"HELP ME!" I screamed, tripping over the skeleton behind me and falling flat onto my back.
The creature stood up, glancing between me and the stairs I had come from, with a wicked grin on its lips. "Human~?" It asked, tilting its head to the side as it slowly approached, its massive feet the size of a tree trunk gradually coming closer.
"BACK UP, BACK THE FUCK UP!" I yelled, scuttling to my feet as my back slammed into the wall behind me, I had nowhere to run to without getting past it. Jesus, oh Jesus fuck! How the hell do I get out of here?
"Scared of me~?" It questioned, its voice flawed and cracking, sounding half like chirping as it began to exit the shadows. Revealing a large figure the size of a small cabin, with arms big enough to throw me through at least a few walls on their own.
Its darkened skin grinned at my peril, shining like razor-sharp diamonds. Finally, it opened its massive mouth all the way, allowing me to see a set of teeth sharper than any axe I had ever wielded.
"I-I'll kill you, stay back!"
My words only seemed to provoke it more as it raised its crimson eyeball at me, exhaling air fast enough to seem like it was snorting at the mere suggestion of me laying a hand on it. "Hungry, threat seem like food~" It growled, placing its large arm on the ground and crawling toward me.
I felt my limbs freeze, staring at the tower in front of me, the insurmountable wall that was the monster approaching. My heart raced in my chest, thumping against my ribcage as if it wanted to escape before I was ripped and chewed to shreds.
Suddenly, the creature lept, smashing its huge head into the pile of boxes to my left and crushing the skeleton into a fine powder. Fuck! Run you piece of shit, fucking run!
Immediately, I darted past it and barreled my way through the door on the adjacent side of the room, past where it had first risen from the shadowy embrace of the boxes. I don't wanna die.
My own words echoed around in my head instead of out loud, being tossed around like a ragdoll as I dashed straight down the hallway, followed by the horrid stench of death and the unmistakable crashing of wood being splintered and destroyed.
I jumped over a small hole in the floor, crashing on the other side as I struggled to regain my balance. Then, I lifted myself from the damp ground and continued to run, eventually hopping over a fallen door.
The walls seemed to tighten as tears escaped my eyes, running down my cheeks and flinging behind my ears as the creature approached faster and faster. I could hear wood being sent in all directions, crashing against whatever had been in the hallway before.
Once slightly yellow, the walls were now rotten and bare, with strips of wallpaper almost ripped from where it once was and strewn to the side. My ankle twisted, throwing me forward once more across the splinter-covered dark oak flooring.
The footsteps and crashing behind me came to a halt as the creature seemed to have stopped at my fall, causing me to turn around only to see its eyes far wider than mine were.
I had a primordial sense of fear as if my body had been waiting for this to launch every possible amount of panic at me, but in its eyes was something else.
It was staring ahead of me as if someone was pointing a gun into its skull as if someone had just threatened to rip its neck out, the damn thing was shaking so bad it looked more than terrified, instead, it appeared petrified.
"I retreat, it's coming~" The creature warned, bringing back its lips into a snarl as it reared its disgusting mug backward and galloped as if its life depended on it. Perhaps it truly did.
What in the fuck just happened? I thought, grabbing at my ankle and holding it tightly. The pain wasn't bad enough I had to stay completely still, but to the point that my mind needed to acknowledge its existence before I got back up.
Why did it retreat? What does 'it's coming' mean? I questioned, looking down the hallway where the creature was staring down before running. Something in my gut, in my ever-turning, disgusted, nausea-filled gut, was screaming at me that I'd have better odds being friends with the thing that almost killed me rather than survive going forward.
I got up, clutching my thigh while grimacing as I stood slowly, looking down the hallway all the same. How the hell do I get out of this place? I don't even know where the hell I am!
Glancing back and forth between the room with the shattered door and the opposite hallway, I slowly limped, moreso hobbled, over to the door and managed to squeeze through, barely avoiding a sharp chunk of wood embedding itself into my shoulder from the massive creature chasing me earlier.
Once in the room, I quickly began to look around, searching for clues, or any of the tips or notes for that matter, anything that could help me.
All that stood in the room was a singular dresser drawer and a small picture on the wall, embedded with an emerald and gold frame despite the claw marks across the middle, ruining the original painting except for a small fragment of orange that remained steady.
What used to be here? Why is it so barren? I questioned to myself, reaching to touch the painting, but quickly stopping myself in the event it fell. "I should check the drawer first just to be safe," I whispered, reaching for the handle.
It opened quickly, despite the rusted tracks it sat on, revealing a sealed envelope caked in a yellowish powder and a small brown wax seal. Now what the hell could this be? I cut it open with my thumb, taking advantage of my uneven fingernail that had managed to chip during my fall earlier.
My dearest Eliza, it's with much regret that I must inform you of your father's passing. You see, he had fallen ill and decided to, despite the regret he would carry in the afterlife, go horseback riding one last time. He lost control, as we might have expected, and fell down the cliffside into the harbor. I will return shortly, but for now, I will have the maid bring you this, farewell, my dearest daughter. I'm sure you will always hold your father deeply in your heart.
There was no signature at the bottom, except for the dirty letter. That's odd, does this mean all of these creatures are related? No, that can't be. What if- What if somehow the mother did something to the father? That would explain the tone, but- Damnit, I'm getting more questions than I'm answering!
My thoughts trailed off, leaving me standing in the torn-apart room alone, with nothing but the earlier letters and notes replaying in my head. Did anybody else discover something? Was I and I alone the most recent victim? How did I even get here?
Loud thuds came from below me, shaking the walls, the floor, and honest to God even the dresser as they became louder. The painting fell, bursting open and letting a single slip of paper fall to the floor.
Note 4:
Damn, these things don't take breaks when night falls. Okay, I hope someone finds this because it's hard leaving these around before escaping. I know they won't stop, and my story is so unbelievable nobody will pay me mind either. It's up to you to get out and get rid of this place, after I do, of course. The code to the safe is 5-4-7-8 do not forget that or you can't get the key that leads to the attic. She's getting close, hopefully, I can plant the next without getting caught.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me..." I mumbled, rereading the note as I slipped it into my pocket. Either the kid had escaped and was punished by his parents before he could say anything, or he was still in the house with me, not able to escape just yet.
What does it mean by safe? Where is the safe? What safe? I asked myself, listening out for any more footsteps as I clutched my forehead with my hand. The more I learned the more it seemed as if I was going in circles, the more questions I had.
I turned around, pointing myself toward the doorway before I stopped in my tracks. Didn't one of the notes say not to stay in one place too long? How long have I been here?
I didn't need to finish the thought as an axe appeared down the hallway, gleaming as it pointed toward me, with the same sinister obsidian smile I had seen before wielding it.