Vanished into Darkness: The Terrifying Truth Behind a Haunted House’s Curse

 The Evil Within: A Horror Story of a Possessed Friend

There was a small village, far from the city. Only a few people lived there, as most had already left. I also lived in that village. My best friend, Adnan, lived in the house opposite mine. We were very close friends, and every day after returning from school and having lunch, we would go out to play.

In our village, there was an old and abandoned house that had been locked for many years. People said that a man used to live there who practiced black magic. Then one day, he suddenly disappeared. Since then, a mysterious figure was often seen around the house, appearing and vanishing without a trace. The house remained abandoned, and no one dared to go near it.

One day, while playing, Adnan and I unknowingly reached near that house. We had been warned not to go there, but somehow, we found ourselves standing in front of it. Adnan was holding a ball, which suddenly slipped from his hands and rolled into the house. He began to cry for it, so we hesitantly stepped inside to retrieve it.

As soon as we entered, we were shocked. The house, which looked old and ruined from the outside, was completely clean and well-maintained on the inside, as if someone had just cleaned it. Everything was shining. This terrified us because the house had been abandoned for years. Nonetheless, we quickly grabbed the ball and rushed outside. Adnan made me promise not to tell anyone, or we might be forbidden from going out again.

The next day, when I met Adnan at school, his face looked different. Small red rashes had appeared on his skin, and his eyes were bloodshot. I asked him what had happened, but he said nothing, and we went to school as usual.

The following day, when I went to call Adnan for playtime, he refused to join me and walked off somewhere else. I felt that something about him had changed. Every day, he would make excuses to go out but would never come to play with me. I decided to follow him one day.

As I secretly trailed him, I saw him entering that abandoned house again. I waited for a while and then peeked through the window. I was so terrified by what I saw that a shiver ran down my spine.

 Adnan was sitting in a circle, performing some kind of ritual. Dark shadows hovered around him. Seeing this, I fainted from fear.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in my bed. I immediately told my mother everything. She informed Adnan’s mother, and from that night onward, everyone in the village kept an eye on Adnan.

That evening, as the sun set, the villagers watched Adnan secretly. As expected, he quietly made his way to the abandoned house. When the elders peeked inside through the window, they saw the same terrifying sight. Adnan was performing a ritual, surrounded by those dark shadows.

That night, just as Adnan was about to complete his ritual, his father and my father suddenly burst into the house. Adnan, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, slowly started smiling and said:

"So, you have come? I was waiting for you."

His voice had changed—it no longer sounded like a child's but like that of an older man.

Adnan’s father, trembling, said:

"You… you have returned? Leave my son alone! What has he done to you? If you seek revenge, take it from me!"

A faint smile appeared on Adnan’s face as he replied:

You have betrayed me, and now I shall have my vengeance!

I am taking your son with me!

With that, Adnan’s body rose into the air and vanished before everyone’s eyes. Since that night, he was never seen again.

Adnan’s father then confessed the horrifying truth. Ten years ago, a man had lived in that very house. He practiced certain rituals, but they were not black magic. Instead, he used natural herbs to make medicines and help people. However, a plague spread in the village, causing people to die. Out of fear and ignorance, Adnan’s father falsely accused the man of practicing black magic and being responsible for the deaths. Enraged, the villagers brutally beat the innocent man, leaving him half-dead.

As Adnan’s father stood near him, the dying man gasped his last words:

"The rituals I performed were not dark magic; they were meant to help people. But you falsely accused me and wronged me. I will take my revenge!"

And with that, he died. His body remained in the house for days before mysteriously disappearing.

That same man had now returned to fulfill his vow of revenge, taking Adnan with him. Since that night, Adnan was never seen again, and his father lost his sanity. He spent his days begging for forgiveness and calling out his son’s name. But Adnan never came back…

SYEDA SHEHZANA HAIDER