The Interview from Beyond

The old building, with its peeling paint and rusted gates, stood at the end of a dark alley, a forgotten relic of a bygone era. The Interview Room, as locals whispered, was a place where the dead were summoned to recount their final moments. It was said that the room was haunted by the spirits of those who had been questioned there, bound to the space until their stories were told.

Lila, a young and ambitious journalist, had heard the tales but dismissed them as mere superstition. However, when her editor assigned her to write an exposé on the building's history, her skepticism waned. The Interview Room had been the site of a series of mysterious disappearances years ago, and Lila's assignment was to uncover the truth behind these events.

As she stepped into the interview room, the air was thick with dust and the scent of old paper. The room was a small, windowless box, with a large wooden table in the center, and two chairs flanking it. A tape recorder sat on the table, a relic of the past that had been left behind.

Lila's heart raced as she set up her recording equipment. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She had read about the interviews that had taken place here, but nothing could have prepared her for the eerie silence that filled the room.

She began by asking the simple question, "What brought you here?" The words hung in the air, unresponsive. Lila tried again, her voice growing louder, but still, there was no answer. She pressed the record button and waited, the tape rolling in anticipation of a response.

It was then that she felt a cold breeze sweep through the room, chilling her to the bone. She turned to see a shadowy figure standing at the door, its face obscured by the darkness. Her eyes widened in shock, but the figure did not move. It was as if it were a ghost, watching her.

Lila's hands began to tremble, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "Who are you?" she asked. The figure did not respond, but Lila felt a presence, a sense of being watched.

She decided to change the subject, hoping to break the silence. "Can you tell me about the interviews that took place here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The figure stepped closer, and Lila felt a chill run down her spine.

"Many came to the Interview Room seeking answers," the voice whispered, its tone cold and distant. "They were looking for closure, for peace, but they found something else."

Lila's heart pounded in her chest. She felt a shiver of fear, but she pressed on. "What did they find?"

The figure turned to face her, and Lila gasped. The shadowy form became more defined, and she realized it was the image of a young man, his face contorted with pain and fear. "They found their own deaths," the man's voice echoed in her mind. "They were trapped in the room, their voices never to be heard."

Lila's eyes widened in horror. She knew she had to leave the room, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. The man's voice grew louder, more insistent. "Tell their stories, Lila. Tell their stories!"

She tried to speak, but her voice was gone. The room was filled with the echoes of the man's voice, his cries for help. She could see him now, bound to the chair across from her, his eyes filled with terror.

Suddenly, the tape recorder began to play. The voice of the young man echoed through the room, his words clear and desperate. "Please, someone, help me... I can't breathe..."

Lila's eyes filled with tears as she realized the truth. The man was trapped in the room, his spirit bound to the place where he had died. She had to set him free.

She rushed to the chair, breaking the man's restraints. As she did, the room began to shake, and the walls seemed to close in around her. The man's spirit emerged from the chair, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Lila," he whispered, "thank you. Thank you for freeing me."

Before she could respond, the room was enveloped in darkness. When the light returned, the Interview Room was empty, and Lila was alone.

The following day, Lila's story was published, and it sparked a national debate about the supernatural and the afterlife. She had uncovered a truth that had been hidden for years, and her life was forever changed by the experience.

The Interview from Beyond was more than a ghost story; it was a tale of redemption, of a spirit finally finding peace. And in the eerie silence of the Interview Room, Lila had become the bridge between worlds, a journalist who had not only uncovered the truth but also set a spirit free.