The haunted house had always been Chris's refuge, a place where the eerie and supernatural could be manipulated into entertainment. His job was simple: create frights for others, while keeping himself untouched by the true fear that his creations were meant to evoke. But tonight, he was about to face a new level of terror.
The "Nightmare Level" task had arrived on his phone, a cryptic message promising unparalleled horror. The description was tantalizingly vague, hinting at a game that would blur the lines between reality and nightmare. Chris had already endured several challenges, each pushing his courage and ingenuity to the limit. This, however, seemed different. The task was simple in theory: play a game involving a mirror, a candle, and an unwavering gaze into the darkness.
Chris, always curious and unfazed by the supernatural, saw this as an opportunity not just to complete a task but to explore a deeper facet of fear. He had spent countless hours perfecting the scares in his haunted house, but this game promised something beyond mere fright—it hinted at a confrontation with the unknown.
With a deep breath, he prepared for the game, setting up a video recording to document his experience. The task instructions were clear: at precisely 2:04 AM, he was to enter the bathroom alone, lock the door, turn off the lights, and light a candle. He was then to face the mirror and, with the candle positioned between himself and the mirror, close his eyes and whisper his name repeatedly.
As the clock ticked toward the designated time, Chris conducted his final preparations. The haunted house was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the night wind whistling through a slightly ajar window. He set up his equipment meticulously, ensuring that the bathroom was as isolated as possible. The shadows seemed to dance in anticipation, and Chris could feel a peculiar chill in the air, a sign of the game's beginning.
At 2:01 AM, he extinguished his flashlight and lit the candle. The flickering flame was the only source of light, casting elongated shadows on the walls. Chris faced the mirror, trying to steady his breathing as he prepared to start the game.
"Chris, Chris, Chris…" he whispered softly, the repetition of his name starting to feel oddly disorienting. The silence of the bathroom was punctuated only by the soft hiss of the candle and the occasional creak of the old building settling.
About fifteen minutes into the task, the temperature in the room seemed to drop significantly. Chris felt a shiver run down his spine as if an unseen presence was lingering near him. He forced himself to remain calm, focusing solely on maintaining his composure and repeating his name.
"Stay calm," he muttered to himself. "Just ten more minutes. I can do this."
Despite his efforts, he couldn't shake the feeling of something watching him. The sounds around him grew more pronounced: the occasional drip of water, the subtle scratching noise from the bathroom pipes, and the faint rustling sound as if something was crawling within the walls.
As the game progressed, the air seemed to grow thicker, and an unsettling sensation of being observed persisted. When the clock showed just five minutes remaining, Chris noticed that the candle's flame seemed to waver more violently, and the darkness around him seemed to deepen.
Then, something extraordinary happened. Chris began to hear another voice, whispering his name from just outside the bathroom door. The voice was faint but distinct, and it carried an urgent, almost pleading tone. The rules of the game were clear: he was not to open his eyes or move from his spot. Doubts started to creep into his mind. Was this part of the game, or something more sinister?
The last three minutes were the most intense. The door to the bathroom rattled as if someone—or something—was desperately trying to get in. The noise grew louder and more frenzied, with scratching and scraping sounds echoing through the small room. Chris gritted his teeth, determined not to let the fear overcome him.
Finally, the thirty minutes were up. The noises outside ceased abruptly, and a heavy silence settled over the bathroom. Chris counted an extra few seconds to ensure he had met the task's requirements before slowly opening his eyes.
The sight that greeted him was chilling. The mirror was cracked, its surface marred by multiple fissures. The image of himself was fragmented into a myriad of reflections, each distorted and unsettling. But the most shocking discovery was the old, tattered doll that had appeared in front of the mirror.
The doll's eyes, made from buttons, glowed eerily in the dim light. It was unmistakably the first doll Chris had ever made, a relic from his past and a connection to his missing parents. The doll, now placed precariously against the shattered mirror, seemed to be warding off something from within the glass.
Chris's mind raced. How had the doll ended up in the bathroom? The window was securely locked, and the door had remained shut. The doll's presence was a mystery, and it seemed to be the key to understanding the bizarre occurrences of the night.
He carefully picked up the doll, his hands trembling slightly. "Can you understand me?" he asked quietly. "Do you know where my parents went?"
The doll remained silent, its button eyes reflecting the candlelight. Chris clutched the doll to his chest, feeling a strange sense of solace despite the terror he had endured. The task had been completed, but it had left him with more questions than answers.
As he reviewed the footage from his phone, Chris saw that the video was mostly unclear due to the darkness. However, it revealed that during the crucial moments, he had been leaning closer and closer to the mirror, as if drawn by some unseen force. The most disturbing part of the footage was the final segment where his reflection appeared to slam against the mirror just as the candle flickered out.
The message on his phone confirmed his success in the task and awarded him the "Grave Cosmetic" skill, a tool for enhancing the eerie effects in his haunted house. Additionally, he was granted access to a new trial scene, "Midnight Escape," which would be added to his haunted house attractions.
Chris pondered the significance of the new skill and the trial. The Grave Cosmetic skill could potentially elevate the fear factor of his haunted house, but it also came with a deeper understanding of the balance between fear and reality. The doll, with its haunting resemblance to his past, had saved him in some inexplicable way.
As he sat in the darkness of his haunted house, cradling the old doll, Chris felt a newfound appreciation for the thin line between fear and the unknown. The experience had been harrowing but insightful, and as he prepared to incorporate the new trial into his attractions, he knew that his haunted house would never be the same.