In the town of BlackPort, nestled in the south of Aurora City and known as the Rainy Paradise, there lies a secret. Close to Star Ocean, with its beautiful beaches and sunsets, BlackPort harbors an eerie mystery.
As the sky darkened unexpectedly at 11:30 AM, suggesting an impending storm, Maya was lost in her thoughts, daydreaming in her Psychology class. Suddenly, a loud "BOOOO!" jolted her back to reality. Alex had crept up behind her and scared her while she was zoning out.
"AHHH! OH MY GOSH, Alex, you scared me!" Maya exclaimed, punching Alex on his arm.
"Ouch, that hurt, Maya. What if I got injured? You know how important I am to the basketball team. I'm the only guy who can single-handedly beat the TTU Cubs. They do call me the Amazing Alex for a reason," he bragged.
"They do now? I'm sorry, the greatest Amazing Alex, for injuring your little bitty arm," Maya retorted sarcastically.
"You know what, Maya? I hate you."
"Oh, is that so? I hate you more," she shot back, both laughing. "Let's get the others."
"Yeah, let's go!" Alex yelled, drawing the attention of the entire class. Maya gestured to the class that Alex was crazy, and they both left, heading towards the computer lab to find Ethan.
As they walked, Alex looked up at the sky and muttered, "I pray it doesn't rain."
"That's why they call BlackPort the Rainy Paradise," Maya replied. "Beautiful town, but it rains almost all the damn time."
"Who knows, maybe some demon or spirit is controlling the weather," Alex joked, and they both laughed.
They reached the computer lab and saw Ethan engrossed in his assignment. Waving and jumping like crazy at the door, they tried to get his attention. Maya remarked, "Classic Ethan in his own imaginary world."
"Once his eyes are on a screen, he won't leave it alone. It's kinda scary if you ask me," Alex added.
Approaching Ethan, they waved their hands in front of his screen, but he remained focused. Maya eventually grabbed his headphones, and Alex and Maya leaned in to listen.
"Anime openings?" Alex noted with amusement. Maya recognized the tune, "You were listening to 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' from Neon Genesis Evangelion. You've got great taste, Ethan."
"Thanks," Ethan replied, slightly embarrassed.
"What were you so fixated on?" Alex asked.
"Just a cybersecurity assignment," Ethan said. "School opened three weeks ago, and you're already buried in assignments?" Maya asked, shocked.
"I like to get them done early to avoid unnecessary pressure," Ethan explained.
"Can you do my assignment then?" Alex teased.
"I'd rather die," Ethan laughed. "Have you seen Lena?"
Maya and Alex exchanged looks. "You know Lena, she's probably in her dorm, the library, or class," Maya said. "She really hates talking to people."
"No Shit," Ethan said as the sky grew darker. People started opening their umbrellas. Ethan checked the weather forecast. "It's going to be heavy rains," he noted.
They decided to look for Lena around campus, starting with her Literature class. Not finding her there, they asked a classmate, "Hey, do you know where we can find Lena?"
"Who?" the classmate responded.
"You know, short girl with long silky black hair, wears glasses, and is always quiet," Alex described.
"Oh, her. No idea," the classmate shrugged.
"Thank you," Maya said. "We'll keep looking."
"Is Lena invisible or what?" Alex joked.
"She's probably in the library," Ethan suggested.
They made their way to the library and eventually found Lena in the deepest corner, reading something on her laptop. Maya crept behind her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Lena jumped, startled, and stuttered, "I...was reading an article about a mansion in Raven Mills that supposedly grants wishes."
Alex and Ethan joined them, and Alex cracked a joke to lighten the mood. "You are one hard person to find," Ethan said, adding, "Even your classmates don't seem to know who you are".
"It must stay like that," Lena replied, blushing slightly.
Ethan leaned over to see what she was reading. "Mystery Mansion Can Grant Wishes," he read aloud. "You know that mansion at Raven Mills is fake, right?"
"How do you know?" Lena challenged. "There are witness reports and people who say it's real."
"I've read plenty of forums that say it's fake," Ethan insisted. "If you want to go, we can go. If it's not real, I'll say 'I told you so,' and you'll owe me something."
"If it is real, you'll do all our assignments," Lena countered.
