Jeremy's face looked unusually serious. He was silent for a moment, then said in a low, serious voice, "Because the priest died when the resort was being built, and he died in that well. He jumped in himself."
We were all shocked, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.
"Suicide?" I couldn't help but break the silence and asked softly.
"Not suicide," a villager immediately replied.
I frowned and looked at the person who spoke, confusion evident in my voice. "If it wasn't suicide, then how did he die?"
The villager took a deep breath, seemingly gathering his thoughts, then slowly explained, "He was guided by a ghost to jump into that well." He paused and lowered his voice, "Someone saw him jump into the well that day, his face was ashen, and his eyes were glowing. It was terrifying."
The villager's words made the atmosphere even heavier, adding a layer of mystery to the matter. I couldn't help but shiver, feeling an inexplicable fear.
By this time, the sun had already set. As night fell, the moonlight cast dappled shadows of trees on the old stone road.
A cold wind blew, bringing an ominous feeling, as if even the air had turned chilly. The surroundings looked particularly eerie under the moonlight, and the distant mountain shadows resembled a lurking giant beast, making people feel a sense of dread.
"Stop talking nonsense and scaring them. Our Whispering Willow Village has such a good environment, there's no way any of that could be true." Jeremy's serious voice carried a hint of displeasure as he coldly reprimanded.
"But it's true, someone actually saw it!"
The surrounding villagers began to whisper, their voices laced with unease and worry. They talked about the priest's death and the legend of the well.
Some claimed the well was a portal to another world, while others insisted that an evil ghost lived at the bottom, luring innocent people to jump in.
I stood among the crowd, listening to the villagers' deliberately created panic. A wave of emotions washed over me, hard to pin down.
I tightly grabbed Amelia's sleeve, my fingers unconsciously rubbing it, trying to seek comfort from her.
Howard's voice was deep and commanding, carrying an undeniable weight, "Jeremy, please take us to the well."
Jeremy felt the pressure of Howard's presence and simply agreed, "Okay."
We followed Jeremy as he led the way to the old well. This well had seen the village's history unfold. Even with the new resort nearby, the well stood untouched, a relic of the past.
The well's opening was surprisingly small, almost narrow, making one wonder how an adult could accidentally fall in.
Amelia squatted down, running her fingers over the smooth stones on the well's wall. She leaned closer to the well, trying to peek inside. "This doesn't make sense."
Her voice carried a hint of doubt, "A child might fall in, but how could an adult?"
I felt a surge of curiosity and leaned in to look as well.
However, it was already completely dark, and the surroundings were swallowed by darkness. I could barely make out the outline of the well's opening.
Despite this, the dark well still filled me with an indescribable fear. I instinctively took a few steps back, hiding behind Howard.
Even though we were having a dispute, at this moment, he felt like my only anchor. His presence gave me a strange sense of security. No matter the tension between us, my instinct to stay safe overrode everything else.
A villager replied, "I don't know, but the priest jumped in from here, and we haven't touched the water since—his body couldn't be retrieved."
"So did you actually see the priest's body?" I caught the confusion in their words.
The villagers exchanged glances, and finally, Jeremy spoke first. "No."
"Then how can you be sure he's dead?" It struck me as absurd that they were so convinced without ever having seen the body.
A villager retorted, "Someone saw him jump in, so of course, he's dead."
"Who saw it? Who's the witness?"
They spoke with such conviction that I thought someone must have witnessed it firsthand. But when I pressed them, it turned out they didn't know who had seen it—it was just a rumor
Wesley sneered, his half-closed eyes brimming with sarcasm. "You haven't seen the body, and the jumping story is just a rumor. Now you don't even know who started it. Talk about confusing."
His words dripped with disdain, as if mocking their gullibility and ignorance. He continued, "Have you ever thought that maybe the whole jumping thing is just someone's wild story to throw you off?"
The well's size clearly couldn't accommodate an adult. Such an obvious lie hadn't been debunked.
The well was in the village center, where villagers fetched water daily. The opening was small, making it almost impossible for an adult to jump in unless done intentionally.
I gently tugged Howard's sleeve and whispered, "This well is indeed strange, right? Do you sense anything unususal?"
My voice carried a hint of nervousness and anticipation, hoping Howard could give me a clear answer.
Instead of responding, Howard looked up at Jeremy. "It's getting late. Let's go back and continue tomorrow."
We slowly left the well, the moonlight casting long shadows on us.
I glanced back at the old well, filled with doubt and unease.
Whispering Willow Village, what secrets was this well hiding?
"Wait, did you hear that?" Someone in the crowd suddenly voiced, quickly causing panic.
We all stopped and listened intently, but all we could hear was our own breathing and heartbeats.
"What nonsense, there's no sound."
"No, I heard it."
Howard spoke in a deep voice. "Everyone, be quiet."
At that moment, a faint cry for help echoed from somewhere in the distance, sending chills down our spines.
We exchanged glances and immediately ran towards the sound.
Amelia exclaimed, "It's coming from the well!"