It was midnight. The city streets were empty. Only the pale moon shone weakly through clouds. A cold wind moved between broken buildings, carrying strange smells and faint whispers. The air felt heavy, like something unseen was watching.
Four friends—Liam, Sara, Jake, and Mia—slipped out of their homes.
"This is crazy," Liam whispered, hugging his jacket tight. "Why are we even here?"
Sara shivered. "It's just the old part of the city. Nothing will happen."
Jake laughed nervously. "Yeah, nothing can hurt us. Come on. We'll just look around and come back."
Mia looked around, her eyes wide. Shadows twisted oddly on the walls. "Guys… I don't like this. It feels… wrong."
They walked deeper into the streets. Every footstep echoed too loudly. Every corner seemed darker than the last. Broken glass crunched under their shoes. The smell of damp stone and rot filled their noses.
"Did you hear that?" Sara stopped suddenly.
"Hear what?" Liam asked, trying to sound brave.
A soft whisper floated through the air.
"Go back…"
They froze.
"Who's there?" Liam called. His voice shook.
No answer. Only the wind. It sounded like faint breathing, but not human.
Jake tried to laugh. "It's just the wind. Don't get scared."
Mia held his arm. "This isn't normal. Something's… wrong here."
The streetlights flickered and died. Darkness swallowed the road ahead. Only the moon offered weak light. The shadows seemed to move on their own, twisting and curling along the crumbling walls.
Suddenly, they saw it.
A door.
It stood alone in the middle of the street. No walls. No building. Just a plain, old wooden door. Strange marks were carved into it, like symbols from another time. None of them could read them, but the marks seemed to move when no one was looking directly.
Sara whispered, trembling, "It shouldn't be here…"
Jake stepped closer. "It's just a door. Maybe someone put it here for fun."
But the air around the door grew colder. Their breaths came out in white mist. Shadows twisted near the door, stretching like fingers reaching for them.
"Let's go," Liam said, his voice trembling. "Now."
Before they could run, a scream tore through the night. High, sharp, terrified. It came from the far side of the city.
They turned—but Jake was gone. Just gone.
Sara screamed. Mia grabbed her hand. Liam grabbed her shoulder. The street seemed alive, pressing down on them. Shadows moved with intent, like they wanted to trap them.
From the darkness came a whisper:
"Steve…"
The friends didn't know anyone named Steve. The voice was human, but it was also… not human.
A cold chill ran down their spines. They ran blindly, tripping over broken stones and rubble. Every street they turned down seemed longer than the last. The door remained in the distance, silent, watching.
The air smelled of smoke and decay. Faint scratching noises came from the windows of abandoned buildings. A faint light flickered in one alley. It wasn't a streetlight. It moved like something alive.
Sara gasped. "Did you see that? Something moved!"
Liam didn't answer. His eyes were wide with fear. Mia clutched his arm. "We need to leave! Now!"
They finally reached the edge of the city, panting. The door was still there, standing as if it had always been waiting.
Morning came.
Steve Walker woke to the smell of breakfast. The sun peeked through the window. He yawned and stretched, rubbing his eyes. His father was watching TV, frowning.
"Steve, look at this," his father said, pointing at the screen.
The news showed a familiar part of the city. A group of students had gone missing last night—four teenagers. No trace. No clues. No signs of struggle.
The reporter said: "Police are baffled. No evidence has been found. Residents claim strange sounds and lights were seen near the old part of the city. Investigation continues."
Steve's father shook his head. "It might be… paranormal."
Steve laughed. "Dad, don't be silly. Ghosts don't exist. It's probably just kids running off or hiding somewhere."
His father frowned but said nothing.
At college, Steve walked into class. His friend Tom waved him over.
"Dude, did you hear?" Tom whispered. "A group of students went missing last night. Midnight. In the old city. People say it's… paranormal."
Steve rolled his eyes. "It's nothing, man. Are you still believing in ghost stories?"
Tom looked worried. "I'm serious. Something is wrong there."
The teacher entered, clapping hands. "Everyone, settle down. Today we focus on… mathematics."
Steve sighed and turned to his desk, ignoring the story.
Meanwhile, in the old part of the city, an old beggar shuffled through the streets. His clothes were torn, his face hidden beneath a hood. His hands shook as he muttered to himself:
"The curse… it returns. He will end everything… everything."
The wind carried his words through the broken windows. Shadows stretched long across the crumbling buildings. The city listened. Waiting.
A faint scratching noise came from a distant alley, then silence.
Somewhere, deep in the darkness, the door waited.