12 Horrors

The Cursed Board Game

In the quiet solitude of Lakeview Manor, nestled near the edge of the foreboding Black Forest in Germany, lay a house shrouded in eerie stillness. Bryan and Willie, accompanied by Shirley, had come with Jack and his girlfriend Kelly for a vacation in Bryan's deceased grandparents' old mansion. The house stood grand and imposing, its aging timbers creaking softly in the wind that whispered through the surrounding trees.

After a hearty lunch, the group decided to explore the sprawling manor. They traversed its labyrinthine corridors, peering into rooms filled with remnants of a bygone era. Bryan and Willie, intrigued by tales of hidden treasures, set their sights on the mysterious upstairs storeroom, untouched since their grandparents' time.

The staircase leading to the storeroom was steep and groaned under their weight as they ascended cautiously. The door to the storeroom was weathered and resistant, requiring a forceful push from both boys to yield to their efforts. Just as they thought they had succeeded, a hand fell heavily upon Bryan's shoulder, causing them to startle.

"Jack! You scared me," Bryan exclaimed, relieved to see his brother.

"What are you two doing up here?" Jack asked, his curiosity piqued as he examined the stubborn door.

Willie explained their attempt to open the storeroom and, with Jack's help, they finally managed to breach its threshold. Inside, they found a treasure trove of forgotten artifacts — dusty antiques and curiosities from their grandparents' past. Amidst them lay a peculiar, locked chest adorned with an intricate, unfamiliar pattern.

"Look, Willie, this key has the same pattern as the chest!" Bryan exclaimed, pulling out a weathered key from a nearby closet.

Together, they unlocked the chest and, to their surprise, found a well-preserved board game, along with a diary bearing their grandfather's name. Intrigued, they carried their findings downstairs to share with the others.

Shirley and Kelly joined them in the grand hall, where they eagerly pored over the diary. Shirley, a history enthusiast, began translating the faded pages, her voice trembling as she read aloud:

"This is about the board game..." Her voice trailed off, eyes widening as she absorbed the chilling details of its description.

"Let's play this game," Willie suggested, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Bryan, always up for adventure, agreed without hesitation, and even Jack and Kelly, though skeptical, were drawn in by the mystery.

They gathered around an ornate table in the hall, lit only by flickering candles. The game board was ancient and ornate, its colors faded yet still vibrant with an unsettling aura. The rules were convoluted, the instructions cryptic. Nevertheless, they followed them meticulously, moving their pieces along the intricate pathways of the board.

As the game progressed, a palpable tension filled the room. Outside, the wind howled mournfully through the trees, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. Each player's turn seemed to bring them closer to their deepest fears.

Shirley rolled the dice first, her piece advancing to a space depicting a dark, forbidding forest — unmistakably resembling the one surrounding Lakeview Manor. Suddenly, a chill swept through the room, extinguishing several candles in its wake. Shirley's eyes widened in horror as the game seemed to reflect her own nightmares: lost in the dense Black Forest, pursued by unseen terrors.

Next, it was Kelly's turn. Her piece moved to a space depicting the shore of Lakeview Manor's lake. She laughed nervously, trying to shake off the sense of foreboding that gripped her. Yet as she stared into the depths of the game board's lake, she saw her reflection contort into something grotesque and malevolent.