Emma clutched her backpack tightly as she walked down the dimly lit street, the Halloween night air thick with the scent of fallen leaves and impending darkness. Superstitious by nature, she couldn’t shake the feeling that wandering ghosts roamed the streets, hungry for the living.


    With each step, she whispered a mantra to herself, “I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid.”


    The moon hung high, casting eerie shadows that danced along the pavement. As she walked, a chilling breeze brushed past her, and a voice, low and menacing, echoed behind her. “Oh, are you sure?”


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    Emma froze, a dark shadow that flitted past her like a fleeting nightmare. Paralyzed with fear, she fought the instinct to look back.


    “I can smell it… miles and miles away,” the voice continued, There was a pause and the being was standing behind her.


    “Child,” it called out.


    Suddenly, Emma felt an ice-cold hand grip her shoulder, sending a jolt of terror through her body. She turned to face the source of her dread. There, in the darkness, a faint grin appeared, revealing sharp, predatory teeth that glinted like silver in the moonlight.


    Before she could scream, everything went dark.