"Deal," Ethan agreed, shaking her hand.
They left the library and went to a nearby restaurant to unwind. As they ordered their food—Maya with a spicy chicken sandwich, Alex with a bacon cheeseburger, Ethan with a Caesar salad, and Lena with a veggie wrap—they enjoyed chatting about their day over the meal.
Maya received a text from her parents, informing her they wouldn't be home for a few days. Excited, she told Alex, Ethan, and Lena, "Hey, my parents won't be home tonight. I have the house to myself."
"Sleepover and game night?" Ethan suggested.
Absolutely," Maya agreed. "Bring board games and snacks. Lena, are you coming?"
"Hmm...I don't know yet, and plus it's going to rain," Lena said.
"Come on, you never join us," Alex pleaded.
"Please, Lena," Ethan added. "It'll be fun."
"Okay, fine, I'll come. I mean, a sleepover won't hurt," Lena said.
After some convincing, Lena agreed. They all cheered, thrilled that she was finally stepping out of her comfort zone.
On her way home, Maya stopped at the local supermarket to buy snacks and drinks. As she left the store, a loud thunderclap and flash of lightning caused a power outage in BlackPort. "Great, just what we needed," Maya muttered, buying candles as well.
Rushing to her car in the pouring rain, Maya called Alex, Ethan, and Lena on a group call. "There's a power outage, but the sleepover is still on."
Relieved, they all confirmed their attendance. Maya arrived home to find her parents packing to leave. "We're going to help your uncle with his company overseas," her dad explained. Maya waved them off and started preparing for her friends' arrival.
Setting up candles and rearranging the living room furniture, Maya was ready by 6:30 PM. Alex was the first to arrive, bringing checkers and 30 Seconds.
"You brought my favorite board game! I'm the world champion at 30 Seconds," Maya declared.
"Well, I'm a five-time world champ. I haven't lost a single game," Alex boasted.
"We'll see about that tonight, Mr. Five-Time World Champ," Maya challenged.
"Wow, Alex, you're early. Did something click in your head?" Maya teased.
"You're really funny," Alex retorted.
Ethan and Lena arrived together, both surprised to see Alex already there. "Wow, Alex, you got here first," Ethan remarked, amazed.
"Yeah, I did," Alex replied with a wink.
With the power still out, they used the weather app to check the forecast. "It'll stop raining tonight and clear up tomorrow," Alex announced, lifting everyone's spirits.
They played board games, snacked, and enjoyed each other's company. As the rain picked up again, Alex suggested telling scary stories. Lena hesitated, despite her love for horror books and movies.
"I don't like hearing scary stories at night," she admitted.
"Womp Womp," Alex teased. "Okay, here's one. It's about BlackPort's urban legend: the Umbrella Man."
Maya and Ethan burst out laughing. "The Umbrella Man? Is that supposed to be scary?" Ethan asked.
"Let me finish," Alex insisted. "My grandfather told me about the Umbrella Man. He only haunts people when it's raining and at night. When he's summoned, the rain doesn't stop until he gets what he wants."
Lena, now curious, asked, "What does he want?"
"Children," Alex replied, pausing for effect.
"That's messed up," Ethan said. "Children, really?"
"Yeah," Alex continued. "BlackPort used to be sunny before his death. After his death, it became the Rainy Paradise. The Umbrella Man is the spirit of someone who died or was killed in the rain. When you call him, he never leaves until he gets what he wants, and the rain doesn't stop."
"This is supposed to be scary? It sounds made up," Lena said skeptically.
"It's real," Alex insisted. "There's a way to summon him."
"There's no way you believe that," Ethan said. "It sounds like something I'd tell my little sister to scare her."
"Yeah, any way to summon him?" Maya asked. "Let's see if Alex is crazy or not."
"No, I don't know," Alex replied, frustration evident in his voice.
Ethan whipped out his phone and began searching the internet. "Let's see... summoning the Umbrella Man," he muttered. His eyes widened as he read through the results. "You won't believe this, Alex. There are tons of reports about people seeing the Umbrella Man."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, and I found the summoning poem," Ethan continued. "It says to read the poem when it's raining, specifically at night. Make sure you have a sacrifice, hold your umbrella upside down, and recite the passage. That's how you supposedly summon him."
