(Original text by Daniel)
The night was heavy with fog, the only sound being the crunch of gravel under three sets of boots. Maya, Jace, and Ron walked in silence, flashlights flickering low as they followed the old forest trail near the cliffs.
They weren't supposed to be out this late. The park closed at sundown. But rumors had spread—talk of strange lights in the woods, people vanishing, and a hum that made your skin crawl.
"We should head back," Maya whispered, hugging her jacket tighter.
Jace raised his hand. "Wait... Do you feel that?"
A low vibration hummed through the ground. Then came the light—a soft blue circle glowing on the dirt path ahead of them, like a portal had cracked open from beneath.
"What the hell is that?" Ron took a step forward, hypnotized.
Before any of them could move, the light pulsed. One beat. Then two. On the third, the circle widened rapidly and swallowed all three in a flash of silence.
A second later, Jake—just some kid who had been jogging on the path—rounded the bend with earbuds in. He tripped forward as the light pulsed again beneath him.
"No, wait—" was all he managed to say before he too vanished.
The trail was quiet again. Only the fog remained.