At the edge of the road stood a house that never aged. Its porch light flickered every night, as if it refused to die.
On Halloween, Mara decided to prove it was just an old story. She opened the gate, and the air grew heavy. Inside, the rooms were tidy, waiting, as if the Harper family had never left.
A clock on the wall began to chime. Once, twice, then thirteen times. Shadows stretched across the walls, forming the shapes of a man, a woman, and two children.
โYou came back,โ whispered a small voice.
Maraโs breath caught. The figures smiled. The door slammed shut.
The next morning, the house looked peaceful again. But now, five shadows stood in the window instead of four.
stake id: riskplazma