The long pause that followed the opening of the pantry door stretched like a taut string, holding a sense of anticipation in the air. The hesitant illumination from the flickering lightbulb above painted an uncertain tableau, revealing the young boy standing on the threshold between the safety of the pantry and the mysterious figures beyond.
Suddenly, a resounding bang echoed through the confined space, the forceful impact causing the decrepit wooden door to shudder on its hinges. The boy recoiled in terror, his eyes widening with fear. The once gentle whispers that had beckoned him now transformed into an angry murmur, the softness replaced by a sudden and unsettling edge.
