Confession

Lily's voice trembled with distress as she gazed at Natalia's lifeless body. "Not Natalia too," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"Why is this happening? We completed that game; everybody had their turns, right? Then why did this happen?"

The room was filled with a heavy silence, everyone frozen in shock. Their gazes shifted to the laptop in the corner. Its screen flickered ominously, displaying a chilling message: ROUND TWO HAD BEGUN.

Ava clenched her fists, her eyes wide with terror. "What does that mean?" she whispered, though she knew deep down that things were far from over.

They exchanged worried glances, the reality of their situation sinking in even deeper.

Minutes later, the police arrived and took Natalia's body away in an ambulance, the flashing lights adding an eerie feel to the already suffocating tension in the air. Noah stood by one of the officers, speaking in hushed tones.

As the conversation went on, his face grew darker with frustration. When he rejoined his friends, it was clear he was angry, and it wasn't the kind of anger that faded quickly.

"They're ruling it as suicide," Noah announced, his voice tight with barely controlled rage.

Ava's eyes blazed with fury. "I swear, these people—"

A voice from behind them interrupted, dripping with condescension. "Poor girl hanged herself because of study pressure. Tsk tsk, so tragic."

Ava whirled around, her voice sharp with anger. "Hey, she didn't commit suicide, okay? She was murdered!"

Lily quickly stepped in, placing a calming hand on Ava's arm. "Ava, calm down," she urged, trying to prevent things from escalating.

"How can I calm down?" Ava cried, her voice breaking. "Two of our friends are dead. When is this nightmare gonna end?" She spun around and stormed off before anyone could stop her, ignoring Noah's attempt to call her back.

Lily sighed heavily, her heart aching for her friend. The tension between them all was growing unbearable, but Ava's frustration was understandable. Nothing made sense, and it seemed like no matter what they did, the nightmare was only getting worse.

....

At Ava's House...

Ava buried herself in research, determined to find out what they were dealing with. Hours passed as she scoured the internet, her eyes tired.

The more she searched, the more disturbing things she uncovered about the haunted house they had stayed in.

Finally, she stumbled upon an old, obscure website. Her breath caught as she read the article, eyes widening with every line. In 1997, another group of nine friends had stayed at the very same house. One by one, they had all died—except for one girl who had survived.

Ava quickly called her friends. This was important. They needed to meet at her house immediately.

Within minutes, everyone had arrived—everyone except Jake.

"Where's Jake?" Lily asked, scanning the room.

Ava frowned. "He's resting. His knees started hurting again," she replied.

"Oh, okay," Lily said, nodding.

"So, why did you call us here?" Ethan asked, worry clear on his face.

Ava handed them a printed copy of the article. "In 1997, a group of nine friends stayed in the same house we did. After their trip, they all died one by one. Only one girl survived."

Lily's face paled. "What?" she gasped, gripping the paper tightly.

Noah, trying to remain calm, asked, "So, where's this person who survived?"

"I found her address," Ava said, her voice steady. "I think we need to talk to her. Maybe she can help us."

"I agree," Ethan nodded. "We need answers, and she might have them."

"Okay," Lily said, stepping into a more decisive tone. "Everyone be ready to leave by three p.m. let's meet at my place."

It was already noon, so they all headed home to prepare.

...

At Ethan's House...

Ethan walked into his house, the tension in the air as thick as ever. His dad was sitting on the couch, watching TV, but the atmosphere between them was anything but casual.

"Where were you?" his dad asked without even glancing away from the screen.

Ethan tried to sound casual, but his nerves were already frayed from the day. "I was at my friend's house," he mumbled.

His dad turned toward him, a stern look on his face. "Your exams are coming up soon. Instead of wasting time with your friends, you should be studying."

The words cut deep, but Ethan wasn't surprised. "I know, Dad," he muttered under his breath.

"And stop fooling around with those friends of yours," his dad continued, his tone sharp. "They're all studying behind your back, and you're falling behind. Get serious."

Ethan clenched his jaw. "Yes, Dad. Okay, Dad."

Suddenly, his phone rang. The loud, unexpected sound made him jump. He quickly answered, hoping it wasn't more bad news. "Hello?"

A chilling voice came through the line, cold and mocking. "Truth: Admit that you are gay."

Ethan's blood ran cold. "W-what?" he stuttered, panic flooding his system.

His dad glanced at him, suspicion creeping into his eyes. "What happened? Why are you stuttering?"

Ethan's heart raced. This was bad—bad. His father had always been strict, and he had no tolerance for anything that deviated from his rigid standards. Ethan had known for a while that he was gay, but fear kept him from ever admitting it out loud, especially not to his dad.

'I have to tell him,' Ethan thought, his chest tightening with fear. 'If I don't... I'll die.'

He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. His father was staring at him now, waiting for an answer.

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. He had to tell his father the truth, or the constant fear and anxiety would consume him. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his trembling voice.

"Dad, I have something to confess to you."

Mr. Thompson barely looked up from his newspaper, his voice gruff and dismissive. "What is it?" he grumbled.

Ethan swallowed hard, his heart racing. "Will you stop stuttering? It's getting annoying," his father snapped, still not lifting his eyes from the page.

"Sorry," Ethan mumbled, trying to hold back the wave of fear and uncertainty washing over him.

"Tell me fast what you want to confess. I don't have much time to waste on this. I'm a busy person, unlike you. Always roaming around, not caring about your future. Just tell me—"

"Dad, I'm gay."