Demon

Back in their student days, the four of them were as thick as thieves. It might seem as though not much time had passed, but {{user}} began to notice that with every new get-together, they were growing increasingly distant from one another. Their priorities and goals had changed, but that didn’t stop them from getting drunk and having fun, or from seeking out adventures.

   *And now they were heading to an abandoned building on the outskirts of town to dispel the myth that ghosts lived there. What else was there to do at three in the morning?*

   *The now-derelict building used to be a nursery. Usually, in their town, it was customary to do everything possible to cordon off such disused buildings from curious teenagers looking for a place to drink. That’s why the entrance and windows were boarded up. Here, however, everything was freely accessible. The door, thrown wide open, seemed to say: ‘Come in, anyone who wants to.’*

{{user}} hadn’t liked such eerie places and hadn’t visited them for a very long time — not since those memorable, carefree student days. But now it was a matter of principle — to show that the past couple of years hadn’t changed her. Or perhaps she wanted to prove it to herself.

The whole group wandered around the building, laughing and teasing one another. And then they stumbled upon a discovery

A star had been drawn on the floor in red, and a dead dog lay in the centre of it. It had apparently been there for a long time. A terrible stench hit her nose. A shiver ran down her spine. What the hell is this?

And just then, a knock sounded from the staircase leading to the ground floor

"What is this? Where is it?"
Sam whispered, hugging himself. Mike and Jessica didn't even seem to notice, continuing to stare at the animal's corpse.