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"Hello? Is anybody home?" I nuzzle the doorknob and carefully enter the shabby abode.
The materials used to build the house were all made and used with old lumber and steel, compiled with various stones around the tavern.
The silent hissing of the wind paired with the soft creaks was the only sounds heard inside. Aside from the lavish antique ornaments sighted in the room, nothing was worth mentioning to be surprised and fascinated.
However, what baffled me was the strange inhuman footprints leading forward into the other room. It was as if the bizarre track wanted to invite me over at a specific remote location.
Once I was inside the ragged-looking room, I saw an empty bed that can lure anyone to lie down. And so I did and got swayed by its alluring request.
I shuffle my way and crash my back at the soft and tidy bedsheet and stare blankly at the ceiling. Above me is a remarkable painting filled with spider combs and nests of some straying insects.
Not wanting to be a cushion for the pests' fall, I pick myself up again and wander around for some more, trying to discover new things along the way.
"What is with this place?" I heave out a sigh and slightly regret the bed that nearly rejuvenated my strength from the time being. But, somehow, the spiders emerging from the cracks bring only bad news to my face, and I wanted nothing out of it. With that being my reason, here I am, looking for something that I can use from this abandoned house.
But, before I can even have the luxury to explore the uncharted place, I saw a creature dashing through the trees. The figure was akin to a large boar, but even deadlier judging from its silhouette alone.
It did not make any sounds, nor had eyes that could glow in this dim environment. But it still has something that can perceive its surroundings; and that something was.
"Fuck! It noticed me?"
-I hurriedly escape outside and run aimlessly to nowhere, but somewhere far away from that monstrous being. Then again, I turn around and spot the pig's figure still charging at me with its ivory horns directing toward my chest.
In point-blank range, I instinctively dodge the pointed spike on its head and deliberately used its force to knock the mammal out at the tree trunk. Before the boar could even react, the dirty white horns were now stuck and impaled at the wood, making the monster immobile.
Not wasting for any more chances, I hurriedly sprinted away from the scene and proceeded onwards to the creepy woods imbued with dark essence and mist. I did not want to stay put inside the tavern, thinking that there might be a horde out there that could corner me. And even if I stood my ground and placed some barriers and traps around the house, the results will remain identical to their enormous strength that can destroy the unbroken walls.
Luckily for me, I already created sufficient distance apart from the pursuing creatures, but not enough to cut their chase. Thus, I was in a panic and left with no choice but to continue my hasty stride and head towards the ominous mountain up ahead of the sky-scraping vines.
"This is perfect!" I remarked and hurriedly climbed myself upwards from the stretching cords that nature had left behind for me.
Mid-way along the green, but thorny rope, I saw the swarm of beasts compiled below my feet, unable to mimic my ascend. Instead of mindlessly jumping the rigid edges of the mountain, the animals withdrew and wander around another route for them to catch me.
Confident that they could not pursue my tail, I desperately pulled myself upwards and leisurely took my time to reach the apex. It was a relief that the neighbour next door taught me to climb the highest tree using a cord. There was no reason behind our judgment, and everything was all fun and games; not until this happens to me.
The moment that I arrived at the top of the grounds, my legs slammed on the stone floor.
Exhausted, I rolled over to the side and glimpsed the gap in which I had hiked. My eyes immediately boggled and retreated to a safer place to look at; probably because of the fear of falling. As my vision studies my surroundings, I have noticed that the weeds and shrubs in this scenery are withered. It must have been because of the intensity and acidic fog mixed with the cold and humid air.
"It's getting harder to breathe," I murmur to myself while pumping my chest, hoping that my condition could get any better.
Shrugging my pessimistic thoughts behind, I get on to my feet and resume my stroll to the curve path. Once I was near the bent and narrow road, I could not help but observe the cliff at the mountain's verge. One inaccuracy of placing my foot on the vast space will probably drag me downwards and hurdle me like a landslide.
"I must be wary," I told myself and walked through the circumscribed path without daring my eyes to look at the seventy-feet, or more, below ground.
Miraculously, I arrived towards my destination-at the apex of the mountain and spotted an unlit campfire at the centre. The bonfire was freshly taken out and settled by someone or something still lurking within my vicinity.
Afraid, I withdrew and headed back to the curve road, but was abruptly halted and called by the voice of a man bawling for my attention.
"You there!" He said while pointing his finger at me with the same surprised expression. "How did you-"
Before he can even complete his sentence, his body gradually turns into ashes with the icy wind. Despite his body unhurriedly vanishing in thin air, the mysterious man reveals his flashlight and points it to my direction.
"Duck." He uttered.
Without a second doubt, I heeded his call, borrowed my body and kissed the ground whilst closing my eyes. Soon, a ray of bright light flashes before me and illuminates at a linear path. The streak of sunshine was then accompanied and paired by horrifying groans of agony coming at my rear, which reveals something much terrifying than the monsters I had faced.
"Ghouls?" I could not describe their appearance, but ghastly ghosts typically seen in horror shows.
These supernatural beings have a distinct look similar to a floating shadowy figure with silhouettes randomly stretching out like arms. I can feel that its existence alone was otherworldly, evident by the dead leaves and crisp rocks scattered below its ground.
