Taylor leaned against the wall, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts. The flashlight in his hand flickered, the beam barely cutting through the oppressive darkness that surrounded him.
"Great," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lost in a creepy house, separated from everyone, and my flashlight's about to die. Perfect. Just what I wanted from this trip."
The house didn't respond; not that he expected it to. If it had, that'll be a whole different dimension of fucked up. But the silence that followed felt heavy, as if the walls themselves were listening.
"Alright, Anderson," Taylor called out, his voice echoing down the narrow hallway. "If this is one of your little pranks, you win. I'm officially freaked out. You can show yourself now."
Nothing.
"Figures," he muttered, shaking the flashlight in a futile attempt to make it shine brighter.
The shadows seemed to close in around him, their edges sharp and shifting. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to take slow, deliberate steps forward.
"Stick to the plan," he said under his breath. "Find the others, get out, never come back. Easy. How hard can that possibly be? "
The hallway stretched endlessly before him, the doors on either side warped and cracked. Every step he took felt heavier than the last, the air thick and cold.
Somewhere behind him, a faint whisper echoed, too soft to make out.
Taylor froze, his heart pounding. "Okay, not creepy at all," he said, his voice shaky.
He turned, sweeping his flashlight behind him. The beam flickered weakly over the empty hallway.
"Hello?" he called, his voice rising slightly.
The whisper came again, clearer this time. It was a girl's voice, faint and melodic.
"Taylor..."
His stomach dropped.
"Okay," he said, trying to keep his tone light. "That's new. And horrifying. Great job, house. A+ for effort. A bit of an overkill however."
He turned back toward the hallway and quickened his pace, his sneakers scuffing against the warped floorboards.
As he rounded a corner, his flashlight landed on a small table against the wall. On it sat a single, framed photo.
Taylor frowned, stepping closer. The photo was old, the edges of the paper curling slightly, but the image was clear; a girl with long, dark hair and a bright smile. She looked familiar, though he couldn't quite place her.
He picked up the frame, studying the girl's face. "Do I know you?" he murmured, his brow furrowing.
The glass covering the photo cracked suddenly, splintering outward like a spider web. Taylor yelped, nearly dropping the frame.
"Okay, no need to get dramatic. I'd leave your creepy photo frame alone," he muttered, setting the photo back on the table.
As he turned to leave, the whisper came again, closer this time.
"Taylor..."
He froze, his heart pounding in his chest. The voice sent a chill down his spine; not just because it was eerie, but because it sounded familiar.
"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice shaking.
The shadows at the end of the hallway shifted, coalescing into a vaguely human shape before melting away.
Taylor took a step back, his breath hitching. "Oh, no. Nope. Not doing this. I want out."
The air grew colder as he moved forward, his steps hesitant. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the walls narrowing slightly, as if the house were trying to close in on him.
As he passed a door, he heard a faint sound; a soft, lilting laugh.
He froze, his hand tightening around the flashlight. The laugh was familiar, tugging at the edges of his memory.
"Nope," he said again, his voice weak. "Not going there."
But the laugh came again, echoing down the hallway.
Taylor's chest tightened as fragmented images began to surface; flashes of a girl's face, her smile bright and carefree. They were on a road... no, a path. There was music, laughter.
"Stop it," he whispered, clutching his head. "This isn't real."
The house didn't listen.
He reached the end of the hallway, where a door stood slightly ajar. Pale light seeped through the crack, casting faint shadows onto the floor.
Taylor hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But something, curiosity, desperation, or perhaps the house itself, drew him forward.
He pushed the door open slowly, the hinges groaning in protest.
The room beyond was empty, save for a single chair in the center. The walls were lined with mirrors, each reflecting Taylor's pale, wide; eyed face from different angles.
"Of course it's mirrors," he muttered. "Why wouldn't it be mirrors?"
"Yo, House," he called out loud, "Ever heard of a cliché?"
Again, there was no response. Figures.
As he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him, making him jump. His flashlight flickered, the beam sputtering before going out completely.
"Perfect," he said, his voice trembling.
The mirrors began to ripple, their surfaces distorting like water. Shadows flickered across the glass, forming indistinct shapes that shifted and writhed.
"Taylor..."
The voice was louder now, echoing from all directions.
"Who are you?" he shouted, spinning in place.
The shadows coalesced into a single figure, a girl with long, dark hair and a bright smile. She stepped forward, her feet making no sound on the floor.
Taylor stumbled back, his breath hitching. "No. No, this isn't real. You're not real."
The girl tilted her head, her smile widening. "You don't remember me?"
Her voice was soft, almost sweet, but there was an edge to it that made Taylor's blood run cold.
"I... I don't..." He trailed off, flashes of memory assaulting him, her laughter, the sound of tires screeching, the sight of blood.
His knees buckled, and he sank to the floor, clutching his head. "Stop it," he whispered. "Please stop."
The girl knelt before him, her face inches from his. Her smile faded, replaced by a look of sadness.
"You left me," she said softly. "You let me die."
Taylor's breath came in ragged gasps as the memories came rushing back; his reckless dare, her hesitation, the way he laughed it off. The way she screamed as the car came barreling toward her.
"I didn't mean to," he choked out. "I didn't know… "
"You didn't care," she whispered, her voice cold.
Her face began to distort, her features twisting into something monstrous. Her eyes turned black, her mouth stretching unnaturally wide as she lunged at him.
Taylor screamed, scrambling backward until his back hit the wall.
The room plunged into darkness, the only sound his ragged breathing.