Anonymous Writer

The old house at the end of the street had been empty for many years. People in the town said it was dangerous, but no one could explain why. One cold evening, Tom decided to go inside. He wanted to prove that he was not afraid.

The door opened slowly with a long, painful sound. Inside, the air was thick with dust. The floor moved under his feet, and every step made a loud noise. “It’s just an old house,” he told himself.

Suddenly, he heard a soft whisper behind him.

Tom turned around quickly, but there was no one there. His heart began to beat faster. The whisper came again; this time closer. It sounded like someone saying his name.

He pulled out his phone to use the torch. The weak light showed old pictures on the walls. In every picture, there was a tall, dark figure standing behind a family.

Tom felt cold breath on his neck.

Slowly, he turned his head. In the corner of the room, a tall shadow stood, too dark to see clearly. It did not move, but he felt it watching him.

The front door suddenly slammed shut.

And then, the whisper stopped.

Because now, it was right beside him.

Tom could not move. He felt the cold air near his ear, like someone was breathing very slowly.

Then a quiet voice spoke.

“Why did you come here?”

Tom tried to answer, but his mouth was dry. No sound came out. The light from his phone began to shake in his hand. He wanted to run, but his legs felt heavy, like stone.

“I was… just looking,” he whispered finally.

The tall shadow in the corner started to grow taller. It slowly moved along the wall, but it did not make any sound. The pictures on the wall began to fall down one by one. The glass broke on the floor.

“You should not look,” the voice said again, now angry.

Suddenly, Tom’s phone went dark.

In the black room, he heard slow footsteps walking around him. One step. Then another. Getting closer.

Tom screamed and ran forward, his hands searching for the door. He finally felt the handle and pulled it hard.

The door opened.

Cold night air hit his face. He ran all the way home without looking back.

The next morning, the house was empty again.

But on the wall inside, there was a new picture.

And in that picture, a tall dark figure stood behind a frightened boy named Tom.