The Dark Alley 2 - Burning Red Eyes

They left the university campus just as the sun began to dip behind the buildings. On their way home, a TV inside a roadside tea stall blared out breaking news. The headline flashed in bold red letters. Johir slowed down, eyes narrowing with curiosity.

"Wait, that looks serious—" Johir muttered, eyeing the screen.

Shams waved him off. "Whatever it is, it's not our concern. Let's keep moving."

Then, suddenly, Shams added, "Actually... we have to find someone."

Shahin and Johir exchanged glances. "Who?" Shahin asked.

"You'll see," Shams said mysteriously, a slight smirk on his face.

The three of them headed toward the slum near their apartment complex. The area was a chaotic maze of tin-roofed homes, narrow alleys, and makeshift shops. Dust swirled around their feet. A group of kids were playing cricket with a broken bat and a taped-up tennis ball. Darts of laughter echoed through the grime.

Shahin wrinkled his nose. "Why are we here, again?"

"Just wait," Shams replied, scanning the area.

They soon spotted an older woman—an aunty—walking by, carrying a bundle of dirty plates and utensils, likely heading to clean them by a nearby pump.

Shams stepped forward. "Aunty, do you know a guy named Miraz?"

The woman paused, her brow furrowing. "Miraz…? Oh! You mean that brat? The grandson of that rajakar?"

Shahin and Johir's eyes widened. Rajakar? The word hit heavy, but they didn't say anything, only exchanged quick, uneasy glances.

The aunty pointed toward a lone house. Unlike the rest of the tin shacks, this one had stone walls—sturdy, weathered, but solid. The roof was still made of tin, but it stood out like a fortress among ruins.

Shams walked up to the door and reached for the handle—but stopped. A thick lock hung from the latch.

Confused, he turned back and asked another aunty passing by, "Excuse me, do you know where Miraz went?"

She glanced at him, adjusting the basket on her hip. "To work. Isn't that normal?"

"Oh right… he told me he's a labourer," Shams mumbled to himself. Then louder, "Do you know where he works?"

The woman nodded. "Go straight through this alley, then take a right, then left. Then straight again. You'll see an alley. Walk through it, and once you're out, take a rickshaw and ask the puller to take you to Hazi Tower construction site."

Shams blinked. "Uhh… what?"

Shahin and Johir stood in silence, watching him. Then Johir leaned in and whispered, "Bro, I'm telling you, Shams got a girlfriend or something. Why else is he acting this serious?"

Shahin nodded, playing along. "Yeah, definitely girlfriend vibes."

Even though Shams looked totally lost, somehow—through trial, error, and random luck—they managed to follow the aunty's cryptic directions and ended up at the alley.

It was the shortcut Miraz always took to work.

Shams looked at it and paused. Despite it being broad daylight, the alley was cloaked in shadows. Dark, damp, and eerily quiet. A chill ran down his spine.

He took a breath. "Let's go."

And together, the three stepped into the darkness.

They walked in single file—Shams leading the way, with Shahin and Johir trailing behind him. The narrow alley was damp and dim, the air thick with the smell of rusted tin and stagnant water.

Shahin and Johir, unfazed by the gloom, were casually gossiping about random nonsense—movie stars, university rumors, and who was secretly dating who.

Shams stayed silent.

Suddenly, he stopped.

"Hey... Shahin, Johir. Stop. Do you hear that?"

The two froze. "Hear what?" Johir asked, squinting into the darkness.

Shams turned slowly and pointed toward the deep shadows at the corner of the alley. "There's something there..."

He picked up a small stone from the ground and hurled it into the void.

Silence.

Then—"MEAOOOOW!!!"

A cat launched itself out of the darkness like a missile, screeching in fury. It flew straight at Johir's face and scratched across his cheek before landing on the ground and darting away into the shadows.

"AAAHHH!!" Johir screamed, stumbling back, clutching his face.

Shahin burst out laughing. "Bro, it's just a cat!"

"Just a cat?! That thing had a grudge!" Johir shouted.

They all chuckled, the tension easing for a moment.

But as they continued walking... the laughter faded. A strange silence crept back in. This time, even Shahin and Johir could feel it.

The feeling of being watched.

Cold sweat trickled down Shams' spine. They glanced around, but saw nothing—just shadows and the occasional flicker of light bouncing off tin walls.

They quickened their pace.

Finally, they emerged from the alley into the open street. The sun was still up, but the heaviness of the alley clung to them.

"Phew..." Johir exhaled. "Something's definitely off about that alley."

"Yeah," Shams said, his voice low. "It felt... wrong."

As the aunty instructed, they hopped into a rickshaw and began heading toward the Hazi Tower construction site.

They didn't look back.

If they had, they might have seen it—

Two glowing red eyes watching them silently from the shadows of the alley.