Finding Life

Chapter Seven: Danger

We found a car with the keys in it, and since Daniel was the oldest, he was the one to drive. It took a lot of concentration to stay in the car without falling through it since we were ghosts. Every now and then, one of us would have to refocus, or we'd start to sink into the seat.

"You know, it's really dark and gloomy out here. And I keep seeing these shadowy figures," Daniel said as he continued to drive.

"Yeah, I've noticed that too... I just hope they're not dangerous," I replied, trying to suppress the worry in my voice.

"We'll have to figure it out, I guess—" Elias started to say, but Soph cut him off sharply.

"Absolutely not! We are not taking any unnecessary risks," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

We were halfway to the bridge when the car suddenly sputtered and came to a stop. It had run out of gas. With no other choice, we got out, but as soon as we did, we saw something in the distance. It was approaching us, slowly but deliberately.

"Guys... what is that?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.

"Quick, let's hide in the gas station! Hurry!" Soph urged.

We bolted toward the gas station and ducked inside, hiding in the back behind some shelves near the security cameras. The lights inside flickered ominously as we tried to catch our breath.

"Was that the thing from earlier?" Elias asked, still trying to keep his usual upbeat attitude, though there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I think so..." I whispered, my fear becoming more noticeable. "But what was that wand thing it had?"

The creature had carried something—a black and white wand with a skull on top. The memory of it sent chills down my spine. Outside, the sounds of heavy footsteps echoed on the pavement as the creature circled the building, looking for a way in.

Suddenly, the door rattled violently, but it held firm. The creature let out a low growl, and the rattling stopped. For a moment, there was silence.

"Did it leave?" I whispered, barely daring to hope.

Soph shook her head, eyes wide with fear. "No... it's still out there. I can feel it."

We listened intently, the tension thick in the air. Then, slowly, the sound of footsteps started again, pacing just outside. The creature wasn't giving up—it was waiting.

"What do we do now?" Daniel asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know..." Soph replied, her usual confidence shaken. "We wait, I guess. Maybe it'll go away."

Minutes felt like hours as we stayed hidden, every creak of the building making us jump. The creature circled again, testing the windows and doors, but never making its way inside. It was as if it was toying with us, letting us know it could get in if it really wanted to.

Just when the tension felt unbearable, the footsteps suddenly stopped. Silence filled the air once more, but it wasn't the comforting kind. It was the type of silence that came before something bad happened.

We held our breath, waiting for the next move.

Then, out of nowhere, the lights in the gas station flickered and went out, plunging us into darkness.

In the pitch black, we could hear the creature's faint breathing just outside, so close yet still out of sight.

And that's when we realized—it wasn't leaving. It was waiting for us to make the first move.