Nicodemus sat on the windowsill of his room and watched the old house standing opposite. For the past few months it had been abandoned, or at least that's what everyone thought - until a few days ago. Every night, just before midnight, faint lights shone through the soiled windows, and sometimes a deafening clatter could be heard that could not be explained. Nicodemus felt a shiver run down his spine, but curiosity gradually supplanted fear. That evening his parents were away, and he had invited Lena - a friend since childhood who had already proved more than once that she was not afraid of anything. They were now sitting together on the windowsill, sharing observations. "Do you see those shadows? It looks like someone is walking around up there," Lena whispered, staring out the dark upstairs window. The whole situation was a little ridiculous, a little exciting. Nicodemus felt a tension - something other than ordinary fear or anxiety. It was sharp, drenched in adrenaline, vibrating under his skin with the electricity of the unknown. "Why don't we just check it out?" Lena looked at him defiantly, clearly ready for more. The ground floor of the house next door was surrounded by scrub, but Nicodemus knew one place where the fence yielded. Without a word, they moved through the garden, hidden in the shade of the vines. As they approached the old door, Lena squeezed his hand. Inside, the light was still on. Nicodemus pulled himself together and slowly pressed the handle. The door creaked and gave way. A strange, quiet whisper came from inside the house - barely audible, as if someone was waiting around the corner and didn't want to be noticed. Nicodemus felt his heart pounding in his chest and his emotions mixed: fear with curiosity, excitement with anxiety. For a moment, in the semi-darkness of the corridor, he saw something moving in the depths. Lena squeezed his shoulder. "Shall we go on?" she asked in a whisper. Before they had time to decide, something - or someone - moved in the shadows on the stairs, and a cold breeze swept through the corridor. Nicodemus held his breath, feeling that anything could happen right now....