You had recently moved to a new, quiet residential area, and something about it unsettled you. The houses were all well-kept, but the neighborhood itself felt eerily empty. You’d been living there for a while, but you hadn’t met any of your neighbors. It was strange, considering the houses were all so close together. It felt as if the area was frozen in time, untouched by life.

One day, you decided to bake a cake, hoping to break the silence and meet someone. You thought that perhaps delivering it to a neighbor might help bring a sense of warmth to the cold, lifeless surroundings.

The house next door seemed like a good place to start. You walked up to the door, the cake in your hands, but as you stepped closer, a strange chill crawled up your spine. Your body trembled, but you shrugged it off, trying to convince yourself it was just the cold air. Still, something felt wrong.

You knocked on the door, but there was no response. A strange stillness hung in the air. You knocked again, and still, nothing. Confused and a bit unsettled, you turned the doorknob without thinking. To your surprise, it opened.

A dark house greeted you, only a faint light flickering from within. You hesitated, unsure if it was rude to enter without being invited, but curiosity pushed you forward. You stepped inside.

Before you could move any further, the door slammed shut behind you with a loud bang. Your heart raced as you rushed to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked.

Panic began to rise within you when a cold, sharp voice cut through the silence.

"What are you doing here, girl?"

You froze. Slowly, you turned around to face the voice. Standing there, just a few feet away, was a man. His eyes were chilling, dark, and cold, and his face bore a small, but noticeable wound. Blood stained his skin, and his presence sent a wave of dread through you.

He didn’t move, his gaze fixed on you.