2025 Spooky Story Competition

As I made my way to the maintenance shaft, a sense of dread enveloped me like a predator closing in on prey. I suddenly felt a bitter cold around me. But that didn't seem right. It was the middle of summer, July 21st to be exact. If anything, it should be warm down here. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the corner of my eyes. I turned around and saw in the distance the same woman. I called out to her, but to no avail. She just stood there, unmoving. I approached her cautiously, my flashlight pointing at her. I asked her, waved at her and spoke to her, but she did not answer. She stared right through my soul as I stood in front of her. The woman's expression betrayed no emotion as I studied her face. I reached out and attempted to comfort her, but to my surprise, my hand went straight through. An ice-cold sensation coursed through my veins as I retracted my hand in confusion. Horrified, I stared into her pale face as I finally learnt the truth. She was no longer human.

BY CHUYUAN ZHANG