If someone comes in the front or back door, they must leave by the same door

[Scene: A sunny Saturday afternoon in Sydney. Maya walks into Liam’s house through the front door carrying a bag of groceries.]

Maya: (calling out) Hey, Liam! I brought the snacks. Where do you want these?

Liam: (from the kitchen) Front door, huh? Good. Just make sure you leave the same way, alright?

Maya: (confused) What? Why does it matter which door I use to leave?

Liam: (seriously) You can’t go out the back door if you came in through the front. It’s bad luck. You’ll mess up the energy flow of the house.

Maya: (laughs) Oh come on, Liam. Are you serious? Energy flow? What is this, a physics experiment or a séance?

Liam: (grinning) Laugh all you want, but it’s true. My grandmother always said that if someone enters one door and leaves through another, it confuses the spirits protecting the house. They won’t know whether you’re coming or going.

Maya: (rolling her eyes) Spirits need better navigation skills then. Maybe they should install Google Maps for ghosts.

Liam: (laughs) You’re impossible. But honestly, I’ve seen weird things happen when people ignore it.

Maya: Like what?

Liam: Remember last month when Josh came in through the front and left through the back? That same night, the power went out, and the TV remote stopped working for two days. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Maya: (grinning) Liam, your remote probably just needed new batteries. That’s not supernatural—just poor maintenance.

Liam: You always have an explanation for everything. But some things can’t be explained by logic alone.

Maya: Sure they can. The universe doesn’t revolve around who uses which door. Think about it—people walk in and out of buildings all day through different doors. If bad luck was real, half the office buildings in Sydney would’ve exploded by now.

Liam: (shrugs) Maybe houses are different. They’re more personal, you know? The energy inside is tied to the people living there.

Maya: Energy, yes—but not that kind of energy. There’s no scientific evidence that entering and exiting through the same door affects anything except your step count.

Liam: (smiling) You say “no evidence,” but science doesn’t explain everything.

Maya: True, but it doesn’t mean every old superstition automatically fills the gap. We used to believe lightning came from angry gods, remember? Now we know it’s atmospheric discharge.

Liam: Okay, fine, but it’s not like I’m hurting anyone by sticking to it. It just feels… safe. Like I’m respecting something older than me.

Maya: That’s fair. Traditions can be comforting. But you know what else is comforting? Knowing you won’t accidentally offend your “house spirits” just because you stepped out to take the bins.

Liam: (laughs) You’re hopeless. But alright, I’ll make a deal—if you leave through the back door today and nothing unlucky happens, I’ll reconsider my belief.

Maya: Challenge accepted. (walks toward the back door)

Liam: (nervously) Wait—maybe not today. The weather looks weird, and—

Maya: (grinning) Too late. (opens the back door dramatically and steps out)

[A loud thunderclap booms in the distance.]

Liam: (wide-eyed) See! I told you!

Maya: (laughing) It’s just thunder, Liam. It’s Australia—it does that sometimes.

Liam: Yeah, but it started right when you left!

Maya: (smiling) Or maybe the universe is just trolling you.

Liam: (grinning reluctantly) Fine, fine. You win—for now. But next time, you’re using the same door. Just in case.

Maya: Deal. As long as the spirits don’t charge rent.

[They both laugh as the rain begins to fall outside.]