The body hung lifelessly on the branches by the house, trees looming over the path as I continued to walk forwards towards the house. There was a trail of what looked like fresh and old bones in the forest around and on the path I didn’t quite know whether they were animal bones or not, that’s what had put me off following the trail but I couldn’t remember my route home and it was starting to get dark. My phone battery was low and my headphones had died, I had no signal where I was so I didn’t have a chance to call anyone before hand. I had been walking for a few hours following what I had thought to be a dog walkers path. I was starting to get cold when I saw the house itself it was a bit off putting seeing the bones scattered around and the body on the tree. The front steps were falling apart and the house walls themselves looked as if they were made of just wood and were eroding and decaying.
As I got closer and closer to the house I could see what I thought to be a cat jump into the broken glass window, I was getting cold and I needed a place to stay. I knocked gently on the decaying door with a *knock knock knock* nothing, no answer at all. it sounded as if it was hollow the decaying wood almost broke at the press of my fist. The door was a large wooden door with what looked like gargoyles engraved onto it. I debated whether to open it or not knowing if I did enter I may be met with something gruesome or even worse someone.
I gently pushed on the door it opening with a creak the hinges on the door breaking as the slightest push, I jumped at the crash of the door hitting the floor. I couldn’t see anything all it was was a dark mass of shadow creeping around the floors and clinging onto the walls. In front of me there was a staircase I wasn’t sure whether to climb it or not as of how decayed it looked.
I walked towards the steps, floorboards creaking at every move. I knew this was a bad idea but it would be okay for only one night right? I stood on a loose floorboard, wood flinging up and breaking almost hitting me. I continued to make my way towards the stairs small frisky steps as I started climbing the flight of stairs, little wood gargoyles were engraved in wood and put on railing of the stairs I heard the deathly high pitched noise of the black cats that seemed to be kittens that appear to be living in the house itself which I don’t blame them they also need shelter.
I reached the top of the stairs tripping over a loose floorboard and face planting the floor broken glass and debris getting into my eye a dark shadow slithering down the hall that I thought was just a hallucination. I rubbed my eye hoping to get the debris out but failing. I decided to follow the halls down the looming darkness growing bigger and bigger, I picked up a fairly big piece of wood and some what I suspected to flint to make a torch to be able to see *flick flick flick* the top of the piece sparked a shining orange flame illuminating most the hallway I was glad I took those camping and hiking courses. I trudged forwards moving the debris out the way. I paused hearing a high pitched screech covering my ears quickly dropping the torch I couldn’t tell if it was in the house or not. It only lasted for a minute I was lucky the house didn’t catch fire from the torch I thought as I pick it up smushing the dry ashes into the floor as I continued to make my way down the hall.
a cat appeared shocking me slightly, we both stopped in our tracks glaring at each other a good 2 meters away I was hesitant to move in case I scared the cat he was only young I would say under a year maybe 10 or 11 months? I creeped forwards as not to make any quick movements as the kitten leaped and trotted away, I followed him small steps as to not step on a loose floorboard or anything. The kitten led me into a room after passing about 4 or 5 different rooms them all looking wrecked and destroyed when I was led into another a much less destroyed, almost perfect condition room unlike the others it seemed to be untouched. The cats cuddling in a corner huddled all together mostly cold the room looked pretty old fashioned probably from the 80’s or something even earlier.
I froze again the ear piercing screech happening even louder then last time I put the torch on a stand covering my ears to peek out the window I couldn’t quite see anything apart from the trees swinging and the movement of the shadows I closed the curtains back up making way to the chair testing the legs before I sat down inspecting the room more. I spotted a small silver safe hidden in the corner, I didn’t know the code for it but I thought why not give it a go unlocking it the chair legs snapping as I stood up picking up the torch walking towards the silver safe that seemed slither into the light as I approached.
The slow turn of the notch with the click click click as I tried multiple combinations hoping one of them would open it. I jumped back as the door of the safe sprung open a gun, bullets and some white powder? What could these be used for? I picked the 3 items up moving them towards the table placing the torch back down the ear piercing screech appearing closer and more audible as if it was someone screaming for help I covered my ears looking around the room it felt like someone was in the room watching me.
I placed the torch back onto the stand noticing the mirror that seemed pretty dusty the floor creaking as I moved forwards. I brushed the dust off the mirror with my shirt it looked pretty old well the whole house looked pretty old overall. After I cleaned the mirror off it seemed pretty clear even with the dimly lit room it was an oval shaped mirror with a white pearl lined rim.
Suddenly the torch was blown out with another loud semi-audible screech asking for something. I looked around frantically absolutely terrified as the screech started to die down, I slinked carefully towards the unlit torch quickly trying to grab the flint from my pocket to relight it. Failing to light the torch with the small golden sparks flying as I knocked the flint against the wood board. Finally I got the torch lit making my way back towards the mirror. There was someone- no something behind me..
