Tales from the Dark

10.

Crestwood High had always had an air of mystery, but this year it felt different. Whispers of strange occurrences began to spread through the hallways: flickering lights, cold drafts, and eerie shadows lurking just beyond sight. Most students brushed it off as typical high school gossip—until the first disappearance. It started with Emma, a quiet girl with a penchant for photography. One chilly October afternoon, she vanished after school while working on a project in the old art room. The school was abuzz with concern, but no one could explain what had happened to her. Days turned into weeks, and Emma's absence weighed heavily on the students. Sarah, Emma's best friend, decided she had to find out what happened. Armed with her curiosity and a flashlight, she snuck into the art room one night, hoping to uncover some clues. As she entered, the door creaked ominously behind her. Dust motes danced in the beam of her flashlight, and the air felt thick with an unsettling energy. The old room was filled with forgotten projects and cracked easels, but something about it felt alive. As Sarah moved deeper inside, she noticed a series of photographs scattered across the floor. They were all taken by Emma, showing strange, shadowy figures lurking in the hallways of the school. Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and Sarah's breath turned to mist. A soft whisper echoed around her, chilling her to the bone. "Help me..." it pleaded. Sarah's heart raced. Was it Emma? Gathering her courage, Sarah followed the sound to a small closet in the back of the room. As she opened the door, darkness seemed to swallow her whole. The whisper grew louder, almost frantic. "I'm here!" Inside the closet, the air felt different—heavy and suffocating. She reached in, her fingers brushing against something cold and unyielding. A flash of light illuminated the corner, revealing Emma's camera, the lens cracked and covered in dust. Beside it lay a crumpled note: "I see them, Sarah. They're watching. Don't trust the shadows." Panic surged through Sarah as the shadows around her twisted and contorted, merging into dark figures with hollow eyes. She stumbled back, nearly tripping over the threshold. The figures advanced, whispering her name. "Join us..." Frantically, Sarah raced out of the art room, the laughter of the shadows echoing behind her. She burst into the hallway, her heart pounding as she tried to process what she had just experienced. Desperate to make sense of it all, she ran to the library, hoping to find answers. Inside, she frantically searched for any mention of the school's history. It was then she discovered an old newspaper article about Crestwood High—a tragic fire decades ago that had claimed the lives of several students. The survivors spoke of strange sightings, claiming they could feel the presence of those lost in the flames. Sarah realized with horror that Emma had stumbled upon something the school had long buried. The shadows weren't just a trick of the light; they were remnants of the past, searching for someone to join them. Determined to save her friend, Sarah gathered a few classmates who believed her: Jake, the class skeptic, and Lily, a self-proclaimed paranormal enthusiast. They made a plan to confront the shadows in the art room, armed with salt and candles. That night, they returned to the school, the air thick with anticipation. As they lit the candles, shadows danced along the walls, and the temperature plummeted again. The whispers grew louder, filling the room with an overwhelming sense of dread. "Show yourselves!" Sarah shouted, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her insides. The room fell silent, and then the shadows coalesced, forming a figure that resembled Emma, but with hollow eyes and a twisted smile. "Help us," it moaned, the words echoing like a death knell. Jake stepped forward, salt in hand. "You don't belong here! We won't let you take anyone else!" With a swift motion, he cast the salt toward the figure. For a moment, it recoiled, but the shadows surged forward, merging into a dark mass that engulfed them. The room trembled as the candles flickered violently. "Run!" Lily screamed, and they dashed for the door, but the shadows pulled at them, whispering promises of acceptance and belonging. They burst into the hallway, hearts pounding, the weight of the darkness pressing down on them. As they stumbled into the night, the whispers faded, but a lingering chill remained. Though they escaped that night, Crestwood High would never be the same. Emma was still missing, and the shadows still lurked, waiting for their next victim. And every now and then, if you walked the halls after dark, you might hear them whispering—calling to those who dared to listen.