Hollow | harry styles au

Hollow | harry styles au - Chapter 4

I wake up with a start as an ear-shattering scream jolts me awake.

The sound still echoes in my ears even after a few seconds. The sky's way too dark for it to be dawn, so my best guess would be it's around four in the morning. I sit there on the bed for a few minutes, my elbows propped up, trying to calm myself.

My subconscious is always playing tricks on me. I always expected something like this would happen. Sometimes she would even play different screams inside my head even if I was already wide awake and begging for it to stop.

But this time it had felt livid. It had felt so real, like someone had literally screamed in my ear.

It takes me a few more seconds to realize that, no, this is not my room, this is not my bedroom and this is not my bed.

Blurry memories from earlier this evening flood into my mind.

Harry.

He had invited me over to his house and I had hesitantly taken his offer after the water had reached above my ankles. And it's not like I'd be able to sleep when the storm is ready to demolish my whole house in one blow.

Sleeping here is much better than sleeping in the cemetery with the dead lying six feet beneath you. It's a nice change, and for once, I don't feel that paranoid over imaginary hands tugging on my leg or random taps on the glass window whenever I'm asleep.

I glance to the side of the bed on the cold floor, where I thought I had last seen Harry sleeping on, but the only thing that greets me is empty wrinkled sheets.

The light suddenly turns on outside the room, seeping in the bottom of the door. I hold my breath as I see someone pass, footsteps blocking the light. I expected that the door would open, but the footsteps only pass by. A few seconds later, I hear a switch and then the light disappears. Somewhere outside I hear a door open and then close.

Harry? I open my mouth to shout, but I remember that Harry's dad is somewhere in this house, too, probably sleeping, and shut it again.

I let myself fall back to the bed, planning to continue my sleep when my subconscious speaks. "Follow them, Anthie. Who knows what kind of mystery awaits you?"

I suddenly find myself standing up and walking towards the door, intrigued by my subconscious' offer. As quietly as possible, I slip out of the room and into the dark hallway. There's no one else around except me, and the only light source available is the faint light coming from the room at the end of the hall.

No matter how much I lighten my footsteps, the wooden floor creaks violently. I abruptly stop walking and slip off my shoes when I notice that the creaking continues even when I'm just standing still. A shiver runs down my back as I start to walk barefoot.

I almost lose my footing when I step on something slippery, but luckily I have a hand on the wall to steady myself. I raise my foot, and even if it's dark, I see dark streaks on the floor leading towards the door at the end of the hallway. I follow the trail and when I open the door and the light pours in, it's a blood trail.

I can smell the faint metallic scent in the air. There's something else I smell, like the smell always present back in the cemetery whenever I bury a casket under the soil. I force myself not to gag as I close the door behind me. There's a narrow staircase leading down into nothing but infinite darkness. Even there the trail of bright red blood continues. There are even red handprints on the walls on the side.

Weird. Harry didn't mention any basement.

I hear a pained groan echo from downstairs and my eyes widen. Harry - he's probably hurt or something.