{ No matter how much you suffer, please... return to us safely. }
"What ghost exactly are you talking about?" Rina asked, trying to remain calm.
"I swear I wasn't alone," Yara stammered. "There was something here."
"It seems you were just spooked by a mouse. And here I was, thinking you were braver than this." Rina was trying to de-escalate the situation, knowing full well that Yara wasn't the type to say such things without a reason.
"Sister, is there really a ghost? I'm scared," Mayar whispered.
"There's nothing of the sort. Now, show me where you heard the sound."
"It came from the room... just before the glass shattered in the kitchen."
Rina went and opened the door. There was nothing there.
"See? That's what I told you. There is nothing. It was just your imagination from the exhaustion of studying so much."
"But... the glass fell on its own..."
"Probably just a mouse, or it wasn't placed properly and slipped."
"Maybe... but I'm still terrified just thinking about it."
"There's no reason to be. Let's just watch some TV for a while until you forget all about it."
Rina took her sister Mayar to her room and stayed with her until she fell asleep. She then brought a cup of tea and sat with Yara, who was still visibly shaken, the fear clear in her eyes behind her glasses.
"Which program should we watch?"
"I don't know... Rina, can I ask for a favor?"
"Of course."
"Can I sleep here with you tonight?"
"...Certainly! We'll stay up watching movies until morning!"
"Thank you for being so kind... I'll just grab some things from my apartment and come right back."
"Shall I come with you?"
"If you could, please."
Yara and Rina stood up and headed to Yara's apartment, which was right next door to Rina's. Yara opened the door, and a heavy silence and total darkness covered every corner of the home.
"Wait, I'll turn on the lights." Yara flipped the switch, but nothing happened.
"Is it broken?"
"It was working this morning. I don't know why it's out now."
"I'll turn on my phone's flashlight."
"My phone is out of battery," Yara whispered.
"It's okay... take my phone and I'll stay right beside you."
They stepped inside. The air was unnervingly cold due to the open windows.
"This is my bedroom. Can you hold the phone for a moment so I can use the key?"
"Of course."
Rina took the phone. As Yara struggled with the lock, a fleeting black shadow darted past Rina in the darkness. She wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, but she felt as if something had moved with lightning speed. She stayed quiet, not wanting to intensify Yara's fear.
"I finally got it open," Yara said. "I'll open the do—"
BAM!
The apartment's front door slammed shut with incredible force.
A chill like no other ran down their spines.
When the glimmer of hope fades into the darkness... the end has already arrived...
What....what is standing there?