We Never Left

Three bodies. One survivor. That’s what the first headline said when the news broke online. The entire neighborhood was surrounded by sirens. The house - number 91 - stood behind the yellow tape, completely silent. No broken windows. No signs of forced entry. The only disturbing thing… was the smile. Because the only one who came out alive… smiled. He was covered in dirt and dried blood. Barefoot, head down - but when he saw the police officers, he looked up and smiled, like someone waking up from a beautiful dream. “What’s your name?” asked the medic. “…” “Do you remember what happened in there?” He nodded. Or shook his head. Hard to tell. “Can you tell me your name?” Silence. Then he answered. But not with his own name. He said another. One of the ones who had died. In the weeks that followed, the case exploded. YouTube, t****k, podcasts. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the four teenagers who entered that house for fame. “Were they trying to summon something?” “Was it all staged?” No one knew. But one thing was certain: The video they recorded was never uploaded. And when the police checked the camera, there was only one corrupted file. No image. No sound. Just a title at the top: “We Never Left” In the last known footage, recorded by a street security camera, he’s seen standing at the house gate. The street is empty. It’s the middle of the night. He smiles again. But this time… at someone who isn’t on camera. Then he looks directly at the lens. And says something without moving his lips: “They’re still here”