She went on a trip with her parents to her abandoned hometown, which had been deserted for five years after her grandfather and uncle passed away. It was a long journey.
When they arrived, she looked around, but there was nothing left except the old house where she used to play and spend time with her childhood friends. The village felt like a ghost town almost no one lived there anymore because people had moved to the city.
The most unexpected thing was learning about her closest neighbor's death. She gazed at the neighbor's house, wondering, How did she die? But suddenly, her mother came up behind her and whispered near her right ear, "Don't look there, child."
Startled and panicked, she turned to her mother, who simply smiled at her as usual. After that, they entered the house. The sky darkened, as if the sun was slowly disappearing.
While her parents were busy cleaning downstairs, her mother handed her a key and asked her to unlock a room on the second floor. She took the key and walked upstairs, but as she climbed, the house grew eerily silent, making her feel as though she was alone.
When she reached the room, she stood in front of the door, hesitating before unlocking it. Suddenly, the lights went out, followed by a loud clap of thunder. She gasped, her body trembling. With shaky fingers, she unlocked the door. Just then, she saw a shadow pass behind her. Heart pounding, she spun around with a sharp inhale but there was nothing.
Turning back to the room, she suddenly felt a cold hand touch her right shoulder. Instinctively, she grabbed the hand and whirled around. She screamed, but it turned out to be her mother, who had come upstairs because the power had gone out.
"Why did you scream?" her mother asked in a serious tone.
"You startled me, Mom," she replied with a sigh of relief.
Her mother stared at her for a moment before patting her head with a smile. But then she hesitated, frowning slightly.
"Mom, why do you always feel so cold? And… why do you look so pale?" she asked with a confused expression.
Her mother seemed surprised but quickly answered calmly, "It's just the temperature, honey." She smiled and told her to come downstairs after unlocking the door.
Downstairs, her father was still busy cleaning. Everything seemed normal. She decided to step outside for some fresh air and gazed at the moon. The night was dark and silent. As she sat on a chair in the front yard, she glanced around and suddenly noticed a light glowing in her neighbor's abandoned house.
Alarmed, she rushed back inside and asked her parents, "Why is there a light in the abandoned house?"
Her parents exchanged glances before her father finally said, "Don't wander around at night. It's not safe. Come eat dinner."
She hesitated but sat down to eat with them. The food looked delicious, so she took a few bites. Just then, the lights flickered off again, but this time they came back on almost instantly. When she glanced down at her plate, her breath caught in her throat—her food was crawling with insects and worms.
She panicked, blinking rapidly. But when she looked again, everything appeared normal.
Her parents, completely unfazed, continued eating as if nothing had happened. Losing her appetite, she put down her fork.
"Mom, Dad, I'm done. I'll go to my room now," she said, standing up.
Without waiting for a response, she walked upstairs and entered her room.
Exhausted from the long trip, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Why did we even come here?
For half an hour, she searched for an answer but found none. Giving up, she got up to wash her face in the bathroom before returning to bed.
At midnight, exactly 12:00…