GASP! I coughed violently, my lungs burning as they screamed for air. I sucked in a deep breath, and the darkness that had swallowed me whole was gone, replaced by a harsh, glaring light that filled the house.
"Cough... Mom..." I croaked, twisting my body. The sharp pain in my ankle reminded me of the nightmare we were still living through. Somehow, we'd been saved by a hair.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The sound echoed again, jarring me back to the present. The nightmare wasn't over. "Mmmnh..." A faint groan came from beside me. MOM! I shook her violently, panic rising in my chest. "Mom, you have to get up!" I shouted, my voice raw and desperate. But she didn't move. She lay there, still and unresponsive. For a moment, I thought she was dead. My hands trembled as fear surged through me. What the hell happened here?
And then it hit me. "Kiara!" I tried to stand but collapsed, my body betraying me as I fell face-first onto the cold floor.
"I think they're dead," a muffled voice came from outside. No way… Are they…
"I'm not dead!" I screamed, the words tearing out of me in a frantic burst.
There was dead silence. I feared they'd left, leaving us to whatever horror lurked within these walls. But after a few agonizing seconds, a voice responded.
"Trish?" It was Janae—the bunny girl! Relief flooded me.
"I'm alive!" I forced myself to sit up, propping myself against the wall. I grit my teeth, every step forward felt like I was about to break my already fragile body. Hospital costs ain't sh-t these days.
Finally, I collapsed again, crawling the last few feet to the door. When I wrenched it open, I saw them—Janae, her beige skin a shade lighter in the sunlight, and a plump man with a similar cinnamon complexion beside her. His presence was like a lifeline amid chaos. "My god, are you alright, boy?" he asked, his voice gruff and rough, like one of those MMA commentators who always seemed on the verge of losing their voice.
"Nahhh..." I exhaled, feeling something hot and unsettling churn inside me. I could feel a gush of warmth rushing up my throat in the wrong direction.
"Blegh!" I retched right there at the doorstep, flourishing the ground with my half-digested pizza bites.
"Good god!" The man recoiled, stepping back as I continued to paint the ground.
------------------------------------
I sat outside, my body covered in vomit, shivering despite the oppressive heat. My skin was clammy with sweat, and I couldn't stop trembling. The man must've felt sorry for me because he draped his overcoat over my shoulders.
"We warned you, young man," he sighed deeply. "This isn't the first time we've seen this. This house has that kind of effect on people." He glanced back at the door, which was now wide open, revealing my mom still unconscious, her body twitching with small, uncontrollable seizures.
"Why isn't she waking up yet?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the fear gnawing at my insides. The thought of that liquid thing covering her, trapping her in darkness forever, made my chest ache with regret for every harsh word I'd ever said to her.
"Where is the rest of your family?" Janae asked softly, as if afraid of the answer.
I shrugged weakly. "Hiding. Dead. I don't know." My voice was hollow, drained of hope. I'd screamed for them, but there had been no response. I couldn't even sit up straight, let alone muster the energy to search for them.
"You can stay with us tonight," the man offered, scratching his beard as he spoke. "We don't know about your mother, but we can treat your wounds and send you somewhere safe…"
I considered his offer, the weight of it pressing down on me. I could leave now, run while I was still alive, let go of the shattered remnants of my family and start anew. Or I could stay here, in this house of horrors, and suffer whatever fate awaited me.
"No," I coughed, the decision settling heavily in my chest. "I think I'm going to stay here."