Helluva Family (18+)

Ch. 1: Life's a Living Hell, until...

Darkness.

A world with a lack of life and color, but still has a sense of comfort to some. The shadows would envelop your perceptions and leave you feeling blank. With such a void, your body and mind would be vulnerable to dreadful situations. This was the exact situation Jack had found himself in. He couldn't recollect how or when it happened, but there he was. Gazing into complete and utter... darkness.

The shadows made it utterly impossible for him to see, let alone be certain enough to take a step in any direction. He felt his body, making note that he did indeed have clothes on. He had no shirt but his pants felt soft like pajamas. This made him realize he was still wearing the night attire that he wore when he went to bed. His hand lowered till it managed to touch the substance beneath his feet. The ground had an odd feeling like it was shifting with Jack's every breath... like it was breathing with him. He couldn't tell if his eyes shifted in any direction because of the lack of distinction in his vision.

The phenomenon was altogether very unsettling. The emptiness made him question if he had died and if this was the afterlife. He scoured his mind to find some sort of clue as to why he was in such a circumstance but sadly came up blank. In the back of his mind, he felt the nerves begin to kick in as he proceeded to panic. A growing sense of dread began to linger in the atmosphere. It felt as if someone or... something was watching him.

His hands began to twitch out of tension and sweat began to slide down the back of his neck. The hair on his arms and neck stood abruptly, reacting off instinct. Over and over, his mind raced as he fought to keep his fear in check. Jack wasn't easily intimidated by most things, but this was different. He could sense it in the air... the presence of agony.

A slight noise began to make its way into his ears. It wasn't any sound he could comprehend, and it was too hard to make out if it was a voice or something much worse. Its direction was unknown as it surrounded the area, targeting Jack. The existence alone shook him to his core and he didn't know why.

Seconds turned into what felt like several minutes as the sound seemed to be at bay, almost like it was waiting for Jack to move. He noted this and remained as still as he could, pondering what would happen if he did move. The noise could still be heard but sounded very distant like it was hunting... stalking. The horror of knowing his death could be decided at any moment truly hit Jack like a freight train.

A few minutes went by with neither player making a move. Jack could feel the fatigue entering his legs with each moment that passed. Gradually, his limbs began to ease without him noticing. Then the noise began to pick up in aggression, grabbing his attention. Jack quickly tried to regain his still posture, but the damage had already been done. A roar bellowed all around him, forcing him to cover his ears in pain. Jack managed to recover quickly and got back on his feet. He knew he didn't have any option but to run for his life.

Jack's feet felt like they had a mind of their own, taking off immediately. The void seemed to be endless because the farther he went, the more looked the same. What wasn't the same was the freakish nightmare tailing him. Its roars echoed as they grew closer and closer, his heart pounding out of his chest with every step. It felt as if his legs couldn't go any longer. Eventually, his legs gave way and he collided with the ground, and Jack knew he was done for.

He quickly recovered and swung his head around to look for immediate danger, but was surprised to find none. The nerves in his body knew otherwise and remained tense. What was even more bizarre was the lack of noise as soon as he fell. The eerie stillness was even more unsettling than before. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind sped past him, practically pushing Jack over. His eyes darted back and forth, but nothing was there. He then heard a soft whisper in his ear that shook him to his very core.