorched skin. She yanked chain free, held it aloft. Crimson glow pulsed wild, illuminated faces in bark—mouths gaping, eyes milky white tracking her. She ran. Branches snagged hair, thorns no thorns slicing cheek. Flowers whipped legs, blooming blood-red in her wake. Exit gap yawned—five steps. Four. Shape lunged from shadow, arm too long, fingers splayed. Missed by inches. She dove through. Park path greeted boots, gravel solid. Gasping, she glanced back. Stones stood sentinel, clearing dark as pitch. No glow, no flowers visible. Pendant cooled instant, glow dimmed to ember. Phone buzzed—10:52 PM, three missed texts from Eva: "Where r u?" "Rory??" "Answer me!!" She jogged toward scooter, branches clawing normal now. But certainty gnawed: eyes watched from oaks lining path. Not hers alone anymore. Whispers trailed, faint under wind. "Come back... soon..." No. She mounted scooter, thumbed ignition. Engine roared life. Twisted throttle hard, tires spat gravel. Park gate rushed past. Streetlights bloomed welcome. But rearview mirror caught it—shape at treeline, motionless, waving slow. She gunned harder, pendant swaying cold against chest. Home. Silas' bar. Safety. But watch ticked 11:05 now. Thirteen minutes gone inside. What waited if she stayed longer next time? The whispers clung, in her head now. "Rory... the door opens..." She shook it off, London lights swallowing her. But the pendant twitched once, warm again. No. Not done. She pulled over two blocks in, breaths heaving. Hand dove to pendant. Still. But clearing's pull lingered, a hook in gut. Why there? Giver's words echoed: "It'll call when time comes." Fae-touched, forums said. Time slips. Portals. Hel? No, deeper. She needed more—Eva's occult books, Silas' drunk tales. Headlights swept past, horn blared. She waved apology, remounted. Throttle twisted. But certainty grew: alone no more. Passenger rode inside, waiting. Back at flat above bar, door slammed shut. Bolts thrown triple. She stripped jacket, pendant clattered table. Glow faint, but stones' faces burned retinas. Sink water scalded hands clean. Mirror showed cheek scratch, thin red line weeping clear. Not thorn. Nail. Bed called, but sleep fled. Clock hit 1 AM. Outside, pub noise filtered—laughter, glasses clink. Normal. She paced, phone lit: Eva's texts piled. "In bed, deliveries killed me," she typed. Lie. Truth too mad. Pendant hummed soft on table. She snatched it. Warm again. Pulled jacket on. Scooter keys jangled. Back to Grove? No. Wait. Dawn crept, gray through window. No sleep. Flowers' scent clung nostrils, sweet rot. Watch gained time—1:15 AM already? Inside ring, minutes stretched. Out here, devoured. She brewed tea, hands shook pouring. Mug warmed palms. Sipped black. Pendant pulsed sync with sips. "Enough," she growled. Grabbed keys. Park gate creaked open under tires. Dawn barely pinked sky, but Grove called stronger. Stones waited. Shapes hungered. She parked same spot, dismounted quiet. Path crunched louder, expectant. Boundary neared. Pendant blazed. Step over. Flowers brighter, full bloom. Air thick honey. Time watch: 5:47 AM. Stones' faces grinned wider. Whispers welcomed. "Rory... home..." She circled slow, boots silent now on petals. No escape this loop. Shapes edged vision, patient. Pendant led deeper, glow path through grass. Center mound rose, unnoticed before. Dirt fresh turned, hand-sized hole yawned. Inside, crimson glint—twin gem? Fingers reached. Cold gripped wrist. Scar burned. Pulled down. Darkness swallowed. Flowers closed overhead. Whispers laughed. Time twisted. Outside, scooter rusted slow. Park woke empty. No Rory. But pendant on mound pulsed on, waiting next. No. She fought. Wrist twisted free. Hole spat her to grass. Shapes closed circle. Ran blind. Stones parted grudging. Path out. Scooter gone. Time noon. Hours lost. Walked home, shapes trailed shadow. Flat empty. Eva's note: "Gone to Cardiff, call me." Pendant cold dead. Night fell. Pulse returned. She geared up. Grove demanded. Cycle gripped. No end. Restraint cracked slow. Eyes everywhere. Alone? Never. Whispers shaped words clear now. "Join us, Rory. Door yours." Pendant key. Grove lock. She entered willing this time. Tension peaked silent. Flowers sang welcome. Stones bowed. Shape embraced. Cold limbs wrapped. Pendant merged chest. Home. But fought still. No. Build held. Horror breathed. She stood center. Waited. Movement full. Shadows solid. Faces stepped free. Oak skin, flower eyes. "Malphora," they chorused. Name not hers. Yet fit. Hand extended scar. Crescent glowed match pendant. Truth dawned slow. Giver? Self. Cycle looped eternal. Time bent. Alone no more. Family found. Pendant pulsed final. Darkness full.