Lena, who had been listening quietly, interjected, "This is a bad idea. What if he's real?"
Maya shrugged. "We should try it. Trust me, Lena, he doesn't exist."
Despite Lena's reservations, Alex grabbed his raincoat and headed outside, holding his umbrella upside down. The rain was falling steadily, creating a rhythmic patter on the ground. He glanced at his phone and started reading the passage aloud:
"Umbrella Man, Umbrella Man
Standing in the rain
Using your umbrella to cover your pain
Storming night is your stage
Umbrella Man, Umbrella Man,
I call you out by your name."
As Alex stood in the rain, he began to hear faint whispers. He screamed back to the house, "Did you guys hear that?" But the rain drowned out his voice.
Inside, Maya and Ethan laughed. "I can't believe he thinks it's real," Maya said.
Lena, her heart pounding, saw a shadowy figure with an umbrella waving from a distance. Fear gripped her.
Alex felt embarrassed and turned around, only to see the shadowy figure clearly now. "Hey, guys! He's there! The summoning worked!"
Maya pointed her flashlight in the direction Alex was indicating. The beam illuminated a small tree, its branches eerily resembling a human figure. Alex, feeling foolish, began walking back to the house. As he reached the porch, he saw a shadowy figure with an umbrella walking up the stairs inside.
He ran into the house, grabbed Maya's flashlight, and pointed it at the stairs, screaming, "I just saw the Umbrella Man!"
Ethan and Maya exchanged glances, amusement clear on their faces. "Alex, he isn't real," Ethan said.
Lena, her voice shaking, whispered, "I saw him outside, waving at me."
Ethan's expression turned serious for a moment. "Wow, Alex. The Umbrella Man is so real," he said sarcastically.
Alex was about to argue when Lena interrupted, "He is real! I saw him outside after Alex summoned him. This was a bad idea."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Come on, not you too, Lena."
They all went inside and sat in the living room. Ethan excused himself to go to the bathroom. Alex, Lena, and Maya continued to discuss the events, with Alex and Lena trying to convince Maya of what they saw. Maya remained skeptical.
Suddenly, the candles in the living room flickered and went out, plunging the room into darkness. The temperature dropped drastically, sending shivers down their spines. Alex, Lena, and Maya exchanged nervous glances.
"Lena, calm down," Maya whispered, hearing Lena's panicked breaths.
Lena clutched Alex's arm tightly. The room grew colder, and the rain outside intensified, pounding against the windows with a relentless force. They heard heavy, creaking footsteps above them, moving slowly and deliberately. Each step echoed ominously through the house, growing louder and heavier.
They followed the sound to the bottom of the stairs, peeking through the doorway. The footsteps continued, and their hearts raced with fear. Alex stepped in front of Maya and Lena, ready to protect them. The tension was unbearable.
The footsteps grew louder, closer. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Alex braced himself, but as the figure descended, he realized it was Ethan.
"Ethan, what the hell?" Alex exclaimed, his voice a mix of relief and anger.
Ethan let out a nervous laugh. "Oh man, sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you guys."
But the fear lingering in the air was palpable. Lena's eyes were wide with terror. "This isn't funny, Ethan. Something is out there. I know what I saw."
Yeah, yeah, Lena, you saw the Umbrella Man outside waving at you. That's so scary," Ethan teased. He then asked why the candles were out and why they looked so frightened. Maya explained that they thought he was the Umbrella Man.
Just then, the power came back on, lifting their spirits momentarily. Little did they know, the Umbrella Man was right there with them, a sinister smile on his face as he planned who would be his first victim.
Maya, still unconvinced, looked out the window to ensure nobody was there. She spaced out, and Lena called her multiple times. Maya didn't hear her until Lena shook her back to reality. "Do you believe the Umbrella Man is real?" Lena asked.
"Fifty-fifty," Maya replied, still unsure.
They went to the kitchen, and Ethan, trying to lighten the mood, said, "I'll cook a scary meal for us since all three of you are scared, except me." As he cooked, he cracked jokes to ease the tension.
"I'm going to take a shower to clear my mind," Maya announced, heading upstairs. As she walked, she noticed all her photos were upside down. She entered the bathroom and was stunned to see an umbrella there. She removed it, placing it outside the bathroom. Just as she stepped back in, the Umbrella Man walked past the door. She froze, heart pounding, and hurriedly closed the door.
