The group made their way to Eli’s house, the excitement in the air was palpable. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the neighborhood as they walked, talking and laughing along the way. Eli, leading the group, kept glancing back to make sure everyone was still hyped for the sleepover. Lilian walked beside him, her hand brushing against his occasionally, a quiet smile on her face as she listened to the others' chatter.

Once they arrived, Eli’s parents greeted them warmly, inviting the group in for dinner. The smell of freshly cooked pasta filled the house, and the group eagerly sat at the dining table, diving into the meal. Eli’s younger siblings ran around the table, adding a playful chaos to the mix, but the group didn’t mind—it only added to the homey vibe.

After they ate, Eli led everyone upstairs to his room, where they could finally unwind and just be themselves.

“Alright, make yourselves comfortable,” Eli said, kicking off his shoes and flopping onto his bed. The room wasn’t huge, but it was cozy. Posters lined the walls, a few action figures and trinkets were scattered around, and there was a desk in the corner cluttered with papers and books. The soft glow of the bedside lamp made the room feel warm, like a safe haven.

Mike plopped down on the floor, grabbing one of Eli’s pillows. “Man, I haven’t had a sleepover in forever,” he said with a grin. “This feels like middle school all over again.”

Sam sat cross-legged by the bed, leaning against it. “Yeah, except now we can stay up as late as we want without having to worry about parents telling us to go to bed.”

“Not that it ever stopped us back then,” Alyssa chimed in, sitting beside Sam. “Remember that time we all snuck out to go stargazing? Our parents freaked when they found out.”

Rae laughed, pulling a blanket from Eli’s chair and wrapping it around herself. “Yeah, I’m still grounded for that... like, permanently. But hey, worth it.”

Izzy, sitting quietly by the window, smiled softly as she looked out at the night sky. “Those were good times,” she said. “I think we need more of that... just enjoying the moment, you know?”

Eli nodded, his head resting against the headboard. “Exactly. That’s why I wanted to do this—just hang out, no drama, no stress. Just us.”

Lilian, who had been quietly sitting beside Eli, finally spoke up. “So... what are we talking about first? We have the whole night ahead of us.”

Sam grinned mischievously. “Well, we could start by spilling some secrets. Who’s got a juicy story?”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Or... we could play a game. Truth or dare?”

Mike groaned. “Oh no, here we go... this never ends well.”

“Which is exactly why we should do it,” Rae said, nudging him with her foot. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

Eli chuckled, shaking his head. “Fine, fine. But if this turns into some embarrassing disaster, don’t blame me.”

They all laughed, the atmosphere in the room light and carefree, just like old times. For now, they had no idea that this night, which seemed so simple, was only the calm before the storm.

As the conversation shifted from funny stories to random debates about their favorite movies, books, and school drama, the group’s closeness became more apparent. This wasn’t just a group of friends hanging out anymore—it was family. And for now, in the warmth of Eli’s room, with the soft hum of their voices and the feeling of safety, it felt like nothing in the world could ever break that bond.

The night carried on in a blur of laughter and chatter, the room feeling warmer as everyone huddled closer together, recounting funny memories and inside jokes. Eli leaned back on his bed, grinning as Mike reenacted a ridiculous scene from school that had everyone in stitches. Sam's giggle fit was contagious, and even Lilian, usually quieter in the group, had tears in her eyes from laughing too hard.

But then, amidst the noise and banter, a sound—soft at first, almost imperceptible—came from just beyond the door. A low creak, like a weight shifting on the old wooden floorboards outside.

At first, no one noticed. Alyssa was in the middle of talking about a camping trip when Rae, sitting closest to the door, stiffened.

“Did anyone else hear that?” she asked, her voice tight with sudden alertness. The group quieted, their laughter fading into silence. The sound came again, this time louder. A faint scratching, like nails dragging across the floor.

Eli raised an eyebrow, his playful expression faltering. “It’s probably just my brothers messing with us,” he said, standing up from the bed. “They love trying to scare us during sleepovers.”

Mike snorted. “Classic kid move. Let me guess—they’re hiding behind the door, waiting to jump out?”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “They’re gonna be so disappointed when we don’t even flinch.”

