Janet had always been a quiet and unassuming secretary working in the big law firm. She sat in her little cubicle, filing papers, typing out legal briefs, and answering the phone. But no one knew about her secret crush. For years, she had harbored feelings for her boss, Mr. Lawrence, but had never been able to express them. So when she saw the ad for a Halloween party, with a special 'horror maze', she decided to take the chance.
That night, she donned her best costume and headed to the party. As she made her way through the maze, she found herself in increasingly spooky locations. There were fake cobwebs, skeletons, and eerie music playing in the background. But she didn't let it scare her. She was focused on finding Mr. Lawrence, who she knew was also attending the party.
As she continued on, she heard a voice calling her from a dimly lit corner. "Janet, over here," it said. She hesitated for a moment, but then made her way toward the voice. But as she got closer, she realized that it wasn't Mr. Lawrence calling her. It was his sister, who worked in the accounting department.
"Janet, have you seen my brother?" she asked. Janet's heart sank. Her hopes of finally speaking to Mr. Lawrence were fading. But then she noticed something strange - a secret passageway hidden in the wall. She had heard rumors of secret tunnels in the building before, but had never seen one for herself.
With a burst of courage, she made her way into the tunnel, unsure of what she would find. The tunnel was dark and musty, with cobwebs brushing her face as she moved forward. But then she saw a light up ahead. Was this the end of the tunnel?
As she got closer, she realized that it was a hidden room. And inside, she saw Mr. Lawrence, surrounded by strange artifacts and symbols. He was carrying out some kind of ritual, and she watched in horror as he began to chant in a language she did not understand.
She was about to run away, fearing for her life, when Mr. Lawrence turned and saw her. He looked bewildered, as if he was confused about what she was doing there. Then, as quickly as it had started, the ritual was over, and he ushered her out of the room.
Janet never forgot that night. She never spoke to Mr. Lawrence about what she had seen, but the memory of his secret rituals stayed with her for years. She never had the courage to confess her love to him, but she had also learned that sometimes, secrets were better left unspoken.Months passed since Janet discovered the hidden tunnel at the Halloween party, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to that secret passage than she had seen. Over time, she became more and more fascinated by the room she saw during the ritual, and she couldn't resist the temptation to revisit the tunnel.
One evening, after everyone had left the law firm, Janet decided to take a chance and sneak into the tunnel. As she made her way through the musty passage, she felt a wave of apprehension building up inside her. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat.
Finally, she arrived at the secret room, and to her surprise, she found a strange symbol painted on the wall that she had not seen before. The symbol was unlike anything she had ever seen in her entire life. The more she stared at it, the more she felt herself getting sucked into its mysterious aura.
Suddenly, she heard a faint whisper in her ear, and she immediately froze in terror. She turned around slowly, half expecting to see Mr. Lawrence lurking behind her. But instead, she found herself face to face with a dark and shadowy figure, staring back at her with hollow, soulless eyes.
Janet screamed, but no sound came out. The figure moved closer, its cold breath sending shivers down her spine. It spoke in a guttural voice that sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
"Leave this place...or suffer the consequences," the figure hissed.
Janet tried to run, but her legs felt like they were made of lead. She tripped over something on the ground and fell hard. When she looked back, she saw that she had tripped over a pile of bones - human bones!
Suddenly, the figure lunged at her, and everything went black.
When Janet woke up, she was back in her cubicle at the law firm. Her clothes were torn, her hair was disheveled, and she had a splitting headache. She quickly realized that no one else was around. She was alone in the empty building.
Janet never went back to the hidden tunnel again. The horror of what she had discovered had left an indelible mark on her mind, and she knew that the consequences of meddling with the supernatural were far more dangerous than she had imagined. She promised herself that she would never again be fearless in the face of the unknown.
Zainab Syeda
