Stormy Night Ghost Stories

Mike stood at the small coffee table in the center of the living room, holding a deck of oddly shaped cards in one hand and gesturing with the other. “Okay, so here’s how it works,” he said. “You each start with five cards. Every round, you play one card and the rest of us have to guess whether it’s true or not. If we guess wrong, you get a point. If we guess right, you lose one. First person to ten wins.”

“I don’t get it,” Stacey said, squinting at her hand of cards. “Do I make something up or read what’s on the card?”

Molly floated by, setting down a tray of popcorn, chips, and mismatched cups of soda. “You read the card,” she explained. “But sell it like it’s your own experience. Bluffing is encouraged.”

Trish leaned back on the couch and grinned. “Let’s just start. I always figure it out better as we go.”

Hector clapped his hands. “Finally! Let’s do this.”

The game got off to a clumsy but enthusiastic start. Laughter broke out when Trish tried to convince everyone she’d once wrestled a goose in a park. Mike accused her of making it up, only to be stunned when she showed them video evidence.

“I knew you were wild, but not that wild,” Paul chuckled.

A few rounds in, Hector’s tone started to change. He was intensely focused, calling out everyone’s tells and overanalyzing every word they said. When Paul earned a point by tricking everyone, Hector narrowed his eyes.

“Come on, that was so obvious,” he grumbled. “You all just handed him that one.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Dude, relax. It’s a game.”

“Exactly,” Hector said. “A game I’m trying to win.”

Mike raised his hands between them. “Alright, let’s keep it fun. It’s just for laughs, okay?”

But just as Hector opened his mouth to argue again, everything went dark. The apartment was suddenly silent except for the sound of the rain pelting the windows and the distant rumble of thunder.

“Nice going, Hector,” Molly said with a smirk. “I think the universe is telling you to calm down.”

Trish stood up. “I’ll get some candles.”

“I’ll help,” Stacey added, feeling her way toward the kitchen.

Within minutes, the room was bathed in a warm, flickering glow. The light reflected off the windows, making the storm outside feel distant, almost cozy.

“Well,” Mike said, “since the power’s out and the game’s on hold, maybe we should pivot to ghost stories?”

Molly gasped. “Oh no. You know I hate scary stuff.”

“I love scary stuff,” Paul grinned, rubbing his hands together. “Bring it on.”
Hector groaned. “Can we at least finish the game first?”

“The spirits say no,” Molly teased.

Mike cleared his throat dramatically. “Alright then. I’ve got one. It’s an old story from my grandfather. He used to swear it happened in his childhood…”

Everyone leaned in as Mike began. “So, there was this farmhouse at the edge of town—totally abandoned for decades. Kids dared each other to sneak in, but most never made it past the porch. My grandpa said one time he and his friends went inside, looking for proof the place was haunted. It was dusty, with broken furniture and cobwebs everywhere. Then they found the basement...”

“Nope,” Molly muttered, covering her face with a pillow.

Mike continued, undeterred. “They opened the basement door, and it was colder than outside. Like, unnaturally cold. They went down the stairs one by one, and halfway down my grandpa paused. He told his friends that he swore he saw a man standing in the corner and was too scared to continue. One of them shoved past him, reached for the light and—BAM!”

At that exact moment, a crack of thunder exploded outside. The entire group screamed, even Hector. Molly clutched the pillow to her chest while Paul burst out laughing.

“Perfect timing!” Trish cried. “That was too good.”

Hector, now laughing for real, wiped a tear from his eye. “Okay, fine. I needed that laugh.”

As if on cue, the lights flickered back to life and the room returned to normal.

Paul looked around. “So… can we finish the game now?”

Everyone turned to Hector and he raised his hands in surrender.

In unison, Trish and Stacey called out, “Only if Hector chills out!”

And with that, the game resumed.