I followed the burly man, whose name was Vikram, into his home. The house was small, with a narrow staircase that led to a single room on the second floor. Vikram gestured for me to follow him, and I climbed the stairs, my eyes adjusting to the dim light.

The room was small, with a single bed and a small table in the corner. There was a window, but it was covered with a thick layer of grime, making it difficult to see outside. Vikram handed me a small key.

"This is the room," he said. "You can stay here, but like I said, be careful. There are things in this village that will try to hurt you."

I took the key, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I had a place to stay, and I could finally start to investigate the strange occurrences in the village.

As I looked around the room, I noticed that there was a small notebook on the table. It was old and worn, but as I flipped through the pages, I saw that it was filled with strange symbols and diagrams. I recognized some of them as being from an ancient language, one that was thought to be extinct.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that this notebook might be a clue to what was going on in the village. I decided to ask Vikram about it, but as I turned to leave the room, I saw that he was gone.

I went downstairs, looking for Vikram, but he was nowhere to be found. His wife, the young woman I had met earlier, was sitting in the corner, watching me with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Where is Vikram?" I asked her.

She hesitated, then nodded towards the door. "He's gone out. He'll be back later."

I nodded, feeling a sense of unease. Something was off in this village, and I was starting to feel like I was in over my head.

As I went back upstairs, I noticed that the window was now open, and the grime had been wiped away. I looked out, and what I saw took my breath away.

The village was surrounded by a dense forest, one that seemed to stretch on forever. But what caught my attention was the figure standing at the edge of the forest, watching me.

It was a woman, tall and gaunt, with eyes that seemed to bore into my soul. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that I was being watched, and that this woman might be the key to unlocking the secrets of the village.

I decided to investigate further, to try and find out who this woman was and what she wanted. But as I turned to leave the room, I heard a faint whisper in my ear.

"Don't go out there, Raj. It's not safe."

I spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all around me, echoing off the walls.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized that I was not alone in the room.