Eli moved toward the door with an amused smile. “I’ll handle this,” he said, motioning for Mike to follow him. He threw a glance back at Lilian, who had gone unusually quiet, her fingers clutching the blanket a bit too tightly.

“Don’t worry, Lil, it’s nothing,” he reassured her, but even as he said it, there was something off about the sound. It didn’t quite feel like a prank anymore.

Eli reached for the door handle, pulling it open swiftly, expecting to see his younger brothers grinning mischievously behind it. But what stood on the other side wasn’t human.

It took a moment for Eli’s brain to process what he was seeing. His breath caught in his throat. A grotesque figure, hunched over and misshapen, with skin that looked like it had been melted and stretched over jagged bones. Its eyes—sunken and dark—locked onto him immediately, and a guttural, almost wet-sounding growl escaped its lipless mouth.

Without a second thought, Eli slammed the door shut, his heart thudding in his chest. “Nope. Nope. Nope,” he muttered, stepping back from the door as fast as his legs would allow.

“What the—what did you see?!” Sam asked, her voice pitched with panic.

“Not my brothers. Definitely not my brothers.” Eli's voice was shaking.

Mike, who had just been standing behind him, paled. “Wait, what do you mean not your brothers?” he asked, but even as the words left his mouth, the scratching resumed, louder this time, more frantic.

Mike ran to the closet and yanked it open, pulling out two iron pipes that Eli had stashed there—leftover from some failed attempt at DIY furniture building. “Okay, what the hell was that?” Mike asked, gripping the pipe tightly, knuckles white.

“I don’t know,” Eli responded, his voice low and strained. “But we need to be ready.”

The group had gone completely silent now, fear slowly spreading like a shadow over their faces. Eli and Mike exchanged a look, steeling themselves.

“Okay, we open it slowly,” Eli whispered. “If it’s still there, we go for it.”

Mike nodded, his grip tightening on the pipe.

Eli slowly reached for the door handle again, his hand trembling. The sound outside the door had stopped, leaving an eerie silence hanging in the air. His heart was pounding so loud he was sure everyone could hear it.

The door creaked open an inch. Then another.

And then the stench hit them—a foul, decaying odor, thick and nauseating. Eli fought back the urge to gag as he pushed the door further open.

The creature was still there. But this time, it wasn’t waiting at the threshold. It was crawling toward them, its gnarled hands pulling its twisted body across the floor with a sickening squelch. Its mouth opened, a hollow, unnatural moan escaping it.

Eli and Mike’s instincts kicked in. Without a word, they lunged forward, pipes raised. The metal collided with the creature's rotting flesh, and the sound of impact echoed in the small space.

But instead of recoiling, the monster seemed to absorb the hits, its body folding unnaturally with each blow. The others screamed as Eli and Mike fought to push the thing back, their pipes swinging desperately.

“What the hell is this thing?!” Mike shouted, his voice rising in panic.

“I don’t know, but it’s not backing off!” Eli grunted, hitting the creature again, harder this time.

The thing snarled a guttural sound that reverberated through the hallway. But with one final swing from Eli, it crumpled to the ground, motionless.

Breathing heavily, Eli shut the door and locked it, leaning against it as if the weight of the night had suddenly crashed down on him. Everyone else was staring, wide-eyed, too shocked to say anything.

Lilian finally broke the silence, her voice shaking. “W-what... what was that?”

Eli shook his head, trying to catch his breath. “I don’t know... but I think we’re in serious trouble.”

The group stood in silence, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. Rae paced nervously, chewing her lip. Mike gripped his iron pipe so hard his knuckles were white, while Sam hugged her knees, eyes darting between everyone.

“We... we need a plan,” Lilian whispered, her voice trembling.

Eli, still leaning against the door, wiped a hand across his face, his heart still pounding. “A plan?” he echoed, sounding more exasperated than anything. “What do you want me to say? There’s a monster outside, and I don’t know what it is or how it got here. We need to check on my family first.”

Mike nodded, still looking at the door as if the creature might burst back through it any second. “Yeah, let’s start there. Maybe they’re still downstairs... safe.”

“Or maybe they’re not,” Rae added, her voice laced with fear.

They all stood, slowly making their way out of Eli’s room. Every creak of the floorboards sent a jolt through them. One by one, they tiptoed down the hallway, checking each room. Empty. No sign of Eli’s brothers, parents—no one.

