The Terrifying House

By Ayesha Firdous, Karachi

Hamid, Haris, and Maria were three siblings who shared a strong bond with one another. They were adventurous by nature and deeply interested in traveling to unusual places. More than anything else, they loved reading and listening to horror stories. Tales of abandoned houses, haunted places, and mysterious creatures fascinated them, and they often imagined what it would be like to experience such fear themselves.

Not far from their house stood an old, ruined building that had been abandoned for many years. The structure looked like a crumbling bungalow, its walls cracked and darkened with age. People in the neighborhood avoided it and whispered strange stories about it, claiming that no one dared to stay there after sunset. This made the place even more appealing to the three siblings.

One day, the siblings made a daring plan. They decided they would go out under the excuse of a casual trip and secretly spend one night inside that abandoned building before returning home. They knew very well that they could not tell their parents the truth, because their mother and father would never allow such a dangerous adventure.

Finally, the chosen night arrived. Quietly, the three of them left their house and walked toward the ruined bungalow. As they drew closer, the building appeared even more frightening than the stories they had heard. To their surprise, faint lights could be seen inside, which made their hearts beat faster. Gathering all their courage, they entered the building together.

Inside, everything was covered with thick layers of dust and dirt. The air felt heavy and stale, as if it had not been disturbed for years. Tall walls were draped with spider webs, and the silence was unsettling. On the ceiling, there was a strange shimmer that caught their attention. Seeing all this made their fear grow stronger.

As they looked around, they noticed five rooms standing in front of them, each with its door tightly closed. Haris stepped forward bravely and pushed one of the doors. It opened slowly with a creaking sound. At that very moment, a large bird suddenly flew out over his head and disappeared into the darkness. Haris screamed in fear and jumped back.

When he looked up, a horrifying sight awaited him. The entire ceiling was covered with bats hanging upside down. Their eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, watching the siblings silently. Before they could recover from this shock, the door Haris had opened swung fully open. One by one, the doors of the other rooms also began to open on their own.

Terrified, the siblings turned to run outside, but their hearts sank when they saw that the main entrance door had closed silently behind them. Panic spread among them. Suddenly, thick smoke began to pour out from the rooms. Within moments, the smoke became so dense that it was impossible to see clearly. Along with the smoke, strange and frightening sounds echoed through the building.

Through the haze, a horrifying shadowy figure seemed to move toward them. Overcome with fear, the three siblings ran desperately toward the main door. Although the darkness and smoke made it extremely difficult to move, they somehow managed to reach it. To avoid witnessing the terrifying scene behind them, they tightly shut their eyes.

Putting all their strength together, they pushed the door. The first attempt failed, but on the second try, the door suddenly opened. The siblings fell outside onto the ground, gasping for breath. Without looking back, they realized how close they had come to danger and how foolish their decision had been.

That terrifying night remained unforgettable for them, teaching them a lesson they would never forget.