Ultimate Evolution I Became the Master of the World

The post kept going, making Michael's skin crawl.

[The footsteps stopped right outside my door.]

[He's knocking again. I feel really freaked out. I recorded the sound as proof and left my phone number. If you can't reach me, something's gone wrong. Please, someone call the cops.]

There was an audio file below. When he played it, a dull, heavy knocking sound filled the room.

Each knock felt like it was pounding on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

The post ended there.

Michael scrolled to the bottom and saw the last line, [The old man came in.]

The next day.

Because he stayed up late reading that story, Michael was a zombie all day at school. Every time he tried to catch some Z's in class, the old man's creepy photo would pop into his head, and he'd feel those dead eyes staring at him. Michael would snap awake instantly.

Michael thought to himself, 'I can't sleep again. That photo is seriously messed up.'

Just then, Michael's buddy David Cooper asked, "Dude, did you not sleep at all last night?"

Michael replied, "I was up late reading a horror story on my phone."

"A horror story? Speaking of that, Michael, have you heard about the latest spooky incident?"

"What spooky incident?" Michael asked. "I haven't heard anything."

David said, "So, there's this neighborhood where over twenty people hanged themselves overnight. They were hanging from the security bars on the windows. It's super creepy. I got a pic, but I don't know if it's legit."

He pulled out his phone, opened his photo album, and showed a picture.

The photo was taken at dusk, and the poor lighting made it kinda blurry. But you could still see the human shapes hanging from the security bars on the balconies. The bodies were packed tightly, and you could vaguely see their terrified faces, especially their wide-open eyes filled with fear, like they saw something horrifying before they died.

From a distance, the dozens of bodies looked like clothes hanging out to dry. What was weird was that the heads were stuck in the security bars, but the bodies were outside. The gaps in the bars were way too small for an adult to fit through. Plus, the heads were bent backward in a freaky, broken-neck position.

The more Michael stared at the photo, the more freaked out he got. This photo had the same creepy vibe as the one of the old man who escaped from the hospital on his phone.

"Where'd you get this photo?"

David puffed up his chest, "A buddy of mine snapped it while passing by. The place is all locked down now."

"Speaking of spooky stuff, I've been seeing a ton of it online lately. They sound so real, it's freakin' me out. Do you think any of this is legit? Like, could there really be ghosts?" Aria Nova chimed in, walking over.

Michael shrugged, "Most of that stuff online is total BS. I don't buy into ghosts unless I see one myself. But hey, better safe than sorry. If you ever run into something like that, just steer clear."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Aria nodded.

Just then, the teacher strolled into the classroom. "Got a last-minute announcement, folks. Today's self-study period is getting swapped out for a safety awareness class. No chit-chat during the lecture. Please welcome Mr. Nikolai Volkov. Give him a round of applause."

Michael clapped, feeling a bit confused. A safety lecture now?

But when Nikolai walked in, Michael's jaw dropped.

It was a scorcher outside, but Nikolai was decked out in a gray trench coat, all buttoned up, and even had a mask on. And he had some kind of badge hanging on his chest.

What really stood out was how freakishly gaunt Nikolai looked. His face was so thin you could see the outline of his skull. His eyes were huge and bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in forever. Despite his skeletal face, his belly was sticking out.

It looked like he had a gut full of fat, but someone with a belly like that shouldn't be so skinny.

Nikolai was just plain weird, making everyone feel on edge.

Standing at the podium, Nikolai gave off this dark, worn-out vibe. He stood there stiff as a board, his bloodshot eyes moving slightly, like two dull marbles.

His stare filled the students with a weird, creeping fear.

Michael instinctively clenched his fists, his body tensing up. He didn't dare to meet Nikolai's eyes and thought, 'This is even creepier than that photo.'

"Hey, folks. I'm Nikolai, an international cop. I'm just glad to be alive and here to give you this lecture today."

Nikolai finally spoke. His voice was dry, raspy, and grating, like nails on a chalkboard. Combined with his gaunt face, it was downright terrifying. Alive and here to give a lecture?

Michael was stunned. That sounded so off.

Nikolai picked up a piece of chalk and turned to write a word on the blackboard in a messy but clear script.

"GHOST"