“Okay, this is weird,” Sam said, her voice barely above a whisper. She peeked into the master bedroom. “Where could they all be?”

As they ventured closer to the living room, Alyssa pulled back the curtains to look outside. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in shock.

“What... is that?” Alyssa slammed the blinds shut, stumbling back.

Eli rushed over. “What? What did you see?”

Alyssa’s voice shook. “It—it was an eye... a huge eye. Like the whole sky is—"

“No way,” Mike muttered, stepping back from the window. "An eye? You serious?”

Eli frowned, the chill running down his spine intensifying. “Okay, this isn’t just some monster. Something bigger’s happening.” He turned to the others, glancing around before making a decision. “I’m going to the garage. We need more than just these pipes.”

“Eli, be careful,” Lilian said, her voice strained.

Eli nodded and jogged downstairs, opening the garage door with trembling hands. His eyes darted around before landing on the machete his father always kept in case of emergencies. He grabbed it quickly, feeling the weight of the blade in his hand before rushing back to the others. “Alright, here,” he said, handing Sam the second iron pipe. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”

Suddenly, there was a creaking sound, loud and unmistakable, coming from the basement. The group froze, staring at the basement door, hearts collectively stopping.

“What... was that?” Rae whispered.

“I’m not going down there,” Mike said quickly, shaking his head. “No way.”

“Well, someone’s gotta go,” Sam countered, eyeing the door nervously. “We need to check. What if it’s—”

“No, it’s not my family down there,” Eli interrupted, eyes narrowing.

A long silence fell over the group, broken only by the occasional creak from below.

“So, who’s going first?” Alyssa asked, her voice tight.

Everyone looked at each other, wide-eyed, not daring to volunteer. Then, slowly, all eyes turned to Eli.

“Oh, come on,” Eli muttered. “Seriously? Me?”

“You’re the one with the machete,” Mike said, shrugging.

“And the house is yours,” Sam added.

Eli groaned. “You guys suck, you know that?” With a deep breath, he stepped toward the basement door, every instinct screaming at him to turn around, but he couldn’t let fear show. “Fine. But you’re all coming behind me,” he said, gripping the machete tightly in his hand.

Lilian grabbed his arm briefly, giving him a worried look. “Please... be careful.”

“I will,” Eli muttered, swallowing hard as he pushed the door open. The darkness below seemed to breathe, the staircase descending into pitch blackness. His heart pounded harder, and he cursed under his breath, taking the first step down slowly. “If I die down here, I’m haunting all of you,” he called back quietly, voice filled with strained humor.

The group followed, descending into the unknown, each step feeling heavier than the last.

The basement was colder than they expected, the air thick with a damp, musty smell. Their feet made soft echoes on the wooden stairs as they descended into the blackness. Eli flicked on the small light switch, casting a dim, yellow glow over the concrete floor. At first, it seemed empty, just the usual storage boxes and old furniture gathering dust. But then—

“Do you see that?” Alyssa’s voice was barely a whisper, her eyes fixed on a shadow in the far corner.

There, half-hidden in the shadows, stood a tall, pale woman. Her skin stretched too tight across her long limbs, and her smile—wide, unnervingly wide—seemed to split her face in two. Dark eyes gleamed with an unsettling hunger as they met Eli’s.

“Wh-What the hell is that?” Mike stammered, stepping back.

“Is that... is that a person?” Sam asked, her voice shaking.

Eli raised the machete slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. “Stay back... stay behind me.”

The woman’s smile widened, impossibly so, as she began to move, her long legs carrying her forward in an eerie, gliding motion. “Ah, children...” her voice was smooth, yet laced with malice, echoing off the walls. “You’ve come to play.”

Lilian grabbed Eli’s arm, her nails digging into his skin. “Eli... what do we do?”

Before Eli could answer, the woman lunged toward him, her long, bony hand reaching out, fingers like claws aiming for his throat. Without thinking, Eli jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding her grasp.

She chuckled, low and sinister. “Oh, you’re quick. I like that.” She turned her gaze to Eli, her dark eyes burning with a malevolent glee. “It’ll make breaking you even more delightful.”

Eli gritted his teeth, stepping back as he held the machete between them. “What do you want?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady.