The Whispering Boarding School

The power went out just after midnight. Mara and Eli were the only two left in the old boarding

school, trapped by a storm that clawed at the windows like fingernails. The halls stretched

endlessly, swallowing the beam of Eli’s flashlight. “Did you hear that?” Mara whispered.

Something moved above them. They froze. The ceiling creaked—slow, deliberate footsteps,

pacing back and forth. But there was no second floor. The school had burned

down decades ago and been rebuilt with only one level. The footsteps stopped. A voice slid out

of the darkness. “Eli…” He tightened his grip on the flashlight. “How does it know

my name?” The light flickered—and went out. In the pitch black, Mara felt a cold