Inside, she saw a coat hanging. "Did Alex leave this here?" she wondered aloud. As she pondered, a shadowy figure appeared behind her. Its black, burnt-like hands stretched out as if ready to choke her. He got closer, right behind her, smiling sinisterly. "I want my coat back," he whispered in her ear.
Maya spun around quickly, but there was nothing there except the opened umbrella. Terrified, she threw the coat aside and took a quick, panicked shower.
When she came downstairs, she confessed, "I think Alex isn't lying. The Umbrella Man is real."
Alex stood up from his chair, shocked. "Are you okay? Did he try to hurt you?"
Lena, stunned but relieved, asked, "What happened?"
Maya explained, "I saw an umbrella and a coat in the shower. I heard him speak, saying he wanted his coat. All my pictures were upside down, and my baby pictures were marked with bloody tears." She looked at Alex, desperate. "Is there any way to stop this madness before it gets worse?"
Alex opened his mouth to answer, but Ethan interrupted, laughing. "Y'all are just delusional. The Umbrella Man isn't real."
Ethan laughed and boldly climbed onto Maya's family dining table. With a dramatic flair, he announced, "Umbrella Man, I know you hear me. If you're real, why don't you drag me down to the basement of this house?"
Ethan stood on the table for a solid two minutes, and nothing happened. He jumped down and said, "Your little umbrella man isn't real."
Out of nowhere, Ethan faceplanted on the floor so hard that his tooth flew out. He tried to play it off as if he had tripped, but before he could stand, an unseen force grabbed him and started dragging him through the house towards the basement.
Ethan screamed, "Help! Help me!" His cries echoed through the house as Maya and Alex watched in horror.
Ethan clawed at the floor, searching for anything to grip. His nails scraped against the wood, leaving trails of blood. Lucky for him, he managed to grab a flashlight.
"Hold on, Ethan!" Maya yelled, her voice trembling.
"Come on, we have to help him!" Alex shouted, panic rising in his voice.
They watched helplessly as Ethan was dragged closer to the basement. The sound of his nails scratching the floor mixed with his desperate screams created a chilling symphony of terror.
Ethan's mouth was bleeding, and scars marked the floor where he had been dragged. Alex rushed to the basement door, pounding on it with all his might.
"Open up!" he yelled, his fists slamming against the door. "Let him go!"
But the door wouldn't budge. The sound of Ethan's screams grew fainter as he disappeared into the darkness of the basement. Maya and Alex exchanged terrified glances, their hearts pounding in their chests.
Ethan got dragged to the basement, his heart pounding in his chest. Shaking, he switched on the flashlight and looked around, the beam of light trembling in his grasp. Shadows danced eerily along the walls as he searched for the Umbrella Man. Then he saw him: standing in the corner of the basement, clad in an all-black raincoat. One side of his face was burnt, the other rotting with decayed flesh.
The Umbrella Man's back was to Ethan, the black umbrella he held facing the corner. As he began to sing his haunting passage, the flashlight flickered. Every time Ethan hit the flashlight to steady it, the Umbrella Man moved closer. With each flicker, he advanced. Closer, and closer, until finally, they were face to face. Ethan screamed and switched on the basement light. He looked around frantically, but the Umbrella Man was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan stood near the light bulb, his breath coming in heavy, fearful gasps. Suddenly, a blackened hand reached out and shattered the bulb, plunging the basement into darkness once more. Ethan's screams pierced the air as the Umbrella Man's claws scraped his face, leaving deep, bloody scratches and tearing his hoodie to shreds.
In a panic, Ethan fumbled to turn the flashlight back on. As the beam cut through the darkness, it illuminated the Umbrella Man retreating into the shadows.
"Stay back!" Ethan shouted, his voice quivering.
The Umbrella Man hissed, retreating from the light.
"You won't get me!" Ethan yelled.
The basement door burst open, and Alex and Maya rushed in, their faces pale with worry.
"Ethan, are you alright?" Maya called out, her voice trembling.
"Help me!" Ethan shouted back.
