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It was the perfect night for a gathering. The small town of Firozabad, nestled between dense forests and steep cliffs, was eerily quiet. Clouds loomed low, threatening rain. Hanif, always the planner, had decided to invite his friends over to his family’s farmhouse, a large, aging structure on the outskirts of town.
“I swear, this place could pass for a horror movie set,” Rizwan said with a grin, looking up at the creaky roof and peeling walls as they approached the house.
“If anyone’s dying tonight, it’s probably because of food poisoning,” Naveen joked, patting his stomach. Hanif wasn’t exactly known for his cooking, but the farmhouse had enough room for everyone to crash for the night. It was the perfect spot for their monthly hangout, far away from distractions.
The group of five boys—Hanif, Rizwan, Naveen, Sameer, and Arjun—had been friends since childhood. Each came from different backgrounds, but they had bonded over a shared love for exploring the mysterious corners of their town and spinning tales of urban legends.
Tonight, however, the legends seemed less like fun and more like impending reality.
Inside the farmhouse, everything felt old, the kind of old that had secrets. Dust clung to the wooden beams, and an ancient chandelier hung from the ceiling, its once-gleaming crystals now dull. They all settled into the living room, their laughter and banter filling the space.
“Alright, let’s get to it!” Hanif announced, clapping his hands. “Who’s got the scariest story tonight?”
“Forget the stories, let’s just eat,” Arjun said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m starving.”
As they set out the food, the atmosphere was light. The boys poked fun at each other, sharing stories of the week. It felt like any other night—until the lights flickered.
There was a brief pause in the conversation. Rizwan rolled his eyes. “Typical. This place runs on generator, right?”
Hanif nodded. “Yeah, but it’s always a bit dodgy. I’ll check on it if it goes out again.”
The lights flickered once more, but this time, they went out completely.
“Great,” Sameer muttered. “No lights, no food. What a host.”
Hanif laughed nervously. “Relax, I’ll go check the generator.”
He grabbed a flashlight from a drawer and headed for the back of the house, leaving the others sitting in the dim glow of their phone screens.
“I bet you five hundred rupees it’s just a blown fuse,” Naveen said, leaning back in his chair. “Hanif’s always bragging about his ‘well-maintained’ farmhouse, but it’s probably falling apart.”
“You’re on,” Arjun replied. “But if he doesn’t come back in five minutes, we should go find him.”
Five minutes turned into ten, and soon, a thick silence had fallen over the room. The only sound was the occasional creak of the house settling, or maybe something else.
“He’s messing with us,” Rizwan said, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his voice. “You know Hanif—he loves this horror stuff.”
“Yeah, but he’s not that good of an actor,” Sameer replied, getting to his feet. “I’m going to find him.”
Naveen grabbed his phone and switched on the flashlight. “Let’s go. This place is creepy in the dark.”
As the four of them made their way through the house, the old floorboards groaned beneath their feet. The narrow hallway leading to the back was pitch black, and the small beam from Naveen’s phone barely cut through the shadows.
“He should’ve been back by now,” Arjun muttered. “I swear, if he’s hiding somewhere trying to scare us, I’m gonna kill him.”
They reached the back door where Hanif had gone to check the generator, but it was wide open. Cold air swept into the house, carrying with it the smell of wet earth and something else—something metallic.
“Hanif?” Rizwan called out, stepping outside. The backyard was nothing but a stretch of open land, leading into the dense forest that surrounded the farmhouse.
“Maybe he went inside the shed?” Sameer suggested, pointing to a small structure near the tree line.
“Or maybe he’s playing a prank,” Arjun said, narrowing his eyes. “Let’s split up. Two of us check the shed, the other two stay here.”
Sameer and Arjun headed for the shed while Rizwan and Naveen stayed near the back door, scanning the area with their lights.
“I don’t like this,” Naveen whispered. “Something feels off.”
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from inside the shed, followed by Arjun’s voice shouting, “Guys, get over here!”
Naveen and Rizwan bolted toward the shed, their hearts pounding. As they neared it, they saw Sameer and Arjun standing just outside, staring at the ground.
“What happened?” Rizwan asked, out of breath.
Arjun pointed to the floor inside the shed. There, illuminated by their shaky lights, was the generator—completely dismantled. Wires were ripped out, parts scattered everywhere.
“What the hell…” Naveen breathed.
