The GPS said they were close, but the road ahead looked wrong.
Ravi stared through the windshield and felt a cold shiver slip down his arms.
He and his cousin Mira were supposed to reach their aunt’s house before dark. They had taken the highway, followed the signs, and trusted the smooth blue line on Ravi’s phone. But now they were rolling down a narrow dirt path between tall trees, and the sky above them had turned a heavy grey.
“This can’t be right,” Mira whispered.
Ravi checked the screen again. “It says three more minutes.”
The trees parted suddenly, and a small town appeared ahead — neat little houses, scattered lights, and a quiet main road. The place looked old, like no one had updated it in decades. But the oddest part was how still it felt. No cars. No people. No sound.
Mira leaned forward. “Do you know this place?”
Ravi shook his head. “It’s not on any map. I checked before we left.”
Still, the GPS insisted it was here.
They drove slowly through the main road. Faded shop signs hung above dusty windows. A stray dog watched them from behind a broken fence but made no sound. Even the air felt thick, like the whole place was holding a breath.
Ravi pulled the car to a stop near a small square. The GPS cheerfully announced they had arrived at their destination — a patch of cracked pavement and a dry fountain.
“That’s it?” Mira asked. “There’s nothing here.”
Ravi swallowed. His throat felt tight. “Maybe the signal got messed up.”
The dog trotted closer, silent and strange, its eyes reflecting the dim light like mirrors.
Mira tapped the window. “Can we leave now?”
“Yeah,” Ravi said. “Let’s turn around.”
But the road behind them wasn’t the same road they came from.
Where the dirt path should have been, another empty street stretched into shadow.
Ravi gripped the steering wheel. “No… no, we came through trees. This wasn’t here.”
Mira’s voice cracked. “Ravi, please—just go.”
He drove forward. The tires crunched over gravel. The houses looked the same on every street—identical roofs, identical windows, identical closed doors. It was like the town was repeating itself.
The GPS kept refreshing. Every refresh placed them in the same spot.
You have arrived.
You have arrived.
They stopped near a house with a flickering porch light. Ravi didn’t want to get out, but the car had started making a soft grinding sound, something he’d never heard before.
Mira clutched her seatbelt. “Do you think someone lives here?”
“Maybe they can give directions.”
He stepped out. The air tasted of dust and something faintly metallic. The porch light buzzed overhead as he knocked on the door.
No answer.
He knocked again, louder. The wood felt oddly warm.
Behind him, Mira whispered from the car, “Ravi… look at the window.”
He turned.
A curtain in the house next door moved — just a tiny shift, like someone was peeking out.
Then another window, across the street.
Then another.
Shapes stood behind the curtains. Not clear faces, just silhouettes, watching without moving.
Ravi backed toward the car. “Get in. Lock the doors.”
Mira reached across and slammed down the lock. Her breathing shook the glass.
As Ravi opened the driver’s door, something new broke the silence.
A soft chime.
It came from every house at once — a faint, echoing ring, like a doorbell pressed gently.
Then again.
And again.
Dozens of bells, out of sync, rising and falling like a slow, strange chorus.
Mira covered her ears. “What is that?”
“I don’t know.”
The bells stopped.
The town fell silent again.
Then a single porch door creaked open across the street.
A tall figure stepped out. Ravi couldn’t see the face, only the outline — thin, still, and turned directly toward them.
Another door opened.
Another figure stepped out.
And another.
In seconds, the entire street filled with motionless silhouettes standing on their porches, all facing the car.
Ravi fumbled with the keys. “We’re leaving. Now.”
He started the engine, slammed the gear shift, and sped down the nearest road. The silhouettes didn’t chase them, but they turned their heads in perfect unison as the car passed, following the movement with slow, heavy precision.
Ravi pushed the pedal harder. The buildings blurred. The repeated houses vanished into streaks of grey.
Then the GPS beeped softly.
The screen flashed white.
Then rebooted.
A new blue line appeared — pointing left, toward a gap between the buildings.
Ravi didn’t question it. He turned.
The car shot down a narrow path, bumping hard over broken stones. Trees suddenly appeared ahead, tall and close together. They burst through them and onto a familiar dirt road.
Mira gasped. “This is it. This is the real road.”
Ravi didn’t slow down until they saw the highway lights.
Only then did he pull over, shaking so badly he could barely breathe.
They stared at the dark trees behind them. Nothing moved there.
The GPS showed their true location again.
Mira whispered, “Where did we go? What was that town?”
Ravi didn’t answer. He looked at the phone in his hand.
The GPS was still open.
A tiny banner at the bottom blinked gently:
Recent Destination:
— (no name)
Population: 0
Then the line of text faded
and disappeared
as if it had never existed at all.
