《THE LAST NIGHT》


 Whispers from the Dark

    The night was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves outside the


    dimly lit house. Inside, Juli sat on the couch, bored and scrolling


    through her phone. Halloween night had always been her favorite,


    but tonight felt particularly uneventful. As she searched for


    something to add a little thrill to the evening, she stumbled upon


    a video about the Charlie Charlie game¡ªa supernatural


    challenge that had gone viral online.


    ¡°Juli, what are you watching?¡± Prince asked, noticing her glued to


    the screen. He was relaxed, lounging on the couch beside her.


    ¡°I found this horror game called Charlie Charlie. You ask


    questions, and a ghost answers you. It¡¯s supposed to be super


    creepy,¡± Juli explained, her voice tinged with excitement.


    Prince smirked, his disbelief evident. ¡°You really want to summon


    a ghost? That¡¯s not your typical Halloween fun.¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just a game,¡± Juli said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun! Don¡¯t


    tell me you¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°Me? Scared? Never,¡± Prince replied confidently. ¡°Let¡¯s play.¡±


    They quickly set up the game: two pencils placed in a cross on a


    piece of paper with the words "Yes" and "No" written on it. The


    flickering candlelight in the room cast eerie shadows on the walls,


    making the atmosphere feel slightly more unnerving.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Juli said, taking a deep breath. ¡°Charlie, Charlie, are you


    here?¡±


    The pencils didn¡¯t move. Prince smirked. ¡°Told you, this stuff¡¯s just


    internet junk.¡±


    Juli wasn¡¯t convinced. She leaned closer to the paper. ¡°Charlie,


    Charlie, can you hear us?¡±


    Still nothing.


    Prince laughed. ¡°Alright, I think we¡¯ve proven it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Just as they were about to abandon the game, the pencils jerked


    slightly. They both froze. Slowly, the pencil moved, crossing over


    to ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± Prince muttered, his smirk fading.


    Juli¡¯s heart raced. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± she said, trying


    to convince herself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going,¡± Prince urged, though his confidence had


    wavered. ¡°Charlie, are you a good spirit?¡±


    The pencil moved again, stopping at ¡°Yes.¡±


    Juli laughed nervously. ¡°Okay, well, that¡¯s comforting.¡±


    As the game continued, they asked more innocent questions,


    playing it off as a joke. The answers kept moving between ¡°Yes¡±


    and ¡°No,¡± and they started to feel more comfortable, even


    entertained.


    But then, the questions grew more unsettling.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.¡°Charlie, can we stop the game?¡± Juli asked, her voice tinged with


    fear.


    The pencil moved to ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What? No?¡± Prince said, now visibly concerned. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.


    Charlie, please, can we stop the game?¡±


    The pencil moved to ¡°Yes.¡±


    Both of them sighed in relief, but before they could react, the


    pencil jerked back to ¡°No.¡±


    Their relief vanished, replaced by fear.


    ¡°We need to stop this,¡± Juli said, her voice shaky. ¡°Let¡¯s burn it.¡±


    Prince grabbed the paper with the "Yes" and "No" grid, crumpling


    it into a ball. He flicked his lighter, setting fire to the paper. They


    watched as the flames consumed it. But just as the paper was


    about to be destroyed, the fire snuffed out. The ashes swirled in


    the air, and the paper restored itself¡ªback on the table, unburnt


    and untouched.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Juli gasped. ¡°It¡¯s like the game won¡¯t end!¡±


    ¡°Charlie, what do you want?¡± Prince demanded, his voice


    breaking the silence.


    The air in the room grew thick, heavy with an unnatural chill. And


    then, a voice¡ªsoft, chilling, and full of malice¡ªechoed through


    the house.


    ¡°I want a friend¡­ I live alone in my world. And I need a friend¡­¡±


    Juli¡¯s eyes widened in terror. ¡°Prince¡­ did you hear that?¡±


    The voice grew louder, more insistent. ¡°I¡¯ve been alone for so


    long. You called me¡­ now, I¡¯ll keep one of you with me forever.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that ghosts like to party? Are you friendly, Charlie?¡± Juli


    asked, her voice trembling, trying to lighten the mood.


    But the pencil didn¡¯t move, and the atmosphere grew darker,


    colder.


    Juli''s hands shook as she asked, ¡°Charlie, Charlie, will we die


    tonight?¡±


    The pencil creaked as it slid to "Yes."


    Juli screamed, her fear finally overwhelming her. ¡°We have to stop


    this! Prince, we have to leave!¡±


    Prince grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door. But before


    they could escape, the shadows in the room deepened. Dark


    tendrils, like inky black smoke, wrapped around Prince, pulling


    him back toward the table.


    ¡°Juli, go!¡± Prince shouted, struggling against the unseen force.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you!¡± Juli cried, tears streaming down her face.


    The darkness tightened its grip on Prince. He looked at Juli with a


    heartbreaking expression. ¡°I love you, Juli. I would give my life to


    save you¡­¡±


    With a final glance, Prince was pulled into the darkness. The


    shadows swallowed him whole, leaving Juli screaming his name,


    alone in the cold, empty room.