The Last One Out
Page 1 – The Dare
At the edge of Blackwood Forest stood an abandoned mansion that no one dared to enter. Its windows were broken, its walls covered in creeping vines, and its roof sagged like it carried the weight of forgotten secrets. The locals called it The Hollow House.
One autumn evening, five college friends—Arjun, Rohan, Vikram, Sameer, and Kabir—decided to prove the stories wrong.
"It's just an old building," Arjun said confidently as they parked their car near the rusted iron gates.
"Yeah," Rohan added, holding up his phone to record. "Let's make this legendary."
The sky was painted in shades of orange and purple as they approached the house. The wind howled softly, rustling dry leaves around their feet.
When they reached the front door, it creaked open by itself.
The laughter stopped.
They looked at one another, hesitant—but too proud to turn back.
"After you," Kabir joked nervously.
Together, the five friends stepped inside.
The door slammed shut behind them.
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Page 2 – The First Disappearance
The air inside felt icy, far colder than outside. Dust filled the air, and their footsteps echoed across the empty hall.
A grand staircase rose in front of them. Old portraits lined the walls, their painted eyes seeming to follow the group as they moved.
"Okay… that's creepy," Sameer whispered.
Suddenly, a loud thud came from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
"Let's check it out," Vikram said, trying to sound brave.
They climbed the staircase slowly, flashlights shaking in their hands. Halfway up, Rohan's flashlight flickered wildly.
"Guys…?" he muttered.
The light went out.
In the darkness, they heard a short, sharp scream.
When their flashlights stabilized again, Rohan was gone.
"Rohan!" Arjun shouted.
They searched every room upstairs, calling his name again and again. But there was no answer—only silence.
And the faint sound of something dragging across the floor.
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Page 3 – Fear Takes Over
Panic began to settle in.
"We need to leave. Now," Sameer said.
They rushed downstairs—but the front door wouldn't open. It was as if something invisible was holding it shut.
Vikram suddenly heard Rohan's voice coming from a nearby room.
"Help me… I'm here…"
Without thinking, Vikram pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The door slammed shut.
"Vikram!" Kabir shouted, pounding on the wood.
After a few seconds, the door slowly creaked open on its own.
The room was empty.
Vikram had disappeared.
Now only Arjun, Sameer, and Kabir remained.
The house seemed alive. Shadows moved where there should have been none. Mirrors reflected figures standing behind them—figures that vanished when they turned around.
A cold hand suddenly grabbed Sameer's arm from the darkness of a hallway.
He screamed as he was pulled into the shadows.
His voice echoed, then faded.
The house grew silent again.
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Page 4 – The Last Two
Only Arjun and Kabir were left.
Their bravery was gone. Fear controlled every breath.
"We should never have come here," Kabir whispered, tears in his eyes.
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor—an old woman with hollow eyes and pale skin. She stood still, staring at them.
"You should not have entered," she whispered in a voice that echoed unnaturally.
Kabir stepped backward in terror. His foot slipped on the broken edge of a stair.
He fell down the staircase.
Arjun rushed to him.
Kabir lay motionless at the bottom.
Arjun shook him desperately—but there was no response.
Now Arjun was alone.
The house was silent once more.
Too silent.
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Page 5 – The Truth
Heart pounding, Arjun stumbled toward the front door one last time.
This time, it opened easily.
Bright morning sunlight blinded him as he stepped outside. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
He had made it.
He was the only one out.
But as his breathing slowed, realization struck him.
Rohan. Vikram. Sameer. Kabir.
None of them had come outside.
They were gone.
Dead.
Arjun slowly turned back toward the mansion.
In the upstairs window, four dark silhouettes stood side by side.
Watching him.
His blood ran cold.
Then something even worse happened.
He saw himself standing in that window too.
Arjun looked down at his hands—they were pale, almost transparent.
The sunlight felt distant.
A chilling truth settled into his mind.
He had never truly left the house.
The mansion had claimed all five of them.
The front door slowly closed by itself.
And inside the Hollow House, five shadows now waited for the next visitors.
The End.