Journey

Mia Chen pressed her face against the cool glass of her bedroom window, squinting into the darkness. There it was again - a faint, pulsing glow coming from old Mrs. Grayson’s backyard. Mia had first noticed the strange lights a week ago, but tonight they seemed brighter, more urgent somehow. She glanced at the glowing numbers on her alarm clock: 11:42 PM. Her parents would kill her if they knew she was still awake. But Mia couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was going on next door. Mrs. Grayson hardly ever left her house, let alone ventured into her overgrown backyard. So what could be causing those eerie lights? ...

The first rumble came just after midnight. Mira Patel jolted awake, her heart racing as the bed trembled beneath her. Earthquake? She fumbled for her phone, squinting at the bright screen. No alerts. A second tremor, stronger this time, sent a framed photo clattering to the floor. Mira leapt up, maternal instinct overriding confusion as she rushed to her son’s room. “Ethan!” She flung open the door to find the 12-year-old already sitting up, eyes wide with fear. ...