It started with a joke.
"If I die, I'm haunting all of you," Lara said, laughing as she pushed open the broken gate.
"Relax," Sarah replied. "It's just an abandoned school."
The rusted sign creaked above them:
NOORWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
CLOSED PERMANENTLY
"'Permanently' sounds aggressive," Felix muttered. "Like… legally dead."
Kai adjusted his glasses. "Or permanently dangerous."
Mira didn't laugh.
She was staring at the building.
Like she recognized it.
They didn't come here randomly.
Each of them had received the same message.
At the same time.
From an unknown number.
"Come to Noorwood High if you want the truth."
No explanation.
No sender.
Just… that.
Inside, the air felt wrong.
Cold. Heavy.
Like the building was breathing.
"Why does it feel like we just walked into a freezer?" Lara whispered.
"There's no power here," Kai said.
"Then who turned on the creepy mode?" Lara replied.
Felix clutched his phone. "No signal. Of course. Classic horror setup."
BANG!
The door slammed shut behind them.
Felix jumped. "NOPE. I'M DONE. BYE."
He tried opening the door.
It didn't move.
"Relax," Sarah said, though her voice wasn't as confident now. "It's probably just wind."
"There's no wind," Mira said quietly.
Everyone froze.
"How do you know?" Kai asked.
Mira looked away.
"…I just do."
They moved deeper inside.
The hallway stretched longer than it should.
Doors slightly open.
Darkness inside each classroom.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
They heard it.
Soft.
Distant.
Children laughing.
Lara forced a grin. "Okay, who brought kids to the horror movie?"
No one answered.
The laughter stopped.
From one classroom…
A small voice whispered:
"Why did you come back?"
Sarah slowly pushed the door open.
Inside stood a child.
Still.
Pale.
Smiling.
"I didn't invite you," the child said.
The lights flickered.
And suddenly—
Every desk turned.
At once.
Facing them.
Felix whispered, "That's… not normal. That's very not normal."
Mira stepped back.
Her voice shaking for the first time:
"…We shouldn't be here."
The child's smile grew wider.
"Oh," it said softly.
"You were already here."