Qasim26

🎃 The Lantern in the Sand
I’ll never forget that night in the outskirts of Al Ain.
I had gone out alone with my camera to capture the desert sky — clear, quiet, and endless. The dunes shimmered under the moonlight, and the only sound was the whisper of the wind.
That’s when I saw it — a faint orange glow near an old, abandoned rest house half-buried in sand.
When I got closer, I realized it was an old lantern, still burning. It looked ancient, brass and rusted, yet the flame danced strong.
Tied to the handle was a piece of paper that read:
> “Do not light the way for the lost.”
I laughed nervously and set up my tripod. But when I looked through my camera lens, my stomach dropped.
Behind the lantern, I saw figures — tall shapes wrapped in white, half-covered by sand. They weren’t moving, just… standing. Watching.
I spun around — nothing was there.
But when I turned back, the figures were gone, and the lantern began to flicker violently before going out completely.
That’s when I heard it — a whisper right next to my ear:
> “You lit the way.”
The next thing I remember is running back to my car, heart racing.
Later, when I checked my camera, the last photo made my blood run cold — the empty desert, glowing faintly with dozens of lanterns, arranged in a perfect circle.
Sometimes, late at night, when the wind blows from the desert, I still hear that whisper:
> “The lost remember.”
 
Stake ID: Qasim26