The Haunting of Hollow House

I never thought I would find myself in a situation like this. A situation where the boundaries between reality and nightmare are blurred, and where the line between life and death is tenuous at best. But here I am, in the midst of a horror that no mere mortal should ever have to endure. And yet, I must endure it, for the sake of my family.
It all started innocently enough. My wife, Sarah, and I moved into an old, dilapidated house on the outskirts of town. We were looking for a fresh start, a new beginning for our two young children, Emily and Michael. The house was a fixer-upper, to say the least. It had been abandoned for years, left to decay and crumble into obscurity. But it had character, or so we thought.
From the moment we stepped foot inside, things felt off. The air was heavy with a sense of unease, as if the house itself was whispering secrets we were not meant to hear. But we brushed it off as nothing more than our imaginations running wild, the product of an overactive mind in an unfamiliar environment.
But as the days turned into weeks, the unease only grew. Strange occurrences became the norm. Objects would move on their own accord, doors would slam shut without warning, and whispers echoed through the halls at night. We tried to convince ourselves that it was all in our heads, that there must be logical explanations for these phenomena. But deep down, we knew the truth: there was something sinister lurking within those walls.
One night, as I lay in bed listening to the creaking floorboards outside our bedroom door, I made a decision. It was time to investigate. I couldn’t bear to see my family living in fear any longer. Armed with nothing but a flashlight and my own determination, I ventured into the dark unknown.
The further I delved into the house, the more I sensed a malevolent presence. It was as if the very essence of evil had taken root within these walls, seeping into every crack and crevice. I followed the whispers, their ghostly voices guiding me deeper into the heart of darkness.
And then, I found it. A hidden room, concealed behind a false wall. As I entered, I felt a chill run down my spine. The room was adorned with macabre decorations, symbols etched into every surface. And in the center of the room stood a figure, cloaked in shadows.
I couldn’t make out their face, but their presence alone was suffocating. It was then that I realized the truth. This house, this evil entity that had plagued my family, was not simply a product of paranormal activity. It was a murderer, a serial killer whose dark deeds had stained the very fabric of this place.
I rushed to gather my family, desperate to escape this nightmare. But as I turned to leave, I saw something that froze me in my tracks. Sarah stood before me, her eyes vacant and glassy. In her hand, she held a knife, its blade glistening with blood. I pleaded with her, begged her to snap out of whatever trance she was under. But it was no use. Sarah lunged at me, her movements mechanical and devoid of emotion.
In a moment of pure instinct, I fought back. I struggled with every fiber of my being to overpower her, to protect myself and our children. As I finally managed to wrestle the knife from her grasp, I saw the fear and confusion in her eyes. She had no memory of what she had done.
The entity that inhabited this house had used Sarah as its vessel, manipulating her to carry out its heinous acts. It fed off our fear, our love for one another, using it as fuel to further its own twisted agenda.
Now, as I sit here, typing this account of our harrowing ordeal, I can hear the entity lurking in the shadows. It knows I am onto it, that I will not rest until my family is safe. But I fear it is too late for us. The darkness has consumed us, body and soul.
I write this as a warning, a cautionary tale of the horrors that can lurk behind closed doors. If you ever find yourself drawn to an old, abandoned house, heed my words: run. Run as fast as you can, and never look back. For once you enter that realm of darkness, there is no escape.

Author: Opney. Illustrator: Stab. Publisher: Cyber.