The Boy in the Woods

Once upon a time, there were four best friends: Surya, Vicky, Naveen, and Karthi. They were all super close and loved going on adventures together. One day, they decided to plan a special picnic to a beautiful waterfall in a nearby forest to celebrate Karthi's birthday.

Surya, being the planner, made sure everyone knew the plan. "Hey guys, don't forget, tomorrow is Karthi's birthday! We're going on a picnic to the waterfall. It's gonna be awesome!"

The night before the trip, Surya called each of his friends to remind them to wake up early. "Hey Karthi, don't forget, I'll pick you up near that old factory at 7 am sharp, okay?"

The next morning, the sun was barely up when they all gathered, excitedly ready to go. Surya and Karthi arrived first on Surya's bike, waiting for Vicky and Naveen.

"Morning, Karthi! Ready for your birthday adventure?" Surya grinned.

Karthi smiled back, but there was something on his mind. "Yeah, Surya, but... I kinda promised my girlfriend I'd spend some time with her today too."

"Don't worry, Karthi! We'll have so much fun, she'll understand," Surya reassured him.

Soon enough, Vicky and Naveen joined them, revving up their bikes. "Hey, birthday boy! Ready for some fun?" Vicky shouted, punching Karthi lightly on the arm.

Karthi chuckled nervously. "Yeah, let's do this!"

As they rode towards the forest, Vicky couldn't resist setting the mood with a spooky story. "Hey guys, you ever hear about that boy who disappeared in this forest and turned into a ghost?"

Surya rolled his eyes. "Come on, Vicky, not this again! You and your ghost stories."

Despite Vicky's attempt to set the mood, Surya teased him for his spooky stories, which irked Vicky.

Vicky grinned mischievously. "Hey, I'm just trying to add some excitement!"

Their banter continued until they entered the dense forest. Suddenly, Vicky stopped his bike to take a bathroom break. "Gotta go, nature's calling!"

Surya chuckled. "Alright, we'll wait for you up ahead. Don't get lost in there!"

As Surya and Karthi rode slowly, Karthi couldn't shake off his worry about missing his girlfriend's celebration. "Hey, Surya, do you think we'll be back in time for me to see my girlfriend?"

Surya patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Of course, Karthi! We'll make sure you're back in time for your special day."

Suddenly, Vicky came rushing towards them, panic written all over his face. "Guys, something took Naveen while he was peeing! We have to find him!"

Surya's heart skipped a beat. "What? Are you serious, Vicky?"

Vicky nodded frantically. "Yes, come on, we have to hurry!"

Without wasting a second, the friends sprang into action. They split up, each taking a different path into the forest, calling out for Naveen.

At first, Surya thought Vicky was joking, but Vicky was serious. They split up to search for Naveen, calling out his name. Surya went one way, and Vicky and Karthi went the other.

On one side, Surya was searching desperately for Naveen, his heart pounding with worry. Meanwhile, Vicky and Karthi were on the other side, calling out Naveen's name and scanning the forest.

Karthi was particularly focused on finding Naveen, determined to reunite with their missing friend. However, Vicky began to lag behind, quietly slipping away without a word to Karthi.

As Surya continued his search alone, his senses on high alert, he suddenly felt a chilling presence behind him. Before he could react, Naveen jumped out from the bushes, shouting and startling Surya.

At the same time, Vicky joined Naveen, unable to contain his laughter at Surya's frightened reaction. "Haha, gotcha, Surya! You should've seen your face!" Vicky teased, revealing their prank.

After recovering from the scare, Surya couldn't help but laugh at himself. "Okay, okay, you got me! But seriously, where's Karthi?"

Vicky smirked. "Oh, he went to search for Naveen on the other side. He'll catch up with us soon enough," he replied casually.

Surya's expression turned stern. "Vicky, you shouldn't have left him alone. He gets scared easily, you know."

Realizing his mistake, Vicky's smile faltered, and he nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go find him."

Racing back to where Vicky had left Karthi, they called out his name anxiously. But Karthi was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in as they searched frantically, even trying to call his phone.

Suddenly, Surya's phone rang, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Karthi's name on the screen. "Karthi! Where are you?" Surya exclaimed, relief flooding through him.

But Karthi's response sent a shockwave through the group. "Sorry, man, I couldn't join you guys. My girlfriend wanted to spend the day with me."

Surya's confusion turned to frustration. "Stop messing around, Karthi! We're all here waiting for you. Come join us."

Karthi insisted, "I'm serious, dude. I'm with my girlfriend right now."

Surya demanded proof. "Fine, then video call me."

As the video call connected, Surya's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Karthi sitting with his girlfriend at a restaurant. "Hey guys! Babe! say hi to my boys," Karthi grinned, oblivious to their confusion

His girlfriend rolled her eyes. "Put the phone down, you idiot.

As the call ended, the group was left speechless, realizing that Karthi was telling the truth. But before they could process what was happening, a haunting melody filled the air.

Slowly turning around, they came face to face with a ghostly apparition—a little boy with wounds and bloodstains, smiling eerily at them from between the trees. Terror gripped their hearts as they realized they were not alone in the forest.