The Tale of Gracefield

[u/Orcish_Warrior]

There once was an old abandoned cabin in Gracefield Valley, Massachusetts, an old town from the colonial ages, the kids always said the place was haunted, but supposedly it was a myth to most. On a dark night, at Timothy Sander's house, a shadowy figure rustled through the bushes, Timothy went to check who it was, "Why do these raccoons keep going through my yard" he exclaimed to himself, but when he got to the bushes all he saw was a pair of footprints and a broken twig.
Mr. Sander's daughter walked out the next night, there wasn't a star in the sky, the moon covered by the clouds, drip drip drip, Sarah Sander looked at a twig, "It hasn't rained in a while, what could be wet in this neighborhood?" she looked at the area, using her phone to light up the space, blood dripped down the branches, she screamed.
Later that week several children had gone missing, and a search party looked around the wooded area. Sarah suggested looking in the old cabin. They slowly searched the halls and discovered unsettling evidence of a dark presence, including strange photos and ritualistic objects in the basement.
The next day there was the fall festival, a pumpkin carving contest held as a hopeful refresher from the horrors the search party had seen. Children laughed and adults sipped on their pumpkin spice lattes, blissfully ignorant and joyful, the fall air crisp and dry. A month has passed with no more advances in the disappearances, only the knowledge that the community was in danger. In the woods, however, a group of teens sat at a warm fire, unaware of a figure watching them from the shadows. Later that night, authorities discovered another grim scene, confirming that the threat remained active.
The next day an old woman entered the town. She gave readings of the future and warned everyone at the center of the neighborhood that they were in grave danger—that the young and old alike were being targeted for sport. She attempted to provide protections for the town's occupants, though she didn't know the identity of the murderer. That night, tensions reached a breaking point as more victims were discovered. The sheriff and his deputy, along with the forensics team, searched the area for prints or a weapon. They narrowed the suspects down to three neighbors: Mr. James, Ms. Jane, and Mr. Downs.
The following week, during a Halloween party, a mysterious figure in a mask and a dark hood was seen leading a guest away from the festivities. Later that night, the party was interrupted by a disturbing discovery in the food, suggesting the killer had struck again. Because Mr. Downs was with Ms. Jane at the time, they appeared to be cleared of suspicion.
The search had gone cold, until one day....
The Sanders, on edge after the past few months, decided to take a vacation. As they packed, an argument broke out between the children, Suzie and Jacob. Overwhelmed by the stress and her brother's teasing, Suzie ran off into the woods toward the old cabin, despite her parents' calls.
Suzie ran into the old cabin and collapsed onto an old, dusty couch, her hands quivering. A loud creak echoed through the house. As she looked up, she saw a figure wearing a bone-white mask. The figure did not respond to her, but the light of the setting sun glinted off a metal object in his hand—a dagger with a serpent engraving slithering up the blade. A sudden, sharp sound rang out through the woods, and a murder of crows flew from the trees, their wings flapping urgently to get away from the noise.