Ethan's Death

He kept moving forward, eyes darting everywhere. He found the chain near an old pipe in the corner. But just as he bent down to grab it, a cockroach the size of a small rat scuttled out.

"WAHHHH! OH HELL NO!" Ethan screeched.

...

The old man's steps were slow but deliberate as he approached the cursed house. His eyes flicked up to the windows, dark and foreboding, like the house was watching him back. "I've seen too many die here. Too many young souls lost to that thing," he muttered to himself.

He paused at the front gate, hesitating. His fingers twitched as they hovered over the rusted metal latch. It had been years since he last set foot inside, and every time he'd come close, he had tried to warn the others. But they never listened. Not until it was too late.

"This time... this time I'm getting inside," he whispered, gripping the gate with sudden force. His eyes blazed with determination. "That spirit's taken enough. Not these kids. I'll stop it before it can take any more."

He pushed the gate open, its rusty hinges creaking like a dying scream. As he stepped forward, a chill ran through him. The air was colder, denser like the house was breathing him in. He knew it wouldn't be easy. The spirit wasn't just going to let him waltz in and take its prey.

...

Ethan was about to pick up the chain but then he heard voices from the other end of the room. He looked at his phone when he received a notification.

Unknown Message: TIMES UP

"W-what!! N-No, this can't be," Ethan stammered.

He heard a buzzing sound and saw a swarm of cockroaches heading toward him.

"ARGH! MOMMY!" he screamed, running towards the door like his life depended on it.

But he missed a step and fell to the ground, soon to be devoured by the massive swarm of cockroaches...

And obviously died...

...

Outside, the group was still huddled around the storeroom door, faces pale, eyes wide with fear. Ava's hands trembled as she held herself together, and Noah was leaning heavily against the wall, his knuckles white from gripping the handle.

Lily was the first to break the silence. "We... we have to go in there. We can't just leave him."

Noah shook his head. "The door's stuck. I've tried everything. It's like the house won't let us."

Ava wiped her eyes, still shaking. "Ethan... he can't be gone. He was just... he was just—"

Suddenly, the door creaked open, as if someone on the other side had unlocked it.

They all jumped back, startled, staring at the now-open entrance to the storeroom.

Noah took a hesitant step forward. "Guys, we have to see if he's okay."

The moment they crossed the threshold, a sickening smell hit them like a wall—a mix of rot and decay. Lily gagged, covering her nose, while Noah winced, eyes watering.

Ava's voice was small, shaky. "Where's Ethan?"

The light from Noah's phone cast eerie shadows across the room, but Ethan was nowhere to be seen. The chain he'd been attached to lay on the ground, slack as if it had been snapped.

Lily pointed at the floor. "Look! The chain... it's broken."

Noah frowned. "That's impossible. It was solid metal."

Ava stepped forward, her voice quivering. "He must have... he must have escaped, right? He's probably hiding or something."

But as they scanned the room, the truth settled over them like a heavy fog. There was no sign of Ethan. Not even a trace of him, apart from the broken chain.

Noah knelt down, running his fingers over the chain's jagged edge. "This wasn't cut. It looks like it was... chewed through?"

"Chewed?" Lily echoed, her voice sharp with disbelief. "By what? "

Ava swallowed hard. "We need to get out of here. This place... it's not right."

Just then, a low creak sounded behind them. They spun around, As soon as their eyes adjusted, the horrific sight stopped them cold in their tracks.

Lily's scream ripped through the silence. "What the hell? Nooo!"

Ava's voice cracked as she caught sight of the scene. "No... Ethan... Not him too." Her legs buckled under the weight of the grief, and she collapsed into Noah's arms, shaking uncontrollably. She clung to him as if that could stop the flood of emotions. "Why, Noah? Why are all of them dying? Why is this happening?"

Noah stood there, awkwardly trying to comfort her, patting her back. He wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn't come. His own throat tightened as he stared at the ground, there lay something in the corner...I didn't resemble anything but a broken skeleton.

It would be wrong to call it a broken skeleton, you could say that it was some broken pieces of bones that COINCIDENCLY resembles a skeleton, even for a bit.

It was Ethan, chewed to death by Cockroaches. They were probably in thousands and probably hungry.

Lily, standing stiff nearby, was no better off. She blinked back the tears welling in her eyes, wishing more than anything that Ethan was here to comfort her, to say something stupid that would make it all better.

Noticing Lily's distress, Noah reached out and pulled her into the embrace as well. Ava and Lily sobbed in his arms, their tears mixing with his silent grief.

He wanted to break down too, but he forced himself to stay strong. They needed him, even though he was on the edge of breaking himself.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from the living room. Noah stiffened, and the group exchanged uneasy looks. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

With hesitant steps, Noah led the way to the table in the living room. On it, they found a deck of cards scattered about. His heart skipped a beat as he reached for one and read the message scrawled across it in blood-red ink.

"Noah, what does it say?" Ava's voice trembled as she clutched her chest, dreading the answer.

Noah swallowed hard before reading aloud, "Dare: Kill Ava."