Jamie's heart stopped for a moment. Without thinking, he dashed out of the house, his voice more frantic than ever. "What's wrong?"
The girl's voice was extra soft, but filled with fear: "I just finished my shower, and suddenly all the lights went out. I'm too scared to go out... Is something creepy following me? I'm so scared, Jamie, I'm so scared."
"Don't cry. I'm coming over right now."
Hearing Sara's stifled sobs, Jamie deeply regretted the flimsy excuse he made today. He ran towards Sara's house even faster. Within a minute, he was standing in front of the iron gate. He tried pushing the gate but found it locked. He breathed a sigh of relief before asking Sara, "I'm here. Can you come out and unlock the door?"
As he said this, he was already eyeing the nearly ten-foot-high courtyard wall, assessing the feasibility of climbing over it.
Luckily, Sara gave a soft "mm-hmm" on the other end, followed by some rustling sounds. Jamie quickly refocused and gently encouraged her, "Don't be scared, I'm right outside the door. As soon as you open it, you'll see me. Turn on your phone's flashlight and walk slowly. Take your time, there's no rush."
Listening to Jamie's familiar voice on the other end of the phone, Sara felt slightly braver. Although still very scared, she managed to move from the bathroom to the main hall, sticking close to the walls.
But to get to the front door, she had to cross the courtyard. The moonlight in the countryside wasn't as bright as one might imagine. The courtyard was pitch black, barely revealing anything. Sara used her phone's flashlight to cast a small beam of light, which only made the scene more terrifying.
Jamie seemed to sense her fear and kept talking. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here."
Forget it! It's better to just get it over with quick! I'll sprint through it!
Sara took a couple of deep breaths, gripped her phone tightly, and took a runner's stance. Unfortunately, fear propelled her forward before she could even complete the motion.
Reaching the gate was smoother than she had imagined. However, before she could unlock the latch, a gust of wind blew through, causing the not fully closed door of the main hall to creak eerily in the silence. Sara's hair stood on end. Trembling, she involuntarily turned her head.
The two-story building behind her loomed ominously in the darkness, appearing eerie and spooky. The iron door of the main hall was still swaying, as if something was standing there, pushing it.
"Ahhh—"
Sara broke down completely, crying and fumbling with the latch, her hands shaking uncontrollably. The cold wind seemed to draw closer to her ears. She imagined something standing right behind her, watching, nearly scaring her out of her wits.
"Sara?! Are you at the door?!" Jamie heard her footsteps reach the door and then suddenly stop. A few seconds later, she started crying and screaming. Although he didn't know what had happened, he guessed she was terribly frightened.
Hearing the latch moving but not seeing the door open, he feared she might scare herself into something worse. He quickly told her to step back, ready to kick the door open.
Hearing his voice brought Sara back to her senses. She finally managed to unlock the door. As soon as the door swung open, a gust of cold wind seemed to follow, scaring her into Jamie's arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, crying, "Jamie, it's so scary, it's so scary."
Jamie's body stiffened for a moment. Then he controlled himself and hugged her, gently stroking her hair, his voice exceptionally soft. "I'm here."
