Hear Some schools teach lessons. This one remembers screams."
Midnight.
Ahaan stood in front of Jasranpur Model School — or what was left of it.
The place had been shut down for years. No lights. No signs. Just crumbling walls, broken windows, and a locked gate that did nothing to keep people out — or things in.
He stared at the building through the thick darkness. The moon hid behind clouds. The wind blew cold against his skin.
He didn't want to go in.
Every part of his body screamed turn around.
But the book — glowing faintly in his backpack — had shown the new case.
CASE FOUR: The Forgotten School
Warning: Enter Alone. Trust No One. Do Not Speak Until Spoken To.
He didn't know what that meant.
But he was about to find out.
Click.
He unlatched the gate and stepped inside.
Instantly, it felt wrong.
The air changed — colder, heavier. The grass under his shoes turned soft and muddy, like he was stepping on something that didn't want to be stepped on.
The school loomed ahead like a giant waiting to swallow him.
Windows stared like eyes.
The front door opened slowly on its own.
Creeeeeak.
Ahaan swallowed and stepped in.
The hallway smelled like mold and dust.
His flashlight barely worked — the beam kept flickering.
But he kept going.
Old class notices were still stuck on the walls. "Exam Friday." "Sports Day." "No running in hallways."
Funny. Because now, all Ahaan wanted to do was run.
He passed an open classroom.
Inside, old desks were covered in dust.
But one of them had something carved into it.
He walked closer and wiped it clean with his sleeve.
"She screams when no one listens."
His breath caught in his throat.
"What does that mean?" he whispered.
Suddenly, a loud slam echoed behind him.
Ahaan spun around.
The classroom door had shut itself.
He ran out into the hallway.
"Okay," he whispered, "just stay calm. Find out what happened here. Solve the case. Then the book lets you leave."
But the hallway was no longer empty.
He saw something.
Footprints.
Small ones. Like a child's. Wet, muddy, and fresh. They led down the hall toward the science lab.
He followed them — carefully, quietly.
The lab door was half open.
He pushed it with one finger.
Creeeeeak.
The lab was dark.
Test tubes shattered. Chairs knocked over. A blackboard still had faded writing on it:
"Chapter: Human Nervous System"
Weirdly fitting.
Because Ahaan's nerves were on fire.
Then he saw something move near the back of the room.
A girl.
Standing perfectly still, facing the wall.
She had long black hair. A white school uniform. And bare feet, wet from the mud.
"Hello?" Ahaan said, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to speak first.
The girl didn't move.
She just… hummed.
Softly.
Like a lullaby.
Ahaan's fingers shook.
The book's warning flashed in his head:
Do Not Speak Until Spoken To.
Too late.
The girl stopped humming.
Slowly, she turned around.
But her face—
Her eyes were missing.
Two dark, empty holes stared back at him. No nose. No mouth. Just a smooth, blank face — and then a loud, bone-cracking noise as her jaw unhinged and opened wide into a silent scream.
Ahaan screamed, too.
He turned and ran — out of the lab, through the hallway, down the stairs.
He didn't care where he was going.
He just needed to get out.
But the school had changed.
The doors were gone.
Windows vanished.
The halls stretched longer and longer.
He was trapped.
And behind him?
The sound of bare feet slapping the floor, chasing him.
Ahaan ducked into a janitor's closet and slammed the door shut.
Darkness.
Complete silence.
He held his breath, back against the wall.
The footsteps stopped right outside.
Silence.
Then…
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A child's voice whispered through the door.
"I just want to show you something."
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His mouth was frozen shut with fear.
The door handle jiggled.
A small giggle.
Then — nothing.
Just silence.
He waited for what felt like forever.
Then he slowly opened the closet door and peeked out.
Empty.
He stepped into the hall again, heart pounding.
His flashlight flickered once, then died completely.
Then his backpack shook.
The book flipped open on its own and glowed like a lantern.
New words appeared on the page:
"You're not solving this case... you're inside it."
"She was left behind during a fire drill."
"No one looked for her."
"No one heard her scream."
Ahaan's eyes widened.
This wasn't just a ghost story.
This was real pain. A real girl. Forgotten. Alone. Lost in fear.
Now her spirit was stuck.
Still screaming in a school where no one ever listened.
Ahaan whispered, "I'm sorry."
And the hallway changed.
The walls cracked open.
Fire alarms rang in the distance.
Smoke filled the air — not real, but heavy and choking.
Ahaan saw the girl again — not a ghost, not a monster — just a terrified little girl hiding under a desk, crying.
He walked slowly toward her.
This time, she looked up.
Her face was whole.
Eyes filled with tears.
She whispered:
"Are they gone? Did they leave me?"
Ahaan nodded. "But I'm here now. I hear you."
She looked down, then held something out.
A piece of paper — burnt at the edges.
He took it.
As soon as he touched it, the world around him began to fade.
The smoke cleared.
The lights went out.
And when Ahaan opened his eyes—
He was back outside the school.
The gate shut behind him.
And the book had a new page.
Case Solved.
Soul Released.
The Girl's Name: Nandini.
Last Words: "Thank you for listening."
But one last sentence appeared.
Written in red ink this time.
"She wasn't the only one left behind."
Ahaan's hands tightened around the book.
More ghosts.
More forgotten stories.
More pain hidden in the quiet corners of the world.
He zipped the book back into his bag and walked away from the school.
But this time, he didn't feel alone.
Because now?
The stories were following him.
Are you ready to For this?