The old high school on the edge of town had always been a place of hushed whispers. It was abandoned for over twenty years, its rusted gates and cracked windows standing as a silent monument to forgotten days. But every October, students from the nearby college would gather at the edge of the grounds, whispering stories about the ghost that roamed the halls. Most of them were just stories—fairy tales meant to scare or entertain. But one year, something changed. It started with a girl named Lila, who had recently transferred to the college from a small town. She was curious, always asking questions, and somehow, she found herself drawn to the old school. One evening, she walked through the iron gate, her flashlight cutting through the thick fog that rolled in from the woods. The air was cold, and the silence was too perfect, like the world had held its breath. Inside, the building was eerily intact. Dust motes floated in the beams of her light, and the walls still bore faded murals of students long gone. She wandered into the main hallway, where the floorboards groaned under her steps. Then, she heard it—a soft, melodic hum, like a lullaby sung by someone just out of sight. She froze. The sound wasn’t coming from any speaker or radio. It was real, and it was inside the building. She followed the sound, her heart pounding, until she reached the music room. The door creaked open, revealing a dusty piano, its keys covered in a thin layer of dust. As she stepped closer, the humming grew louder, and suddenly, the piano began to play itself. Her breath caught in her throat. The melody was familiar, though she couldn’t place it. It was slow, mournful, and strangely beautiful. Then, a shadow moved in the corner of the room. Lila turned, but there was nothing there. The music stopped. A chill ran down her spine. She backed away, her flashlight trembling in her hand. When she finally made it outside, the fog had thickened, and the air felt heavier, as if the building itself was watching her. Word spread quickly about Lila’s encounter. Some said she was crazy, others said she was cursed. But the following week, another student, Ethan, claimed he saw a girl in a white dress walking the hallways at night. He described her as pale, with long black hair and eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. He swore he saw her pause at the music room door, then disappear into the shadows. Soon, more stories emerged. A boy who claimed he heard laughter echoing from the auditorium. A girl who swore she saw her own reflection move when she wasn’t looking. Each tale added to the growing legend, and the old school became a place of both fear and fascination. One night, a group of students decided to investigate the school together. They brought flashlights, cameras, and a sense of bravado they quickly lost. The moment they entered, the air turned colder. The lights flickered, and the usual sounds of the forest were replaced by an eerie silence. They split up, each exploring different parts of the building. In the library, a student named Maya found a book titled *The Forgotten*. Its pages were filled with names, dates, and strange symbols. As she flipped through it, the words seemed to shift, rearranging themselves into something she couldn’t understand. When she looked up, the room was empty. The only thing left was the book, now open to a page that had no title, just a single sentence: *They never left.* Meanwhile, Ethan and Lila met in the music room. The piano was still there, but this time, the melody was different. It was faster, more frantic, and filled with sorrow. Lila reached out to touch the keys, but before she could, the lights went out. In the darkness, she heard a voice—soft, almost gentle, but filled with a deep sadness. *“You shouldn’t have come back.”* Lila screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the silence. When the lights came back on, the room was empty again, the piano silent. She ran out, barely making it to the gate before the fog returned, thick and impenetrable. The next morning, the school was closed indefinitely. No one knew why, but the students who had been inside spoke of things they couldn’t explain. Some said they saw faces in the windows, others claimed they heard voices calling their names. But the most unsettling part was the fact that none of them could remember exactly what happened. It was like the school had erased their memories, leaving only fragments of fear and wonder. Years later, the old high school still stands, its doors sealed, its halls quiet. Some say the ghost is still there, waiting for someone to return. Others say it's not a ghost at all, but something else—something that has never truly left. And maybe, just maybe, it's waiting for you.