The Phantom’s Game: A Friday Night Encounter

Ethan Collins stared in disbelief. Fans? The idea struck him as odd. He was just the host of The Friday Phantom, a paranormal investigation show. But here they were, standing in front of him—three people, eager and curious.

The tallest of the three, an official-looking man, introduced himself as Liam, a civil servant. His companions were equally diverse. There was Sophia, a quiet girl with glasses who was still a university student, and Alex, a tech-obsessed programmer who had the aura of someone who spent most of his time in front of a computer screen. Together, they called themselves the Phantom Squad, a name that sounded bold but had yet to see any real action. They were fascinated by Ethan's show, especially the haunted Blackwood Mansion, the very place where they now stood.

"We saw the first episode and were hooked," Liam said, his excitement unmistakable. "We just had to come here and explore."

Ethan chuckled nervously, trying to downplay the danger they had unknowingly walked into. "Listen, this place isn't some harmless ghost tour. Two kids came here last time and ended up in serious trouble. We had to bring in an exorcist to deal with it. I'm telling you, leave while you can. Water guns filled with black dog's blood aren't going to protect you from what's here."

But instead of showing any sign of fear, the trio looked even more thrilled. Liam spoke with a kind of patriotic zeal, "Ethan, we need more shows like yours in our country. There's a real lack of exploration into the unknown. You've started something great."

Ethan couldn't help but smile, even though the situation was becoming more perilous by the minute. They clearly admired him, but the admiration was trapping him in a predicament. They wouldn't leave, and he couldn't let them stay. The mix of excitement and danger was tangible in the air, but before Ethan could further convince them to go, something strange happened.

A flicker of light passed across the vanity mirror in the room. The reflection twisted, and a faint white figure emerged. Ethan's stomach dropped as the figure took form, a ghostly presence that swirled and darted into Sophia's body.

Sophia's eyes snapped open, unnaturally wide, as her body began to convulse. Her face contorted into a grotesque smile, stretching unnervingly until her ears seemed misaligned with her mouth. Her skin twitched, and the once human-like features started to warp into something far more disturbing.

Ethan reacted instantly. "Get back!" he yelled, but Liam and Alex just froze, the reality of the ghostly possession dawning on them. When Sophia turned her grotesque smile towards them, they screamed, darting behind Ethan like children hiding from a monster.

"Use the water guns!" Ethan yelled. "Shoot her!"

Liam, finally shaking himself free from the paralysis of terror, lifted the water gun, his hands trembling. He squeezed the trigger, sending a stream of dark, viscous liquid flying toward Sophia. She twisted away with surprising grace, avoiding the spray entirely.

Ethan wasn't wasting any more time. He grabbed one of the talismans that Nathan Graves had given him earlier, the yellow parchment etched with protective symbols, and leaped toward Sophia. But before he could reach her, she sidestepped, her ghostly reflexes quicker than he had anticipated. Ethan stumbled forward, but managed to catch himself.

Sophia—no, the spirit within her—laughed, a low, unsettling sound that echoed through the room.

"This isn't happening," Alex muttered, his voice trembling as he huddled close to Liam. "We didn't sign up for this…"

"Well, you wanted ghosts, right?" Ethan shot back, but there was no humor in his voice. This was bad—very bad. He glanced at his remaining talisman, knowing it was their best chance to stop the spirit before it fully took over Sophia's body.

Sophia's twisted figure lunged toward Liam and Alex, her hands shaped like claws. In a flash of desperation, Liam fired another shot of dog's blood, but Sophia dodged again, this time much more fluidly than before.

Ethan saw his opening. With the spirit focused on Liam and Alex, he moved fast, slamming the talisman directly onto Sophia's back. The effect was immediate—her body jerked violently, and a bright golden light exploded from the contact. The ghost was thrown from Sophia's body with enough force to send her flying into an old wooden bed.

The impact broke the bed's frame, but Sophia—now free from the spirit—lay unconscious, trapped in the wreckage.

"Grab her!" Ethan yelled at Liam and Alex. "We have to keep her still until I can finish this."

Liam and Alex, visibly shaken but determined, rushed to hold down Sophia's body, though their fear made them hesitate. Ethan fumbled through his bag, pulling out a pair of red chopsticks, his last resort. Folk legend claimed that red chopsticks could drive a spirit out of a possessed body by pinching the middle finger, the spirit's main anchor.

Before he could act, Sophia's body twitched violently again. The spirit wasn't done yet. She rose from the bed, eyes wide and glowing with malevolent energy. Her movements became unnatural, like a puppet being dragged across the floor. With a swift flick of her hand, she sent Alex flying across the room, slamming him into the wall with terrifying strength.

"Use the chopsticks, Ethan!" Liam screamed, barely holding onto Sophia's thrashing arm.

Ethan didn't need to be told twice. With a quick movement, he grabbed Sophia's middle finger and clamped down with the chopsticks. The spirit let out an ear-piercing screech, and for a brief moment, the room was bathed in a blinding white light.

The screeching stopped abruptly. Sophia collapsed, her body limp. The spirit was gone, at least for now.

The room was silent except for the heavy breathing of the three survivors. Liam still clutched his water gun, now useless and clogged with dried dog's blood. Alex, groaning in pain, crawled back to the others, while Ethan sat down hard, exhausted but relieved.

"Is... is it over?" Alex asked, rubbing his bruised shoulder.

Ethan shook his head. "Not yet. That was just one spirit. There are more here. We need to get out before things get worse."

"But—" Liam began, still unwilling to abandon their mission.

Ethan cut him off. "No 'buts.' This isn't a game. Whatever is in this house—it doesn't want us here. You saw what happened. We've been lucky so far, but if we stay any longer, we won't be."

Reluctantly, Liam and Alex nodded, finally realizing the danger they were in. Together, they helped Sophia to her feet, her eyes slowly regaining focus. She was weak but alive. Ethan gave her a supportive nod, thankful that she had survived.

As they made their way toward the exit of Blackwood Mansion, Ethan couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. But for tonight, at least, they had survived.

And that was all that mattered.