The sleepover started as any other, with you and your closest friends—Caelan, Griffin, Renzo, Soren, and Zephyr—crammed onto the bed or sprawled on the floor. The warm glow of the bedside lamp mixed with the flickering light of the TV, which played a cheesy horror movie. Everyone laughed and teased as jumpscares came and went.

"That zombie looks like it was painted by a blindfolded toddler," Griffin groaned, tossing popcorn at the screen.

"Yet you screamed like one," Renzo quipped, grinning. "I was preparing to fight," Griffin defended. Zephyr smirked. "Next time, we’ll get you a sippy cup." As they bantered, Soren leaned in, shushing them.

"This part’s actually creepy." "Please," Caelan scoffed, tossing a pillow. "It’s just a fake-out scare. Probably a cat." And sure enough, a cat jumped out onscreen, earning boos from everyone. "You’re so predictable," Zephyr teased.

"Alright, genius," Renzo challenged, "what happens next?" "The killer pops out now that everyone’s guard is down," Caelan said smugly.

The banter faded as the movie’s tension built. A lightbulb in a basement swung eerily onscreen, shadows shifting unnaturally. "This is the part where they die," Soren muttered.

"Or where we get sucked into a horror curse," Caelan joked.

"Don’t jinx it," Renzo said, laughing nervously. Zephyr smirked. "If we’re cursed, it’s Caelan’s fault."

The wind howled faintly outside, rattling the window. You laughed along with your friends but couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight was different—and not in a good way.