They saw Ethan, bloodied and battered. His mouth was smeared with blood, his fingernails had been completely ripped off, and the right side of his face was a mess of deep cuts from the Umbrella Man's claws.
With the flashlight still focused on the Umbrella Man, Alex and Maya carefully helped Ethan make his way to the stairs. As Ethan moved, the figure retreated into the darkness, its haunting singing fading away. Ethan, supported by his friends, climbed the stairs with great effort and finally reached the top.
The house fell into an eerie silence, the air thick with tension. Ethan was in shock, his mind reeling from the harrowing experience. He couldn't believe what he had just encountered.
"Ethan, what happened down there?" Alex asked, his voice low.
"I... I saw him," Ethan whispered, still shaken.
Alex and Maya exchanged worried glances, helping Ethan to sit down. The house remained unnaturally quiet, as if holding its breath.
Ethan was in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just experienced. He sat in dead silence. Alex and Maya rushed to help him stand. The house became eerily quiet, so much so that you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, he heard the basement window creak open. Standing in the hallway, they wondered where the Umbrella Man would appear next.
Joey came down from upstairs, and Maya scooped him up. As they tried to leave the house, the Umbrella Man appeared, grabbing Joey and dragging him back upstairs. They followed, desperately trying to save Joey, but they couldn't catch up. Joey's terrified meowing and hissing echoed through the house.
The door to Maya's parents' bedroom swung open with a creak. There, they saw the Umbrella Man holding Joey, twisting his head slowly. The sound of Joey's bones snapping filled the room with a loud, chilling crack. Joey was dead.
"No! Joey!" Maya screamed, her voice breaking with despair.
Then they saw the Umbrella Man's fingers pointing at Lena. His long, bony fingers extended like claws, casting an ominous shadow. As he stepped out of Maya's parent bedroom, the floorboards creaked under his weight, echoing through the silent house.
"He's coming for Lena!" Alex shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
"Run!" Ethan yelled, his adrenaline kicking in.
They all bolted down the hallway, their footsteps pounding like a desperate heartbeat. The walls seemed to close in around them as they raced towards the front door. Lena's breath hitched in her throat, her fear palpable.
"We have to get to the car!" Maya urged, her voice high-pitched and frantic.
Before Lena could escape, the Umbrella Man dragged her by the hair across the hallway to the kitchen, slamming her head against the door and shattering the glass. Alex, Ethan, and Maya, hearing the commotion, rushed back into the house and sprinted to the kitchen. There, they were horrified to see Lena levitating with her arms spread wide, her body twisting grotesquely as if her bones were being contorted and cracked.
Before they could react, the Umbrella Man lifted Lena further into the air and snapped her arm with a sickening crack. Lena's scream, filled with excruciating pain, echoed through the house, bringing tears to their eyes. The Umbrella Man's grip tightened around her throat, choking her mercilessly.
"Lena!" Maya shrieked, her voice breaking.
Ethan, thinking fast, grabbed a flashlight and shone it directly at the Umbrella Man. The light seemed to burn him, and he released Lena, who fell to the floor gasping for air. They dashed to Ethan's car, but Alex was so shaken he struggled to get the keys into the ignition.
"Hurry up!" Maya and Ethan screamed in unison, their voices desperate.
Lena's cries of pain filled the car, a horrifying reminder of the danger they were in. Maya glanced outside, but the Umbrella Man was nowhere to be seen. Inside the car, an eerie silence fell over them. Alex adjusted the rearview mirror, and his blood ran cold. Reflected in the mirror, the Umbrella Man's hand was covering Lena's mouth.
"No!" Alex gasped, his voice barely a whisper.
Before the Umbrella Man could speak, Ethan shone the flashlight at him again, causing him to recoil. Alex hit the gas, and the car lurched forward. As they sped away, they saw the Umbrella Man standing in the distance, his figure a dark silhouette against the night.
"We have to get to safety," Ethan muttered, his voice trembling.
"Where can we go?" Maya asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"I don't know," Alex replied, glancing at Lena in the rearview mirror. "But we can't stop now."
The road ahead was dark and uncertain, but they knew they had to keep going. The memory of the Umbrella Man's cold touch and the sound of Lena's screams spurred them onward, desperate to escape the nightmare that had invaded their lives.
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