The house at the end of Hollow Creek Road had stood empty for years. A crumbling monument of forgotten memories, it loomed beneath the twisted branches of ancient oaks, its once-white paint now peeled and gray. No one dared to go near it—at least, not willingly. Tales of eerie whispers, flickering lights, and shadows moving behind the boarded-up windows kept even the bravest away.
But on Halloween night, curiosity got the better of Eric, Lisa, and Jordan. They had spent years daring each other to step foot inside, and this year, fueled by teenage bravado and a flashlight, they finally decided to see what lay beyond the rotting front door.
The air inside was thick with the scent of dust and decay. Their footsteps echoed against warped floorboards as they stepped into the foyer. A grand staircase, its railing broken in places, wound upward into darkness. Faded wallpaper peeled from the walls, revealing the skeletal wooden beams beneath.
“See? Just an old house,” Lisa whispered, though her voice wavered.
As they moved deeper into the house, a faint creaking sound made them freeze. Eric shone the flashlight toward the hallway ahead. At the far end stood a door, slightly ajar.
Jordan swallowed hard. “That was closed a second ago.”
Lisa let out a nervous laugh. “Probably just the wind.”
A soft thud echoed from upstairs. The three exchanged glances, their bravado evaporating. Eric took a step back, but the moment he did, the flashlight flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.
Then came the whisper. Low, breathy, and right behind them.
Lisa screamed. Jordan fumbled for his phone light. Eric turned, expecting to see a trick of the shadows—but instead, a figure stood at the foot of the stairs. A woman, her face obscured by tangled hair, her body draped in tattered white fabric.
The flashlight flickered back on just in time for them to see her lift a hand—reaching for them.
They didn’t wait. Stumbling over each other, they sprinted for the door, bursting into the cold night air. They ran until they reached the safety of the main road, gasping for breath. When they finally looked back, the house stood silent, lifeless as ever.
But just before they turned away, a single light flickered on in the upstairs window.
