Andrew was sprinting to school, his heart pounding like a war drum. He was almost late, and the weather outside was cool but sunny, a deceptive calm before the storm. It was probably early spring, but the air felt thick with tension. Among a tapestry of houses, he couldn't find his only yellow and blue building for the high school, which seemed to mock him from the shadows. When he was really close, he took a wrong turn and stumbled down an unknown street that felt like it was swallowing him whole.

A few kids were playing there, their laughter ringing hollow, like the echo of a distant funeral bell. Suddenly, one of the youngsters fell, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud, a splash of crimson staining the pavement as his head cracked open like an overripe fruit. The other friend froze, eyes wide as saucers, panic washing over him like a tidal wave of blood.

Despite the urgency gnawing at him, Andrew approached the scene, dread pooling in his stomach. The boy in despair stumbled towards him, his tear-filled eyes glistening like shards of glass. "I don't know what I should do now! He doesn't wake up!" the boy wailed, his voice trembling with fear.

"Keep calm. Where does he live?" Andrew asked, his voice steady, though his insides churned at the sight before him.

"I don't know!"

"Can you show me, please? We have to tell his parents and call an ambulance before it’s too late!"

The young boy, terrified of being blamed for the chaos, decided to cooperate with Andrew. He didn't want to lose his friend to the darkness creeping in around them.

Together, Andrew and the young man approached a multi-storey building that loomed ominously, its exterior deceptively pristine, hiding the decay within like a predator stalking its prey. "Let's go!" said Andrew, gripping the other boy's hand tightly, as if it were a lifeline in a sea of blood.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the number of his flat," the boy stammered, his voice quaking. "How did you both meet?"

"I and the other guys shouted at his window, and he comes out like a moth drawn to a flame."

"Do that; his parents will probably materialise from the shadows," Andrew urged. The boy and Andrew left the staircase, and the younger boy shouted: "Hare! Hare! Hare!" but the call echoed back to them, unanswered, swallowed by the thickening air.

Suddenly, the young man blinked back to reality for a fleeting moment. "What's your flat's number?" Andrew asked, urgency lacing his tone.

"One," said the boy, turning away.

Andrew spotted a man emerging from the flat on the first floor, his face pale and drawn, as if he had just witnessed a horror unfold. When Andrew and the young man entered the staircase, they discovered that the path to the flat on the first floor was a twisted labyrinth; the staircase leading there was broken, splintered like the bones of a fallen warrior. Undeterred, Andrew decided to ascend the trembling staircase, his heart racing like a wild beast, and ring the bell, hoping for salvation amidst the chaos and bloodshed.

As Andrew climbed the staircase, each step creaked ominously beneath his weight, echoing through the dimly lit corridor like the whispers of the damned. The walls were lined with peeling wallpaper, revealing patches of damp and decay, a testament to the years of neglect that had consumed the building. Shadows danced around him, flickering in the faint light of a single bulb hanging overhead, casting eerie shapes that seemed to reach out, trying to draw him back into the safety of the ground floor.

Beside him, the young man, whose name Andrew still didn’t know, hesitated, glancing back down the staircase as if expecting something—or someone—to follow them. His eyes were wide, filled with a mix of fear and determination, a reflection of Andrew's own tumultuous emotions. They were both aware that whatever lay behind that door was not merely a flat; it was a threshold into a nightmare that had already begun to unfold.

Reaching the landing, Andrew paused, his breath catching in his throat as he approached the door. It was an unremarkable door, painted a dull shade of grey, yet it seemed to bear the weight of an unseen horror, a silent sentinel guarding the darkness within. He raised his hand, trembling slightly, and pressed the bell. The chime echoed through the stillness, a haunting sound that reverberated in the silence, sending a shiver down Andrew's spine. Despite the unease coiling in his stomach, he forced himself to remain calm.

No one answered. No one opened the door. The quiet stretched on, thick and oppressive, until the young boy in Andrew's arms stirred, blinking as if emerging from a deep fog. “Andrew,” he said, his voice soft but steady, “maybe we shouldn’t do this. Everything is alright with me.”

His assurance was tentative, yet it carried a weight that made Andrew pause. After a moment, the boy wriggled free from Andrew's grasp, landing lightly on his feet. He looked up, his eyes bright and unclouded, a grin breaking through the remnants of fear. The sight of his friend’s resilience transformed Andrew’s own feelings, shifting from terror to relief.

“See?” the boy said, his confidence infectious. “I’m fine. We don’t need to go through that door.”

Andrew took a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders easing. Perhaps the boy was right; perhaps they didn’t have to confront whatever lay beyond that threshold. Instead, he stepped back, allowing the weight of the moment to lift.

“Let’s get out of here,” Andrew suggested, leading the way back to the porch door. As he turned the handle and pushed it open, a rush of bright sunlight flooded in, bathing them in warmth. The landscape beyond was vibrant and alive, the colors of spring bursting forth in a dazzling display, as if the world outside was smiling, inviting them to leave the shadows behind.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Andrew stepped through the door, the sunlight washing over him, a stark contrast to the darkness they had just left. The air was fresh and filled with the scent of blooming flowers, a reminder that life continued outside the confines of fear. Andrew went to school.