Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 473

Furthermore, every handover was silent and lightning-fast. No one spoke; they just moved with tense, oppressive purpose.

After all the twists and turns, the van finally braked to a halt in front of Shadow Creek Grotto in the middle of nowhere. It was completely off the grid, far removed from any village or hiking path—a natural, deeply concealed abyss.

Following the plan, the men dumped Willow and Leo inside and immediately retreated, not daring to linger for a single second.

Once outside, a younger thug stared at the pitch-black mouth of the cave, a chill creeping up his spine. "Honestly, who did these people piss off? Getting dumped in a devil's den like this..."

Another kicked a pebble at his feet, his tone dripping with apathy. "We're deep in the Appalachian Highlands. This cave is treacherous and totally isolated. Even if they're lucky enough to wake up, they won't last long without food or water. And if they don't starve, the wild animals roaming these mountains at night will pick their bones clean."

"Did you forget the scariest part?" Someone else leaned in, lowering his voice as unease flashed across his face. "This cave has a nasty reputation around here. Rumor has it that back in the day, anyone who committed a murder or needed a body to disappear would toss the corpse right down here."

He covered his nose and mouth. "That's why it always reeks of rot. The smell is unbearable."

A heavy silence fell over the group. The night wind howled past, carrying a damp chill that made their skin crawl.

Soon, a foul, musty stench hit her nose. It was thick, metallic, and nauseating, slipping into her lungs with every breath and making her head spin with fresh waves of dizziness.

Willow pinched her thigh hard, forcing a sliver of clarity through the fog. Instinctively, she reached out her hand, trying to feel her way around and prop herself up to assess her surroundings. But the moment her fingertips left the freezing ground and stretched forward, they brushed against something warm and solid—a human body.

That sudden, unexpected touch in the pitch-black darkness instantly shattered her fragile composure. Her entire body stiffened, and her heart slammed against her ribs. "Who's there?"