The House of Shadows

I woke up with a pounding headache, the remnants of last night’s binge still lingering in my body. The room spun around me as I struggled to sit up, groaning in agony. The sunlight streaming through the window only intensified the pain, causing me to squint my already bloodshot eyes.

As I stumbled my way to the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My disheveled hair was sticking out in every direction, and my face looked like it had been run over by a truck. I splashed cold water on my face, desperately trying to snap out of the fog that enveloped my mind.

Eventually, I managed to drag myself downstairs, the creaking wooden steps protesting my every move. The smell of stale alcohol and sweat hung in the air, a constant reminder of the debauchery that had taken place here just hours before. Empty bottles littered the floor, the remnants of my reckless night.

I needed fresh air, a change of scenery to clear my troubled mind. So, I stumbled out into the street, the sun blinding me momentarily before my eyes adjusted. My head throbbed with each step, a relentless reminder of my self-inflicted suffering.

It was then that I noticed it, standing ominously at the end of the street—an abandoned house. Its windows were boarded up, the paint on its walls peeling away like old skin. The front yard was overgrown with weeds, swallowing any trace of life that once existed there.

There was something about that house that drew me closer, an inexplicable pull that I couldn’t resist. It was as if it beckoned me, promising answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. So, against my better judgment, I made my way towards it.

As I approached the dilapidated structure, a chilling breeze swept through the air, sending a shiver down my already weakened spine. The front door stood ajar, a dark void inviting me inside. With a mix of curiosity and trepidation, I stepped over the threshold, the floorboards groaning beneath my weight.

The inside of the house was a twisted maze of decay and neglect. Every room I entered seemed to be frozen in time, trapped in a perpetual state of abandonment. The stagnant air hung heavy, suffocating my senses and making it difficult to breathe.

A flicker of movement caught my attention, and I turned towards the staircase. Shadows danced along the walls, their elusive forms taunting me from the darkness. I could feel eyes upon me, watching my every move with malicious intent.

I ascended the stairs, each step a symphony of creaks that echoed through the desolate house. The closer I got to the second floor, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. Whispers filled my ears, barely audible but laden with menace.

My heart raced in my chest as I reached the landing, unsure of what awaited me in the rooms beyond. With trembling hands, I pushed open the nearest door, revealing a room frozen in time. Dust-covered furniture lay shrouded in white sheets, their ghostly forms hauntingly beautiful.

But it was the mirror that drew me in—a tall, ornate reflection of my own fractured self. As I stared into its depths, my reflection shifted, contorted into something unrecognizable. The face that stared back at me wore a twisted smile, eyes gleaming with malevolence.

Fear gripped me like a vice as I stumbled out of the room, desperate to escape the horrors that lurked within this house. But the labyrinthine corridors seemed to shift and twist, leading me deeper into its heart instead of away.

Time became meaningless as I wandered through the house, my mind slipping further into madness with each passing moment. The whispers grew louder, their voices intertwining in a cacophony of deranged thoughts. Shadows danced and whispered, their presence suffocating me.

Finally, I found myself standing in front of another door—an ominous portal to the unknown. A sickening dread settled in the pit of my stomach, but something compelled me to push it open.

The room beyond was a nightmare come to life. Walls adorned with macabre paintings dripped with blood, their twisted imagery etched into my retinas. The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of fear.

In the center of the room stood a figure, cloaked in darkness. Its mere presence exuded an aura of malevolence that sent chills down my spine. It turned towards me, eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. I could feel its gaze pierce through me, dissecting my very soul.

Paralyzed with terror, I watched as it raised a hand towards me, beckoning me forward. The world around me faded into a haze as I took a single step, then another, drawn towards my impending doom.

And then, in an instant, it was over. I woke up to find myself lying on the cold, hard ground just outside the abandoned house. The sun had set, casting long shadows that danced on the walls around me. The house loomed behind me, silent and foreboding.

As I struggled to my feet, a sinking realization washed over me—I had no memory of how I ended up here, or what had transpired within those haunted walls. But one thing was certain—the experience had left an indelible mark on my psyche.

Haunted by fragments of horrifying images and a sense of impending doom, I retreated from that accursed house, vowing never to return. But deep down, a part of me knew that the darkness within me had been awakened—a darkness that would forever gnaw at my sanity, lurking in the shadows of my mind, waiting to be unleashed once more.

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