Four friends gathered around a table. They turned off the lights and lit a candle. They were playing a game in which each person would tell a scary event that occurred in their lives. After their tales were told, they would determine which stories were false and which were true.
Starting in a clockwise direction, Remi began her story:
"When I was in first grade, I drew a picture of a girl lying in a wooden triangular coffin with long blonde hair and her eyes closed. My mom interrupted me because my home tutor arrived a bit earlier than usual. After my tutor left, I hurried back to my drawing and saw that the girl I drew had her eyes open. So scared I was, I tore it apart and threw it away."
Sarah: "Shame you threw it away; I wanted to see it."
Remi: "I was traumatized so much that I never drew again."
Sam: "Anyway, it's Lyn's turn."
Lyn began her story:
"So, I was home alone one day, and it was midnight—"
Sam: "Then your lights started to flicker, and you saw a silhouette of someone—"
Remi: "You can keep your roast to yourself until the last phase of the game. Lyn, continue. You know the rule: cheating is only allowed as long as you don't get caught."
Lyn continued her story, irritated:
"Just listen to the whole story, then judge. I am an only child, and my parents were to return after 8 in the morning. There was no school the next day, so I was watching a movie at midnight. At around 1 in the morning, someone knocked on my front door. I peeked outside my bedroom window to see who it was so late at night. My bedroom is on the ground floor, and I saw two kids, a girl and a boy, knocking on my door. My drawing of a tiny piece of curtain to look and their tilting of heads towards me was simultaneous. I saw that their eyes were completely black. They were now in front of my window, explaining their situation, saying they were lost and needed to call their parents. They said they were cold and wanted me to let them inside until their family member found them. I said through my window that I would call their family and asked them to tell me their number, but I was actually about to call 911. Just then, they got really mad and started beating on my window with such strength that such small kids could not yield. I got out of my room and explained to the 911 operator what had happened. The kids were gone before the police arrived on the scene. I saw, just that afternoon, a report about these same two kids going around the city knocking on people's doors late at night, requesting to be let in."
Sarah: "Though the fact that these kids had black eyes was in everyone's report, it was never confirmed by the CCTV cameras that caught footage of them."
Sasha: "Can I drink from this water bottle, whoever's it is?"
Remi: "Of course."
Sarah: "I suppose it's my turn."
So began Sarah:
"This happened a year ago. I made too many cakes—two large ones and ten cupcakes. But, since my family only consists of four members, there were a lot of leftovers."
Sam: "I remember that cake pandemic of yours."
Sarah continued:
"After distributing cakes among my neighbors, there were five cupcakes left as well as a house where an old man lived whom everyone ignored and was rude to because they believed that ever since that man moved to this city, paranormal activities had started taking place throughout this city, 'Bayt Mawara Altabiea'. I knocked on his door and presented him with the cupcakes. He was too happy for just some cupcakes. Coincidentally, it was his birthday, and because he felt valued for the first time in his entire life, he canceled his plan to commit suicide."
Remi: "I wonder how you found out about his canceled plans."
Sarah: "Well, only Sam and Sasha are left."
Sam began his story:
"I moved to the house I currently live in last year. This story is about the house I used to live in. I was on a family trip for two days. During my last month in that house, our snacks and some of our important things were getting lost or misplaced in the weirdest way possible. On the first night of our trip, we received a call from our neighbor late at night. She explained that she had to call the cops because she saw someone moving around our house. She first saw them in the living room window, then in my bedroom window, and in my parents' room window. Since she knew we were on a trip, she called the cops. This incident was published in a small section of the newspaper, which I have brought with me."
Sam placed the piece of newspaper on the table where the candle lit. Everyone leaned forward and took a look at it.
Remi: "Where in your house did he live?"
Sam: "There were a lot of extra rooms in our house, also a basement and a rooftop attic. Sometimes I could hear faint footsteps on our rooftop, and one time I was in the basement and thought I heard the breathing of a man somewhere deep in the dark."
Remi: "I suppose we shouldn't just believe anything we didn't expect as paranormal and should just turn on the lights to check what it was. Do you realize, had you been in your room that day when he was roaming in your house, he could have easily killed you in your sleep considering how big he was?"
Sam: "It's not like we never checked those footsteps or whatever, but it was just like in the movies. Just as I heard footsteps on the rooftop, I went with my dad to see nothing. The thing is, I was the only one in spots where these events were taking place, so it was hard to convince anyone that something was going on."
Sasha: "So, should I start my turn?"
Sam: "Sure."
Sasha: "What date is today?"
Sarah: "15th of October."
Sasha: "It was the 1st of October, a Sunday. In our group chat, all of you summoned me to the coffee shop by the road, saying we were going somewhere fun. I arrived 15 minutes later at the meeting spot, but none of you were there. I messaged, but it turned out it was one of your pranks you always play. I was mad but said nothing as I always do. That location was very far from my home, and hence I was late. It started raining when I was halfway there, so I got wet. None of you were there except one of you four. Someone pushed me from behind. Panicked, scared, nervous, and shivering from either the cold or fear, I saw a truck coming towards me. I looked behind myself in hopes that if I survived the accident, I would know my alleged killer. I saw a silhouette of someone very familiar to me, someone among the four of you, I am sure.
I woke up in the hospital the same day. I started coming to school by the 2nd of October in hopes of finding the one who pushed me. Actually, our class was suspended that day, but I never received a message from the school nor was there any notice on Friday."
Sarah: "So you are stating that after experiencing such an accident, you started coming to school the very next day? You have great health."
Suddenly, the flame of the candle went out, and it was all dark. The temperature of the room dropped, leaving the people inside shivering, though it was summer.
A voice spoke in a deep, loud tone:
"For the judgment of this storytelling ritual:
The first tale told by Remi was not true.
The second tale told by Lyn was not true.
The third tale told by Sarah was not true.
The fourth tale told by Sam was not true.
The fifth tale told by Sasha was indeed very true."
The voice faded as it had appeared, leaving the listeners scared, scared even by the sound of their own breath. Then came a feeling of confusion. The gathered people in this room were only four, but five stories were told. Sasha clumsily navigated her way through the darkness and turned on the lights.
Remi: "Sasha, also pass the—oh."
Everyone's attention went to Sasha's chair, where a piece of newspaper was glued. On it was a news article covering Sasha's death on the 1st of October by a truck. The truck driver was currently in jail.
Their confusion led to the realization that Sasha's death was not an accident but a murder. Sasha was with them just for a while to tell them that one of them had killed her, and according to the judgment of the ritual, she had told the truth.