The night was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves outside the

  dimly lit house. Inside, Juli sat on the couch, bored and scrolling

  through her phone. Halloween night had always been her favorite,

  but tonight felt particularly uneventful. As she searched for

  something to add a little thrill to the evening, she stumbled upon

  a video about the Charlie Charlie game—a supernatural

  challenge that had gone viral online.

  “Juli, what are you watching?” Prince asked, noticing her glued to

  the screen. He was relaxed, lounging on the couch beside her.

  “I found this horror game called Charlie Charlie. You ask

  questions, and a ghost answers you. It’s supposed to be super

  creepy,” Juli explained, her voice tinged with excitement.

  Prince smirked, his disbelief evident. “You really want to summon

  a ghost? That’s not your typical Halloween fun.”

  “Come on, it’s just a game,” Juli said, shrugging. “It’ll be fun! Don’t

  tell me you’re scared.”

  “Me? Scared? Never,” Prince replied confidently. “Let’s play.”

  They quickly set up the game: two pencils placed in a cross on a

  piece of paper with the words "Yes" and "No" written on it. The

  flickering candlelight in the room cast eerie shadows on the walls,

  making the atmosphere feel slightly more unnerving.

  “Alright,” Juli said, taking a deep breath. “Charlie, Charlie, are you

  here?”

  The pencils didn’t move. Prince smirked. “Told you, this stuff’s just

  internet junk.”

  Juli wasn’t convinced. She leaned closer to the paper. “Charlie,

  Charlie, can you hear us?”

  Still nothing.

  Prince laughed. “Alright, I think we’ve proven it doesn’t work.”

  Just as they were about to abandon the game, the pencils jerked

  slightly. They both froze. Slowly, the pencil moved, crossing over

  to “Yes.”

  “What the hell…?” Prince muttered, his smirk fading.

  Juli’s heart raced. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” she said, trying

  to convince herself.

  “Let’s keep going,” Prince urged, though his confidence had

  wavered. “Charlie, are you a good spirit?”

  The pencil moved again, stopping at “Yes.”

  Juli laughed nervously. “Okay, well, that’s comforting.”

  As the game continued, they asked more innocent questions,

  playing it off as a joke. The answers kept moving between “Yes”

  and “No,” and they started to feel more comfortable, even

  entertained.

  But then, the questions grew more unsettling.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Charlie, can we stop the game?” Juli asked, her voice tinged with

  fear.

  The pencil moved to “No.”

  “What? No?” Prince said, now visibly concerned. “Let’s try again.

  Charlie, please, can we stop the game?”

  The pencil moved to “Yes.”

  Both of them sighed in relief, but before they could react, the

  pencil jerked back to “No.”

  Their relief vanished, replaced by fear.

  “We need to stop this,” Juli said, her voice shaky. “Let’s burn it.”

  Prince grabbed the paper with the "Yes" and "No" grid, crumpling

  it into a ball. He flicked his lighter, setting fire to the paper. They

  watched as the flames consumed it. But just as the paper was

  about to be destroyed, the fire snuffed out. The ashes swirled in

  the air, and the paper restored itself—back on the table, unburnt

  and untouched.

  “Oh my god,” Juli gasped. “It’s like the game won’t end!”

  “Charlie, what do you want?” Prince demanded, his voice

  breaking the silence.

  The air in the room grew thick, heavy with an unnatural chill. And

  then, a voice—soft, chilling, and full of malice—echoed through

  the house.

  “I want a friend… I live alone in my world. And I need a friend…”

  Juli’s eyes widened in terror. “Prince… did you hear that?”

  The voice grew louder, more insistent. “I’ve been alone for so

  long. You called me… now, I’ll keep one of you with me forever.”

  “Is it true that ghosts like to party? Are you friendly, Charlie?” Juli

  asked, her voice trembling, trying to lighten the mood.

  But the pencil didn’t move, and the atmosphere grew darker,

  colder.

  Juli's hands shook as she asked, “Charlie, Charlie, will we die

  tonight?”

  The pencil creaked as it slid to "Yes."

  Juli screamed, her fear finally overwhelming her. “We have to stop

  this! Prince, we have to leave!”

  Prince grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door. But before

  they could escape, the shadows in the room deepened. Dark

  tendrils, like inky black smoke, wrapped around Prince, pulling

  him back toward the table.

  “Juli, go!” Prince shouted, struggling against the unseen force.

  “Run!”

  “I’m not leaving you!” Juli cried, tears streaming down her face.

  The darkness tightened its grip on Prince. He looked at Juli with a

  heartbreaking expression. “I love you, Juli. I would give my life to

  save you…”

  With a final glance, Prince was pulled into the darkness. The

  shadows swallowed him whole, leaving Juli screaming his name,

  alone in the cold, empty room.