A ringing sound pounds the ears of man lying in the debris of newspapers and dirt. Confused and curious as to where he has found himself. No recollection of the night or day before. Memory faded so bad he knows not of who he is. Surrounded by seemingly endless darkness and coldness. The confusion added to the ringing giving him a pounding headache. In the distance behind him he heard a scurry on the floor. In a panic he jumped to his feet. Frisking him he found a flashlight holstered to his hip. The questions and worries flooded as well. Then for a brief moment he heard a familiar voice in his mind. A sweet sincere voice saying softly “Help me”.
Rubbing his head he turns the flashlight on to reveal he is inside what appears to be an abandoned trailer home. The wallpaper peeling. The smell of dust and cobwebs accompanied by mildew was the overwhelming odor. There was also a smell of hatred, anger, and death that lingered around the room. Shining his light around he noticed he was in a den of sorts. To his right and old wooden sofa sat with papers all over the seats. As he walked his feet shuffled through newspapers. Curious the man picked up a newspaper to reveal the year to be 2045 on the corner. But these newspapers were everywhere. Each paper was a new or older year. Going as far back as 1905. The highest 2067.
“What is going on? Where am I?” he shouted. Just a quiet void with the response of nothing. As he looked around he made his way to the kitchen. There he heard the scurry again but in front of him. He shined the light in that spot to reveal the laundry room. On the wall a hand cracked as long dirty fingers grasped the wall. Peering around the wall two big empty eyes made its presence with a high pitching shriek. The creature dropped to the floored with a crack and a huge thud. Scurrying off into the darkness. Disappearing into the shadows.
His heart raced as a bubble manifested its self in his throat. He pinched himself to make sure this wasn’t a dream that he wasn’t asleep. But he was wide awake when he heard the pounding of a door. The door handle shaking violently behind him like something trying to get out. With a quick pivot he turned to see the door lit up with a weird red glow. Attached to the door was a letter it appeared to be written in blood. And he began to walk towards the hallway. The air thinned it got colder. The walls grew longer and signs of a struggled began to show itself across the walls. Nails broken leading away from scratch Mark’s on the wall. Blood spatters splashed across the hallway like a painting accident. ‘Help me’ smeared like cave paintings everywhere. The hall deteriorated like a home growing with no upkeep from 1957. The panels changed the floor boards creaked with anticipation of each step the light fixture rusted and cried for help as the room kept stretching. When the man reached the door he grabbed the letter attached to the glowing red door. Written in blood the letter read.
DOES THOU DARE TO TAKE THIS JOURNEY OF MISERY? CHALLENGE THE BEAST AND TAKE AWAY HIS AGONY OR HE WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE. GUARD YOURSELF WITH THIS SACRED KNIFE ONLY FOUND WITH IN THE EARTH ON THIS NIGHT.
His mind pacing back and forth as he didn’t have time to make a decision. The long dark hallway that was resurrected was now began to close. And as soon as it began to collapse the high pitch screaming came marching with loud thunderous footsteps. Quickly he turned to the door and pushed as hard as he could but the door wouldn’t budge. The beast growing closer and closer he could feel its body heat. A fiery fury and the smell of rotten flesh. He kicked the door and there he saw a motionless blackness no silhouettes or shadows. Just emptiness. With no other choice he jumped inside the blackness. Behind him the door slammed the red disappeared and he rolled down a grassy hill into the woods.
Where he was he had no idea but he smelled the trees and in the distance wood burning. Kicking around in the darkness he stepped in something wet and soggy wiping his feet in the grass he found his flash light wet in the soggy puddle. Shaking then proceeding to wipe the light in the grass he was shocked to find it was the shredded remains of a human it appeared a skull stripped of everything was dancing like an ornament in the wind as he shined his light upward to unveil what appeared to be a guided path of skull ornaments leading in the direction of the fire. The smell of smoke strongly leading the way. Pondering as to where it leads he follows. Seeking the way as he walks he shines the light around him looking every direction. In the distance all around him the scurry of leaves and trees make noises as he continues the path.
As he grew closer towards his destination the sounds merged. Clashing together, the sounds of creatures in the distance twined together with children’s laughter and cries. Light began seeping through the trees when he came upon a fire. In the middle of the fire and upside down crucifix stood. Holding the remains of a man disemboweled burning with the embers of the flame. Rotted burning flesh filled the air with an aroma most unpleasant. Atop the crucifix a raven crowed. Behind two torches lit an altar made of sticks and bones. There on the medium-sized altar was a beating heart. The rhythm entrancing bum bum, bum bum. Louder and louder till it drowned out the children’s laughter and cries.
He became like a robot and walked slowly towards the heart. Reaching for the heart in the distance a rumble. As if a giant was walking towards him. Growing louder and louder the foot steps came closer. Now alert the man grabbed the beating heart and ran into the darkness. Then the stampede began. The faster he ran the louder the footsteps became. Without any hesitation he kept looking forward running harder and harder. He could feel what felt like someone breathing on him almost as if whatever this entity was it was on his heels ready to begin his attack. The moment he looked back there was nothing there. Yet in front of him a long hanging branch which caught him off guard and he found himself lying on the ground. Out cold again when he came to there was a man standing there dressed as if he was from the sixties. He kept shouting,
“Get up kid I need your help. Get the f**k up and help me.” Just like a blink of an eye he turned with a face of shock and terror. A large pale blur took off racing with him in the distance of the dark. He jumped up searching for the flashlight. Shockingly it was attached to his hip again. The children’s laughter and cries began again. Only to turn into children screaming “HELP ME”. The light illuminating the darkness as he spun circles screaming aloud “WHY ME?”
He picked up the beating heart and began walking when he found a hole glowing red. Curious as to what it was he looked into the mysterious hole. When he did he saw the same lifeless darkness staring at him again. When he turned and looked at the heart he heard the low deep growl of something inhuman. Just at that moment when he turned to get a glance. The growl disappeared the foul smell of sulfur and rotting flesh plugged his nose. He felt a stinging sensation and lost balance as he was stricken but an unknown force caused him to lose balance and fall backwards into the hole. This was the start of a terrible fall. To him this fall felt like days as he was continuously falling in the dark. Screams of men women and children is all he could hear. The heart in his hand continues pumping and pumping. The fall abruptly stops as he thuds the den floor in the previous trailer home.
