The Summoning Ritual on Poveglia Island

Poveglia Island, nestled in the Venetian Lagoon, had long been shrouded in mystery and fear. Tales of ghosts and spirit summoning rituals circulated among the locals for centuries. Legend had it that the island became cursed with the construction of a mental hospital in the 1920s. Patients reportedly endured torture and cruel treatments, leaving behind a haunting presence that lingered to this day.

On a dark and chilly midnight, a brave group of teenage adventurers set foot on the deserted island. They had heard terrifying stories about Poveglia Island and sought to uncover the truth behind the legends. Among them was Anna, an 18-year-old girl with an avid interest in the supernatural, who became the center of attention.

"We're going to try the spirit summoning ritual in this abandoned hospital," proclaimed Luca, the group's leader. "They say there's a room at the end of this corridor that's frequented by spirits."

Anna nodded eagerly, though her heart raced with anticipation. She had never been a firm believer in the supernatural, but there was a curious longing within her to prove that there were things beyond scientific explanation.

They navigated through the ruins, avoiding debris and overgrown plants clinging to the crumbling walls. The atmosphere was tense, with the gentle rustling of the wind and the distant murmur of water surrounding the eerie silence of the island. None of them felt entirely comfortable, but their curiosity outweighed their fear.

Finally, they arrived at the promised room. The rusty door creaked as Luca cautiously pushed it open. The room was pitch-black, illuminated only by the faint moonlight seeping through broken windows on the opposite side.

"Why don't we try the Mirror Ritual?" suggested Anna suddenly, recalling a passage from a book she had read. "They say if we stand in front of a mirror and speak the name of someone who died on this island, their spirit might appear."

"Are you serious?" asked Marco, one of the more skeptical members of the group. "What if it actually works?"

"We'll never know unless we try," Anna replied confidently.

With caution, Luca retrieved a mirror from his bag and placed it in the center of the room. Anna stood before it, gazing at her pale reflection illuminated by the moonlight.

"His name is Matteo," Anna whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Matteo, if you're here, show yourself."

Seconds passed without any response. The night wind sighed outside, adding to the tension in the room.

Suddenly, they felt a cold breeze creeping among them. Anna's hair stood on end. She was on the verge of calling off the experiment when, unexpectedly, a faint figure materialized on the surface of the mirror.

Luca and Marco held their breath. The figure became clearer, resembling a young man with eyes filled with sorrow.

"Matteo?" Anna uttered in disbelief.

The figure nodded slowly, leaving Anna awestruck.

"I can't leave," whispered the figure with a barely audible voice. "They tortured us here. We're trapped."

Before Anna could respond, the mirror shattered into pieces. The loud crash shattered the silence of the night, causing all three teenagers to scream in terror.

They fled from the room as fast as they could, stumbling through the dark corridors. When they finally emerged from the building, they gasped for breath under the starlit sky.

"We must never go back there," Marco said between breaths.

Luca looked at Anna with concern. "What happened in there?"

Anna shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the dark silhouette of the island floating in the serene lagoon.

"Maybe there's truth to the stories about Poveglia Island," she whispered softly.

In the days that followed, the island's dark history and the legend of spirit summoning haunted their thoughts. Since that night, they knew that there were forces beyond human understanding lurking within the ruins of the old buildings amidst the calm waters of the lagoon.