(#1 in hauntedmantion)
Ruhi's life has always been overshadowed by something dark. A haunting presence, a cursed bungalow, and the lingering ghost of her twin sister, threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But when a mysterious figure from t...
The next morning, the unease from the previous night lingered like a heavy fog. The memory of the man who had followed me played over and over in my mind, each detail sharpening with every replay. I sat on the edge of my bed, the pendant with the "H" resting cold against my skin. Questions swirled in my mind, unanswered and unsettling.
A sudden buzz from my phone broke through my thoughts. It was Anshi calling.
"Hey, Anshi," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but I knew the tremor was there.
"Ruhi, what happened last night? Ruhan told me some creepy guy was following you! Why didn’t you call me?"
Her voice was a mix of concern and frustration, her protective instincts kicking in.
"I didn’t want to bother you. I wasn’t even sure if it was real. He disappeared before Ruhan showed up."
There was silence on the other end before she spoke again, her tone softer this time.
"Ruhi, you have to be careful. Whoever that guy was, it sounds serious. If anything else happens, promise me you’ll call."
"I will, I promise."
"Good. Just stay safe. I’ll check on you later."
She hung up, but her words stayed with me, heavier than I wanted to admit.
Later that night, I found myself unable to sleep again. I sat at my desk, scrolling aimlessly through the internet, trying to distract myself. But then, something caught my eye-a local news headline that made my blood run cold.
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15-Year-Old Girl’s Body Found Near Abandoned Bungalow.
I clicked on the article, my pulse quickening. The details were sparse but chilling—a young girl discovered near an old, abandoned bungalow on the outskirts of town. The same bungalow I had driven by with Yuvan, the one he refused to talk about.
"No way," I whispered to myself, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine. The article mentioned that the girl's death was suspicious, though the police hadn't released many details yet. But there was something about it that felt off, something that stirred a deep, unsettling feeling inside me.
Without thinking, I typed the location of the bungalow into Google Maps. I hadn't been able to shake the memory of the place since the day Yuvan and I drove by it, and now... now there was a dark cloud hanging over it. A little girl, dead, and no one knew why.
I stared at the map on my phone, the route to the bungalow lighting up before me. I had to go. I had to see it again, understand why this place kept pulling at me.
The next day, after checking the location one more time, I decided to drive there. I didn't tell anyone-not even Ruhan or Anshi. I didn't want to worry them, and honestly, I wasn't even sure what I was looking for. But something inside me, some instinct, told me I needed to see it for myself.
