11:30 PM — The Cemetery
The cold wind howled around us as we stood outside the cemetery gates, shivering to the bone. It wasn't just the cold—it was something else, something unnatural. We had all agreed to come, but now that we were here, no one wanted to be the first to admit how terrified they really were.
Everyone tried to act brave. They failed.
Tom held my hand in a death grip on one side, Aphrodite clutched the other. I could feel their trembling through their fingers. My own heart thudded so loudly it echoed in my ears. Jared and Jason were stone silent, their eyes fixed ahead, masking their fear behind clenched jaws. Shawn was outright hugging Michael like his life depended on it. He was here only because Michael was.
Only Alan and Maria looked unfazed—eerily calm, even.
Then, Maria stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"Whatever happens next… be prepared." Her voice was low, almost a warning.
"What are you even talking about?" Tom asked, confused.
But before she could answer, the sky cracked open.
It started pouring—heavy, cold sheets of rain fell as if the heavens themselves were screaming a warning.
"Rain? Now? In this season? That's impossible!" Jared shouted over the noise, wiping water from his eyes.
Thunder boomed so violently that the ground seemed to shake beneath our feet. The sky lit up with jagged flashes of white. For a moment, it felt like the lightning was aiming at us. The storm wasn't just natural—it felt... personal.
"Guys! This is a sign! We're not supposed to be here. We should leave. Now!" Jason yelled, his voice cracking with panic.
"No," Alan snapped. "We have to find that book. No matter what it takes."
The cemetery was vast, split into two ancient sections by a massive rusted gate that stood like a scar through the land.
"Okay," Maria said briskly. "Jared, Serena, and I will check the left side. Alan, Tom, and Jason—you take the right. Everyone else, stay out here."
"I want in," Michael volunteered, stepping forward.
"No," Alan said immediately. **"Stay back. We need you outside."
"Why am I not included?" Aphrodite snapped, her voice a mix of hurt and indignation. Despite the fear in her eyes, she clearly didn't like being left behind.
Maria gave her a flat look. "You're... fragile. You're better off out here."
"Excuse me? Fragile? You've got no idea how strong I am!" Aphrodite shouted.
"Ladies—please," Jared interrupted. **"This isn't the time."
I gently touched Aphrodite's arm. "Stay with Shawn and Michael. Keep watch... please."
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Great. Third-wheeling a bromance in front of a haunted cemetery. Living the dream."
The storm only got worse as we approached the gates. Lightning forked dangerously close. I could feel Shawn, Aphrodite, and Michael's stares on our backs as we walked into the darkness.
Then… I heard it.
Whispers.
Faint at first. Then louder. Twisting around me. Beneath the storm.
"Guys..." I whispered. "Can you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Jared asked, glancing over.
"Whispers. Voices. Right behind us..." I turned in circles, trying to find the source.
"What whispers?" Jason called out from the other group.
Maria and Alan exchanged sharp glances—like they did hear it but hadn't expected me to.
"Nothing. Just... maybe I'm hearing things," I muttered quickly.
"Are you sure you're okay, Seri? We don't have to go in if you're not well," Tom said gently.
"I'm fine. Let's keep moving." I inhaled sharply and stepped forward.
The rain soaked us through completely—our hair, our shoes, our clothes. Water dripped from our faces. There was no light except for the flashes of lightning, which made the cemetery even more terrifying. The graves loomed like blackened teeth, stretching into the mist.
We split up as planned.
"Serena, you take the first row. Jared, the second. I'll take the last," Maria instructed.
The deeper we went, the heavier the air became. The darkness was thick, oppressive—like it was watching us.
Then I saw it.
A lone grave. The headstone read:
Rodulf Rodriguez
A mathematician, forgotten by time…
Perched atop the grave was a large moth, its wings trembling in the rain.
I stepped closer.
The moth didn't move.
And then—
The shape of a man appeared behind the grave. His face—half-burned, half-rotted—stared directly into mine.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't scream.
And then, like something broke loose inside me, I let out the loudest, most bloodcurdling scream of my life.