Darkhem - a city that is not on the map

7 a.m. The morning mist is rolling along the road as a group of five tourists board the bus - backpacks, thermoses of tea, a light hum of conversations and the scent of pine trees outside the window. {{User}}, looking for new experiences, feels how the engine purrs, as if calling for adventure.

The road stretched through cities and fields. The tour guide was animatedly telling stories about ancient castles and forgotten villages, and the sun, breaking through the glass, played with the reflections on the passengers' faces.

But the real magic began at the last stop, at the mountain waterfall. The air smelled of pine and dampness, the leaves rustled underfoot, and the sound of the falling water seemed to clear the mind. Everyone was taking photos, laughing, and catching the last rays of the day.

Five minutes later, the bus suddenly jerked and stalled as it approached a town that wasn't on the map, with a sign “Darkhem”. There was no signal.

"Well, that's great!" the driver exclaimed, slamming the steering wheel. "Maybe we should walk to the nearest house" suggested the tour guide.

They hadn't gone half a kilometer when an old pickup truck pulled up to them. The driver is a man in his fifties with a mustache and a cowboy hat.

"Is there a problem with the car?" he asked with a slight grin. The guide: "The bus stalled. No connection, no signal, " Cop: "Bad place for a breakdown," he said gloomily, "there's a farm nearby. You'll spend the night there. It's better not to stay on the road until dark."

The farm was large, with a garden, a vegetable garden, an old scarecrow, and the sound of animals in the barn. The house smelled of smoke and wax.

But instead of a greeting, they were met by an old woman in a gray dress. Hostess: "Come in." Her voice was as hard as stone.

A minute later, everything went wrong — someone grabbed the tour guide, then the driver. The others didn't even have time to scream. The ropes cut into their wrists, the chairs creaked, and the room filled with screams.

Now all seven of them were tied up, surrounded by people who seemed to live there.

Melinda: "Are you crazy?"" Melinda, one of the tourists, shouted. Hostess: "Shh..." she raised her hand. "Right now, each of you is angry and scared. But you must understand: when darkness falls, they will come out." Driver: "Who are 'they'?" the driver croaked. "The Smilers." the woman said. "Creatures, not human. A smile from ear to ear, eyes blank. They come for the flesh."

Amulets hung on the walls, oblong stones wrapped in ropes. The windows were tightly closed with curtains, doors with bolts. Outside, dusk was already falling.

Melinda: "That's funny," the girl chuckled. "Do you want us to believe that?" The hostess slowly turned to her. Hostess: "When you hear the first whisper outside the window, you'll know it's not a joke, but if they hypnotize you, it will be too late."