Birthday Candles Relight — Party Uncanny

An 8-second party-uncanny horror short, 16:9, handheld: a child's birthday party where the blown-out candles keep relighting themselves — and each relighting takes a guest. The hook: the missing guests, reflected in the dark window, still singing.
0-2s: Afternoon, the camera circling the birthday table as everyone sings. The birthday girl blows out seven candles — smoke curls — and the candles relight themselves, all seven flames snapping back at once. Nervous laughter. She blows again, harder. They relight.
2-5s: A third blow — and when the smoke clears, one chair at the table is empty: the grandmother, gone, her party hat sitting on her plate. The singing falters. The girl blows out the candles a fourth time. They relight — and another chair is empty. The camera whips around the table: fewer guests with every relighting, hats on plates, half-eaten cake, the song thinning.
5-8s: The girl, crying now, blows a fifth time. The candles relight. The camera turns back — the table is empty except the girl. Behind her, reflected in the dark window, the missing guests stand watching, singing silently, the grandmother in front. The girl sees them in the glass. Cut on her face.
Craft: the subjects are the birthday girl and the vanishing guests (hats on plates as the evidence); the table — cake, candles, party hats — as the stage; the dark window as the second screen. Camera: handheld party video, circling the table, whip-pans as guests vanish. Lighting: bright party daylight against the window-dark reflection, candle flames. Atmosphere: celebration hollowed out — joy with something underneath. Style: handheld party video, natural chaos audio, 24fps, 8 seconds, 16:9.