Ghostbane

The road stretched ahead, cracked and worn from years of neglect. Weeds sprouted through the pavement, creeping vines tangling around rusted street signs. The city skyline loomed in the distance, its towering buildings standing in stark contrast to the abandoned road leading up to the hill.

The group walked together, their chatter filling the air, the eerie silence of the surroundings pushed aside by laughter and conversation.

Owen was, as always, the loudest. "Alright, ground rules. Number one—no screaming like a little bitch if something spooky happens."

Jackson scoffed. "You just disqualified yourself from this trip already."

Owen gasped, placing a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Excuse me? I am the bravest one here!"

Pinky smirked. "Oh, sure. Like that time a pigeon flew at your face and you screamed so loud the neighbors thought someone was getting murdered?"

Richard burst into laughter. "Holy shit, I remember that!"

Owen groaned. "First of all, that was a demon bird. It came at me with malicious intent. Second, who the hell lets pigeons free roam like that?"

Hannah deadpanned. "They're pigeons, Owen. They all free roam."

Unbothered, Owen turned to Emma for support. "Emma, back me up here."

Emma shrugged. "Sorry, I wasn't there. But honestly, it sounds hilarious."

Richard smirked. "Oh, it was. He did this dramatic anime-style dodge roll, but the bird still smacked him."

Pinky grinned. "And then he fell straight into the trash can."

Jackson wiped a fake tear. "One of the greatest moments of my life."

Owen groaned. "I hate you all."

Emma giggled. "Come on, it's kinda fun walking like this. Feels like a road trip! Except, instead of a beach, we're heading toward a haunted factory where we might get murdered by ghosts."

Richard chuckled. "Exactly. We're making memories. The kind we'll tell our kids—'Hey, kid, did I ever tell you about the time I climbed a haunted hill with a bunch of idiots?'"

Owen grinned. "Damn right. And we'll tell them how Jackson chickened out halfway and ran home crying."

Jackson shot him a glare. "Yeah? And I'll tell them how you pissed yourself after hearing a noise."

Owen went rigid. "That was ONE time!"

Richard and Pinky looked at each other.

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

Pinky grinned. "Wait, WHAT?"

Hannah crossed her arms. "Explain."

Owen waved them off. "Nope. Moving on. Next topic. That never happened."

Pinky started chanting, "Owen pissed himself, Owen pissed himself—"

Owen groaned. "I hate you people."

Their conversation shifted from bad horror movies to urban legends and then somehow to whether Richard could win in a fight against a goose.

Richard scoffed. "Bro, geese are weak. I'd grab it by the neck and—"

Emma smirked. "Yeah, until it hisses and beats your ass."

Jackson laughed. "You'd be crying on the ground like, 'Mom, help!'"

Richard pointed at him. "I'd like to see you fight one, dumbass!"

Owen shook his head. "Nah, man, I'd rather fight a ghost than a goose. Geese are just aggressive dinosaurs."

The laughter eased the tension in the air, making the eerie stillness of the road a little less unsettling. But as they approached the base of the hill, something changed.

The air felt heavier.

The laughter faded.

A sense of unease settled in.

They stopped at the foot of the hill, looking up at the dark silhouette against the evening sky. The trees that lined the path were withered, their branches stretched out like skeletal fingers. A gust of wind rustled through the leaves, making them whisper.

Owen pointed. "This is it."

Hannah frowned. "So, this hill is haunted?"

Owen shook his head. "Nah, the haunted place is at the top—an abandoned factory."

Pinky crossed her arms. "Okay, but why is it haunted? You know every creepy place has a backstory."

Owen smirked. "Glad you asked. According to the internet, this factory was built during a time of extreme poverty. The government forced laborers to work there under horrible conditions. No pay. No rest. Just endless work."

He paused for effect before continuing. "More than a hundred workers died in that factory. Some collapsed from exhaustion. Others were literally worked to death."

Hannah shuddered. "That's awful."

Pinky nodded. "No wonder it's haunted."

Owen's grin widened. "And get this—over the years, people found skeletons inside. Some of the workers' bodies were never buried. They say their spirits are still there, wandering the factory halls."

Emma let out a dramatic gasp. "Ahh, spooky~!"

Then, without warning, she clung onto Richard's arm.

Richard immediately scowled and shoved her off. "Get off me."

Emma quickly backed away, looking embarrassed. "S-Sorry…"

Richard didn't respond.

Jackson folded his arms. "Are we really doing this? The sun's almost set."

Richard exhaled. "Relax. The hill isn't that tall, and we'll only be in the factory for like five minutes. We'll be down before it even gets dark."

Owen grinned. "Unless a ghost decides to make us stay longer."

Jackson glared. "Not funny."

Hannah and Pinky murmured to each other, whispering about how cowardly Jackson was.

Owen stretched. "Alright, let's go."

The group began climbing.

The air grew colder the higher they went.

The laughter and jokes from earlier faded into silence.

Something about this place felt wrong.

Then, up ahead, something caught their eye.

A pile of dead birds.

Hannah screamed.

Pinky took a step back, covering her mouth.

Emma… didn't react. She stood still, lost in thought.

Owen moved closer, eyes wide. "Holy fuck…"

Richard frowned. "Are they all dead?"

Owen crouched down, poking one with a stick. The bird's lifeless body rolled over. Its clouded eyes stared back at him.

Owen swallowed. "Yeah…"

Richard crouched beside him. "Any injuries?"

Owen flipped another over. "No wounds. No blood. Nothing."

Richard exhaled. "Then how the hell did they die?"

Owen shook his head. "How the fuck am I supposed to know? Am I Google to you?"

Richard sighed. "Alright, my bad."

Jackson took a step back. "Guys… I really think we should leave…"

Hannah clutched her stomach. "Yeah… I don't feel good."

Pinky didn't say anything, but the way she held her arms said enough.

Emma, however, glanced at Richard.

Richard smirked. "Oh, come on, guys. This just makes it more exciting."

Emma hesitated for a moment—then nodded. "Yeah… let's keep going."

Owen grinned. "That's the spirit!"

Hannah clenched her fists. "This is bullshit."

She turned and bolted back down the hill.

Pinky followed.

Jackson hesitated, then turned to follow them—

But his foot slipped.

He tumbled down the hill, crashing through the undergrowth.

When he finally hit the ground, he groaned, clutching his ankle.

Then he looked around.

The path was gone.

The trees stretched endlessly in every direction.

And suddenly, he felt it.

Something was watching him.

From everywhere.

And it was getting closer.