"I've waited for a year…" The man mutters to himself while carefully studying his half parted body dissipating with the gust of the mountain breeze. The ghouls he defeated can be seen and observed no more after vanquishing it using the pocket of light in his hand.
"What do you mean?" I asked, unaware of the events happening in front of me.
"Listen carefully," He answered, but neglected to answer the initial question. "You need to use your tool."
My mind boggled in confusion after hearing an unfamiliar phrase thrown at my definition of terms.
"What tools? What do you mean? Where can I find this tool!" I bombard him with queries that I think he can uncomplicatedly prove my answers. But, then again, my eyes locked at the flashlight he previously exhibited and likely killed the phantoms of the night.
"Did you mean this?" I rummaged through my pocket and cursorily wanted to show him I too have the same object.
By the time I return my focus to the man, his figure has finally faded into nothingness. He left nothing behind, aside from the dusty trail from where he stood and conversed with me.
Silence came after the sequence of events, and it left me alone with no one to talk to asides from the dark alpine around me. I kept my optimistic thoughts and proceeded closer to the fumes of the caliginous fire. From there, I gently scooched over and tried the best I can to resuscitate the charring.
"This isn't going too well," But, eventually, got tired and gave up half-way through rubbing the ends of the dry twigs that I have found.
Dejected, I found a couple of bushes and used it as my make-shift pillows. With nothing else to do, I lie down on the bed that I made and gaze upon the twinkling stars above the heavens.
"Where am I?" I quizzed myself, and whoever could answer my question. But, alas, there was nobody there which provide the answers that I need to discover more about this world.
I pick up my flashlight and playfully shine it across the forest below me. The light rays produced by my lamp was not strong enough to reveal the woods, but it was adequate to make known the whereabouts of the monstrous creatures chasing me.
"I guess they cannot reach me up here," I said to myself. But then again, I spoke too soon.
The surrounding flooring grumbled, discomforting me with the imbalance movements of back and forth. Even the temporary bed sheets made of leaves were disorganised and clustered, forcing me to check the source of the disturbance.
From there, what I saw below the edge of the cliff struck a bolt from the blue. The horde of pigs, which was supposed to be walking and galloping, is growing with razor-sharp dewclaws.
Each of them shares the same characteristics. One of which is that they have ivory nails that are stronger than the stones of the mountain that cut as if made out of paper. They also have bloodlust and fiery eyes that are locked toward my shivering expression while observing them from afar.
Never did I expect that creating a distance away would only corner me from my inevitable fate. However, it was too late for me to fall and give everything up. I have come this far to survive and panicking right now would bring me death rather than focusing on staying alive.
"For now, I need to find a way to get down," I told myself whilst looking at my surroundings, hoping that I can use any objects that could be useful.
"Let's see here." I examined the burnt logs that I deem to be futile for my escape. Next, my perception transfers to the isolated opened bag that has nothing inside of it. I bring the empty knapsack with me and pray that I can store anything that helps me to bolt out from this scene.
Moving onwards to my vicinity, I spot some loose vines from here and there that will likely be sturdy enough to use as a rope to go down. But, by doing so, I need to be as stealthy as possible and avoid attracting unnecessary attention that can bring that ferocious mammals.-if they are still sane animals.
Thus, I carried out my plan and descended on the terrain, with both my feet and hands gripping at the quivering nature's cord. After gracefully landing on the soft soil, I check the nearby trees and see that I am alone in this twisted domain.
"No signs of life," My head announced while looking at the environment.
But, then again, after taking some a few steps away from my location, a twig of some sort was crushed and distorted, creating an audible noise. The sound was enough to alert the rampaging beasts from the other side and immediately heads towards my current place.
"Goddammit!" I cursed myself by not looking carefully enough from where I was walking.
My feet refused to run away as I saw ten of them appearing in the shadows, like hungry sharks with the smell of fresh blood.
Every cell inside my body became petrified by the occurrence that is undergoing before my eyes. Even if I had a rifle has plenty of bullets to play with, I am not confident that I can kill them all and escape unscathed.
And yet, my arm refuses to idle around and reach in my pocket. The flashlight that I miraculously kept with me was the only thing that I have left against the vile beasts.
"Stay back!" I warned them. However, my words were not heeded and heard as they simultaneously jump beyond what physics could explain.
Just as they were about to impale me with their ivory claws, I flicker my pocket light and twirl it around, hitting every animal that I can see. Similar to what I had discerned with the anonymous guy from before, the boars vanished in mid-air. Those creatures that were not affected by the bright light retreated for now due. Their instincts must have told them the radiance coming inside my lamp assuredly killed them by a single touch. Well, I would not blame them. After all, my still body was now enveloped and covered with fluttering grey ashes hovering with the wind, greeting me goodbye. These specs of dust were the remains of what was left from the rabid pigs trying to kill me.
"It's over…." I congratulate myself after defeating ten of the foes that wanted me for dinner.
Without noticing a sense of insecurity around me, I hurdle up like a ball and summarise every event that had happened within the thirty minutes of my survival. Dreadful, if I could describe it, realising that I was too lucky to escape my inexorable death. Even so. Here I am, alive and breathing.
Finally, after rejuvenating my lost strength and mental capacity, I can feel my body healing tremendously and relocating me to a different place. The feeling is euphoric, as I soon realised that I was back inside a room once more; resting for three days straight, unable to wake up from the nightmare.