“That’s not the worst part,” Sameer said, his voice trembling. He held up Hanif’s flashlight. “We found this here. But no Hanif.”
The four of them stared at the broken generator, then at each other. Hanif wouldn’t have destroyed it, and he wouldn’t have just disappeared. Something was wrong.
“We should call someone,” Rizwan said, pulling out his phone. But there was no signal. “Great. We’re cut off.”
“We have to find him,” Naveen said, his voice steady but his eyes wide with fear. “Let’s split up again. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
“Are you crazy?” Arjun snapped. “Haven’t you seen any horror movie ever? That’s how we all get killed.”
Sameer nodded. “He’s right. We stay together.”
But before they could agree on their next move, a distant voice echoed through the trees.
“Help… Help me…”
They all froze.
“That was Hanif!” Rizwan exclaimed, turning toward the forest.
“Or someone pretending to be him,” Sameer said, his eyes darting nervously toward the trees.
The voice came again, louder this time. “Help… Please…”
Without waiting, Rizwan sprinted toward the sound, followed by the others.
The forest was thick and cold. The trees stood tall like sentinels, their branches swaying ominously. As the group plunged deeper into the woods, the voice grew fainter, as if retreating further into the darkness.
“Hanif! Where are you?!” Rizwan shouted, his voice echoing through the silence.
There was no response now, just the sound of their own footsteps crunching leaves beneath them. The air felt heavier, like the night was pressing in on them.
“This isn’t right,” Naveen said, stopping suddenly. “We should go back. Something’s wrong with this place.”
Before anyone could agree or argue, they heard a rustling nearby. A figure emerged from the shadows—a man, older, with wild eyes and torn clothes.
“Who are you?” Sameer demanded, holding up his flashlight like a weapon.
The man smiled, his grin unsettling. “You shouldn’t be here. The woods aren’t safe. They never are.”
“What do you mean? Have you seen our friend?” Arjun asked, but the man just laughed, a sound that sent chills down their spines.
“The woods… they take people. They like young blood,” he muttered, his eyes darting between the boys. “Once you hear the voices, it’s too late.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Rizwan said, pushing past the man. “We’re finding Hanif.”
But as they moved deeper into the woods, something shifted. The trees seemed to close in on them, and the air grew thick with fog. The sounds of the forest—crickets, owls—vanished, replaced by an oppressive silence.
“Guys,” Sameer whispered, his voice trembling. “I think we’re lost.”
Panic began to rise among the group. They tried retracing their steps, but every path looked the same. The forest seemed alive, twisting around them, trapping them.
“We need to calm down,” Rizwan said, his voice strained. “We’ll find a way out. We just need to—”
“Wait!” Naveen interrupted, his light catching something in the distance. It was faint, but there, amidst the trees, was a figure—a man, standing perfectly still, watching them.
“Is that Hanif?” Arjun asked, stepping forward.
“No… No, that’s not Hanif,” Sameer said, backing away. The figure didn’t move, didn’t speak. It just stood there, its eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Without warning, the ground beneath them began to shake, a deep rumble that came from beneath the earth. The boys stumbled, trying to keep their balance, but the forest itself seemed to be shifting.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped. The figure was gone.
The woods were silent again.
“What… what the hell is happening?” Sameer whispered, his face pale.
Before anyone could respond, a new voice pierced the air—Hanif’s voice.
“Guys… I’m here…”
They turned toward the sound, only to see him standing at the edge of the clearing, his face pale, his eyes wide.
“Hanif!” Rizwan ran toward him, but Hanif didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at something behind them.
Rizwan stopped, confused. “What’s wrong?”
Hanif slowly raised his hand, pointing past them, into the darkness.
“There’s… something… behind you.”
They turned, but saw nothing. Just the forest, still and silent.
“What are you talking about?” Naveen asked, stepping toward him.
But Hanif shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s been following us since the blackout. We’re not alone.”
And then the lights flickered again.
In the blink of an eye, darkness swallowed them whole.
The boys froze, their breath caught in their throats. They could feel something moving around them, something cold and unseen.
“What… what is this?” Arjun whispered, his voice barely audible.
In the pitch black, a deep, raspy voice answered—a voice that was neither Hanif’s nor anyone they had ever heard before.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
And then the lights came back on.
But Hanif was gone............
And the questions began to rise...!!!
