In a small, quiet town nestled between dark forests and forgotten hills, there was an old, abandoned hospital. Locals avoided it, claiming strange things happened there. At night, lights flickered in the windows, and shadows moved in rooms long left untouched. But no one ever dared to investigate—until one stormy evening.
Lena, a young woman new to town, had always loved the thrill of the unknown. When she overheard whispers about the hospital, she was immediately intrigued. Ignoring the warnings, she set off alone, her curiosity pulling her toward the crumbling building.
The front doors groaned as she pushed them open, the wind howling behind her. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of mildew and something faintly metallic. Her footsteps echoed through the empty halls as she explored room after room, her flashlight cutting through the pitch black.
As she turned a corner, she noticed a faint glow coming from a room at the end of the hallway. The door was slightly ajar, creaking as it swayed back and forth. Hesitant but determined, Lena approached, the floor creaking beneath her feet.
When she stepped into the room, her flashlight flickered, and she saw it—an old operating table in the center, covered in dust except for one glaringly clean spot. A tray of rusty surgical tools sat nearby, and on the wall, there was something far worse.
Scrawled in what looked like blood were the words: *"They never leave."*
Lena's breath caught in her throat as she backed away, her heart pounding. But as she turned to run, she froze. Standing in the doorway was a figure—tall, thin, with eyes that gleamed in the dark. Its skin was pale, stretched tight over its bones, and it smiled at her with a mouth too wide, too sharp.
"I've been waiting," it whispered.
Before she could scream, the door slammed shut.
And no one ever saw Lena again. But on stormy nights, when the wind howls through the trees, some say they can still hear her footsteps, echoing in the hospital halls, along with the soft sound of someone whispering, *"They never leave."*
