In this area, the lights never come on, there are no visitors, and it's always dead silent. The houses stand empty without residents, and no one wants to buy a home here.
Twelve-year-old Luke Campbell suffers from loneliness - he has no friends, an...
Luke remembered Aliya's warning about staying away from the old orphanage, but forbidden things always held an irresistible allure. So, after the Christmas holidays, the boy decided to thoroughly explore the grounds.
The once-grand building loomed over the snow-covered field, its broken windows were staring back at him ominously. The air was thick with the scent of decay and neglect. He'd brought a flashlight, its beam cutting through the gloom as he crept closer to the building.
As he rounded the corner of the orphanage, a sudden gust of wind rattled the broken glass. Luke jumped, his heart pounding in his chest. He paused, listening intently, but there was nothing but the eerie silence of the abandoned building. Mustering his courage, he continued towards the front door, his hand trembling as he reached for the rusty handle.
With a creak, the door swung open, revealing a dark, cavernous interior. Dust motes danced in the shaft of light from his flashlight, and the air was thick with the smell of old wood and damp earth. Luke took a deep breath and stepped inside, the door swinging shut behind him with a final, ominous thud.
As he ventured deeper into the orphanage, the darkness seemed to close in around him. He could hear strange noises coming from the shadows – the creaking of floorboards which reminded him of presence of unseen creatures. Luke's flashlight began to flicker, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Fear gnawed at him, but he pressed on, determined to uncover the secrets of this haunted place.
The interior of the orphanage turned out to be nothing more than a storage facility, devoid of any secrets or hidden dangers. Luke was disappointed, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was still something more to this place.
This time, he didn't even encounter the guards, making his exploration even easier. Emboldened by his success, Luke ventured into the backyard. The once-manicured lawn was now overgrown with weeds, and the playground equipment was rusted and broken.
As he wandered through the overgrown yard, Luke's eyes fell upon a peculiar sight. Between the stones in the wall, he noticed a small piece of paper. Curiosity piqued, he knelt down and carefully retrieved it. Unfolding the paper, Luke discovered that it was an old, yellowish letter. The ink was faded, but he could still make out the words. The boy's heart started racing. What... what is that?
He had no patience to wait. So, Luke just began to read.
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Dear Aliya, I'm writing these words many years after your death. To be more precise, many decades. I fully realize that you'll probably never read this, but it will ease my conscience if I confess, even if it's only to myself. It's the only thing that can cleanse my filthy soul.
As a young, carefree, and inexperienced guy, I became an accomplice in a dirty and disgusting affair against my will. Sometimes it happens that way – we become hostages of circumstances beyond our control. I'm incredibly sorry that I had to remain silent and that I had to hide the most terrible truth. This was also my guilt – I stubbornly kept quiet all this time and pretended to know nothing. But, unfortunately, I do know... and I'll always know. It's part of my story – the story of the pathetic coward I truly was and still am.
