She Was Late. The Shortcut Was Quicker. The Price Was Fatal.

The Doomed Shortcut

Scene: Evening – Forest Path

Riya and Aarav are walking home. It’s getting dark. Aarav suggests a shortcut through the forest.

Riya (nervous): “People say this path is cursed.”
Aarav (smirking): “Curses don’t scare me.”

They enter the path.

As they walk, it gets eerily quiet. No birds. No breeze.

Aarav hears a whisper. Turns around. No one.
Suddenly, his phone shows: "No signal."

A child’s laugh echoes.
Riya gasps — she sees a shadow behind a tree. It vanishes.

They try to turn back.
The way is gone. Only thick fog.

Aarav vanishes in one blink.
Riya screams, backing away.

She finds a wooden sign on the path:
“This shortcut leads nowhere... only to THEM.”

A hand grabs her ankle from the ground.
She falls. Screams.

CUT TO BLACK.

Next morning, the forest path looks peaceful again.

A new person approaches.
Text on screen: "Some shortcuts cost you everything."