There are some words you don't want to hear in an abandoned house. Like 'don't touch it' and 'what you're doing here?',

***

Aisulu, relieved to escape the jungle, felt disappointed as she realized her boots were lost. They found themselves in an abandoned house. As they cautiously explored, the air thickened with an unsettling silence, punctuated only by the soft creaking of floorboards beneath their feet.

Murphy, their leader, held up a hand, signaling the group to stop. His eyes scanned the fluttering ceiling for signs of danger or hidden threat, his heart racing with fear and anticipation.

"Stay alert, everyone," Murphy whispered, his voice hardly heard over the rustling sound of the wind. We don't know what we might find in there."

Zack, the meticulous note-taker of the group, pulled out his journal and began jotting down observations about the house. "Temperature dropping rapidly," he murmured, his breath visible in the chilly air. "Possible signs of previous inhabitants—"

Before Zack could finish his sentence, a voice echoed from within the depths of the abandoned house. "Don't touch it," it warned, sending a shiver down Aisulu's spine as she tried to open a cupboard to check for shoes or boots.

Zara, the group's biologist, glanced concernedly at Paul, the doctor. Her voice quivered unease as she asked, "Did you hear that?"

Paul nodded grimly. "Someone—or something—is watching us," he replied, instinctively reaching for the medical kit strapped to his waist.

Jeremy and Sofia, the group's youngest members, exchanged nervous glances, their eyes wide with apprehension. They had heard the stories about abandoned houses like this one—rumors of restless spirits and malevolent entities that lurked in the shadows, waiting to ensnare unsuspecting travelers.

As they stepped cautiously, the air grew thick with anticipation. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind seemed to echo with the weight of the unknown.

"What are you doing here?" came the voice again, this time closer than before. Everyone stood still, nervously looking around to see where the sound came from.

"Can I note that we have found a ghost there?" asked Zack.

The group pressed on, with Murphy silently nodding, determined to uncover the secrets hidden within the abandoned house's walls.

As they ventured deeper into the abandoned house, the air grew heavier with the weight of anticipation. Shadows danced on the walls, casting eerie shapes that seemed to flicker and fade with each passing moment.

Zack's pen scratched feverishly against the paper as he documented their every step, noting the peculiar architecture of the house and the strange markings etched into the walls. "It's as if the house itself is alive," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the creaking of the floorboards.

Suddenly, a door creaked and opened in the darkness, revealing a staircase descending into the depths below. Murphy exchanged a glance with Aisulu, his eyes betraying a hint of apprehension. "We have to keep moving," he said, his voice firm with determination.

Descending into the darkness, the group found themselves in a vast chamber filled with rows of ancient tomes and crumbling manuscripts. Dust motes danced in the air, illuminated by the faint glow of the moonlight filtering in through the broken windows.

Aisulu approached one of the bookshelves, her eyes scanning the titles with keen interest. "These books look so ancient," she murmured, fingers running along the weathered spines.

As she reached for an ancient tome, a voice echoed from the shadows, sending a chill down Aisulu's spine. "You shouldn't be here," it whispered, its tone dripping with malice.

Paul, the doctor, stepped forward, his hands raised in peace. "We mean no harm," he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his heart. "We're just here to discover and make some notes about the place."

But the voice only laughed—a hollow, mocking sound that sent shivers down their spines. "Notes?" it scoffed. "You think you can leave this place?"

With a sudden surge of movement, the shadows coalesced into a swirling mass of darkness, engulfing the group in its inky embrace. Panic seized Aisulu's heart as she reached for her companions, her fingers grasping at empty air.

Aisulu's mind raced in the darkness, searching for a way out of the nightmare that had enveloped them. And then, with a flash of inspiration, she remembered the words of her grandmother—a mantra passed down through generations: "In darkness, there is light."

Closing her eyes, Aisulu tried to listen to where the others could be.

"Make the next jump!" Zack's voice could be heard from the distance.

As Aisulu activated the dimensional device, a dim light flashed from it, the shadows dissipated, and the companions approached. The relief that washed over them was palpable, their sigh echoing through the cold air.

"Four minutes," said Aisulu, and the floor was so cold that her feet almost froze, so she collapsed to the ground, her companions gathering around her in a protective circle. With a collective sigh of relief, they stayed together no matter how hard the ghosts and spirits tried to separate them with their terrifying voices and hallucinations.

Though they had faced unimaginable horrors within its walls, Aisulu and her companions emerged unscathed, their bond more vital than ever. They knew that armed with nothing but the power of friendship and the light of hope, they would survive no matter what would happen.