It was a cold, windy autumn evening, and Jake and Jackson were riding around on their dirt bikes. While riding through their neighborhood, they found an old, abandoned house at the end of the block. They looked at each other with a smirk and nodded their heads before turning around and riding back. They went to Jake's house to play some games, talk about school, and have a good time. Around 7 p.m., Jackson went home. Later, he chatted in their group chat with Jake, Emily, and Ava. Jake talked about how they had found an abandoned house and mentioned that they were thinking about going there to explore it.
The next day, Jake woke up, did his morning routine, got dressed, and hopped on his bike to go to school. When he arrived, he saw Jackson and walked over to him.
"So, are we still gonna hang out Saturday?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, my mom said I can, and I've got no plans this weekend," Jackson replied.
"Alright," Jake said as they entered the high school.
Jake and Jackson met up with their girlfriends, Emily and Ava, who were already talking.
"Hi, babe," Jake said.
"Hey, sweetie," Emily replied.
Jake then asked Emily, "So, Emily, you trying to hang out at my place on Saturday?"
"Yeah, I can," she answered calmly.
Jackson asked Ava the same question, and she agreed.
The next day, around 1 p.m., Jackson arrived. Jake opened the door, trying to sound normal.
"Sup, Jackson… so what you tryna do until Emily and Ava get here?"
"I dunno," Jackson said, glancing down the street. "Maybe we should ride around… see if that abandoned house is still there."
Jake hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Yeah… sure."
They hopped on their dirt bikes and rode around for a while, popping wheelies and hitting small ramps, but neither of them could shake the uneasy feeling in their stomachs. Around 2 p.m., they slowly rolled up to the abandoned house.
The place looked worse than before.
The windows were dark, some shattered. Paint peeled off the walls like dead skin. They parked their bikes and walked closer, peering inside. Dust coated everything, and the air felt heavy, like the house was holding its breath.
They went around back.
A rusty, broken mini playset sat in the yard, swallowed by tall, overgrown grass. A single light flickered inside the house, blinking on and off like a warning.
Then—
SLAM.
The back door slammed shut on its own.
Both of them jumped.
"What the hell was that?!" Jake shouted.
They didn't wait. They sprinted to their bikes and tore down the street, engines roaring as their hearts pounded in their ears. When they reached Jake's house, they burst inside and slammed the door behind them.
"Yo, what the hell was that?!" Jake yelled, breathing hard.
"I—I don't know," Jackson said, his voice shaking. "But nobody else was there."
Jake checked his phone with trembling hands. He had messages from Emily. One said she'd be there soon.
Before he could reply—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Both boys flinched.
They slowly went downstairs and opened the door. Emily and Ava stood there, smiling.
"Hi, babe," Emily said.
"Hey, sweetie," Jake replied, forcing a smile and giving her a quick kiss.
Ava tilted her head. "Why do you guys look like you just saw a ghost?"
"It's nothing," Jackson said quickly. "We just… went near that abandoned house."
They tried to act normal. They played games. They watched movies. But Jake kept glancing at the window.
Finally, Jake looked at Jackson. Jackson nodded.
They gathered everyone together. Jake sat beside Emily. Jackson sat beside Ava. Emily and Ava exchanged confused looks.
"Emily… Ava…" Jake said quietly, "you won't believe this, but… I think that abandoned house is haunted."
"Yeah," Jackson added, swallowing. "We were in the backyard when the back door slammed shut by itself."
Emily frowned. "You're joking, right?"
Ava hugged her arms. "This isn't funny… I don't like this."
"I wish I was joking," Jake said. "But I swear… something was in there with us."
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then, outside—
A faint light flickered through Jake's window.
From down the street.
From the direction of the abandoned house.