HAUNTED FORT

After entering the room, something strange caught our attention—Mira George was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the air was thick with the heavy smell of blood.

A wave of unease surged through me, tightening my chest.

Alice Sinclair walked ahead, while I stayed back to switch on the light.

We searched the entire room, combing through every corner, but found nothing. Yet, the smell of blood grew stronger, almost suffocating.

"What should we do?" Alice asked, her voice trembling as she looked at me with fear in her eyes.

"Should we check downstairs?" she suggested, already heading toward the door.

"Wait!" I stopped her abruptly. "There's one more place."

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I bent down and lifted the bedsheet, peering underneath the bed.

The next second—

The stench of blood hit me like a wave, and there it was—Mira was staring straight at me.

Her face was ashen-pale, her eyes wide-open, filled with terror.

And there was only her head!

Where was the rest of her body?!

The overwhelming smell made my stomach churn. I covered my mouth, feeling nauseous.

I stumbled backward in shock, only to hit my head on the edge of the bed frame.

Wincing in pain, I plopped down on the floor. I reached for the nearby trash bin and began retching violently.

Alice, seeing my reaction, came over and lifted the bedsheet herself.

But her response was far from what I expected. Instead of recoiling in horror, she remained eerily calm.

Confused, I asked, "Aren't you scared? Her head's been cut off!"

Alice helped me to my feet, and only then did a flicker of fear cross her face.

"Of course I'm scared," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "But I've played so many gory games online—every kind of death you can imagine. I guess I've become desensitized to things like this."

"But this is a real person," I reminded her, my voice rising. "This isn't a game!"

"We need to find Alana and get out of here to call the police."

I nodded.

Alice was right.