Avriel Abbott clutched her keys tightly as she stepped through the creaky door of the weathered cottage, the stale scent of age and saltwater filling her nose. This place was a far cry from her bustling city apartment, yet it held a strange allure—quiet, desolate, and cloaked in secrets. She dropped her suitcase on the dusty floor, its echo swallowed by the silent walls.
As she moved through the dim, abandoned rooms, an uncanny feeling prickled at the back of her neck. There was something about this house that felt wrong, as if it had been waiting far too long for someone to return. Shadows danced in the corners, and the worn furniture seemed to lean toward her, as though trying to listen.
When she reached the living room, her gaze landed on the tall, foggy window overlooking the cliffs. The ocean waves crashed against the rocks, an endless cycle of retreat and return. Avriel had always been drawn to the supernatural—the thrill of the unknown, the excitement of solving a mystery. This cottage, rumored to be haunted, was the perfect place to indulge her curiosity.
“It’s just an old house,” she muttered to herself, setting her shoulders. She’d come here to escape the mundane, to explore, to uncover the stories hidden within these walls. There were secrets here, and she was determined to find them.
But as she turned to head back to the hallway, she felt it again that chilling, skin-prickling sensation, like a gaze pressing down on her.
A soft, almost inaudible sound drifted from upstairs. A faint creak, followed by the low murmur of footsteps pacing back and forth, steady and rhythmic.
Her heart hammered in her chest. She knew she was the only one here… wasn’t she?
Avriel forced herself to take a deep breath, every rational part of her mind dismissing it as the wind or the settling of old wood. But then she heard it again a floorboard creaking under the weight of something moving above her. Someone.
“Hello?” she called, her voice sounding far weaker than she intended. Silence. She tried to convince herself it was nothing, but as she moved toward the staircase, her feet seemed to move on their own.
The stairs groaned as she climbed, her breath catching with each creak. At the top, a long hallway stretched before her, dimly lit by the silver moonlight filtering through an old window at the end. The door to the guest room was cracked open, and she could have sworn she saw a faint shadow flicker within.
Swallowing her fear, she approached the door, gripping the handle and nudging it open just enough to peer inside. The room was empty, just as it had been when she’d first arrived dusty sheets covering the furniture, ghostly in the moonlight.
But then she noticed something chilling. Across the fogged window, a faint outline of words began to form, as though traced by an unseen hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she squinted to make out the letters:
Stay away.
A rush of cold air hit her, and she stumbled back, her mind racing with questions. This was impossible. No one had been here for years, and yet…
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of an intruder, any explanation. But the only answer was the deep silence of the house, heavy and thick, pressing down on her from all sides.
Just as she turned to flee, something caught her eye. A brief flash of movement in the reflection of the mirror across the room there, behind her, was the faintest outline of a figure. Tall, broad-shouldered, shrouded in shadows… and staring directly at her.
But before she could spin around, the room was empty again. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, heart racing with a mixture of terror and adrenaline. She knew she should leave, should pack her bags and get as far away as possible.
But something held her in place, a strange pull that was equal parts dread and curiosity. The mysteries of this house, the whispers of its past, called to her.
Gripping the edge of the doorframe to steady herself, Avriel whispered to the empty room, “Who are you?”
But the only reply was the eerie silence, and in that silence, she felt a strange certainty settle over her. She wasn’t alone here. And whoever or whatever was watching her wasn’t finished with her yet.
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Hii loves , this is the first chapter of LOVER OF THE DEAD! Do tell me in the comments if you like where the story is going to! And also, don't forget to vote this story if you want to read more 🫶🏻
Till then, take care and drink water😌
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LOVER OF THE DEAD
ParanormalWhat if the one you were destined to love was trapped between two worlds? Avriel Abbott is drawn to the mysteries of the supernatural, but nothing could prepare her for the enigmatic ghost Iver Killian. As their connection deepens, they uncover secr...
