Days after my birthday, the atmosphere remained light and relaxed. The vacation had given us time to disconnect from the Stanford campus and enjoy moments together without the pressure of exams or academic responsibilities. Although Olivia kept insisting that we should make the most of every second, even during our vacation, I was grateful for these small pauses where we could simply be ourselves.
That day, we decided to go out and explore more of the town where we were staying. There was something magical about walking along its cobblestone streets, surrounded by ancient buildings and family-owned shops that seemed to have been there forever. The sun shone softly, reflecting off storefront windows and giving everything it touched a warm glow.
"I really have to say it," Olivia began as she adjusted the straps of her crossbody bag, "I'm amazing at organizing things. Am I right? I mean, who else could have pulled off a party like yours, Lindsay? It was epic. Literally, epic."
Sack rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling.
"Olivia, we've already told you it was incredible. But I think now you should stop proclaiming yourself the best event organizer in the world."
Ellie, who was walking beside me, laughed softly.
"Well, she's right about one thing. The party was spectacular. I've never seen anything like it. Even the five-tier cake was… well, monumental."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, pretending to be indignant.
"Just monumental? Please! That cake deserved its own documentary. They should have hired me to design professional cakes; I'm sure I would have revolutionized the industry."
We all laughed at her comment, though we knew she wasn't entirely joking. Olivia had a unique way of making any situation revolve around her, but that was part of her charm.
As we walked, Ellie pointed toward a small, ancient bookstore.
"Look at that! This place looks like it's straight out of a gothic novel. Can we go in?"
Olivia made a dramatic gesture, as if seriously considering the proposal.
"I suppose so, as long as there aren't any ghosts inside. You know I can't handle horror."
Sack burst out laughing.
"Olivia, you can't even watch trailers for horror movies. How do you expect to face a real ghost?"
She crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed.
"Exactly, Sack. That's what I'm saying. I can't—and won't—face one. I'd rather stay far away from anything paranormal."
Ellie, who clearly enjoyed the topic, chimed in excitedly.
"But that's precisely why it would be interesting. Imagine finding something truly strange. We could investigate it together."
Lindsay shook her head, though she couldn't help but smile.
"Ellie, I think Olivia has had enough with the failed expedition to the haunted tower at Stanford. I don't think she wants to repeat the experience."
Olivia nodded vigorously.
"No way. Once was more than enough for me. Plus, I almost froze to death that night."
Ellie leaned forward, visibly thrilled.
"But this time would be different. I'm sure we could capture something interesting. Maybe even record a video or take some photos."
Just then, an elderly man passing nearby overheard our conversation and stopped.
"If you're looking for something interesting to photograph," he said with a kind smile, "there's an abandoned church on the outskirts of town. It's quite a peculiar place, full of history… and some say spirits too."
Ellie's eyes lit up.
"That sounds perfect! Let's go. I'm sure we'll find something fascinating."
Olivia grimaced, obviously uncomfortable with the idea.
"An abandoned church? No thanks. I'd rather photograph something less… creepy."
Sack looked at me, smirking mischievously.
"Come on, Olivia. It'll be fun. Besides, you yourself said you wanted to explore unique places in this town."
Olivia huffed, crossing her arms.
"I don't remember saying that. And I definitely didn't mention anything about haunted places."
Ellie intervened, putting on her best pleading face.
"Please, Olivia. It'll only be for a little while. I promise that if we feel anything weird, we'll run out immediately."
Finally, after much insistence, we managed to convince her. We headed toward the abandoned church, which was just a few minutes away by car. When we arrived, the place looked like it was straight out of a horror movie. The stone walls were covered in moss, and broken windows let in rays of light that illuminated the dusty interior. Everything was wrapped in an unsettling silence.
"This is exactly what I expected," Ellie said excitedly, pulling out her camera. "I'm going to start taking pictures."
Olivia, on the other hand, looked completely out of place. She hugged herself, nervously glancing around.
"I don't like this," she muttered. "There's something… strange here."
Sack approached her, trying to calm her down.
"Come on, we're just exploring. If anything happens, we'll run out. But so far, there's nothing to fear."
We started walking through the inside of the church, taking photos and observing the details of the place. The tall columns and broken pews created a surreal atmosphere. At one point, Ellie wandered off to photograph a broken stained-glass window, while Sack and I stayed behind to examine some inscriptions on the walls.
"What do you think these marks mean?" I asked, pointing to some faded letters carved into the stone.
Sack leaned in to examine them more closely.
"I'm not sure. They look like dates… maybe names. It's as if someone wanted to leave their mark here."
Suddenly, we heard a loud thud coming from one of the side doors. We all froze, looking at each other with expressions of surprise.
"What was that?" Olivia asked, her voice trembling.
Ellie came running back, her eyes wide.
"I don't know, but I think it's coming from over there," she said, pointing toward the source of the sound.
Before we could investigate further, another thud echoed, followed by a sharp scream that seemed to come from the back of the church. Olivia screamed too, but this time out of sheer fright.
"That's it! We're leaving!" she exclaimed, starting to run toward the exit.
Sack and I exchanged a quick glance before following her, with Ellie right behind us. Olivia led the race as if she were competing in a marathon, leaving all of us in the dust.
When we finally got out of the church, panting and laughing nervously, we stopped to catch our breath.
"I'm never going back in there!" Olivia declared, still breathing heavily. "I swear, never again."
Ellie, on the other hand, seemed thrilled.
"It was amazing! Didn't you feel like something was watching us?"
Olivia glared at her.
"Yes, I felt it. And I don't want to repeat it."
Sack laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
"Well, at least now we know Olivia can run faster than any of us."
We all laughed, though I still felt a chill running down my spine. Maybe Ellie was right. Maybe something had been watching us. But for now, I preferred to leave it as a funny story to tell later.