Autumn descended subtly upon New York City. September winds swept fallen leaves across the Columbia University campus, carrying a damp chill in the air.
Nineteen-year-old Alex Carter, a freshman in the Department of Mysteriology, dragged his suitcase across the mist-shrouded South Lawn, entering the hallowed halls of this bustling metropolis's academic sanctuary. Slender, with tousled dark hair, his gaze held a preternatural calmness behind his spectacles.
His childhood fascination with the macabre and supernatural lore had led him to New York—a city where the number of daily disappearances fluctuated mysteriously, never consistent in official reports, yet a constant source of hushed whispers and chilling urban legends.
The first week of classes proved unremarkable. Professors lectured on the origins and theories of mysteriology, occasionally alluding to urban legends surrounding the disappearances, but none delved deeper. Alex remained skeptical, attributing the vanishings to more mundane societal issues, until that Friday evening, when everything changed.
At six o'clock, Alex finished his elective and walked alone down a side street off Broadway, hoping to take a shortcut back to his dormitory. As dusk deepened, streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow, and the lights of the corner stores flickered sparsely. He glanced at his phone; the screen displayed a local forum post titled, "Three More Missing This Morning, Police Say No Trace." He frowned, about to close the screen when a low hum resonated in his ears, like an electrical current surging through aged wires.
He looked up to find his surroundings transformed. The brick walls of the alley had warped into a grayish-white fog, the streetlights vanished, replaced by a dimly lit expanse of damp ground covered in a viscous moss. In the distance, dilapidated buildings loomed, their windows gaping like empty sockets. A putrid odor permeated the air, a blend of decaying flesh and damp earth.
Holding his breath, Alex surveyed the unsettling scene. His phone had lost its signal, the screen displaying only gibberish. He attempted to retreat, but the fog behind him felt solid, blocking his path. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm, whispering, "Where am I?" The rumors of the missing flashed through his mind, devoid of concrete details, yet the current abnormality was suffocatingly real.
Footsteps echoed from the fog. He turned to see three figures materialize. A woman in her twenties, clad in a red jacket, her short hair disheveled; a middle-aged man in a rumpled suit, clutching a briefcase; and a thin teenager in a hoodie, head bowed. All three wore expressions of bewilderment, clearly as lost as he was.
"Who are you?" the woman in the red jacket asked, her voice trembling, breaking the silence.
"Alex, Columbia student," he replied curtly, lowering his voice. "And you?"
"Lena, convenience store clerk," she swallowed hard. "I was taking a shortcut home from work..."
"Mark, attorney," the man's voice was hoarse. "I was getting my car from the parking garage, and then…this."
The teenager murmured, "Tom... I was just passing through." His voice was barely audible, as if afraid to disturb something unseen.
Alex narrowed his eyes, scanning their surroundings. The stench intensified. "Don't speak loudly," he cautioned. "Something's not right." He didn't know what this place was, but instinct told him silence might be the key to survival.
As if on cue, a low gurgle emanated from the distance, a rasping sound like a breath from the depths of a throat. Alex whirled around, catching sight of a shadowy figure emerging from the fog. It stood approximately seven feet tall, its limbs elongated, its back hunched, and its skin a sickly grayish-red, resembling flayed muscle.
Holding his breath, he gestured for the others to crouch. They huddled behind a crumbling wall, watching the creature approach.
It had no eyes, its head was bald, and its mouth split open like a torn petal, revealing razor-sharp teeth. Its claws dragged across the ground, producing a faint scraping sound. Alex's heart hammered in his chest. His mind raced: It seemed blind but acutely sensitive to sound.
"Don't make a sound," he whispered. "It hunts by sound." Lena's eyes widened, she covered her mouth. Mark's face paled. Tom nodded fearfully.
The creature paused, its head tilting slightly, as if listening. Suddenly, it opened its mouth, emitting a shrill, feminine cry: "Help! Is anyone there?" It was Lena's voice, perfectly mimicked. Lena stared at Alex in terror. He quickly covered her mouth, shaking his head for silence. The creature moved slowly, its claws scraping against the ground, the sound grating on their nerves.
Alex noticed the ground vibrating faintly, the dampness intensifying, the moss beneath their feet seeming to writhe, like some living organism. He picked up a small stone and tossed it into the distance. The stone landed with a soft thud. The creature swiveled instantly, lunging towards the source of the sound.
"Go!" he hissed. The four of them moved, crouched low, towards a dilapidated building. Inside, the room was empty, the floor rotted, and the corners piled with rubble. They had barely concealed themselves when the creature returned, Mark's voice emanating from its throat, "Lena, where are you?" Mark clenched his jaw, sweat dripping down his face.
Alex scanned the room and spotted a rusty iron door leading to a basement. He pointed at it, whispering, "Down there. There might be a way out." Lena nodded. Mark hesitated. Tom was the first to approach, pulling the door open. The hinges creaked, a small sound, yet enough to make the creature turn sharply and charge towards the building.
"Quickly!" Alex shoved the others into the basement, slamming the door shut. The creature crashed against the door, the impact reverberating through the room. The stench seeped through the cracks. They stumbled down the stairs into the damp, dark basement, its walls covered in mildew. Ahead lay a narrow passage, a faint light emanating from the far end.
They moved forward, holding their breath, striving for silence. But Mark's foot slipped, crunching a piece of rotten wood. The sound echoed in the confined space. He looked up in horror as the door burst open and the creature leaped down, its claws digging into the ground.
Tom's voice issued from its throat, "Don't leave me!" Mark turned to flee, but a claw snagged him, dragging him back into the darkness. His scream was cut short, replaced by the sickening crunch of bone.